Witburga (saint)
Witburga (also called Vitburga , Withburga , Widburga , Wicburgis , Witeburga ) (* before 655, † 743 in Dereham ) was an East Anglian abbess , saint and princess .
Life
Her father was the East Anglian king Anna . She had four other canonized sisters named Ethellburga, Ethelreda, Sexburga and a stepsister named Sæthryth. Soon after she was born, she moved to the seaside village of Holkham in Norfolk . After the death of her father, she founded a Christian community and built the convent and church of Dereham for this congregation .
She died in Dereham in 743 and was initially buried there.
Legend
A legend According tamed and milked them hinds, which they supplied the workers during the construction of the monastery complex. A robber who wanted to steal the cows she put to flight. While fleeing, he fell from his horse and died. 55 years after her death, her undamaged body was reburied in the monastery church she had built.
In 974, Brinoth, the Abbot of Ely, stole the body after a party with the people of Dereham. Despite a pursuit, the robbers escaped through the swamps and buried Witburga in Ely. In the place of her devastated grave, however, a spring sprang up shortly after the outrage. The pilgrims continued to visit the spring in the church of Dereham instead of the tomb of Witburga and also drank the water from it. When her body was exhumed in Ely in 1106 , it was found again indestructible.
Web links
- Witburga in Zeno.org
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Witburga |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Vitburga; Withburga; Widburga; Wicburgis; Witeburga |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | East Anglian abbess, saint and princess |
| DATE OF BIRTH | before 655 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 743 |
| Place of death | Dereham |