Earconwald
Saint Earconwald, died 693, was a Saxon prince who served as Bishop of London between 675 and 693 and is the first post-Roman-period Bishop of London to begin the unbroken succession in the Saxon See of London. He is the eponymous subject of one of the most important poems in the foundations of English literature, a complex work of art associated with ecumenical and interfaith dynamics.
He is regarded as the patron saint of London and was called Lundoniae maximum sanctus, 'the most holy figure of London', as well as Lux Londonie, "the light of London". His early memorialisation is linked to London's proto-Renaissance, with Peter Ackroyd saying of him:
"we may still name him as the patron saint of London, ... cult survived for over eight hundred years, before entering the temporary darkness of the last four centuries".He is associated with a very early Anglo-Saxon phase of building at St Paul's Cathedral, and William Dugdale says he began the building of the cathedral. Dugdale also claimed that the site of St Paul’s Cathedral was originally a temple of the Roman goddess Diana, citing the discovery of 'many heads of oxen' during the rebuilding of the east end and the structure of 'chambers of Diana' nearby.
The name 'Erkenwald' is a dithematic Germanic name composed of the elements eorcen and weald, together translating to "genuine ruler" or "noble power.
Erkenwald has, in recent times, been portrayed in novels and films, for example in the work of Bernard Cornwell.
The early diocese of London was coterminous with the Kingdom of Essex, making the Bishop of London the Bishop of the East Saxons.
Life
Origins
Earconwald is traditionally of royal ancestry, though there are competing theories as to his precise pedigree, owing to limited records and great the antiquity of his period.He is often listed as a son of the house of King Offa of Essex or King Offa of East Anglia, though the chronology makes these options unlikely. Another tradition identifies him as the son of King Annas, the "holy king of the East-Angles".
The Frankish
File:Staugustinescanterburygravemellitus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.23|Stone marking the site of the grave of Mellitus, the first Bishop of London, in the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury.Erkenwald may have been a pupil of Mellitus, linking him directly to the Augustine mission. Mellitus's shrine was stripped of valuables and destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
As a young man, he may have studied under Mellitus, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Career
In c. 666, he established two Benedictine abbeys, Chertsey Abbey in Surrey for men, and Barking Abbey for women.The abbey Erkenwald founded at Chertsy was destroyed, and ninety monks were killed during the Danish wars; it was later refounded by King Edgar and Bishop Ethelwold.
His sister, Æthelburh, was Abbess of Barking. Earconwald is said to have engaged Hildelith to instruct Æthelburh in the role of abbess. Although sometimes mistaken as the first nunnery in England, it was not; for example, the nunnery at Folkestone was founded earlier in 630 by King Eadbald, with his daughter St. Eanswithe as the first abbess. Furthermore, at the Dissolution, Barking's wealth was surpassed by the nunneries of Sion and Shaftsbury.
Earconwald himself served as Abbot of Chertsey. A charter states that in the late 7th century, he and Frithwald gave land in Streatham and Tooting Graveney to Chertsey Abbey; this grant was confirmed in the time of Athelstan in 933.
A legend says that he often preached to the woodmen in the wild forests that lay to the north of London.
Bishop
In 675, Earconwald became Bishop of London, succeeding Bishop Wine. He was the choice of Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury.File:Wenceslas Hollar - Sebba and Ethelred .jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Drawing of tombs of Kings Sæbbi and Æthelred the Unready in Old St Paul's Cathedral by Wenceslaus Hollar. Sæbbi may have been involved in Erkenwald's appointment to the Bishopric of London. |alt=Tomb of Æthelred lost in the 1666 Great Fire
It is also said that his selection as Bishop of London was at the insistence of King Sebbi. An ancient epitaph says that Earconwald served as bishop of London for eleven years.
He was granted the manor of Fulham about the year 691 for himself and his successors as Bishop of London. The manor house was Fulham Palace. Nine centuries later, it was still the summer residence of the Bishops of London.
Earconwald was an important contributor to the reconversion of Essex, and the fourth Bishop of London since the restoration of the diocese, and he was present at the reconciliation between Archbishop Theodore and Wilfrith.
While bishop, he contributed to King Ine of Wessex's law code, and is mentioned specifically in the code as a contributor. King Ine named Earconwald as an advisor on his laws and called Earconwald "my bishop" in the preface to his laws. This collaboration highlights the profound influence of the Church on Anglo-Saxon legal frameworks. The laws were drafted at a time when there was no central police authority and the legal system was heavily based on wergeld—a system of restitution and compensation where penalties were determined by an individual's social status. The Church sought to mitigate the private feuds and violence that often arose from this system, in part by providing a right to sanctuary or asylum. Earconwald's direct involvement in shaping these laws demonstrates the Church's active role in establishing a more structured legal order and reducing private warfare.
Saint Erkenwald's eleven-year tenure as bishop was primarily focused on reconciliation. His diocese was a diverse community, with a population composed of both native Britons who had remained after the Saxon conquest and the dominant Anglo-Saxon population. The diocese's Christian faith reflected this mix of cultures, having been initially introduced by Roman clergy sent by Pope Gregory I but subsequently established by Celtic monks from Lindisfarne under Saint Cedd. This led to a blended tradition within the see. Erkenwald was instrumental in resolving conflicts within the broader English Church. He helped to reconcile resistance to the reforms introduced by Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury. Notably, Erkenwald played a key role in mediating the long-standing dispute between Saint Wilfrid and Theodore, which was ultimately settled at Erkenwald's residence shortly before Theodore's death. This event cemented Erkenwald's reputation as a peacemaker and a central figure in the unification of the early English Church.
The biographical association of Erkenwald with Pope Gregory the Great may account for the later St. Erkenwald poem's thematic interest and narrative because the saint's existing biographies do not contain a source for the poem’s central miracle—the salvation of a pagan judge. The closest and most significant literary parallel is the widely circulated legend of Pope Gregory and the Emperor Trajan, in which Gregory's intercession delivers the righteous pagan Trajan's soul. The poem adapts this popular analogue to make a precise theological argument. While some versions of the Gregory/Trajan story suggested Gregory's desires alone secured Trajan's salvation, the St. Erkenwald poem insists on the judge receiving a miraculous baptism. By requiring this sacrament, the poem aligns itself with the more rigid theological tradition that maintained baptism was necessary for the salvation of even the most virtuous pagans. This link to Gregory's miracle thus provides the narrative template and the framework for the poem's sophisticated theological commentary.
Current historical scholarship credits Earconwald with a major role in the evolution of Anglo-Saxon charters, and it is possible that he drafted the charter of Caedwalla to Farnham.
The historical misattribution of Saint Fursey's burial to Saint Erkenwald is a common point of confusion. The error arises from the similarity of their names, as two distinct historical figures have been conflated. The individual responsible for receiving Saint Fursey's body and having it buried in a basilica in Péronne was Erchinoald, a powerful Frankish nobleman and mayor of the palace. Erchinoald was a contemporary of Fursey and played a key role in the establishment of Péronne as a significant pilgrimage site for Irish monks. In contrast, Erkenwald, lived in a later period in the 7th century, and credit for the events surrounding Saint Fursey's burial belongs to Erchinoald. This distinction is essential for an accurate historical account.
Building works
, one of the eastern gates on London's largely lost Roman and medieval city wall, was said to have been repaired by Earconwald, and to have taken its name from him.Earconwald is said to have spent a good deal on the early building of St Paul's, and in later times he almost occupied the place of a traditionary founder; the veneration paid to him was second only to that which was rendered to St Paul.
Death and legacy
Earconwald died in 693 while on a visit to Barking Abbey. His remains were buried at a pilgrimage shrine in Old St Paul's Cathedral. The Vita of St Erkenwald recounts that as he died, an extraordinary fragrance filled his cell, as though the whole building had been drenched in the sweetest perfume.For a period immediately after the Norman Conquest, St Earconwald was marginalised in religious practice. The Normans replaced most of the English ecclesiastical office holders, either immediately, or upon their death with the appointment of a Norman cleric as successor.
The most important collection of early materials concerning Earconwald is the Miracula Sancti Erkenwaldi, preserved as a 12th-century manuscript in the Matthew Parker collection at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The miracle in the poem is not in these materials, suggesting that the story post-dates this manuscript.
In art, Erkenwald is often depicted as a bishop riding in a small "chariot," which was a type of wheeled chair similar to a bath chair used during the Saxon era. He used this for transport due to his severe gout. Sometimes, a woman is shown touching the chair, which may be a representation of the healing miracles associated with him. He is also occasionally portrayed alongside Saint Ethelburga of Barking, his sister and the abbess of Barking Abbey.