1. The Fate of Anglo-Saxon Saints after the Norman Conquest of England: St Æthelwold of Winchester as a Case Study.
- Author
-
BROWETT, REBECCA
- Subjects
ANGLO-Saxons ,SAINTS ,HISTORIOGRAPHY ,BRITISH history ,HISTORY - Abstract
This paper explores the continued debate concerning the status and treatment of Anglo-Saxon saints after 1066 through the discussion of the fate of St Æthelwold of Winchester's cult. Current historiography favours Susan Ridyard's 1986 thesis that the new Norman bishops and abbots used the Anglo-Saxon saints to establish their authority, integrate themselves into their new religious houses, and guard their communities' land and possessions. She challenged the notion that the churchmen were sceptical of and mistreated Anglo-Saxon saints' cults. However, historians such as Paul Hayward, and more recently Tom License, have disputed Ridyard's thesis. This article examines the status of St Æthelwold's cult at Winchester and Abingdon after 1066, where there is clear evidence that the cult was suppressed. This paper will explore the means by which, and the potential motivations why, the abbots of Abingdon and bishop of Winchester expressed disrespectful attitudes towards St Æthelwold's cult, discussing the implications this has on current historiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF