Earconwald

Erkenwald (also 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 the poem St. Erkenwald, regarded as one of the most important poems in the foundations of English literature, and thought to be by the same author as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The poem is concerned 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:<blockquote>"we may still name him as the patron saint of London, [his]... cult survived for over eight hundred years, before entering the temporary darkness of the last four centuries".

The name 'Erkenwald' is a dithematic Germanic name composed of the elements eorcen (meaning "genuine," "pure," or "precious") and weald (meaning "rule" or "power"), together translating to "genuine ruler" or "noble power.

Erkenwald has, in recent times, been portrayed in novels and films, for example in Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories.

The early diocese of London was coterminous with the Kingdom of Essex, making the Bishop of London the Bishop of the East Saxons.

Life

alt=Medieval Stained Glass Window depicting St. Peter Mancroft and St. William (likely Bishop William of London) in St. Peter Mancroft Church, Norwich.|thumb|Medieval Stained Glass Window depicting St. Erkenwald and St. William (likely Bishop William of London) in [[St Peter Mancroft|St. Peter Mancroft Church, Norwich.]]

Origins

Erkenwald 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 (for example by William Dugdale) or King Offa of East Anglia (for example by John of Tynemouth), though the chronology makes these options unlikely.

The Frankish <nowiki/>'eorcen- in his name might indicate Kentish descent. He may have been born in the Kingdom of Lindsey in modern Lincolnshire.

thumb|upright=1.23|Stone marking the site of the grave of Mellitus (d. 624), 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. 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. 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 (£1084 per annum) was surpassed by the nunneries of Sion and Shaftsbury.

A legend says that he often preached to the woodmen in the wild forests that lay to the north of London.

thumb|A window in Wells Cathedral. Mostly original glass; the heads depict Pope Stephen, St Blaise, St Erkenwald, and Pope Marcellus.

Bishop

In 675, Erkenwald became Bishop of London, succeeding Bishop Wine. He was the choice of Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury.

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 Erkenwald served as bishop of London for eleven years.

thumb|Orthodox Image of St Erkenwald: Erkenwald is considered a saint of the undivided church

Erkenwald 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. King Ine named Erkenwald as an advisor on his laws and called Erkenwald "my bishop" in the preface to his laws.

Erkenwald 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 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 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 (found in commentaries on Dante) 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 Erkenwald 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 Fursey's burial to 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 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 Fursey's burial belongs to Erchinoald. This distinction is essential for an accurate historical account.thumb|The now lost Bishops Gate: a Roman gate in the walls of Roman London, repaired by St Erkenwald and then named after him

Building works

Bishopsgate, one of the eastern gates on London's largely lost Roman and medieval city wall, was said to have been repaired by Erkenwald, and to have taken its name from him.

thumb|Archbishop Matthew Parker, who had the most important records on Erkenwald at the end of the [[Counter-Reformation when they may otherwise have been lost]]

Erkenwald 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

Erkenwald died in 693

For a period immediately after the Norman Conquest, Erkenwald 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 Erkenwald is the Miracula Sancti Erkenwaldi, preserved as a 12th-century manuscript in the Matthew Parker collection (Parker 161) 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 Ethelburga of Barking, his sister and the abbess of Barking Abbey. by a poet from the Cheshire/Shropshire/Staffordshire area.

The text is thought to be the work of the Pearl Poet whose identity is debated and uncertain.

The poem is significant in the way it deals with the spiritual welfare of people who could not hear the Christian message, and critics have compared it to the Beowulf poem in this regard. The poem has survived in only one manuscript, British Library MS Harley 2250.

The document was discovered in 1757 by Thomas Percy; the manuscript had been in the possession of Sir Humphrey Pitt of Balcony House, Shifnal, and Priorslee, Shropshire.

Other important ancient literary materials narrowly avoided being burnt as kindling by household staff in the circumstances in which Percy was discovering this important cultural survival.

The poem has been linked thematically and in plot terms with the Legend of Trajan and the Miracle of St Gregory; that legend itself being referred to in the Divine Comedy by Dante (Purgatorio (x. 73-75) and Paradiso (xx 106-117)). He is a patron saint of London.

Prior to the Reformation, the anniversaries of his death as well as his translation were observed at St Paul's as feasts of the first class, by an ordinance of Bishop Braybroke in 1386. The shrine has drawn comparison to that of Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey.

thumb|Saint Paul's Cathedral before the Destruction of the Spire. Restored from Ancient Authorities

It is said that on the death of St Erkenwald, there was a struggle between the canons of St Paul's and the monks of Chertsey as to who should bury him, during which the people of London brought his body to St Paul's. The people of London, bringing the body to the city, are supposed to have said:

"We are like strong and vigorous men who will... undermine and overturn cities heavily fortified with men and weapons before we give up the servant of God, our protector... we ourselves intend that such a glorious city and congregation shall be strengthened and honoured by such a patron." the relics were put in a silver shrine. On November 14, 1148, the body was translated to a position near the high altar, close to the shrine of St. Mellitus, with the shrines of the two saints likely standing side by side on the altar beam. This was a fixed structure on which the feretory was placed, and it was the commencement of the shrine that would stand until the Reformation.

It is recorded that the servants of the church could only move the relics of St Erkenwald "clandestinely at night" because to do otherwise would have created hysteria among the crowds. that:

<blockquote>"successful lawyers of London…on nomination as serjeants of law, would walk in procession to St Paul’s in order to venerate the physical presence of the saint."

</blockquote>

thumb|Catherine of Aragon made an offering at St Erkenwald's shrine as an act of diplomacy ahead of her first marriage into the House of Tudor.

When Catherine of Aragon made her entry into London, two days before her marriage to Prince Arthur, heir to the throne, she visited St Paul's and made an offering there at the shrine of St Erkenwald. The couple were married on St Erkenwald's Day, with the date likely selected to be in alignment with the saint's day.

thumb|Lady Chapel of St. Margaret's Church Barking . Window for St Erkenwald

The St Paul's shrine had the relics removed during the Reformation; the empty shrine survived until the Great Fire of London. In late 1549, at the height of the iconoclasm of the Reformation, Sir Rowland Hill altered the route of his Lord Mayor's day procession and said a de profundis at the tomb of Erkenwald.

thumb|Stained glass window of erkenwald There are differing accounts of what happened to his relics, with suggestions the relics were plundered or incinerated, or that he was reburied in St Paul's Cathedral at the east end of the choir,

One commentary on the location of his relics summarises the understanding of this point as follows:

"his relics were either destroyed or hidden in a secure place by the faithful from the bloodthirsty iconoclasts. There is a modern speculation that the relics... may still rest at the east end of the present Cathedral choir next to the east altar. Perhaps one day... will reveal the fate of this holy man’s bodily remains."

</blockquote>

One commentator has observed that "destruction of this major shrine, located behind the high altar, severed the last connection between St Paul’s and its Saxon predecessor ... (the precise whereabouts have yet to be discovered)."

The burials of both Erkenwald and Sebbi quickly became the focus of saints’ cults and pilgrimages. This local mania for miracles and relics has been described as the first evidence that Londoners were becoming enthusiastic about Christianity and that newly returned religion had found its footing in the area.

Erkenwald's grave was a popular place of pilgrimage up to the Reformation.

thumb|Wren moved the orientation of St Pauls when constructing the current Restoration Era building. He looked for the relics of Erkenwald which some traditions said were at the cathedral but did not find them.

After the Great Fire of London, Christopher Wren made archaeological investigations into the ruins to St Paul's Cathedral looking for the Saxon building Erkenwald had had built. The disappearance of his relics during the Tudor Reformation has led some scholars to consider that they were intentionally hidden in Shropshire, linking the site of Soulton Hall with the saint's memory due to its acquisition by Sir Rowland Hill, who held the office of Sheriff when Erkenwald's shrine was disturbed and Lord Mayor when St Paul's Cathedral's high altar stone was pulled down.

State events

So far back as 1431, the Masters of the Lincoln's Inn Bench restricted the number of annual revels to four: the feast of St Erkenwald, alongside the feast of the Purification of our Lady; Midsummer and Halloween.

There were other examples of statecraft being associated with St Erkenwald in the Tudor period: in 1522, there was a state visit to London by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, hosted by Henry VIII. The entertainments included a pageant near Cheapside, where Charlemagne greeted the two heads of state and gave them gifts; Erkenwald was incorporated into the performance, with St Dunstan, Thomas Becket, John the Baptist, John of Gaunt all also featured.

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn are understood in some accounts to have married on St Erkenwald's Day.

Memorialisation of St Erkenwald

thumb|St Erkenwald window - St Dominic's Church - The Shrine of Our Lady

thumb|373x373px|Cross in Battersea Park, erected to mark the year 2000. It stands on the site of a manor granted by King Caedwalla to St Erkenwald which is believed to have been the home of St Ethelburga.

thumb|280px|[[St Erkenwald's Church, Barking]]

The cult of St. Erkenwald was temporarily "marginalised" after the Norman Conquest, a period when Norman clerics replaced English ecclesiastical leaders; however, its revival at Old St. Paul's Cathedral was a profound statement of London's civic identity and a counterpoint to the royal focus on Westminster Abbey. The miracles associated with his cult were not just spiritual events but also served a practical, civic function by addressing the "educational and social needs" of the urban environment.

An anonymous author, likely a canon of St Paul's, wrote the Vita sancti Erkenwaldi (VSE) by the early 12th century. The Miracula S. Erkwenwaldi (MSE) was probably composed by Arcoid, a canon of London and nephew of Bishop Gilbert the Universal. The composition of the MSE is dated to either late 1140 or early 1141.

A key testament to Erkenwald's significance comes from William of Malmesbury, a historian from the early 12th century, who wrote:<blockquote>London’s greatest saint... by no means undeserving of the favour of the canons because of the speed with which he answers</blockquote>During the mid-12th century, the veneration of Erkenwald was re-established at St Paul's Cathedral. This interest continued, and around 1180, Dean Richard of Ilchester (also known as Richard of Diceto) initiated a visitation of the cathedral's estates. The record of this visitation, known as Diceto's Domesday Register (or Liber B), originally contained a copy of the Vita sancti Erkenwaldi (Life of Saint Erkenwald), according to antiquarian William Dugdale.

A Middle English Vita of Erkenwald was composed c.1400, which has been linked to an attempt by the bishops of London to revive the cult, suggesting that Erkenwald retained his importance for London’s cathedral clergy throughout the Middle Ages.

St Erkenwald has also been commemorated in the following ways:

In the 1932 Barking Pageant
in the Chapel of St Erkenwald and St Ethelburga at St Paul's Cathedral
with a cross in Battersea Park erected in the year 2000, which was placed on the site of a manor granted to St Erkenwald by King Ceadwalla, believed to the site of the home of St Æthelburg
St Erkenwald's Church, Barking
St Erkenwald's Church, Southend-on-Sea (demolished)
St Erconwald's Catholic Church Walton-on-Thames
St Erconwald's Roman Catholic Church, Wembley
St Paul's Cathedral holds a sung Eucharist for Erkenwald, conducted by the Bishop of London.
Between 1931 and 1990 a senior school in Barking was called Erkenwald School. It is now a campus of Mayesbrook Park School.
In a statue in Wells Cathedral
In a window at St Albans Cathedral
In an imaginatively-named Essex League Basketball team

thumb|Long Melford, Holy Trinity - Erkenwald Window

In contemporary culture

In 1997 the Royal Shakespeare Company performed a play called Erkenwald in The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Erkenwald is a supporting character in the Bernard Cornwell stories:

The Saxon Stories novel series
The Last Kingdom books

and in the associated 2018 television series. In that fictional world he is in service to King Alfred. The actor Kevin Eldon has portrayed him.

The British children's writer Abi Elphinstone chose "Erkenwald" as the name of a mythical kingdom in her 2021 book Sky Song.

In 2025 there was a reading of the ancient poem at Soulton Hall by Harry Frost. An ecumenical service was held at the venue on the saint's feast day in 2025, completing a three-year cycle of observances that included a Roman Catholic Mass and an Anglican Eucharist on the corresponding feast days in 2023 and 2024. The management of Soulton Hall describes its role as "heritage managers" rather than spiritual leaders, seeking to accommodate the site’s complex history with "parity of esteem." This philosophy emphasizes "responsible accommodation" and support for the traditions of the "undivided Church," providing a neutral setting for both standalone denominational services and shared ecumenical worship.

Miracles

alt=carved stone plaque of grey stone|thumb|A 2000 stone plaque in London honouring St ErkenwaldThere are 19 miracles associated with Erkenwald:

Notes

Citations

References

Andrew, Malcolm. "The Saint of London: The Life and Miracles of St. Erkenwald." Notes and Queries, vol. 41, no. 4, Dec. 1994, pp. 541+.