Edmund
King of the East Angles
A mediaeval illumination depicting the death of Edmund
Reign	25 December 855 (traditionally) – 20 November 869 (or 870)
Born	by tradition 841
Died	killed in battle 20 November 869
Predecessor	Ethelweard
Successor	Oswald
Royal House	unknown
Father	possibly Æthelweard
Religious beliefs	Christian

Edmund the Martyr (Old English: Eadmund, ēad, "prosperity", "riches"; and mund, "protector"); also known as St Edmund or Edmund of East Anglia (died 20 November 869)^{[note 1]} was king of East Anglia from about 855 until his death.

Almost nothing is known of Edmund. He is thought to be of East Anglian origin and was first mentioned in an annal of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written some years after his death. His kingdom was devastated by the Vikings, who destroyed any contemporary evidence of his reign. Later writers produced fictitious accounts of his life, asserting that he was born in 841, the son of Æthelweard, an obscure East Anglian king, whom it was said he succeeded when he was fourteen (or alternatively that he was the youngest son of a Germanic king named 'Alcmund'). Later versions of his life relate that he was crowned on 25 December 855 at Burna, an unidentified location, and that he became a model king.

In 869, the Great Heathen Army advanced on East Anglia and killed Edmund. He may have been slain by the Danes in battle, but by tradition he met his death at an unidentified place known as Haegelisdun, after he refused the Danes' demand that he renounce Christ: the Danes beat him, shot him with arrows and then beheaded him, on the orders of Ivar the Boneless and his brother Ubbe Ragnarsson. According to one legend, his head was then thrown into the forest, but was found safe by searchers after following the cries of a wolf that was calling, "Hic, Hic, Hic" – 'Here, Here, Here'. Commentators have noted how Edmund's death bears resemblances to the fate suffered by Saint Sebastian, St Denis and St Mary of Egypt.

A coinage commemorating Edmund was minted from around the time East Anglia was absorbed by the kingdom of Wessex and a popular cult emerged. In about 986, Abbo of Fleury wrote of his life and martyrdom. The saint's remains were temporarily moved from Bury to London for safekeeping in 1010. His shrine was visited by many kings, including Canute, who was responsible for rebuilding the abbey: the stone church was rebuilt again in 1095. During the Middle Ages, when Edmund was regarded as the patron saint of England, Bury and its magnificent abbey grew wealthy, but during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, his shrine was destroyed. The mediaeval manuscripts and other works of art relating to Edmund that have survived include Abbo's Passio Santi Eadmundi, John Lydgate's 14th century Life, the Wilton Diptych and a number of church wall paintings.

King of the East Angles[link]

Accession and rule[link]

Edmund is first mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle annal for 870, which was compiled twenty years after his death.^[2] By tradition, Edmund is thought to have been born in 841 and to have acceded to the East Anglian throne in around 855.^[3] Nothing is known of his life or reign, as no contemporary East Anglian documents from this period have survived. The devastation in East Anglia that was caused by the Vikings is thought to have destroyed any books or charters that referred to Edmund^[4] and the lack of contemporary evidence means that it is not known for certain when his reign began, or his age when he became king. Later mediaeval chroniclers have provided dubious accounts of his life, in the absence of any real details.

Edmund cannot be placed within any ruling dynasty. Numismatic evidence suggests he succeeded Æthelweard. According to the historian Susan Ridyard, Abbo of Fleury's statement that Edmund was 'ex antiquorum Saxonum nobili prosapia oriundus' can be taken to mean that he was descended from a noble and ancient race.^[5]

It is known that a variety of different coins were minted by Edmund's moneyers during his reign. The letters AN, standing for 'Anglia', only appear on the coins of Edmund and Æthelstan of East Anglia: they appear on Edmund's coins as part of the phrase + EADMUND REX AN. Later specimens read + EADMUND REX and so it is possible for his coins to be divided chronologically.^[6] Otherwise, no chronology for his coins has been confirmed.^[7]

Death[link]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which generally described few matters relating to the East Angles and their rulers, is the only source for a description of the events for the year 869 that led to the defeat of Edmund's army at the hands of the Danes. It relates that "Her rad se here ofer Mierce innan East Engle and wiñt setl namon. æt Đeodforda. And þy wint' Eadmund cying him wiþ feaht. and þa Deniscan sige naman þone cyning ofslogon. and þæt lond all ge eodon." - 'here the army rode across Mercia into East Anglia, and took winter-quarters at Thetford; and that winter King Edmund fought against them, and the Danish took the victory, and killed the king and conquered all that land'.^[8][9] By tradition the leaders who slew the king were Hingwar and his brother Hubba.

Along with other forces, the Great Heathen Army then invaded Wessex, perhaps in December 870 (within a few weeks of killing Edmund) or after having spent a year pillaging and consolidating their position in East Anglia, before proceeding to attack Mercia and Northumbria.^[10][11]

Memorial coinage[link]

A St Edmund memorial penny.

Edmund's body was buried in a wooden chapel near to where he was killed, but was later transferred to Beadoriceworth, where in 925 Athelstan founded a community devoted to the new cult.^[12] Thirty years after Edmund's death, he was venerated by the Vikings of East Anglia, who produced a coinage to commemorate him.^[13] The coinage was minted from around 895 to 915 (close to the time when East Anglia was conquered by Edward the Elder of Wessex) and was based on the design of coins produced during Edmund's reign. All the pennies and (more rarely) half-pennies that were produced read SCE EADMVND REX—'O St Edmund the king!'. Some of them have a legend that provides evidence that the Vikings experimented with their initial design.^[14]

The St. Edmund memorial coins were minted in great quantities by a group of more than 70 moneyers, many of whom appear to have originated from the continent: over 1800 individual specimens were found when the great Cuerdale Hoard was discovered in 1840.^[15] The coins would have been widely used within the Danelaw and many single items have mainly been found in the east of England, but the exact locations of the mints where they were made are not known with certainty: scholars have assumed that they were made in East Anglia.^[16]

Veneration[link]

Cult at Bury St Edmunds[link]

During the 11th century a stone church was built in Bury, which was replaced by a larger church in 1095, into which Edmund's relics were translated. The abbey's power grew upon being given jurisdiction over the growing town in 1028 and the creation in 1044,^[12] of the geographical and political area of the Liberty of St Edmund, established by Edward the Confessor, which remained a separate jurisdiction under the control of the abbot of Bury St Edmunds Abbey until the dissolution of the monasteries.

The shrine at Bury St Edmunds soon became one of the most famous and wealthy pilgrimage locations in England. In 1010, Edmund's remains were translated to London to protect them from the Vikings, where they were kept for three years before being returned to Bury.^[12] For centuries the shrine was visited by various kings of England, many of whom gave generously to the abbey: Sweyn's son, King Canute, converted to Christianity and rebuilt the abbey at Bury St Edmunds. In 1020, he made a pilgrimage and offered his own crown upon the shrine as atonement for the sins of his forefathers. King John is said to have given a great sapphire and a precious stone set in gold, which he was permitted to keep upon the condition that it was returned to the abbey when he died.^[17]

The town arose as the wealth and fame of the abbey grew. After the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the abbot planned out over 300 new houses within a grid-iron pattern at a location that was close to the abbey precincts.^[18] Edmund's cult was promoted and flourished, but it declined in subsequent years and the saint did not reappear in any liturgical calendars until the appearance of Abbo of Fleury's Passio Santi Eadmundi in the 12th century.^[19]

Edmund's shrine was destroyed in 1539, during the English Reformation. According to a letter (which now belongs to the Cotton Collection in the British Library), the shrine was defaced, and silver and gold to the value of over 5000 marks was taken away. On 4 November 1539 the abbot and his monks were expelled and the abbey was dissolved.^[20]

Cult at Toulouse[link]

After the Battle of Lincoln (1217), it was traditionally claimed that Edmund's body was stolen by Count of Melun and subsequently donated to Basilica of Saint-Sernin in the French city of Toulouse by the Dauphin (later Louis XIII of France).^[21] The first record of this is a relic list for Saint-Sernin of around 1425, which included St Edmund among the basilica's relics.^[21] After the city was saved from the plague in the years from 1628 to 1631 — by the saint's intercessions — the city built, in 1644,^[21] a new shrine for his relics in gratitude for its deliverance: his cult flourished there for over two centuries. Edmund's shrine was of silver and adorned with solid silver statues and when his relics were translated to it, the population came for eight days to honour the saint.^[22]

Relics at Arundel Castle[link]

In 1901, the Archbishop of Westminster, Herbert Vaughan, received some relics from the basilica of Saint-Sernin. The relics, believed at the time to be those of St Edmund, were intended for the high altar of London's Westminster Cathedral, which was then under construction.^[21]

The acceptance of the relics required the intercession of Pope Leo XIII, after a initial refusal by the church in France.^[23] Upon their arrival in England, they were housed in the Fitzalan Chapel at Arundel Castle, prior to their translation to Westminster. Although the relics had been verified and catalogued in 1644 for interment in the new shrine and in 1874 when two pieces were given to Cardinal Manning, concerns were raised by Dr. Montague James and Dr Charles Biggs about their validity in The Times newspaper. They remained at Arundel under the care of the Duke of Norfolk, whilst a historical commission was set up by Cardinal Vaughan and Archbishop Germain of Saint-Sernin. They remain to this day at Arundel.^[24] In 1966, three teeth from the collection of relics from France were donated to Douai Abbey.^[21]

[edit] The Passio Santi Eadmundi

Edmund's cult re-emerged in the 10th century and the site of his burial grew wealthy as a result of receiving grants of land from royally connected benefactors. In about 986, the monks of Ramsey Abbey commissioned Abbo of Fleury to write an account of the saint's life and early cult.^[25] The story of Edmund's martyrdom came to him by way of St Dunstan, who heard it from the lips of Edmund's own sword-bearer.^[26]

According to Abbo, Edmund came "ex antiquorum Saxonum nobili prosapia oriundus".^[27] This statement has confused later translators into thinking that Edmund was of continental Old Saxon origin, but according to the historian Steven Plunkett, he originated from East Anglia, which was a country settled by 'Saxons'.^[28]

In Abbo's version of events, the king refused to meet the Danes in battle, preferring to die a martyr's death. The historian Susan Ridyard maintains that Edmund's martyrdom cannot be proved and the nature of his fate — whether he died fighting or was cruelly murdered in the battle's aftermath — cannot be read from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. She notes that the story that Edmund had an armour-bearer implies that he would have been a warrior king who was prepared to fight the Vikings on the battlefield, but she acknowledges the possibility that later accounts belong to "the realm of hagiographical fantasy".^[29]

Abbo named one of Edmund's killers as Hinguar, who can probably be identified with Ivarr inn beinlausi (Ivar the Boneless), son of Ragnar Lodbrok.^[30] After describing the horrific manner of Edmund's death, the Passio continued the story. His severed head was thrown into the wood. As Edmund's followers went seeking, calling out "Where are you, friend?" the head answered, "Here, here, here," until at last they found it, clasped between a wolf's paws, protected from other animals and uneaten. After The villagers then praised God and the wolf that served him. It walked tamely beside them, before vanishing back into the forest.^[26]

The body was buried in a coffin and later translated to Beodericsworth, but Abbo failed to date either events,^[31] although from the text it can be seen that he believed that the relics had been taken to Beodericsworth by the time that Theodred became Bishop of London in around 926.^[32] Upon exhumation of the body, a miracle was discovered. All the arrow wounds upon Edmund's corpse had healed and his head was reattached. The only evidence of decapitation was a line around his neck and his skin was still soft and fresh, as if he had been sleeping.^{[26] [note 2]} The last recorded inspection of the body whilst at Bury St Edmunds was in 1198.^[21][34]

The resemblance between the deaths of Saint Sebastian and St Edmund was remarked upon by Abbo: both saints were attacked by archers, although only Edmund is supposed to have been decapitated. His death bears somes resemblance to the fate suffered by other saints: St Denis was whipped and beheaded and the body of Mary of Egypt was said to have been guarded by a lion.^[35] Gransden describes Abbo's Passio as "little more that a hotch-potch of hagiographical commonplaces" and argues that Abbo's ignorance of what actually happened to Edmund would have led him to use aspects of the Lives of well known saints such as Sebastian and Denis as models for his version of Edmund's martydom. Gransden acknowledges that there are some aspects of the story—such as the appearance of the wolf that guards Edmund's head—that do not have exact parallels elsewhere.^[36]

Mediaeval hagiographies and legends[link]

Edmund being crowned by angels

De Infantia Sancti Edmundi, a fictitious 12th century hagiography of Edmund's early life by Geoffrey of Wells, represented him as the youngest son of 'Alcmund', a Saxon king of Germanic descent. 'Alcmund' may never have existed.^[37]

Edmund's fictitious continental origins were later expanded into legends which spoke of his parentage, his birth at Nuremberg, his adoption by Offa of Mercia, his nomination as successor to the king and his landing at Hunstanton on the North Norfolk coast to claim his kingdom.^[27] Other accounts state that his father was the king he succeeded, Æthelweard of East Anglia, who died in 854, apparently when Edmund was a boy of fourteen.

He was said to have been crowned by St Humbert (Bishop Humbert of Elmham) on 25 December 855, at a location known as Burna (probably Bures St. Mary in Suffolk) which at that time functioned as the royal capital.^[38] Later versions of his life recorded that he was a model king who treated all his subjects with equal justice and who was unbending to flatterers. It was written that he withdrew for a year to his royal tower at Hunstanton and learned the whole Psalter, so that he could recite it from memory.^[37][39]

Edmund may have been killed at Hoxne, in Suffolk.^[40] His martyrdom is mentioned in a charter that was written when the church and chapel at Hoxne were granted to Norwich Priory in 1101. Place-name evidence has been used to link the name of Hoxne with Haegelisdun, named by Abbo of Fleury as the site of Edmund's martyrdom, but this evidence is dismissed by the historian Peter Warner.^[41] The association of Edmund's cult with the village has continued to the present day.^{[note 3]} Dernford, Cambridgeshire^[43] and Bradfield St Clare^[44] (near Bury St Edmunds) are other possible sites for where Edmund was martyred.

The ancient wooden church of St Andrew, Greensted-juxta-Ongar, is said to have been a resting place for his body on the way to Bury St Edmunds in 1013^[45]

Banner[link]

The three crowns of St Edmund

In Bernard Burke's Vicissitudes of Families, published in 1869, Burke proposed that Edmund's banner was among those borne during the Norman invasion of Ireland, after which the three crowns on a blue background became the standard for Ireland during the Plantagenet era. Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Robert Fitz-Stephen and Raymond le Gros who all featured prominently in the Anglo-Norman invasion, dedicated a chapel of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin to Edmund.^[46] When the Scottish castle at Caevlerlock was taken by Edward I of England in 1300, the banners of Edmund, St George and Edward the Confessor were displayed by the victorious English from the castle battlements, as "powerful, unifying symbols of the holy guardians and supporters of their cause".^[47] According to the antiquarian Sir Harris Nicolas' account of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, five banners were flown on the English side, one of which was probably that of St Edmund.^[48]

In a preface to the Life of the saint written by the poet John Lydgate, in which Edmund's banners are described,^{[note 4][50]} the three crowns are said to represent Edmund's martyrdom, virginity and kingship.^[51]

Patronages[link]

Edmund is the patron saint of pandemics and as well as of kings,^[52] the Roman Catholic diocese of East Anglia,^[53] and Douai Abbey in Berkshire.^[54] Churches dedicated to his memory are to be found all over England, including St Edmund the King and Martyr's Church in London, designed by Sir Christopher Wren during the 1670s.

During the Middle Ages, St George replaced Edmund as the patron saint of England when Edward III associated George with the Order of the Garter.^[18] In 2006, a group that included BBC Radio Suffolk and the East Anglian Daily Times failed in their campaign to reinstore Edmund.^{[note 5]}

St Edmund in the arts[link]

The veneration of Edmund throughout the centuries has left a legacy of noteworthy works of art.

The beautifully illustrated Passio Santi Eadmundi was written by Abbo of Fleury in Bury St Edmunds in around 1130: a surviving copy of the Passio is now kept at the Morgan Library in New York.^[12] John Lydgate's 14th century Life, which was presented to Henry VI, is in the British Library.^[56] The Wilton Diptych was painted during the reign of Richard II of England and is the most famous representation of Edmund in art. Painted on oak panels, it shows Richard kneeling in front of three saints—one of whom is Edmund—as they present the young king to the Virgin and Child.^[12][57]

The 15th century poet John Lydgate, who lived all his life in Bury St Edmunds, presented his twelve-year-old king Henry VI of England with a long poem (now known as Metrical Lives of Saints Edmund and Fremund) when Henry came to the town in 1433 and stayed at the abbey for four months.^[58] The book is now kept by the British Library in London.^[49]

Edmund's martyrdom features on several mediaeval wall-paintings to be found in churches across England.^[59]

Depictions of St Edmund

A 12th century illumination on parchment.   The Wilton Diptych. Edmund is shown with Edward the Confessor, John the Baptist and Richard II.   Edmund's martyrdom on a wall painting at Stoke Dry, Rutland.   A statue of the saint outside St Edmund's Church, Southwold.

The saint features in a romantic poem, Athelston, whose 15th-century author is unknown. In the climactic scene of the poem, Edyff, the sister of King 'Athelston' of England, gives birth to Edmund after passing through a ritual ordeal by fire.^[60]

Notes[link]

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

• Abbo of Fleury. "The Martyrdom of St. Edmund, King of East Anglia, 870". Abbo of Fleury's Life of St. Edmund. Mediaeval Sourcebook. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/870abbo-edmund.html. 
• Altmann, Barbara K. (2003). The Court Reconvenes: Courtly Literature Across the Disciplines. Woodbridge: Brewer. ISBN 978-0-85991-797-1. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dtsDg48PgtMC&lpg=PA15&dq=Caerlaverock%20Castle%201300%20banner%20edmund&pg=PA15#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
• Ball, Ann (2003). The Encyclopaedia of Catholic Devotion and Practices. Huntingdon, USA: Our Sunday Visitor Inc.. ISBN 0-87973-910-X. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tjI9YQBFDGYC&pg=PA676&dq=saint+edmund+%22torture+victims%22&hl=en&ei=u8zxTrDuI4mz8QOHz6zUAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=5&ved=0CEoQ6wEwBA#v=onepage&q=edmund&f=false. 
• "Edmund the Martyr, Saint". Internet Archive. 1913. http://www.archive.org/stream/catholicencyclo09wynngoog#page/n335/mode/1up. 
• "The Basilica of St Saturnin". The Catholic World: A Monthly Magazine of General Literature and Science (New York: The Catholic Publication House) VIII (October 1868 - March 1869). http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kLcRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA104&dq=toulouse+edmund&hl=en&ei=5K71TqKNEoS3hAfXprnJAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=2&ved=0CDYQ6wEwATgK#v=onepage&q=toulouse%20edmund&f=false. 
• Cantor, Leonard, ed. (1982). The English Medieval Landscape. London: Croom Helm. ISBN 0-7099-0707-9. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GdwNAAAAQAAJ. 
• Earle, John (1865) (in Old English). Two of the Saxon Chronicles Parallel. Oxford: Clarendon Press. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_FUJAAAAQAAJ. 
• Farmer, David Hugh (2004). Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/01986094931|01986094931]]. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lsNT9eUEzaIC&lpg=PT234&dq=%22patron%20saint%20of%20Toulouse%22%20edmund&pg=PT7#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
• Field, Rosalind; Brewer, Derek (2010). Christianity and Romance in Medieval England. Christianity and Culture. Woodbridge: Brewer. ISBN 1-84384-219-X. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7gzPUxTuhuwC&. 
• Frantzen, Allen J. (2004). Bloody Good: Chivalry, Sacrifice, and the Great War. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-26085-3. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6wTrTje_hI8C&pg=PA69&dq=edmund+crowns+banner&hl=en&ei=QKv8Tr7xEYTc8QOEmPiiAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=7&ved=0CFsQ6wEwBg#v=onepage&q=edmund%20crowns%20banner&f=false. 
• Gransden, Antonia (1992). Legends, Traditions and History in Medieval England. London, Rio Grande: Hambleton Press. ISBN 1-85285-016-7. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_5TcZNIlSh8C&lpg=PA89&dq=Gransden%201981%20edmund&pg=PR4#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
• Grierson, Philip; Blackburn, Mark (1986). Medieval European Coinage 1. The Early Middle Ages (5th-10th centuries). Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN [[Special:BookSources/139780521260091|139780521260091]]. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WpQiZ8BX2q8C&pg=PA294&dq=coinage+edmund+east+anglia&hl=en&ei=RhzzToCeIcWj8QO14oC5AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=book-thumbnail&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6wEwAA#v=snippet&q=edmund&f=false. 
• Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 84, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1 
• Houghton, Bryan (1970). Saint Edmund king and Martyr. Lavenham & Sudbury, Suffolk: Terence Dalton Limited. ISBN 900963-18-2. 
• Kennedy, John J (Autumn 1991). "The Arms of Ireland: Medieval and Modern". Coat of Arms (The Heraldary Society) (155). http://www.theheraldrysociety.com/articles/ireland/arms_of_Ireland_by_kennedy.htm. Retrieved 2 January 2012. 
• Mawer, Allen (1910). "Edmund, King of East Anglia". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. http://www.archive.org/stream/encyclopaediabrit08chisrich#page/946/mode/2up. Retrieved 20 December 2011. 
• Mostert, Marco (1999). "Edmund, St, King of East Anglia". In M. Lapidge et al. The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England. London: Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-22492-0. 
• Nicolas, Sir Harris (1832). History of the Battle of Agincourt. London: Johnson. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=P-w9AAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA14&dq=agincourt+edmund+banner&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bsMBT6roDcLY8QPHvfS6AQ&ved=0CDwQ6AEwADg8#v=snippet&q=edmund&f=false. 
• Plunkett, Steven (2005). Suffolk in Anglo-Saxon Times. Stroud: Tempus. ISBN 978-0-7524-3139-0. 
• Preble, George Henry (1917). Origin and History of the American Flag and of the Naval and Yacht-Club Signals, Seals and Arms, and Principal National Songs of the United States, with a Chronicle of the Symbols, Standards, Banners, and Flags of Ancient and Modern Nations. Philadelphia: N. L. Brown. http://www.archive.org/stream/originandhistor01asnigoog#page/n154/mode/2up/search/edmund. 
• Ridyard, Susan J. (1988). The Royal Saints of Anglo-Saxon England: a Study of West Saxon & East Anglian Cults. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-30772-4. 
• Stead, Ian Mathieson; Bourke, J. and Brothwell, D. (1986). Lindow Man: The Body in the Bog. London: British Museum. ISBN 0-7141-1386-7. 
• Swanton, Michael (1997). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-92129-5. 
• Warner, Peter (1996). The Origins of Suffolk. Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-3817-0. 
• Yorke, Barbara (2002). Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-16639-X. 
• Yorke, Barbara (1995). Wessex in the Early Middle Ages. New York: Leicester University Press. ISBN 0-7185-1314-2. 

Further reading[link]

• Bale, Anthony, ed. (2009). St Edmund, King and Martyr: Changing Images of a Medieval Saint. York, USA: York Medieval Press. ISBN 1-903153-26-3. 
• Briggs, Keith (2011). "Was Hægelisdun in Essex? A new site for the martyrdom of Edmund". Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History (Suffolk Institute of Archaeology) XLII (3): 277–291. 
• Butler, Alban; Sarah Fawcett Thomas, Paul Burns (1997). Butler's Lives of the Saints - November. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press. pp. 173–175. ISBN 0-8146-2387-5. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=dCwqkdk1LcsC. 
• Hervey, Francis (1907). Corolla Sancti Eadmundi (The Garland of St Edmund, King and Martyr). London: J. Murray. http://www.archive.org/details/corollasanctiead00hervuoft. 
• Mackinlay, James Boniface (1893). Saint Edmund: King and Martyr. New York: Art and Book Company. http://www.archive.org/stream/saintedmundking00mackgoog#page/n0/mode/2up. 
• Whitelock, Dorothy (1969). "Fact and Fiction in the Legend of St Edmund". Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology 31: 217–233. 

External links[link]

• An account of Edmund's legendary life and his veneration in mediaeval times at the St Edmundsbury Borough Council website.
• Saint Edmund: "England's Original Patron Saint", at Hoxne's website.
• Other examples of illuminated manuscripts depicting Edmund, from the British Library:

- Harley 1766 (The Fall of Princes)

- Royal 2 B VI (Psalter and Canticles 13th century)

• Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE) database.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Wikisource has original text related to this article: St. Edmund, King and Martyr, by Ælfric (11th century)

Saint Edmund Campion
Portrait of St Edmund Campion
Priest and martyr
Born	(1540-01-24)24 January 1540 London
Died	1 December 1581(1581-12-01) (aged 41) Tyburn
Honored in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	9 December 1886, Rome by Pope Leo XIII
Canonized	25 October 1970, Rome by Pope Paul VI
Feast	1 December
Attributes	Knife in chest, noose around neck

Society of Jesus

History of the Jesuits Regimini militantis Suppression Jesuit Hierarchy Superior General Adolfo Nicolás Ignatian Spirituality Spiritual Exercises Ad majorem Dei gloriam Magis Notable Jesuits St. Ignatius of Loyola St. Francis Xavier Blessed Peter Faber St. Aloysius Gonzaga St. Robert Bellarmine St. Peter Canisius St. Edmund Campion

Saint Edmund Campion, S.J. (24 January 1540 – 1 December 1581) was an English Roman Catholic martyr and Jesuit priest. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Protestant England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason, he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn. Father Campion was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1886 and canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. His feast is celebrated on 1 December.

Early years and education (1540–1569)[link]

Born in London on 24 January 1540, Campion received his early education at Christ's Hospital school and, at the age of 13, was chosen to make the complimentary speech when Queen Mary visited the city in August 1553.^[1][2]:p30 He then attended St John's College, Oxford, becoming junior fellow in 1557^[3] and taking the required Oath of Supremacy, probably on the occasion of his B.A. degree in 1560.^[4] He took a Master's degree at Oxford in 1564.

Two years later, he welcomed Queen Elizabeth to the university, and won her lasting regard. He was selected to lead a public debate in front of the Queen. By the time the Queen had left Oxford, Campion had earned the patronage of the powerful William Cecil and also the Earl of Leicester, tipped by some to be future husband of the young Queen.

When Sir Thomas White, the founder of the college, was buried in 1567, the Latin oration fell to the lot of Campion.

Rejecting Anglicanism[link]

Religious difficulties now arose; but at the persuasion of Richard Cheyney, Bishop of Gloucester, although holding Catholic doctrines, he received deacon's orders in the Anglican Church. Inwardly "he took a remorse of conscience and detestation of mind." Rumours of his opinions began to spread and he left Oxford in 1569 and went to Ireland for private study and research, but not, as Simpson said (now corrected by P. Joseph's revision of Simpson, 2010) to take part in a proposed establishment of the University of Dublin.

Ireland (1569–1571)[link]

Campion was appointed tutor to Richard Stanihurst, son of the Speaker of the Irish parliament, and attended the first session of the House of Commons, which included the prorogation. Campion was transferred by Stanihurst's arrangement to the house of Christopher Barnewall at Turvey in the Pale, which he acknowledged saved him from arrest and torture by the Protestant party in Dublin. For some three months he eluded his pursuers, going by the name "Mr Patrick" and occupying himself by writing A Historie of Ireland.

Douai (1571–1573)[link]

In 1571, Campion left Ireland in secret and escaped to Douai in the Low Countries (now France) where he was reconciled to the Catholic Church and received the Eucharist that he had denied himself for the past twelve years. He entered the English College founded by William Allen. The college's enrolment grew, and a little after Campion's arrival a papal subsidy was granted. Campion found himself reunited with Oxford friends. He was to teach rhetoric while there and finish studying for the degree of Bachelor of Divinity, which was granted him by the University of Douai on 21 January 1573. After this, he received minor orders and was ordained sub-deacon.^[5]

Rome, Brunn and Prague (1573–1580)[link]

Campion then travelled to Rome on foot, alone and in the guise of a pilgrim, to join the Jesuits. In April 1573, in Rome, he was received in the Society of Jesus by Mercurianus, the order’s fourth Superior General. He was assigned to the Austrian Province as there was not yet an English province of the Jesuits and began his two-year novitiate at Brunn in Moravia. He was ordained deacon and priest by Anthony Brus, Archbishop of Prague^[6] and said his first Mass on 8 September 1578.^[7] For six years, Campion taught at the Jesuit college in Prague as professor of both rhetoric and philosophy.^[8]

Mission to England (1580–1581)[link]

In 1580, the Jesuit mission to England began. The mission was strictly forbidden, according to Campion's Brag, "to deal in any respects with matters of state or policy of this [English] realm..."^[9] Campion accompanied Fr. Robert Persons who, as superior, was intended to counterbalance his own fervour and impetuousness. He had been surprised to learn that he was chosen to take part in the mission, and expressed the fear that he lacked constitutional courage.^[10] The members of the mission were instructed to avoid the company of boys and women and to avoid giving the impression of being legacy hunters. Before embarking, the members of the mission were embarrassed to receive news of a landing by papal-sponsored forces in the Irish province of Munster in support of the Irish rebel James Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald. They also learned that a letter detailing their party and mission had been intercepted and that they were expected in England.^[11]

Campion finally entered England in the guise of a jewel merchant, arriving in London on 24 June 1580, and at once began to preach. His presence soon became known to the authorities and to his co-religionists lying in London's prisons. Among the latter was Thomas Pounde in the Marshalsea, where a meeting was held to discuss means of counteracting rumours circulated by the Privy Council to the effect that Campion's mission was political and treasonous. Pounde rode in haste after Campion and explained the need for Campion to write a brief declaration of the true causes of his coming.^[12] The diffusion of this declaration, known as the Challenge to the Privy Council, or, Campion's Brag, made his position more difficult. He led a hunted life, administering the sacraments and preaching to Catholics in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Lancashire.

During this time he wrote his Decem Rationes ("Ten Reasons"), arguments against the validity of the Anglican Church. The book was printed in a clandestine press at Stonor Park, Henley, and 400 copies were found on the benches of St Mary's, Oxford, at the Commencement, on 27 June 1581. It caused great sensation, and the hunt for Campion was stepped up. On his way to Norfolk, he stopped at Lyford Grange, the house of a certain Francis Yate, then in Berkshire, where he preached on 14 July and the following day, by popular request.^[13] Here, he was captured by a spy named George Eliot and taken to London with his arms pinioned and bearing on his hat a paper with the inscription "Campion, the Seditious Jesuit."^[14]

Imprisonment, torture and disputations[link]

Imprisoned for four days in the Tower of London in a tiny cell called "Little-ease",^[15] Campion was then taken out and questioned by three Privy Councillors—Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas Bromley, Vice-Chamberlain of the Royal Household Sir Christopher Hatton and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester—on matters including whether he acknowledged Queen Elizabeth to be the true Queen of England. He replied that he did, and was offered his freedom, wealth and honours, including a possibility of the Archbishopric of Canterbury,^{[2]:pp.32-33[16]} which he could not accept in good conscience.^[17]

Campion was imprisoned in the Tower more than four months and tortured on the rack two^[2]:p.33 or three times.^[18] During this time, false reports of a retraction and of a confession by Campion were circulated.^[19] He had four public disputations with his Anglican adversaries, on 1, 18, 23 and 27 September 1581, at which they attempted to address the challenges of Campion's Brag and Decem Rationes. Although still suffering from the effects of his torture, and allowed neither time nor books for preparation, he reportedly conducted himself so easily and readily that "even the spectators in the court looked for an acquittal".^[2]:p.33

He was arraigned and indicted on 14 November 1581^[20] with several others at Westminster on a charge of having conspired, in Rome and Reims, to raise a sedition in the realm and dethrone the Queen.^[14]

Edmund Campion, in a 1631 print.

Trial, sentence and execution[link]

The trial was held on 20 November 1581. After hearing the pleadings for three hours, the jury deliberated an hour before delivering its verdict:^[21] Campion and his fellow defendants were found guilty of treason. He answered the verdict: "In condemning us, you condemn all your own ancestors, all our ancient bishops and kings, all that was once the glory of England — the island of saints, and the most devoted child of the See of Peter."

Lord Chief Justice Wray read the sentence: “You must go to the place from whence you came, there to remain until ye shall be drawn through the open city of London upon hurdles to the place of execution, and there be hanged and let down alive, and your privy parts cut off, and your entrails taken out and burnt in your sight; then your heads to be cut off and your bodies divided into four parts, to be disposed of at Her Majesty’s pleasure. And God have mercy on your souls.”^[22]

On hearing the death sentence, Campion and the other condemned men broke into the words of the Te Deum. After spending his last days in prayer he was dragged with two fellow priests, Fathers Ralph Sherwin and Alexander Briant, to Tyburn where the three were hanged, drawn and quartered on 1 December 1581. Campion was 41 years of age.

Veneration and feast day[link]

Edmund Campion was beatified by Pope Leo XIII on 9 December 1886.^[23] Blessed Edmund Campion was canonized nearly eighty-four years later in 1970 by Pope Paul VI as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales with a common feast day of 4 May. His feast day is celebrated on 1 December, the day of his martyrdom.

The actual ropes used in his execution are now kept in glass display tubes at Stonyhurst College^[24] in Lancashire; each year they are placed on the altar of St Peter's Church for Mass to celebrate Campion's feast day—which is always a holiday for the school.

See also[link]

Saints portal

• Robert Parsons (Jesuit)
• Campion College, Gisborne, New Zealand
• Campion School, Hornchurch, England
• Campion School, Mumbai, India
• Campion School Bhopal, India
• St Edmund Campion Catholic School, Erdington, Birmingham England
• St. Edmund Campion Secondary School, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
• Campion Hall, Oxford
• Campion College, Kingston, Jamaica
• Campion College Australia

References[link]

Sources[link]

• Campion, Edmund. A Historie of Ireland, Dublin, 1633. Facsimile ed., 1940, Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, ISBN 978-0-8201-1191-9.
• De Backer, Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jesus, pp.98–102. (A complete list of Edmund Campion's works) (French) (Latin), etc.
• Foley, Henry, S.J., Records of the English Province of the Society of Jesus. Vol. III. London: Burns and Oates (1878).
• Guiney, Louise Imogen, Blessed Edmund Campion, New York: Benziger Brothers (1908)
• Simpson, Richard, Edmund Campion: a Biography, London: Williams and Norgate (1867)
• Simpson, Richard, Edmund Campion, (1867). Revised, edited and enlarged by Peter Joseph, Gracewing/Freedom Press (2010) ISBN 978-0-85244-734-5
• Waugh, Evelyn, Edmund Campion London: Williams and Norgate (1935). Sophia Institute Press (1996) ISBN 0-918477-44-1

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Edmund Campion". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Edmundus Campion

• Campion's Brag or Challenge to the Privy Council at Eternal Word Television Network website
• Horton, G. (ed.) Ten Reasons Proposed to His Adversaries for Disputation in the Name of the Faith and Presented to the Illustrious Members of Our Universities E-text at Project Gutenberg, in Latin and English.
• "Thames Valley Papists": from Reformation to Emancipation 1534 - 1829 by Tony Hadland (1992) ISBN 0-9507431-4-3. Extract details Campion's activities, arrest and execution.

Edmund Henry Hartley Hall (13 August 1878—28 July 1965) was an Australian politician who represented the Western Australian Legislative Council district of Central Province from 1928 until 1947, and the Legislative Assembly seat of Geraldton from 1947 until 1950. He was a member of the Country Party.^[1]

Biography[link]

Born to Edward Hall, a labour, baker and contractor, and Ellen (née Craggs) in the port city of Geraldton, Western Australia, Hall was educated locally before gaining employment at the post office, where he worked in various locations over 20 years. By 1911, he was the postmaster at Laverton, and on 20 April 1916, he married Catherine Forster at St Andrew's Church, Subiaco, with whom he was to have one son and four daughters.

On 5 August 1918, he enlisted and was appointed Second Lieutenant with the First Australian Imperial Force, on account of his 7 years' earlier service with the Rifles in Geraldton. He was assigned to the Australian Light Horse Regiment, and reported to Blackboy Hill, but did not leave Australia and was discharged on 1 December 1918. He then continued his career with the postal service, then became a storekeeper and agent in Geraldton. On 24 November 1920, he was elected to Geraldton Municipal Council, and served eight years as a councillor.

In May 1928, he contested one of the three Legislative Council seats in Central Province, which had historically been Labor-held, and won it. He went on to sit in the Council for 19 years, serving on select committees into the Hire Purchase Act, the distribution of funds provided by the Commonwealth to aid wheat growers, and the care and reform of juvenile delinquents.

He resigned his seat before the 1947 Assembly election to contest the seat of Geraldton, following the retirement from politics of the former Labor Premier, John Willcock, who had held the seat for 30 years. Hall won the seat by 11 votes against Bill Sewell, and served a single term before being defeated by Sewell at the 1950 election.

On 4 July 1950, his wife Catherine died. Little is known of his later life, and he died on 28 July 1965 at Martindale Hospital in the Perth suburb of Applecross, and was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.

References[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2007)

10 Years is an American alternative metal band, formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999.

History[link]

[edit] Early Years, Into the Half Moon (1999–2001)

10 Years was initially formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999 with singer Mike Underdown, drummer Brian Vodinh, bassist Lewis Cosby, and guitarists Ryan "Tater" Johnson (also of The American Plague) and Matt Wantland. In 2001, Cosby left and the band recruited Andy Parks on bass. They independently recorded Into the Half Moon the same year.

[edit] Killing All That Holds You, The Autumn Effect (2002–2006)

Lead vocalist Mike Underdown left the band to pursue a career in acting and start up a new band 'Courage, You Bastards' in Los Angeles, Ca. 10 Years soon recruited current vocalist Jesse Hasek from another local band. In 2002, Parks decided to leave the band and Cosby returned. The band then released their independent album Killing All That Holds You in 2004.

10 Years was then signed to Universal Records in 2005 and released their major label debut, The Autumn Effect on August 16, 2005 with the songs "Wasteland" and "Through the Iris" picking up regional radio play. Their first single, "Wasteland" spent over 12 months on the rock charts, finally reaching #1 at active rock radio in December 2005.

That same summer, the band toured with Disturbed and Ill Niño. In the fall of 2005, they toured with Breaking Benjamin and Smile Empty Soul, then followed up with the Masters of Horror tour with Mudvayne and Sevendust. They opened for Korn and Mudvayne on Korn's See You on the Other Side tour. They also toured with Korn and Deftones on the Family Values Tour, which started in late July 2006.

In mid February 2006, "Wasteland" reached #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. "Wasteland" has been certified Gold by the RIAA.

In mid-2006, the band toured Australia in a lineup which included Hatebreed, Disturbed and Korn.

Their first music video, "Wasteland", addresses the social problem of human rights as well as addiction around the world. The video received a nomination for Best Direction and Best Art Direction at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, but did not win either.

On March 27, 2006, an EP was released on iTunes containing acoustic versions of "Wasteland" and other tracks from The Autumn Effect.

[edit] Division (2006–2008)

On November 19, 2006, 10 Years unveiled and confirmed the title Division for their second album.^[1] The band would begin recording Division in late June 2007 after spending the better part of a year writing.

Lewis told in an interview that the album is "so different from the first one [The Autumn Effect], but it's still 10 Years," and, "It just sounds like [the songs] would be from a totally different album, which was, you know, the goal."^[2] It was also revealed that the track titled "Focus" was co-written with Stone Temple Pilots and former Army of Anyone guitarist Dean DeLeo.^[1]

On May 21, 2007 a demo song titled "All Your Lies" from Division was released onto their MySpace along with a post stating the band had chosen producer Rick Parasher to produce the new album.^[3] On September 7, the band announced on their MySpace that the album was finished and would be released in 2008, following a tour with Dir En Grey, Sevendust, Operator, Thousand Foot Krutch and Chevelle.

On January 29, 2008, "Beautiful," the new single from Division, was released to iTunes and a snippet was also posted on the band's MySpace page. Division was released on May 13, 2008 after being pushed back due to finalization of the album's artwork.^[4]

10 Years was featured on the Revolution Stage of Linkin Park's Summer Projekt Revolution 2008 tour with Atreyu, Hawthorne Heights and Armor For Sleep.

They went on tour with Mudvayne until mid December 2008.

[edit] Feeding the Wolves (2009–2011)

10 Years announced that their upcoming third major label album would be entitled Feeding the Wolves. The album was produced by Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson and mixed by Chris "Lord" Alge. The band has mentioned the album is of their heaviest material to date and "very similar to some of their early songs."

Throughout the first half of 2010, the band went back and forth between putting on live shows and working in the studio. Before the album was released, the band debuted new songs at live performances such as "Dead in the Water", "Now is the Time", and the new album's first single ""Shoot It Out" ". ^[5][6]

On June 12, 2010, ""Shoot It Out" " was featured on Sirius/XM Radio. The track was released to radio later that month,^[7] and was made available for download on iTunes July 6.^[8] Feeding the Wolves was released on August 31, 2010.

To promote the album's release, the band opened Shinedown's 2010 Carnival of Madness summer tour alongside Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd, and Sevendust.^[9] In the fall they joined Sevendust again on the Hard Drive Live tour with support from Since October and Anew Revolution.

In December, the band went on a mini-headline tour,^[10] where they played some older songs that they had not played in some time. February 2011, their new single "Fix Me" releases to radio while they headline a spring tour with Hollywood Undead.

On June 17 and 18 the band shot a music video for "Fix Me" in Columbus, Ohio with production company Thunder Down Country.^[11] The video was released via YouTube on August 9, 2011.^[12]

[edit] Minus The Machine Palehorse Records (2012-present)

On twitter the band has shown pictures of Brian Vodinh's home basement turned studio for future workings on their next album.

On April 2nd, 2012, the band announced on Facebook that their upcoming record, Minus The Machine, is to be released on July 30th on their own independent label, Palehorse Records, which the band stated is a part of Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group. They also announced a 4-week headlining tour to support the record, which begins on June 27th in New Orleans.

On May 11th, the band unveiled the cover art of the album and it was announced that the album's release has been pushed back to July 31st.^{[citation needed]} 10 Years will release their first single "Backlash" on radio and iTunes on June 21st.

Band members[link]

Current

• Jesse Hasek – Vocals (2002–present)
• Ryan "Tater" Johnson – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals (1999–present)
• Lewis "Big Lew" Cosby – Bass (1999–2001, 2002-present)
• Brian Vodinh – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals (2009–present) Drums (1999–present)

Live

• Matt Brown – Drums (2010-present)
• Sam Anderson – Drums (2010)
• Kyle Mayer – Drums (2010)
• Brandon Estelle - Drums (2010-2011) and select dates.

Former

• Mike Underdown – Vocals (1999–2001)
• Andy Parks - Bass (2001–2002)
• Matt Wantland – Guitar (1999–2009)

Timeline[link]

id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:Bass value:orange legend:Bass
id:Rhythm_Guitar value:blue legend:Rhythm_Guitar
id:Lead_guitar value:green legend:Lead_Guitar
id:drums value:yellow legend:Drums
id:lines value:black legend:Studio Albums

at:01/01/2001 color:black layer:back
at:27/08/2004 color:black layer:back
at:16/08/2005 color:black layer:back
at:01/05/2008 color:black layer:back
at:31/08/2010 color:black layer:back

bar:mike text:"Mike Underdown"
bar:jesse text:"Jesse Hasek"
bar:tater text:"Ryan Tater Johnson"
bar:wantland text:"Matt Wantland"
bar:andy text:"Andy Parks"
bar:lewis text:"Lewis Cosby"
bar:brian text:"Brian Vodinh"
bar:kyle text:"Kyle Mayer"
bar:sam text:"Sam Anderson"
bar:matt text:"Matt Brown"

width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:mike from:start till:01/01/2001 color:Vocals
bar:jesse from:02/01/2001 till:end color:Vocals
bar:tater from:start till:end color:Lead_Guitar
bar:wantland from:start till:03/05/2009 color:Rhythm_Guitar
bar:brian from:start till:31/08/2010 color:Drums
bar:brian from:05/05/2009 till:end color:Rhythm_Guitar
bar:lewis from:start till:01/01/2001 color:Bass
bar:lewis from:02/01/2002 till:end color:Bass
bar:andy from:02/01/2001 till:01/01/2002 color:Bass
bar:kyle from:06/06/2010 till:05/07/2010 color:Drums
bar:sam from:06/07/2010 till:31/07/2010 color:Drums
bar:matt from:01/08/2010 till:end color:Drums

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Extended plays[link]

• 2006: Acoustic EP

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site
• 10 Years on Myspace