Dryhthelm

Dryhthelm (fl. c. 700), also known as Drithelm or Drythelm, was a monk associated with the monastery of Melrose known from the Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum of Bede. According to the latter, before entering the religious life he lived with his family in "a district of Northumbria which is called Incuneningum".Incuneningum is thought by some modern scholars to refer to Cunninghame, now part of Ayrshire.

After a battle with illness, that gradually got worse as the days went by, Drythelm temporarily died (c. 700). He came back to life a few hours later, scaring away everyone but his wife. Dryhthelm portioned his wealth out between his wife, sons and the poor, and became a monk at Melrose, where he devoted himself to God. Drythelm’s vision convinced him it was vital to live a devout life on Earth, if he was to be granted immediate entrance into Heaven. As a monk he established a reputation for being able to endure bodily torment, reciting psalms standing up in the river Tweed even when the river was icy.