Æthelnoth (archbishop of Canterbury)
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| Æthelnoth | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Canterbury | |
| Appointed | 1020 |
| Term ended | 1038 |
| Predecessor | Lyfing |
| Successor | Eadsige |
| Other posts | Dean of Canterbury |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 13 November 1020 |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Æthelnoth |
| Died | 28, 29, 30 October or 1 November 1038 |
| Buried | Canterbury Cathedral |
| Parents | Æthelmær the Stout |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 30 October |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church |
Æthelnoth (also Ethelnoth, Ednoth, or Eadnodus;[1] died 1038) was a medieval Archbishop of Canterbury. Descended from an earlier English king, Æthelnoth became a monk prior to becoming archbishop. While archbishop, he travelled to Rome and brought back saint's relics. He consecrated a number of other bishops who came from outside his archdiocese, leading to some friction with other archbishops. Although he was regarded as a saint after his death, there is little evidence of his veneration or of a cult in Canterbury or elsewhere.
Contents
Early life
Æthelnoth was a son of the Æthelmær the Stout and a grandson of Æthelweard the Historian,[2] who was a great-great-grandson of Æthelred I. In the view of the historian Frank Barlow, Æthelnoth was probably the uncle of Godwin of Wessex.[3] He was baptised by Dunstan, and a story was told at Glastonbury Abbey that as the infant was baptised, his hand made a motion much like that an archbishop makes when blessing. From this motion, Dunstan is said to have prophesied that Æthelnoth would become an archbishop.[2]
Æthelnoth became a monk at Glastonbury, then was made dean of the monastery of Christ Church Priory, at Canterbury, the cathedral chapter for the diocese of Canterbury.[4] He was also a chaplain to King Cnut of England and Denmark as well as Dean of Canterbury when on 13 November 1020 Æthelnoth was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury.[5] Æthelnoth's elevation probably was a gesture of appeasement, as Æthelnoth's brother Æthelweard had been executed in 1017 by Cnut, who also banished a brother-in-law named Æthelweard in 1020. A later story stated that Cnut favoured Æthelnoth because Æthelnoth had bestowed chrism on the king. This may be a garbled account of Æthelnoth's participation in Cnut's confirmation as a Christian in 1016 or his coronation in 1017.[2] There are some indications that he was a student of Ælfric of Eynsham, the homilist.[6]
Archbishop of Canterbury
In 1022 Æthelnoth went to Rome to obtain the pallium,[7] and was received by Pope Benedict VIII. On his return trip, he bought a relic of St Augustine of Hippo for 100 silver talents and one gold talent.[2] He gave the relic to Coventry Abbey.[8] He also presided over the translation of the relics of Ælfheah, his predecessor at Canterbury who was regarded as a martyr and saint.[9] In 1022 Æthelnoth consecrated Gerbrand as bishop for the Diocese of Roskilde,[10] which was in Scandinavia. The archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen was the metropolitan of Roskilde, and the fact that Gerbrand was consecrated by an English archbishop later caused friction between the bishop and his metropolitan.[9] Cnut was forced to concede that in the future he would not appoint bishops in Bremen's archdiocese without the metropolitan's advice.[11] A later tradition held that Æthelnoth consecrated two Welsh bishops, one at Llandaff and one at St. David's.[11]
The medieval chronicler William of Malmesbury praised Æthelnoth's wisdom. A story of doubtful authenticity tells how he refused to crown King Harold Harefoot,[12] as he had promised Cnut to crown none but a son of the king by his wife, Emma.[2]
Death and legacy
Æthelnoth died in 1038, on either 28 October,[2][5] 29 October,[5][13] 30 October,[1] or 1 November.[2][5] Prior to his death, some of his episcopal functions were performed by a royal priest, Eadsige. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral.[2] He is considered a saint,[13] with a feast day of 30 October. While he is listed in Jean Mabillon's Lives of the Benedictine Saints and in the Acta Sanctorum, there is no contemporary or later evidence of a cult being paid to him at Canterbury or elsewhere.[1]
Citations
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External links
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Archbishop of Canterbury 1020–1038 |
Succeeded by Eadsige |
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Farmer Oxford Dictionary of Saints p. 181
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Mason "Æthelnoth" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- ↑ Barlow Godwins p. 21
- ↑ Knowles, et al. Heads of Religious Houses p. 33
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 214
- ↑ Barlow English Church 1000–1066 pp. 72–73
- ↑ Ortenberg "Anglo-Saxon Church and the Papacy" English Church and the Papacy p. 49
- ↑ Smith, et al. "Court and Piety" Catholic Historical Review p. 575
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Brooks Early History of the Church of Canterbury pp. 290–298
- ↑ Stenton Anglo-Saxon England p. 463
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Barlow English Church 1000–1066 pp. 232–234
- ↑ O'Brien Queen Emma and the Vikings pp. 167–168
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Walsh New Dictionary of Saints p. 184
