Edmund the Martyr is killed by the Danes. Image: James Edmund William Doyle. Wikimedia commons
Posted on 12/20/2011 6:28:36 PM PST by SunkenCiv
The story of Edmund, king and martyr, has become a kind of foundation myth for the county of Suffolk, but contains at least one element of truth -- in 869 there was a battle between the East Anglians and the Vikings; Edmund was captured and later killed.
About 100 years later the story was written down -- soon after, Edmund came to be considered a Christian martyr and the new abbey (founded about 1020) at Bury St Edmunds was dedicated to him. Edmund's remains were believed to be housed in the abbey, miracles were attributed to him, and Bury thus became a major pilgrimage site and a rich and powerful abbey for the next 500 years.
However, the site of the battle (recorded as Hægelisdun) was forgotten, and different modern historians have suggested that it was at Hoxne in Suffolk, Hellesdon in Norfolk, or at Bradfield St Clare near Bury...
Dr Briggs makes a strong case that Hægelisdun is actually the name of a hill in Essex, in fact the hill on which the town of Maldon is now situated. The argument uses historical documents which show that this hill was called Hailesdon, and moreover was the headquarters of a local chieftain in the ninth century, showing that this place was of strategic importance and likely to be a target of the Vikings. Maldon is one of the East Anglian estuaries which allowed Viking ships to penetrate the hinterland, and these estuaries were always vulnerable.
(Excerpt) Read more at pasthorizonspr.com ...
Edmund the Martyr is killed by the Danes. Image: James Edmund William Doyle. Wikimedia commons
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East Anglians? Ain’t they the ones phonied up that global warming crap? Shoulda killed all them sumbit...
;-)
Send the Norseman and his horde, horns and Deacon Jones and all in....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7kf-nV_E5Y
Gee, I’m sorry I missed that one.
Me too.
Well, from the painting, I’d say the Poles were in on it.
I was in Bury St Edmunds in October, great town. Went to church at a Reformed Presbyterian church there which was 300 years old. Didn’t know the story of St Edmund, very cool.
Where did that belief originate? How would the Vikings of that era typically have disposed of the dead body of an enemy? Would they be likely to have returned it to his countrymen for burial, or would they have burned or buried it themselves?
It does make me wonder why Edmund would be down in Essex with East Anglia under Viking invasion, but maybe he thought that was the best place to bring them to battle.
It does make me wonder why Edmund would be down in Essex with East Anglia under Viking invasion, but maybe he thought that was the best place to bring them to battle.
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