Saint Swithun
Encyclopedia
Swithun was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester
and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral
. His historical importance as bishop is overshadowed by his reputation for posthumous miracle-working. According to tradition, the weather on his feast day (15 July) will continue for forty days.
from 30 October 852 to his death on 2 July 862. However, he is scarcely mentioned in any document of his own time. His death is entered in the Canterbury manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
(MS F) under the year 861. His signature is appended to the witness lists of several Anglo-Saxon charters
. Of these charters three belong to 833, 838, 860–862. In the first Swithun signs as Swithunus presbyter regis Egberti, in the second as Swithunus diaconus, and in the third as Swithunus episcopus. This means that if the second charter is genuine, the first must be wrong, and it is so marked in Kemble.
More than a hundred years later, when Dunstan
and Æthelwold of Winchester
were inaugurating their church reform, Swithun was adopted as patron of the restored church at Winchester, formerly dedicated to Saint Peter
and Saint Paul
. His body was transferred from its almost forgotten grave to Æthelwold's new basilica on 15 July 971, and according to contemporary writers, numerous miracles preceded and followed the move.
and Wulfstan
, written about 1000, hardly contain any biographical fact; all that has in later years passed for authentic detail of Swithun's life is extracted from a biography ascribed to Goscelin
of St Bertin's, a monk who came over to England with Hermann
, bishop of Salisbury
from 1058 to 1078. From this writer we learn that Saint Swithun was born in the reign of Egbert of Wessex
, and was ordained priest by Helmstan
, bishop of Winchester (838-c. 852). His fame reached the king's ears, and he appointed him tutor of his son, Æthelwulf (alias Adulphus), and considered him one of his chief friends.
Under Æthelwulf, Swithun was appointed bishop of Winchester, to which see
he was consecrated by Archbishop Ceolnoth
. In his new office he was known for his piety and his zeal in building new churches or restoring old ones. At his request Æthelwulf gave the tenth of his royal lands to the Church. Swithun made his diocesan journeys on foot; when he gave a banquet he invited the poor and not the rich. William of Malmesbury
adds that, if Bishop Ealhstan
of Sherborne
was Æthelwulf's minister for temporal matters, Swithun was the minister for spiritual matters.
Swithun's best known miracle was his restoration on a bridge of a basket of eggs that workmen had maliciously broken. Of other stories connected with Swithun the two most famous are those of the Winchester egg-woman and Queen Emma's ordeal. The former is to be found in Goscelin's Life (c. 1100), the latter in Thomas Rudborne
's Historia major (15th century), a work which is also responsible for the not improbable legend that Swithun accompanied Alfred on his visit to Rome
in 856. He died on 2 July 862, and gave orders that he was not to be buried within the church, but outside in a vile and unworthy place.
in the Old Minster
at Winchester
in 971. His body was probably later split between a number of smaller shrines. His head was certainly detached and, in the Middle Ages
, taken to Canterbury Cathedral
. Peterborough Abbey
also had an arm. His main shrine was transferred into the new Norman
cathedral at Winchester
in 1093. He was installed on a 'feretory platform' above and behind the high altar. The retrochoir was built in the early 13th century to accommodate the huge numbers of pilgrims wishing to visit his shrine and enter the 'holy hole' beneath him. His empty tomb
in the ruins of the Old Minster was also popular with visitors. The shrine was only moved into the retrochoir itself in 1476. It was demolished
in 1538 during the English Reformation
. A modern representation of it now stands on the site.
As he was Bishop of Winchester, there are many dedications to Swithun at churches throughout the south of England
, especially in Hampshire
. An example is the church in Headbourne Worthy
to the north of Winchester, probably not a very notable church but its setting is superb: it is surrounded on three sides by a creek that flows from a spring in the village. The lych gate on the south is also a bridge over the creek, which is unusual. Other churches dedicated to St Swithun can be found in Lincoln
, Worcester
and western Norway
, where the cathedral in Stavanger
is dedicated to him. He is also commemorated by having St Swithin's Lane in the City of London
, St Swithun's School
for girls in Winchester and St. Swithun's quadrangle in Magdalen College, Oxford
named after him.
weather lore
proverb
, which says that if it rains on Saint Swithun's day, 15 July, it will rain for 40 days.
A Buckinghamshire variation has
Swithun was initially buried out of doors, rather than in his cathedral, apparently at his own request. William of Malmesbury recorded that the bishop left instructions that his body should be buried outside the church, ubi et pedibus praetereuntium et stillicidiis ex alto rorantibus esset obnoxius [where it might be subject to the feet of passers-by and to the raindrops pouring from on high], which has been taken as indicating that the legend was already well-known in the 12th century.
In 971 it was decided to move his body to a new indoor shrine, and one theory traces the origin of the legend to a heavy shower by which, on the day the move, the saint marked his displeasure towards those who were removing his remains. This story, however, lacks proof, and cannot be traced further back than the 17th or 18th century at most. Also, it is at variance with the 10th century writers, who all agreed that the move took place in accordance with the saint's desire expressed in a vision. James Raine suggested that the legend was derived from the tremendous downpour of rain that occurred, according to the Durham
chroniclers, on Saint Swithun's Day, 1315.
More probable is John Earle
's suggestion that the legend comes from a pagan
or possibly prehistoric day of augury. In France
, Saint Medard
(8 June), Urban of Langres
, and Saint Gervase and Saint Protais
(19 June) are credited with an influence on the weather almost identical with that attributed to St Swithun in England. In Flanders
, there is St Godelieve (6 July) and in Germany the Seven Sleepers
' Day (27 June). There is a scientific basis to the legend of St Swithun's day. Around the middle of July, the jet stream
settles into a pattern which, in the majority of years, holds reasonably steady until the end of August. When the jet stream lies north of the Islands of Great Britain and Ireland then continental high pressure is able to move in; when it lies across or south of the Islands of Great Britain and Ireland, Arctic air and Atlantic weather systems predominate.
Swithun is regarded as one of the saints to whom one should pray in the event of drought.
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral at Winchester in Hampshire is one of the largest cathedrals in England, with the longest nave and overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe...
. His historical importance as bishop is overshadowed by his reputation for posthumous miracle-working. According to tradition, the weather on his feast day (15 July) will continue for forty days.
Recorded life
Swithun was Bishop of WinchesterBishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
from 30 October 852 to his death on 2 July 862. However, he is scarcely mentioned in any document of his own time. His death is entered in the Canterbury manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
(MS F) under the year 861. His signature is appended to the witness lists of several Anglo-Saxon charters
Anglo-Saxon Charters
Anglo-Saxon charters are documents from the early medieval period in Britain which typically make a grant of land or record a privilege. The earliest surviving charters were drawn up in the 670s; the oldest surviving charters granted land to the Church, but from the eighth century surviving...
. Of these charters three belong to 833, 838, 860–862. In the first Swithun signs as Swithunus presbyter regis Egberti, in the second as Swithunus diaconus, and in the third as Swithunus episcopus. This means that if the second charter is genuine, the first must be wrong, and it is so marked in Kemble.
More than a hundred years later, when Dunstan
Dunstan
Dunstan was an Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, a Bishop of Worcester, a Bishop of London, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English Church...
and Æthelwold of Winchester
Æthelwold of Winchester
Æthelwold of Winchester , was Bishop of Winchester from 963 to 984 and one of the leaders of the tenth century monastic reform movement in Anglo-Saxon England....
were inaugurating their church reform, Swithun was adopted as patron of the restored church at Winchester, formerly dedicated to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Saint Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
. His body was transferred from its almost forgotten grave to Æthelwold's new basilica on 15 July 971, and according to contemporary writers, numerous miracles preceded and followed the move.
Traditional life
The revival of Swithun's fame gave rise to a mass of legendary literature. The so-called Vita S. Swithuni of LantfredLantfred
Lantfred of Fleury , also known as Lantfred of Winchester, was a 10th and 11th century Anglo-Saxon monk who lived in Winchester, Hampshire, England. He was originally from the French town of Fleury-sur-Loire. Lantfred is famous for having written Vita S. Swithuni and Translatio et miracula S....
and Wulfstan
Wulfstan
Wulfstan may refer to:*Wulfstan, ealdorman of Wiltshire , died 802*Wulfstan of Hedeby, 9th century merchantman and traveller*Wulfstan , Archbishop of York...
, written about 1000, hardly contain any biographical fact; all that has in later years passed for authentic detail of Swithun's life is extracted from a biography ascribed to Goscelin
Goscelin
Goscelin of Saint-Bertin was a Benedictine hagiographical writer, born between 1020–1035 and who died shortly after 1107...
of St Bertin's, a monk who came over to England with Hermann
Herman (bishop)
Herman was a medieval Bishop of Ramsbury and Bishop of Sherborne.-Life:Herman was a native of Flanders. As chaplain of Edward the Confessor he was named to the see of Ramsbury shortly after 22 April 1045. He visited Rome in 1050, where he attended a papal council, along with his fellow English...
, bishop of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
from 1058 to 1078. From this writer we learn that Saint Swithun was born in the reign of Egbert of Wessex
Egbert of Wessex
Egbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...
, and was ordained priest by Helmstan
Helmstan
Helmstan was a medieval Bishop of Winchester. He was consecrated in 838. He died between 841 and 852.-References:* Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961-External links:*...
, bishop of Winchester (838-c. 852). His fame reached the king's ears, and he appointed him tutor of his son, Æthelwulf (alias Adulphus), and considered him one of his chief friends.
Under Æthelwulf, Swithun was appointed bishop of Winchester, to which see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
he was consecrated by Archbishop Ceolnoth
Ceolnoth
-Biography:Gervase of Canterbury says that Ceolnoth was Dean of the see of Canterbury previous to being elected to the archiepiscopal see of Canterbury, but this story has no confirmation in contemporary records. Ceolnoth was consecrated archbishop on 27 July 833...
. In his new office he was known for his piety and his zeal in building new churches or restoring old ones. At his request Æthelwulf gave the tenth of his royal lands to the Church. Swithun made his diocesan journeys on foot; when he gave a banquet he invited the poor and not the rich. William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury
William of Malmesbury was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. C. Warren Hollister so ranks him among the most talented generation of writers of history since Bede, "a gifted historical scholar and an omnivorous reader, impressively well versed in the literature of classical,...
adds that, if Bishop Ealhstan
Eahlstan
Eahlstan was a medieval Bishop of Sherborne.He was consecrated in 824. He died in 867. In 825, after the battle of Ellendun , he was sent by King Ecgberht of Wessex with an army into Kent...
of Sherborne
Sherborne
Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or...
was Æthelwulf's minister for temporal matters, Swithun was the minister for spiritual matters.
Swithun's best known miracle was his restoration on a bridge of a basket of eggs that workmen had maliciously broken. Of other stories connected with Swithun the two most famous are those of the Winchester egg-woman and Queen Emma's ordeal. The former is to be found in Goscelin's Life (c. 1100), the latter in Thomas Rudborne
Thomas Rudborne
Thomas Rudborne was an English Benedictine monk of St Swithun's Priory, Winchester, and a chronicler writing in the middle of the fifteenth century....
's Historia major (15th century), a work which is also responsible for the not improbable legend that Swithun accompanied Alfred on his visit to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 856. He died on 2 July 862, and gave orders that he was not to be buried within the church, but outside in a vile and unworthy place.
Veneration
Swithun's feast day in England is 15 July and in Norway 2 July. He was moved from his grave to an indoor shrineShrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
in the Old Minster
Old Minster, Winchester
The Old Minster was the Anglo-Saxon cathedral for the diocese of Wessex and then Winchester from 660 to 1093. It stood on a site immediately north of and partially beneath its successor, Winchester Cathedral....
at Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
in 971. His body was probably later split between a number of smaller shrines. His head was certainly detached and, in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, taken to Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
. Peterborough Abbey
Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the...
also had an arm. His main shrine was transferred into the new Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
cathedral at Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
in 1093. He was installed on a 'feretory platform' above and behind the high altar. The retrochoir was built in the early 13th century to accommodate the huge numbers of pilgrims wishing to visit his shrine and enter the 'holy hole' beneath him. His empty tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
in the ruins of the Old Minster was also popular with visitors. The shrine was only moved into the retrochoir itself in 1476. It was demolished
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
in 1538 during the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
. A modern representation of it now stands on the site.
As he was Bishop of Winchester, there are many dedications to Swithun at churches throughout the south of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, especially in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. An example is the church in Headbourne Worthy
Headbourne Worthy
Headbourne Worthy is a village and former manor within the City of Winchester district of Hampshire, England.-External links:***...
to the north of Winchester, probably not a very notable church but its setting is superb: it is surrounded on three sides by a creek that flows from a spring in the village. The lych gate on the south is also a bridge over the creek, which is unusual. Other churches dedicated to St Swithun can be found in Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, Worcester
Worcester
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
and western Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, where the cathedral in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
is dedicated to him. He is also commemorated by having St Swithin's Lane in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, St Swithun's School
St Swithun's School, Winchester
St Swithun's School is an independent school for girls in Winchester, Hampshire. The school consists of St Swithun's Junior School and St Swithun's Senior School...
for girls in Winchester and St. Swithun's quadrangle in Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
named after him.
Proverb
The name of Swithun is best-known today for a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
weather lore
Weather lore
Weather lore is the body of informal folklore related to the prediction of the weather.It has been a human desire for millennia to make accurate weather predictions. Oral and written history is full of rhymes, anecdotes, and adages meant to guide the uncertain in determining whether the next day...
proverb
Proverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
, which says that if it rains on Saint Swithun's day, 15 July, it will rain for 40 days.
- St Swithun's day if thou dost rain
- For forty days it will remain
- St Swithun's day if thou be fair
- For forty days 'twill rain nae mare
A Buckinghamshire variation has
- If on St Swithun's day it really pours
- You're better off to stay indoors.
Swithun was initially buried out of doors, rather than in his cathedral, apparently at his own request. William of Malmesbury recorded that the bishop left instructions that his body should be buried outside the church, ubi et pedibus praetereuntium et stillicidiis ex alto rorantibus esset obnoxius [where it might be subject to the feet of passers-by and to the raindrops pouring from on high], which has been taken as indicating that the legend was already well-known in the 12th century.
In 971 it was decided to move his body to a new indoor shrine, and one theory traces the origin of the legend to a heavy shower by which, on the day the move, the saint marked his displeasure towards those who were removing his remains. This story, however, lacks proof, and cannot be traced further back than the 17th or 18th century at most. Also, it is at variance with the 10th century writers, who all agreed that the move took place in accordance with the saint's desire expressed in a vision. James Raine suggested that the legend was derived from the tremendous downpour of rain that occurred, according to the Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
chroniclers, on Saint Swithun's Day, 1315.
More probable is John Earle
John Earle
John Earle may refer to:*John Earle , English bishop*John Earle *John Earle , Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford...
's suggestion that the legend comes from a pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
or possibly prehistoric day of augury. In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Saint Medard
Medardus
Saint Medardus was the Bishop of Vermandois who removed the seat of the diocese to Noyon....
(8 June), Urban of Langres
Urban of Langres
Saint Urban of Langres was a French saint and bishop. He served as the sixth bishop of Langres from 374 until his death. Saint Lodegaria was his sister....
, and Saint Gervase and Saint Protais
Gervasius and Protasius
Saints Gervasius and Protasius are venerated as Christian martyrs, probably of the 2nd century....
(19 June) are credited with an influence on the weather almost identical with that attributed to St Swithun in England. In Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, there is St Godelieve (6 July) and in Germany the Seven Sleepers
Seven Sleepers
The Seven Sleepers, commonly called the "Seven Sleepers of Ephesus", refers to a group of Christian youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus around 250 AD, to escape a persecution of Christians being conducted during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius...
' Day (27 June). There is a scientific basis to the legend of St Swithun's day. Around the middle of July, the jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
settles into a pattern which, in the majority of years, holds reasonably steady until the end of August. When the jet stream lies north of the Islands of Great Britain and Ireland then continental high pressure is able to move in; when it lies across or south of the Islands of Great Britain and Ireland, Arctic air and Atlantic weather systems predominate.
Swithun is regarded as one of the saints to whom one should pray in the event of drought.
Sources
- Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961.
- Andrew GodsellAndrew GodsellAndrew Godsell is a British writer, born in 1964 at Aldershot, in Hampshire.- Writing :Godsell has published the following books.“A History of the Conservative Party” was the first critical history of the British Conservatives ever published....
"Saint Swithin and the Rain" in "Legends of British History" (2008).
Further reading
- Lapidge, Michael. Cult of St Swithun (Oxford, 2003) (Winchester Studies, 4.ii).
- Yorke, Barbara. "Swithun [St Swithun] (d. 863)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004.
- Deshman, Robert, "Saint Swithun in Early Medieval Art," in Idem, Eye and Mind: Collected Essays in Anglo-Saxon and Early Medieval Art Edited by Adam Cohen (Kalamazoo, Michigan: Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University, 2010) (Publications of the Richard Rawlinson Center).
External links
- "St. Swithin or Swithun, Bishop and Patron of Winchester, Confessor", Butler's Lives of the Saints
- Catholic Encyclopedia entry on St. Swithin
- Guardian netnotes on St. Swithin's Day
- Wilson's Almanac
- Prosopography of Anglo Saxon England entry for Swithun
- BBC "Landward" feature on St. Swithin's Day