(cropped 10th century depiction of Saint Æthelthryth (Etheldreda) of Ely from the Benedictional of St. Æthelwold, illuminated manuscript in the British Library, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons).
Etheldreda (also known by the names
Æthelthryth and Audrey) was one of the most popular saints to come out
of early Anglo-Saxon England. In particular, she found an admirer in
Bede (c. 673-735), the author of the Ecclesiastical History of the English People,
which recorded events in England from the days of the Roman Empire up
to Bede’s own time; in it the monk included a chapter on Etheldreda,
drawing largely from clergymen who had known the saint, specifically her
friend and mentor, Bishop Wilfrid.
King Anna of East Anglia (d. 654)
fathered several saintly daughters, one of which was Etheldreda. The
young princess was said to have begun dreaming about life as a nun
relatively early on in her childhood. Even though she was not allowed to
join a religious order, she reportedly still tried to live with extreme
virtue. Most importantly, she vowed to live in chastity and remain a
virgin. Despite her vow, noblemen still sought her hand in marriage, for
the union (even if only symbolic) would still bring the prospective
husband into an alliance with the East Anglian king. Therefore,
Etheldreda was married to a certain Tondbert, a prince or king from
South Gyrwas. Apparently, the couple struck up an accord—she received
her own estates, he became the king’s son-in-law, and neither husband
nor wife bothered about consummating the marriage. As such, when
Tondbert died shortly after the marriage had occurred, Etheldreda was
still widely considered to be a pure virgin princess.
Continue reading about the intriguing life (and afterlife) of Saint Etheldreda, HERE.
