In this post, we will analyse Bede’s description of the conversion of King Edwin. Bede documented the conversion of this Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria which occurred in 627 AD in his vast work An Ecclesiastical History of the English People. The story is not told in chronological order. Rather it is written as a journey, as O’Brien puts it ‘it is Edwin’s coming to God; and in Bede’s hands, this journey has real dramatic quality.’ 1 In this post, we will follow Edwin’s journey as described so vividly by Bede.
Enter Paulinus
King Edwin, therefore, delaying to receive the Word of God at the preaching of Paulinus, and being wont for some time, as has been said, to sit many hours alone, and seriously to ponder with himself what he was to do, and what religion he was to follow.
Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter XII, p. 117.
First, let’s consider Edwin, Paulinus and the part Paulinus played in Edwin’s conversion. Edwin was a pagan king ruling one of the most significant kingdoms in England. In order to strengthen an alliance with the Kingdom of Kent, Ediwn married the sister of King Eadbald, Æthelberg in 625. This marriage was highly significant and extremely symbolic. Æthelberg was a devoted Christian and it appears that the implication was that Edwin would convert upon his marriage to the Kentish Princess. bede tells us:
he [Edwin] promised that he would in no manner act in opposition to the Christian faith, which the maiden professed; but would give leave to her, and all that went with her, men and women, bishops and clergy, to follow their faith and worship after the custom of the Christians. Nor did he refuse to accept that religion himself, if, being examined by wise men, it should be found more holy and more worthy of God.
Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter XIII, pp. 107-108.
Æthelberg arrived with her entourage to Northumbria in 625 and in her party was the Roman missionary Paulinus. Paulinus had been sent by Pope Gregory I to England to convert the Anglo Saxon Kings to Christianity. Paulinus was welcomed by Æthelberht of Kent, the father of Æthelberg and he became the first of the Anglo Saxon Kings to convert to Christianity. Shortly before his arrival in Edwin’s kingdom, Paulinus was consecrated a Bishop.
Paulinus’ presence at Edwin’s court appears to have had a two-fold purpose. Firstly, to ensure Æthelberg did not loose her faith, as Bede tells us, Paulinus was tasked: ‘by daily exhortations, and celebrating the heavenly Mysteries, to confirm her and her company, lest they should be corrupted by intercourse with the pagans’.
But secondly and, more importantly, to convert Edwin to the Christian faith. Indeed, Pope Boniface wrote to Æthelberg reminding her of her duty to convert Edwin:
we, in our fatherly care, have not delayed to admonish and exhort your Christian Highness, to the end that, filled with the support of the Divine inspiration, you should not defer to strive, both in season and out of season, that with the co-operating power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, your husband also may be added to the number of Christians; that so you may uphold the rights of marriage in the bond of a holy and unblemished union. For it is written, ‘They twain shall be one flesh.’ How then can it be said, that there is unity in the bond between you, if he continues a stranger to the brightness of your faith, separated from it by the darkness of detestable error?
Wherefore, applying yourself continually to prayer, do not cease to beg of the long-suffering of the Divine Mercy the benefits of his illumination; to the end, that those whom the union of carnal affection has manifestly made in a manner to be one body, may, after this life continue in perpetual fellowship, by the unity of faith. Persist, therefore, illustrious daughter, and to the utmost of your power endeavour to soften the hardness of his heart by carefully making known to him the Divine precepts; pouring into his mind a knowledge of the greatness of that mystery which you have received by faith, and of the marvellous reward which, by the new birth, you have been made worthy to obtain. Inflame the coldness of his heart by the message of the Holy Ghost, that he may put from him the deadness of an evil worship
Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter XI, p. 113.
The Implications of Conversion
Yet Paulinus’ preachings alone and persuasions from his wife were not enough to convince Edwin to convert to Christianity. As Bede tells us Edwin would “sit many hours alone, and seriously to ponder with himself what he was to do, and what religion he was to follow”. Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter XII, p. 118. The inclusion of this passage is significant. Bede wants the reader to understand the magnanimity of this event. To convert to Christianity was a huge commitment that in reality had numerous consequences.
We must always remember that we are reading this event through the filter of Bede. Bede has his own agenda. He wants to portray Christianity as the correct religion and thus conversion as the correct and logical course of action. In hesitating, Edwin is then portrayed as a wise king who reaches the correct conclusion only after much deliberation.
Furthermore, in reality, Edwin more than likely did take time to ponder conversion. There were innumerable political and social consequences to abandoning paganism and converting to Christianity. Conversion would mean a stronger alliance with the Kentish kingdom. However, Edwin had made a successful alliance with Kent via his marriage to Aethelburg while he was a pagan. A more likely prospect would be the sense of isolation in a mostly pagan land. Edwin had enemies, his throne was necessarily stable. He had learnt many lessons from his youth.
King Raedwald
Edwin sought refuge some years prior with the King of East Anglia Raedwald (accredited by some historians as potentially the King at Sutton Hoo). When Edwin’s father, Ælla died in around 597, he was likely deemed too young to rule. His Uncle, Æthelric became ruler but around 604 Æthelfrith, the ruler of the powerful neighbouring kingdom of Bernicia seized control of the kingdom.
He was initially welcomed by King Raedwald and offered sanctuary but Raedwald’s loyalty began to waver after Æthelric attempted to bribe him numerous times. Raedwald contemplated betraying Edwin, but Raedwald’s wife (nameless in Bede’s account) persuaded him to remain loyal to Edwin
Edwin was one of many kings ruling a multitude of different kingdoms in England. His position was not necessarily secure. Alliances were freely made and more easily broken. Edwin needed those alliances to remain on the throne. Conversion could potentially result in his enemies joining forces to oust him from power. Indeed there were more pagan kings and kingdoms than Christian ones.
Conversion did not mean simply a change of religion for Edwin, it also had significant and potentially fatal consequences for Edwin too.
Fortune Favours Paulinus
As Edwin pondered conversion, two significant events coincided that gave Paulinus an opportunity to push his agenda. First, the King of the West Saxons, Cuichelm sent one of his men, Eumer to visit Edwin. He concealed a dagger dipped in poison. Eumer:
came to the king on the first day of the Easter festival, at the river Derwent, where there was then a royal township, and being admitted as if to deliver a message from his master, whilst unfolding in cunning words his pretended embassy, he started up on a sudden, and unsheathing the dagger under his garment, assaulted the king. When Lilla, the king’s most devoted servant, saw this, having no buckler at hand to protect the king from death, he at once interposed his own body to receive the blow; but the enemy struck home with such force, that he wounded the king through the body of the slaughtered thegn. Being then attacked on all sides with swords, in the confusion he also slew impiously with his dagger another of the thegns, whose name was Forthhere.
On that same holy Easter night, the queen had brought forth to the king a daughter, called Eanfled. The king, in the presence of Bishop Paulinus, gave thanks to his gods for the birth of his daughter; and the bishop, on his part, began to give thanks to Christ, and to tell the king, that by his prayers to Him he had obtained that the queen should bring forth the child in safety, and without grievous pain.
Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter IX, p. 108.
The timing could not have worked better for Paulinus. Bede is careful to emphasise the time of year that these events occurred. Easter, the holiest day in the Christian calendar saw the failed attempted murder of Edwin and the safe delivery of his daughter. As Bede notes, Paulinus was then able to use these events to push Edwin to convert. It should also be noted that Bede, just like Paulinus is trying to convey ‘proof’ of Christianity to the audience. Paulinus tells Edwin that it was thanks to his prayers to Christ that the child was delivered safely.
A Further Step Towards Conversion
Edwin then permits Pauliuns to baptise his daughter:
She was the first to be baptized of the nation of the Northumbrians, and she received Baptism on the holy day of Pentecost, along with eleven others of her house.
Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter IX, p. 108.
This was a huge win for Paulinus. Edwin’s gesture of permitting his child to receive baptism was a huge step towards Edwin’s own conversion. Yet, although, at this point, Edwin would still not convert. Paulinus still had work to do. Edwin still needed to be convinced:
The king … promised, that if God would grant him life and victory over the king by whom the murderer who had wounded him had been sent, he would renounce his idols, and serve Christ.
Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter IX, p. 108.
Fortunately for Paulinus, Bede, and indeed Edwin, Edwin was victorious over Cuichelm. Yet Edwin was not yet quite ready to convert. He told Paulinus:
he would not immediately and unadvisedly embrace the mysteries of the Christian faith, though he no longer worshipped idols, ever since he made the promise that he would serve Christ; but first took heed earnestly to be instructed at leisure by the venerable Paulinus, in the knowledge of faith, and to confer with such as he knew to be the wisest of his chief men, inquiring what they thought was fittest to be done in that case. And being a man of great natural sagacity, he often sat alone by himself a long time in silence, deliberating in the depths of his heart how he should proceed, and to which religion he should adhere.
Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter IX, p. 108.
Yet again we find Bede emphasising Edwin’s king-worthiness. Edwin has been offered proof of Christianity on several occasions, but he remains hesitant. The political consequences I touched upon before were undoubtedly plaguing Edwin’s mind. Interestingly, Bede highlights Edwin’s eagerness to consult his ‘chief men’.
First of all, good kings took counsel and sought the advice of others in major political decisions. Thus by consulting his chief men, Bede can portray Edwin as a good king. But there is more to it than this. Edwin needed to convince his chief men and his supporters to convert too. As noted above, conversion was a risky business and Edwin had struggled to gain and secure his throne. Kings, like Edwin, relied on their supporters to rule. Without loyalty and support from powerful individuals within his kingdom, his position would have been untenable. Edwin’s time pondering was no doubt used in trying to plan a way to convince his supporters of the merits of Christianity and to work out a convincing argument to put forward to persuade them to convert with him.
Edwin’s Vision
According to Bede, Paulinus had one final trick up his sleeve. He reminded Edwin of a vision he once had:
the man of God [Paulinus] came to him one day, laid his right hand on his head, and asked, whether he knew that sign? The king, trembling, was ready to fall down at his feet, but he raised him up, and speaking to him with the voice of a friend, said, “Behold, by the gift of God you have escaped the hands of the enemies whom you feared. Behold, you have obtained of His bounty the kingdom which you desired. Take heed not to delay to perform your third promise; accept the faith, and keep the precepts of Him Who, delivering you from temporal adversity, has raised you to the honour of a temporal kingdom; and if, from this time forward, you shall be obedient to His will, which through me He signifies to you, He will also deliver you from the everlasting torments of the wicked, and make you partaker with Him of His eternal kingdom in heaven”.
Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter XII, p. 117.
So, what was this sign? Bede takes us back to Edwin’s days as an exile whilst he was under the protection of Kind Raedwald. As noted above, Raedwald contemplated betraying Edwin some years prior. When Edwin discovered Raedwald’s deliberations, he naturally feared for his life. Edwin, troubled of mind was approached then by a stranger one night:
The stranger coming close up, saluted him, and asked why he sat there in solitude on a stone troubled and wakeful at that time, when all others were taking their rest, and were fast asleep. Edwin, in his turn, asked, what it was to him, whether he spent the night within doors or abroad. The stranger, in reply, said, “Do not think that I am ignorant of the cause of your grief, your watching, and sitting alone without. For I know of a surety who you are, and why you grieve, and the evils which you fear will soon fall upon you. But tell me, what reward you would give the man who should deliver you out of these troubles, and persuade Redwald neither to do you any harm himself, nor to deliver you up to be murdered by your enemies.” Edwin replied, that he would give such an one all that he could in return for so great a benefit. The other further added, “What if he should also assure you, that your enemies should be destroyed, and you should be a king surpassing in power, not only all your own ancestors, but even all that have reigned before you in the English nation?”
Edwin, encouraged by these questions, did not hesitate to promise that he would make a fitting return to him who should confer such benefits upon him. Then the other spoke a third time and said, “But if he who should truly foretell that all these great blessings are about to befall you, could also give you better and more profitable counsel for your life and salvation than any of your fathers or kindred ever heard, do you consent to submit to him, and to follow his wholesome guidance?”
Edwin at once promised that he would in all things follow the teaching of that man who should deliver him from so many great calamities, and raise him to a throne. Having received this answer, the man who talked to him laid his right hand on his head saying, “When this sign shall be given you, remember this present discourse that has passed between us, and do not delay the performance of what you now promise.”
Having uttered these words, he is said to have immediately vanished. So the king perceived that it was not a man, but a spirit, that had appeared to him.
Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter XII, pp. 115-116.
There is a huge amount to unpack in this passage. According to Bede, Edwin believed that he was visited by a spirit when his life was in danger. First of all, we need to consider whether or not Bede added this episode to embellish his story. Bede’s agenda is to promote the virtues of Christianity and to encourage the pagan kings of his own day to convert. After Edwin’s death, the kingdom reverts back to paganism. Perhaps Bede thought it wise to tell Edwin’s successors of this supernatural occurrence which offered proof of Christianity to the much revered (even in Bede’s day) King Edwin.
The Significance of Edwin’s Vision
Let us assume Bede did not fabricate this story and that he was in fact picking up on a story told by Edwin or followers of Edwin. Indeed, Bede appears to have taken this episode from the account of Edwin’s conversion which can be found in The Whitby Life of St Gregory. The premise of the story is similar in Bede’s account, however, the description of the vision differed slightly. The Whitby author describes the vision thus:
At which time they say, being afeard of his life, the apparition of a beautiful vision, crowned with the cross of Christ, began to comfort him.
T.Leo Almond, The Whitby Life of St. Gregory, Downside Review 23 (NS 4) (1904) https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/gregory_whitby_life.htm
This may have been a story which was associated with Edwin following his conversion or even his death thus explaining not only how he escaped death but also had supernatural assistance. This then offered proof of Christianity to his followers.
Or perhaps Edwin himself had told this story. It is possible that Edwin did indeed have a conversation with a stranger one night who promised to assist Edwin in escaping death. Let us even assume that Edwin did have a vision or at least believed he had a vision. Edwin may have then told this story to his men. Paulinus could have then heard of this tale and used it to further his own agenda and offer ‘proof’ of Christianity to Edwin. Paulinus, picking up on this event many years after it had occurred would not need to recount a full conversation. If Paulinus knew or could at least guess what the sign was, he could perform this sign and persuade Edwin to convert.
Following this vision, Edwin not only escaped the clutches of death but also gained the assistance of King Raedwald in gaining his entire kingdom. Paulinus merely had to remind Edwin of his promise, to follow the one who assisted him in this endeavour. In reminding Edwin of this sign, he reminds him of this promise to convert.
Bede’s account of the conversion of Edwin will be further analysed in the next post.
C. Obrien, ‘The Hero’s Journey in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History: The Case of King Edwin’, in E. Cambridge, and J. Hawkes (ed.) Crossing Boundaries: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Art, Material Culture, Language and Literature of the Early Medieval World, (2017), p. 364. ↩︎R. Cramp, ‘Eadwine [St Eadwine, Edwin] (c. 586–633), King of Northumbria.’ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. (Sep. 2004); Accessed 15 May. 2024. ↩︎Bede, Saint the Venerable. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, (2016), Chapter XII, p. 118. ↩︎
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