Feast of St. Edward the Confessor
The Feast of St. Edward the Confessor is celebrated on October 13 and honors Edward, one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England, known for his piety and peaceful reign. Born around 1003 in Islip, Oxfordshire, Edward's life was marked by significant turmoil, including the Viking invasions that forced his family into exile in Normandy. He eventually became king in 1042, and his reign was characterized by a mix of spiritual devotion and political challenges.
Edward was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1161, partly due to his reputation for miracles and his contributions to the church, including the construction of Westminster Abbey. His marriage to Edith, the daughter of Earl Godwin, was reportedly a chaste union, respecting Edward's vow of chastity. While some sources portray him as a just and saintly ruler, others suggest he had moments of indecisiveness and was involved in military conflicts, including aiding King Malcolm III of Scotland against Macbeth.
Edward died on January 5, 1066, without an heir, leading to a power struggle that culminated in the Norman Conquest of England. The Feast of St. Edward commemorates the translation of his body to a new tomb, marking a significant turning point in English history, as it coincides with the eve of the Battle of Hastings.
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Feast of St. Edward the Confessor
Feast of St. Edward the Confessor
One of the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings, Edward the Confessor, whose feast day is October 13, ruled over a time of peace and prosperity that would prove a brief interlude between years of violence and conquest. The title confessor denotes his piety and the manner in which his life, rather than his death or martyrdom, bore witness to his faith. His reputation for working miracles during his lifetime would result in his being canonized by the Roman Catholic Church in 1161—an honor later acknowledged by the Anglican Church—while his building of Westminster Abbey in London provided a permanent legacy of his reign.
Edward was born in Islip, Oxfordshire, England, in about 1003, one of two sons of King Ethelred II the Unready—referring to Ethelred's tendency not to accept “rede,” or advice and counsel. Edward's mother was Emma, daughter of Duke Richard I of Normandy. The royal family, which included Edward's brother Alfred, fled England in 1013, during a Viking invasion led by Sweyn, king of Denmark, and sought refuge in Normandy in the court of his uncle Duke Richard II. This experience caused Edward to develop a sympathy with the Normans that would antagonize members of the English court during his reign. He was said to have grown in piety during this time, when he allegedly took a vow of chastity.
When King Ethelred died soon after their flight to Normandy, Emma married the Danish king Canute, who had succeeded to the English throne, and when he died in 1035, the crown was seized by Harold Harefoot, an illegitimate son of King Canute who proved a cruel ruler. Edward and his brother Alfred fought in 1036 to recover the throne for the rightful heir—Hardicanute, the son of Emma and King Canute—but they failed, and Alfred was murdered. When Hardicanute finally did succeed to the throne upon Harold's death in 1041, he would prove just as oppressive a ruler as Harold. Hardicanute's reign was mercifully short, but he left no heir, and the Viking dynasty ended with his death in 1042. Edward was elected and crowned king on Easter Sunday, April 3, 1042, due to his relation to both the Saxon and Viking rulers of the past. In 1045, succumbing to pressure from his advisors, he married Edith, the daughter of Earl Godwin of Wessex. Because she respected Edward's vow of chastity, the two had a chaste, childless marriage.
There is some dispute as to how good a man and king Edward was. Some accounts depict him as a saintly man and just ruler who eliminated unfair taxes, gave generously to the church, and heard grievances without bias. He was said to have had the gift of healing, which enabled him to perform miracles for the crippled and diseased. He was also alleged to have had prophetic visions that aided him in governing the country with great foresight. Others, however, describe him as a vacillating man who was prone to violence, as suggested by his engaging in a war to help King Malcolm III of Scotland recover the throne from the usurper Macbeth. Edward also successfully defended England against Viking and Welsh invasions.
Whatever the truth concerning his character and conduct, Edward did make a lasting contribution to England's religious and cultural life when he built Westminster Abbey (rebuilt in the 13th century) to honor St. Peter. Edward was too ill to attend the church's consecration at Christmas 1065, and he died on January 5, 1066, leaving no heir. The ensuing struggle for the throne ended in October of that year when William of Normandy conquered England and became the first in a long line of English monarchs to be coronated at Westminster Abbey.
Edward was buried at Westminster Abbey, and his commemoration on October 13 marks the date when his corpse was moved, or translated, to a new tomb. It also represents the last day of Saxon rule, since it is the eve of the Battle of Hastings, at which William the Conqueror became the first Norman king of England.