Wednesday, July 2, 2025

It is the 2nd of July 2025. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

Is it raining where you are? Is it sunny? If you are in Winchester, England, it shouldn’t matter, but if you are in Norway, it might. And, for whatever listeners are left who are in neither Winchester nor Norway, you can decide for yourself.

After all, in Norway and in some churches today marks St. Swithun’s Day- the 2nd of July being the date of the English Bishop's death in 863 when his body was moved from outside (which was his wish, to be where anyone could come to his grave) to inside the church on the 15th of July in 971 his feast day has been recognized on that day.

So, what’s the weather prediction? Who was this man in the kingdom of Wessex in the 9th century, and why is he such a big deal in Norway?

Tradition has Swithun born in 800 in Wessex- an Anglo-Saxon kingdom whose king would eventually be the king of all England (Alfred the Great). Swithun was a counselor to both Alfred’s grandfather and father- the kings Egbert and Aethelwulf (ironically the silliest and coolest names of all English kings). He was given the bishopric of Winchester, where he was known for his charitable work.  

An old poem (I’ve updated the language from Old English)-

Saint Swithun, in his bishop’s care, to all goodness led,

The town of Winchester he raised and wisely sped.

For he had the sturdy bridge built outside the town,

Supplying lime, stone, and workers of renown.

Upon his death, he was said to have requested the more common burial out of doors. When he was translated (that is, his relics moved) in 971, it was said to have been accompanied by a terrible storm. There are various interpretations for this, including this being a miraculous storm on account of his displeasure for being moved, or on account of them moving the wrong remains, OR a show of his power. Listen, the medieval world was strange, and we do our best with the records we have. But the poem and other stories of miracles from Winchester made him a very popular saint posthumously- the poem (updated to modern English) goes like this:

St Swithin’s Day, if it should rain,

For forty days it will remain;

But if St Swithin’s Day is dry,

For forty days, clear skies will lie.

But why is he such a big deal in Norway, of all places? Pre-Norman invasion (1066 and all that), the English king Canute (son of Forkbeard) was also king of Denmark and Norway. A close connection grew between the various monasteries in these places, and in 1125, a monk from Winchester was sent to be the first bishop of Stavanger in Norway. He took with him the arm of St. Swithun as a relic and for its purported miraculous qualities. The “Cult of St Swithun” would become one of the most popular with Norwegians. As late as 1517 (a big year, I hear), we have the inventory of the church, and the arm was still present.

The Reformation was notoriously bad for relics. And statues. And paintings. Gangs of iconoclasts, whether for legitimate religious reasons or just for the fun of a good dust-up, roamed the countryside, going from church to church, destroying anything that smelled too Catholic, and it was believed that the arm of St. Swithun was a casualty.

That is, until last year. Two years ago, a 700-year-old ivory figurine of one of the wisemen was found in the crypts beneath the Cathedral. This led the Stavanger  University’s team of archaeologists to perform a thorough excavation. And so last year they found a number of objects including the Papal seal of Pope Boniface VIII, stained glass, bracelets and coins along with a 5 x 10 centimeter gilded copper plate a other decorative items that the team believes to be the remains of the reliquary of St. Swithun- his remains survived, to some extent, the ravages of Reformation iconoclasm didn’t get him after all.

His story is one of the power of the Medieval imagination regarding relics and of catchy rhymes which can have more to do with one's legacy, just ask Paul Revere and Georgie Porgie… St Swithun of the memorable weather rhyme, whose facts are in part lost to history, but maybe not his arm… died on this, the 2nd of July in 863.

 

The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and the words of Jesus from Matthew 10:

6 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 2nd of July 2025, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who wishes our leaders still had names like Forkbeard… he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man informing you that Georgie Porgie is reportedly about George Villiers, the scandalous duke of Buckingham under King James. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.