St Swithun (d. 862) bishop of Winchester
Saint
Swithun (or Swithin) was an English bishop of Winchester, best known
from the popular belief that if it rains on Saint Swithun's day, 15th
July, it will rain for 40 days and 40 nights.
The image is of a statue
at Stavanger Cathedral, the oldest in Norway.
Torrential rain
When Swithun died on 2nd July 862
he was buried, at his own request, out of doors.
But when more than a
hundred years later on 15th July, his remains were moved to a new shrine
inside the cathedral, it is said that the ceremony was delayed by 40
days of torrential rain, a sign of Swithin's displeasure at the move.
Is
this the origin of the popular belief?
Builder and restorer of churches
Swithun
was born in Wessex and spent his youth at the old abbey at Winchester
in AD 852.
After being ordained, the chroniclers say he was a diligent
builder of churches in places where there were none before and a
repairer of those that had been destroyed or ruined.
"And if any church fell down, or was in decay, St Swithin would anon amend it at his own cost. Or if any church were not hallowed, he would go thither afoot and hallow it. For he loved no pride, ne to ride on gay horses, ne to be praised ne flattered of the people..." The Golden Legend, a medieval book of saints' stories.
Friend and educator of kings
Egbert,
king of Wessex (802-839), chose Swithin as his chaplain and as educator
of his son Ethelwulf. Ethelwulf then chose Swithun as bishop of
Winchester (852-862) where he helped build the Church and the kingdom of
Wessex.
He probably also was involved in the education of the young
Alfred: he died when Alfred was 13.
At Swithin's request, Ethelwulf gave a tenth of his royal
lands to the Church.
Swithun made his diocesan journeys on foot; and when he gave a banquet he invited the poor and not the rich.
Swithun made his diocesan journeys on foot; and when he gave a banquet he invited the poor and not the rich.
Helper of the poor
One day
when Swithin was watching workmen building a church on the east side of
the city, he saw that an old lady selling a basket of eggs had her
eggs smashed by workmen.
Swithin picked up the broken eggs up and, it is
said, they miraculously became whole again.
His death
On his deathbed, Swithin
requested that he be buried outside the Old Minster (Cathedral) at
Winchester, where "passers by might tread on his grave and where the
rain from the eaves might fall on it." And this was done.
His translation
But on 15th July 971,
Bishop Ethelwold of Winchester had Swithin's remains dug up and moved to
a shrine inside the cathedral.
Two contradictory outcomes are
traditionally associated with this event.
There were so many miraculous
cures that Swithin's feast day became the date of the removal of his
remains, and not his death day.
But, unfortunately, the removal was also
accompanied by ferocious and violent rain storms that lasted 40 days
and 40 nights.
These are said to indicate the saint's displeasure at
being moved and may be the origin of the legend that if it rains on
Saint Swithin's feast day, the rain will continue for 40 more 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 mair.