Wulfstan (died 956)
Wulfstan | |
---|---|
Archbishop of York | |
Appointed | 931 |
Term ended | 26 December 956 |
Predecessor | Hrotheweard |
Successor | Oscytel |
Orders | |
Consecration | 931 |
Personal details | |
Died | December 956 Oundle, Northamptonshire |
Buried | Oundle, Northamptonshire |
Wulfstan (died December 956) was
Early life
Wulfstan was consecrated in 931.[1] He was presumably appointed with the consent of King Æthelstan, and attested all of the king's charters between 931 and 935. Between 936 and 41, however, he was absent from the king's court, for unknown reasons.[2]
Career
Wulfstan's career is characterised by frequent swapping of allegiances, both among Viking leaders from Dublin and the Wessex kings. Perhaps Wulfstan played the part of 'king-maker' in Northumbrian politics in the mid-10th century, or perhaps he was guided by self-preservation and the interests of the Church in Northumbria.[3]
In 939, King
Later life
Eadred then re-invaded and imprisoned Wulfstan.[2] The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle version D says that "because accusations had often been made to the king against him", Eadred arrested Wulfstan and took him to Iudanbyrig (the location of which is not known).[2] He attested some charters in 953, so he was not imprisoned then.[2] Although he was restored to episcopal office, he had to exercise his authority from distant Dorchester, 230 mi (370 km) from York. He appears not to have attended court for most of 956 and was possibly in failing health by then.[2] According to Lesley Abrams: "After the sidelining to the treacherous Wulfstan I, Oscytel, a kinsman of Oda, became Archbishop of York in 956."[5] He died at Oundle, Northamptonshire, on 16[2] or 26 December 956.[1] He was buried at Oundle.[2]
Assessment
The historian Clare Downham observes that Wulfstan was almost certainly made archbishop in 931 with Æthelstan's support:
- It may seem surprising, then, that the bishop was a staunch supporter of Scandinavian rule in York throughout his career, or at least whenever he felt it safe to do so. Some hints of this are provided in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (D). This shows that Wulfstan accompanied a Scandinavian king called Olafr on a raid into Mercia. Wulfstan later swore allegiance to Eadred, King of England (946-55), but he broke his oath soon after and endured temporary imprisonment by the same King in the 950s. Wulfstan thus appears as a power-broker and a leading figure in Northumbria at this time. But he was also someone wno took political risks with varying success.[6]
Citations
- ^ a b Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 224
- ^ a b c d e f g h Keynes "Wulfstan I" Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England
- ^ a b Downham Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland
- ^ Stenton Anglo Saxon England p. 357
- ^ Abrams "Edgar and the Men of the Danelaw" Edgar King of the English p. 189
- ^ Downham "Chronology of the Last Scandinavian Kings of York" Northern History p. 29
References
- Abrams, Lesley (2008). "Edgar and the Men of the Danelaw". In Scragg, Donald (ed.). Edgar King of the English, 959-975. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1-84383-928-6.
- Downham, Clare (2003). "The Chronology of the Last Scandinavian Kings of York, AD 937-954". Northern History. 40 (1): 25–51. S2CID 161092701.
- Downham, Clare (2007). Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ivarr to A.D. 1014. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-903765-89-0.
- Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
- ISBN 978-0-631-22492-1.
- Osbourne, Michael (2009). Wilfrid of York and St Peter's Oundle. Coleman's.
- ISBN 978-0-19-280139-5.
External links