Dunstan: Difference between revisions

{{Other uses}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}

 

{{Infobox Christian leader

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Dunstan served as an important minister of state to several English kings. He was the most popular saint in England for nearly two centuries, having gained fame for the many stories of his greatness, not least among which were those concerning his famed cunning in defeating the [[Devil in Christianity|Devil]].

 

==Early life (909–943)==

===Birth and relatives===

 

===School to the king's court===

Again, royal favour fostered jealousy among other courtiers and again Dunstan's enemies succeeded in their plots. The King was prepared to send Dunstan away.<ref name=Brain/> There were then at Cheddar certain envoys from the "Eastern Kingdom", which probably meant [[East Anglia]]. Dunstan implored the envoys to take him with them when they returned to their homes. They agreed to do so, but it never happened. The story is recorded:

 

 

===Abbot of Glastonbury===

===Changes in fortune===

[[Image:Eadwig - MS Royal 14 B VI.jpg|thumb|280px|right|[[Eadwig|King Eadwig]]'s reign was marred by conflicts with his family and with Dunstan.]]

 

Later realising that he had provoked the king, Dunstan saw that his life was in danger. He fled England and crossed the channel to Flanders, where he found himself ignorant of the language and of the customs of the locals.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=514}} The [[Counts of Flanders|count of Flanders]], [[Arnulf I, Count of Flanders|Arnulf I]], received him with honour and lodged him in the Abbey of [[Blandijnberg|Mont Blandin]], near [[Ghent]]. This was one of the centres of the Benedictine revival in that country, and Dunstan was able for the first time to observe the strict observance that had seen its rebirth at [[Cluny Abbey|Cluny]] at the beginning of the century. His exile was not of long duration. Before the end of 957, the [[Mercia]]ns and [[Northumbria]]ns revolted and drove out Eadwig, choosing his brother [[Edgar of England|Edgar]] as king of the country north of the Thames.<ref name = "co"/> The south remained faithful to Eadwig. At once Edgar's advisers recalled Dunstan.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=514}}

In March 978, King Edward was assassinated at [[Corfe Castle]], possibly at the instigation of his stepmother, and Æthelred the Unready became king. The coronation took place on [[Low Sunday]] 31 March 978. According to [[William of Malmesbury|William of Malmsesbury]], writing over a century later, when the young king took the usual oath to govern well, Dunstan addressed him in solemn warning. He criticised the violent act whereby he became king and prophesied the misfortunes that were shortly to fall on the kingdom,{{sfn|Churchill|1966|p=139}} but Dunstan's influence at court was ended.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=514}} Dunstan retired to Canterbury, to teach at the [[cathedral school]].{{sfn|Bunson|Bunson|Bunson|1998|p=}}

 

 

Dunstan's retirement at Canterbury consisted of long hours, both day and night, spent in private prayer, as well as his regular attendance at Mass and the [[Canonical hours|daily office]]. He visited the shrines of [[Augustine of Canterbury|St Augustine]] and [[Æthelberht of Kent|St Æthelberht]]. He worked to improve the spiritual and temporal well-being of his people, to build and restore churches, to establish schools, to judge suits, to defend widows and orphans, to promote peace, and to enforce respect for purity.<ref name="co"/> He practised his crafts, made bells and organs and corrected the books in the cathedral library. He encouraged and protected European scholars who came to England, and was active as a teacher of boys in the cathedral school. On [[Ascension of Jesus Christ|Ascension]] Day 988, Dunstan said Mass and preached three times to the people: at the [[Mass (liturgy)#Liturgy of the Word|Gospel]], at the [[benediction#Christianity|benediction]], and after the [[Agnus Dei]]. In this last address, he announced his impending death and wished his congregation well.<ref name="msc" /><ref name=Kiefer/> That afternoon he chose the spot for his tomb, then went to his bed. His strength failed rapidly, and on Saturday morning, 19 May, he caused the clergy to assemble. Mass was celebrated in his presence, then he received [[Extreme Unction]] and the [[Viaticum]], and died. Dunstan's final words are reported to have been, "He hath made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: He hath given food to them that fear Him."{{sfn|Toke|1909}}

 

==Legacy==

 

The monks of Glastonbury used to claim that during the sack of Canterbury by the [[Viking|Danes]] in 1012, Dunstan's body had been carried for safety to their abbey. This story was disproved by Archbishop [[William Warham]], who opened the tomb at Canterbury in 1508. They found Dunstan's relics still to be there. However, his shrine was destroyed during the [[English Reformation]].

*{{Cite book |last=Churchill |first=Winston |author-link=Winston Churchill |title=The Birth of Britain |publisher=Dodd, Mead |year=1966 }}

*{{cite book |title=The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church |editor1-first=F. L. |editor1-last=Cross |editor2-first= E. A. |editor2-last=Livingstone |publisher=Oxford University Press, USA | edition=3rd | date= 1997 |url={{google books |id=0Q0RAQAAMAAJ |plainurl=yes |page=514}} }}

*{{Cite web |title=An Anglo-Saxon 'Renaissance Man': St Dunstan |last=Dunning |first=Andrew |work=Medieval manuscripts blog |date=19 May 2016 |access-date=7 November 2019 |url= https://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2016/05/st-dunstan.html }}

*{{cite book |last=Dunning |first=Robert William |title=A History of Somerset |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YqmnQAAACAAJ |year=1983 |publisher=Phillimore |location=Chichester |isbn=978-0-85033-461-6}}

[[Category:Abbots of Glastonbury]]

[[Category:Angelic visionaries]]

[[Category:Anglican saints]]

[[Category:Anglo-Saxon artists]]

[[Category:Anglo-Saxon Benedictines]]

[[Category:Anglo-Saxon saints]]

[[Category:Archbishops of Canterbury]]

[[Category:Bishops of London]]

[[Category:Bishops of Worcester]]

[[Category:People from Mendip District]]

[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]