ST. EDWARD QUIZ

When was he born?  

 Though we are celebrating his thousandth birthday this year, it is not certain exactly when Edward the Confessor was born. We have a bracket of dates between late 1002, after his parents’ marriage, and late 1005 when he is first mentioned in a charter. As he is not mentioned in any of the charters of 1004, it seems that 1005 is the best guess.

Who were his parents?

 His father was Ethelred ‘the Unready,’ and his mother Emma, daughter of Duke Richard I of Normandy.

Did he have siblings?

 Ethelred had been married before, and Edward had some half-brothers and sisters, as well as a younger full brother named Alfred.

Where did he grow up?

After a series of massive Danish invasions, in 1013, the eight-year-old Edward was sent with his mother to their relatives in Normandy while fighting continued in England. The defeated Ethelred joined them at one stage, while Edward’s half-brother Edmund ‘Ironside’ continued the fight.

Who succeeded Ethelred?

When Ethelred died in April 1016 Edmund became king. Edmund’s reign consisted of a summer and autumn of battles before his own death in November 1016. The throne was taken by the victorious Danish king, Canute. Edmund Ironside’s two young sons were taken to hungary, out of Canute’s reach.

A twist of fate?

A year later Queen Emma (Edward’s mother) married Canute. Edward gained a half-brother, Harthacanute. Canute converted to Christianity and became something of a model king under the influence of Wulfstan, the Archbishop of York.. Canute was king of Denmark and Norway and spent much time in Scandanavia. England was ruled in his absence a group headed by Godwine, earl of Wessex. Despite Canute’s conversion, he did have two wives. The son of his second wife was Harold.

Where was Edward in all this?

Edward remained all this time in Normandy. He lived at the ducal court from the age of eight or nine until he was thirty-six. He was brought up as a knight. He made friends among the aristocracy and within the Church. Perhaps during these years his piety grew in a special way.

How did Edward become king?

Canute died in 1035. A party in England put Canute’s half-English son Harold Harefoot on the throne. Harold died in 1040. Harthacnut, who had succeeded to Denmark, was then invited to England. Soon afterward, he invited Edward. After only two years, Harthacnut died, while drinking at a wedding feast. Edward was the only credible candidate to succeed him, and was crowned at Winchester on Easter Day, 1043.

What was Edward’s reign like?

Edward seems a peculiarly powerless king. His position was very weak from the start, but his own behavior looks hesitant and indecisive. Soon after the coronation Edward married  Earl Godwine’s daughter, Edith. The continues rise of Earl Godwine’s family is a constant theme of Edward’s reign.

What is a lasting legacy of his?

Edward’s most lasting personal achievement was his refoundation of Westminster Abbey. It is said that he had made a vow to make a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Peter but was unable to fulfill it due to the unsettled political conditions of the time. The pope permitted him to build the abbey in honor of St. Peter instead. The Church was dedicated December 28, 1065, just in time for Edward’s own burial on 6^th January 1066.

Why was Edward a saint?

It was the Norman conquest, and William’s claim to be Edward’s heir which led to Edward’s reign being a touchstone of legitimacy. The grave of the Confessor was in Westminster Abbey, and that was where William wanted to be crowned. The idealization of him as the incarnation of the good old days and saintly royal predecessor began very soon, and was developed by later kings. The first biography was written immediately after his death, and already tells stories of miracles he worked in his lifetime, mainly cures for blindness. It was clear that holiness was ascribed to him towards the end of his life, and was credible to those who remembered him. It is said that he lived a celibate marriage.

What is a confessor?

A confessor is a saint who suffers for the faith in a manner short of martyrdom, or demonstrates his faith in the face of the temptations of this world. Edward was presented as an other-worldly king, a kind of crowned monk. He was officially declared a saint by Pope Alexander III in 1161; on 13^th October 1163 his body was transferred to a new shrine, and 13^th October was celebrated as his feast day thereafter.

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