Walstan
| St Walstan | |
|---|---|
 Image of Walstan from the rood screen at St Andrew's Church, Great Ryburgh, Norfolk |
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| Born | Bawburgh in Norfolk, or Blythburgh in Suffolk |
| Died | 1016 Taverham, Norfolk |
| Major shrine | Bawburgh |
| Feast | 30 May |
| Patronage | farms, farmers, farmhands, ranchers and husbandrymen |
Saint Walstan (or Walston) (died 1016) was born either in Bawburgh in Norfolk, or Blythburgh in Suffolk, and because of his life dedicated to farming and the care of farm animals, is the patron saint of farms, farmers, farmhands, ranchers and husbandrymen.
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[edit] Life
He was born into a wealthy family but when he was only twelve, he left his parents home and travelled to Taverham, in Norfolk, where he worked as a farm labourer. In 1016, after a vision from an angel, Walstan died while at work, scything a hay crop on 30 May. His body was laid on a cart, pulled by two white oxen, as he had instructed and the cortege ended up at Bawburgh, where he was buried. At the three points along the journey that the oxen stopped, a spring arose (though only the well at Bawburgh can now be found). By popular demand, he was declared a saint and a small chapel built off the existing church of St Mary, giving it a new dedication of St Mary and St Walstan. Since then, and until the present day, St Walstan has been honoured as a special saint of farm workers, farmers and farm animals. Throughout the days of medieval pilgrimage, his shrine was sought from pilgrims from far and wide as well as local farmers and farm labourers.
[edit] Veneration
St Walstan is represented in religious art by a crown and sceptre (generic emblems) and with a scythe in his hand and cattle near him (specific emblems). Icons dating from before the English Reformation occur mostly in Norfolk and Suffolk, but in modern times his cult has extended to Buckinghamshire, Kent and - amazingly - to Rongai in Kenya, where a church was dedicated to St Walstan in 1988.
St Walstan's Day is celebrated each year in Bawburgh when a special Patronal Service takes place on the nearest Sunday to 30 May, his feastdate .
[edit] Sources
- Bond, Francis (1914). Dedications And Patron Saints Of English Churches Ecclesiastical Symbolism Saints And Their Emblems. Oxford University Press. http://www.archive.org/details/dedicationsandpa003150mbp.
- Shortt, L. M. (1914). Lives and legends of English saints. London: Methuen. p. 301. http://www.archive.org/details/liveslegendsofen00shoruoft.
- Stanton, Richard (1887). A Menology of England and Wales. Burns & Oates. p. 242. http://www.archive.org/stream/amenologyenglan00stangoog#page/n266/mode/2up.
- Twinch, Carol (1995). In Search of St Walstan. ISBN 0-9521499-1-5.
- Twinch, Carol (2004). Saint with the Silver Shoes. ISBN 0-9521499-3-1.
[edit] External links
- Legend of St. Walstan
- St. Walstan at the Catholic Encyclopedia
- Norfolk Heritage Explorer - St Walstan's Well at Costessy
- A description of St Mary and St Walstan, Bawburgh, from Norfolk Churches
This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.
