ANST - FW: Musing on July 15 -- St. Swithin's Day

[j'lynn yeates]

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- -----Original Message-----
From: Ellsworth Weaver [mailto:astroweaver at yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2000 17:50
To: 2thpix at surfari.net
Subject: Musing on July 15 -- St. Swithin's Day


Dear Folk,

I hope it is not too late to wish you happy St. Swithin’s Day. Did it
rain where you were? If it did, you can expect rain for the next
forty
days. Wow! I think we are pretty safe from that in central California
but who knows?  This is also the day that a medieval pope said that
Jews were forever damned to servitude and hell for crucifying Jesus.
Since he died on July 16th (not on the same year,) I think we can
wait
for Innocent III.

Swithin was a smart Saxon, ‘cause he knew all the Angles.
*Ba-dum-dum!*
Sorry, I have been wanting to use that for awhile. It is out of my
system now, promise. He was born in Wessex, England sometime around
800
CE. He was educated in the monastery of Winchester where he was
ordained a priest. Swithin was in pretty tight with the royal family.
He became chaplain and advisor to King Egbert of the West Saxons
(Wessex, remember?) and was put in charge of tutoring Egbert’s son,
Ethelwulf. When Egbert went to the royal court in the sky to meet the
board of directors, Ethelwulf became king. King Ethelwulf (would that
name get by any herald’s office today?) named Swithin to be the
bishop
of Winchester (Oct 30, 852 CE.)

We don’t know much about Swithin. He was said to be an okay guy,
built
some churches, did some missionary work, knew the Scriptures. When
the
West Saxon’s decided they did not like Ethelwulf, Swithin stood by
him
(856 CE). On his deathbed Swithin begged that he should be buried
outside the north wall of his cathedral where passers-by should pass
over his grave and raindrops from the eaves drop upon it. Isn't that
sweet? Really. At least his grave would be low maintenance.

More than a century later (931) his body was moved with great pomp to
a
shrine within the new church erected by Bishop Ethelwulf (note the
name
and connection?). A number of miraculous cures took place (nobody
today
is sure exactly who or what got cured) and Swithin was canonized by
popular acclamation. In 1093 his remains were again trucked over to
the
new church built by Bishop Walkelin. The shrine was destroyed and the
relics scattered in 1538. Guess he is at peace now.

The bit about the forty days of rain is curious. Some folks say it is
because it is almost impossible to get rain there in the middle of
July. Others say that it did rain for forty days when they were first
moving his bones back in 931.  Here is the rhyme:

St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.

Well, that is proof enough for me! Makes him sort of a saintly
groundhog. He is the Patron Saint of Winchester Cathedral. There is
even an orchid named for him.

What have we learned from St. Swithin? Remember to go home from the
dance with the fellow who brought you? Some folks will always want to
mess with you, even after you are dead? Plan for your burial plot to
cost your loved ones less? How about if you are autocratting an
outdoor
event (tournament, feast, wedding, picnic), St. Swithin might be a
good
guy to include in your prayers? I know I will remember that. That and
"never take a herald on a picnic." (Old saying but a wise one.)

As always, if you decide to spread these pearls of wisdom or
foolishness, please keep my name and sig attached lest it rain for
forty days on your parade.

It can’t rain all the time,
J. Ellsworth Weaver

SCA – Sir Balthazar of Endor
AS – Polyphemus Theognis
TRV – Sebastian Yeats


=====
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