E05961: In the Whitby Life of *Gregory the Great, (bishop of Rome, ob. 604, S00838), the author recounts the discovery and translation of the relics of *Edwin (king of the Northumbrians, ob. 633, S02159). Written in Latin by a monk or nun of Whitby (north-east Britain), 685/714, perhaps 704/14.

The Whitby Life of Gregory the Great (BHL 3637)

For an overview of this work, see E05872.

Chapter 18
Sed ut propositum persequar, qualibet Christi lucerna de hoc rege Eduino signorum lucescit floribus dico, ut apertius merita clarescant. Huius itaque regalis vere viri ossium reliquię qualiter Domino revelante sunt reperte, dignum est memorię commendare. Fuit igitur frater quidam nostrę gentis nomine Trimma, in quodam monasterio Sudranglorum presbiterii functus officio, diebus Edilredi regis Anglorum, adhuc in vita monastica vivente, Aeonfleda filia religiosi regis prefati Eduini. Cui per somnium presbitero vir quidam visus est dicens ei, "Vade ad locum quem dixero tbi, qui est in regione illa que dicitur Hedfled quo Eduinus rex occisus est. Debes enim ossa eius exinde tollere tecum ad Streunasalae deducere." quod est coenobium famosissimum Aelflede, filię supradicte regine Eonflede natę, ut supra diximus, Eduini, femina valde iam religiosa. Cui respondit presbiter dicens, "Nescio illum locum; quomodo possum quo ignoro proficisci?" At ille, "Vade," inquit, "ad vicum illum in Lindissi" (cuius nome frater noster, illius presbiteri cognatus, qui hanc mihi exposuit ystoriam non recolebat) "et quere in eo maritum quendam nomine Teoful. Interroga illum de loco; ipse potest tibi monstrare ubi est." Presbiter itaque sciens esse somniorum fallatia multimodia, niirum de qua scriptum est multos errare fecereunt somnia, dimisit taliter ostensa...

'But to continue our theme, I go on to describe how the light of Christ shines from this King Edwin in the glory of his miracles in order that his merits may blaze forth more brightly. So it is proper to record how the relics, consisting of the royal man's bones, were found through the revelation of God. Now there was a certain brother of our race called Trimma who exercised the office of priest in a monastery of the South English, in the days of their king Æthelred, while Eanflæd was still living and in the monastic life. She was the daughter of that same pious king, Edwin. A certain man appeared in a dream to the priest and said to him, "Go to a place that I will tell you of, in the district known as Hatfield Chase, where King Edwin was killed. You must removes his bones from there and take them to Streoneshealh [Whitby]." This is the well-known monastery of Æfflæd, a most religious woman and the daughter of Queen Eanflæd, who was herself, as we have said above, the daughter of Edwin. The priest answered, "I do not know the place. How can I go to a place I do not know?" But the man answered, "Go to such and such a village in Lindsey" (our brother who told me the story and who was a kinsman of the priest could not remember its name) "and ask for a certain ceorl there named Teoful. Ask him about the place and he can show you where it is." The priest, however, being well aware of the multitudinous deceptions associated with dreams – for is is not written that "dreams have caused many to err"? – dismissed the matter which had so far only been revealed to him in this way ...'

Chapter 19
His itaque peractis tertio adhuc vir suus eodem presbitero apparuit eumque flagello satis redargutione correxit... Tum scilicet festinanter perrexit ad maritum prefatum; eumque ocius querendo ubi esset, invenit secundum quod illi monstratum est... Statimque comperto, profectus est ad locum sibi demonstratum. Et primo fodiens non invenit adhuch quod querebat; sed secundo laboriosius fodiendo, ut sepe fieri solet, inventumque thesaurum desiderabile ad hoc nostrum secum asportavit coenobium. In quo nunc honorifice in sancti Petri apostolorum principis ecclesia hec eadem ossa cum ceteris conduntur regibus nostris ad austrum altaris illius, quod beatissimi Petri apostoli est nomine sanctificatum, et ab oriente illius quod in hac ipsa sancto Gregorio est consecrata eclesia. Fertur quoque ab hoc relatum presbitero qui postea pro tempore prioris sanctum iamque habitavit locum sepultionis crebro se iam vidisse spiritus interfectorum iiii, per nimirum baptizatorum, splendide venientes sua corpora visitasse et adiecit si posset monasterium ibi voluisse facere.

'After this man appeared for a third time to the priest; he corrected him and reproved him violently, even using a whip ... Then he quickly went off to look for this ceorl and, on making enquiries, soon found him according to the directions given him ... As soon as he got the information, he went at once to the place which had been pointed out to him, but on his first dig he did not find what he was looking for; however, after digging more carefully a second time, as often happens, he found the treasure he desired and brought it with him to our monastery here (ad hoc nostrum ... coenobium). And now the holy bones are honourably buried in the Church of St Peter, the chief of the Apostles, together with other of our kings, on the south side of the altar which is dedicated in the name of the blessed Apostle Peter and east of the altar dedicated to St Gregory, which is in the same church. It is also related by this priest who afterwards lived for a time by the holy site of the first burial that he had frequently seen the spirits of four of the slain, who were undoubtedly baptised people, coming in splendid array to visit their own bodies. The priest added that, if he could have done so, he would have liked to build a monastery there.'

Text and translation: Colgrave, 1968, 100-105.