Saint of the Day – 20 November – St Edmund (c841-870) King and Martyr. Born in c841 probably in Nuremburg, Germany and died by being beaten, whipped, pierced with arrows “until he bristled with them like a hedgehog” and then beheaded at Hoxne, Suffolk, England on 20 November 870. Patronages – Co-Patron of England, against the Plague/Epidemics, of Kings, of torture victims, wolves, of the County and Diocese of East Anglia. Also known as – Edmund the Martyr, … of East Anglia. Additional Memorials – 29 April (translation of Relics), 2 November and 25 December on some local calendars.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In England, St Edmund, King and Martyr.”
On Christmas Day in the year 855, a remarkable event unfolded as a 14-year-old boy named Edmund was hailed as the rightful King of Norfolk by the influential figures of the County, including ruling men and Clergy. This acclaim was soon followed by a similar declaration from the leaders of Suffolk the following year.
For the next 15 years, Edmund would rule over the East Angles, a region in England, with a reputation for Christian dignity and justice which was universally acknowledged. He appeared to draw inspiration from the piety of King David of the Old Testament, notably excelling in the public recitation of the Psalms during worship.
However, Edmund’s reign was not without its challenges. Starting in 866, his Kingdom faced escalating threats from Danish invasions. For four years, the East Angles managed to maintain an unstable and often broken peace, with the invaders. Nevertheless, the situation took a dire turn, when the Danes set fire to Thetford, prompting King Edmund’s army to confront them. Unfortunately, they were unable to defeat the marauding Danish forces.
As the invaders reached East Anglia, they presented Edmund with an offer of peace but, it came with a condition which Edmund found impossible to accept. The condition required him to rule as a vassal under Danish authority and, most notably, to forbid the practice of the Christian Faith. Edmund unwaveringly refused this ultimatum, choosing to stand firm in defence of Christ.
In response to his refusal, Edmund was subjected to a gruesome and torturous fate. He was bound to a tree and made the target of Danish archers, who rained down a hail of arrows upon him. Throughout this agonising ordeal, Edmund displayed remarkable bravery, repeatedly invoking the Name of Jesus. Eventually, he was decapitated, sealing his fate as a Martyr for Christ and His Church.
Edmund’s final resting place is the City of Bury St Edmunds, where his memory is cherished to this day. The tree at Hoxne which tradition claimed was the site of his Martyrdom, stood as a symbol of his sacrifice until 1849 when it fell. During the tree’s dismantling, an arrowhead was discovered embedded in its trunk, serving as a poignant reminder and Relic of his Martyrdom.
St Edmund holds a unique place in history as the only English sovereign to die for both his religious beliefs and the defence of his throne, until the time of King Charles I. His Martyrdom quickly earned him reverence and his cultus spread widely throughout the Middle Ages. Together with Saint George, Saint Edmund is celebrated as one of the Patron Saints of England.
‘There was a great wonder, that he was as whole as if he were alive, with an intact body and his neck was healed which had previously been cut; it was as if there were a red silken thread about his neck, to show men how he had been killed. And the wounds which the cruel heathen had made in his body, with many shots, were healed by Heaven’s God and he lies thus incorrupt until this present day, awaiting the resurrection and eternal glory.’
AnaStpaul 