Ælfthryth of Crowland
Ælfthryth, also known as Alfreda, Alfritha, Aelfnryth, or Etheldritha,[1] is a saint, virgin, and recluse, venerated in both the Roman Catholic Church and Antiochian Orthodox Church. She was a daughter of King Offa of Mercia and his consort, Cynethryth.[1][2]
Saint Ælfthryth of Crowland | |
|---|---|
| Born | unknown England |
| Died | c.835 Crowland, England |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Antiochian Orthodox Church |
| Canonized | Pre-congregation |
| Major shrine | Crowland |
| Feast | 2 August |
Ælfthryth was "either betrothed to or loved by"[1] St. Ethelbert, the king of the East Angles. In 793, after visiting Ælfthyth, he was taken captive and murdered by her mother so that Cynethryth's brother could ascend to the throne instead; Ælfthryth's was horrified by the murder, so she departed the court and retired to the Crowland Abbey in the marshes of Crowland, where she lived as a recluse for 40 years, until her death of natural causes in 835.[1][2][3] Ælfthryth's sister Aelfreda also lost a husband due to their parents' political intrigue.[1]
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Ælfthryth was "famous for her prophecies".[4] Her tomb was arranged around St. Guthlac's. A Crowland tradition states that Ælfthryth's relics were destroyed in 870 when Danes destroyed the abbey, but there is little evidence for it.[4] Her feast day is 2 August.[2]
References
- "St. Alfreda". Catholic Online. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "St. Etheldritha (Alfreda) of England". Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- "Saint Etheldritha". Catholic Saints.Info. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- Farmer, David Hugh (2011). The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-19-172776-4. OCLC 726871260.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Thurston, Herbert (1907). "St. Alfrida". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company.