Saint Dunstan

Archbishop and confessor, and one of the greatest saints of the Anglo-Saxon

Church; b. near Glastonbury on the estate of his father, Heorstan, a West Saxon

noble. His mother, Cynethryth, a woman of saintly life, was miraculously

forewarned of the sanctity of the child within her. She was in the church of St.

Mary on Candleday, when all the lights were suddenly extinguished. Then the

candle held by Cynethryth was as suddenly relighted, and all present lit their

candles at this miraculous flame, thus foreshadowing that the boy "would be the

minister of eternal light" to the Church of England. In what year St. Dunstan was

born has been much disputed. Osbern, a writer of the late eleventh century, fixes

it at "the first year of the reign of King Aethelstan", i.e. 924-5. This date, however,

cannot be reconciled with other known dates of St. Dunstan's life and involves

many obvious absurdities. It was rejected, therefore, by Mobillon and Lingard; but

on the strength of "two manuscripts of the Chronicle" and "an entry in an ancient

Anglo-Saxon paschal table", Dr. Stubbs argued in its favour, and his conclusions

have been very generally accepted. Careful examination, however, of this new

evidence reveals all three passages as interpolations of about the period when

Osbern was writing, and there seem to be very good reasons for accepting the

opinion of Mabillon that the saint was born long before 925. Probably his birth

dates from about the earliest years of the tenth century.

In early youth Dunstan was brought by his father and committed to the care of

the Irish scholars, who then frequented the desolate sanctuary of Glastonbury.

We are told of his childish fervour, of his vision of the great abbey restored to

splendour, of his nearly fatal illness and miraculous recovery, of the enthusiasm

with which he absorbed every kind of human knowledge and of his manual skill.

Indeed, througout his life he was noted for his devotion to learning and for his

mastery of many kinds of artistic craftsmanship. With his parent's consent he

was tonsured, received minor orders and served in the ancient church of St.

Mary. So well known did he become for devotion of learning that he is said to

have have been summoned by his uncle Athelm, Archbishop of Canterbury, to

enter his service. By one of St. Dunstan's earliest biographers we are informed

that the young scholar was introduced by his uncle to King Aethelstan, but there

must be some mistake here, for Athelm and probably died about 923, and

Aethelstan did not come to the throne till the following year. Perhaps there is

confusion between Athelm and his successor Wulfhelm. At any rate the young

man soon became so great a favourite with the king as to excite the envy of his

kingfolk court. They accused him of studying heathen literature and magic, and

so wrought on the king that St. Dunstan was ordered to leave the court. As he

quitted the palace his enemies attacked him, beat him severely, bound him, and

threw him into a filthy pit (probably a cesspool), treading him down in the mire.

He managed to crawl out and make his way to the house of a friend whence he

journeyed to Winchester and entered the service of Bishop Aelfheah the Bald,

who was his relative. The bishop endeavoured to persuade him to become a

monk, but St. Dunstan was at first doubtful whether he had a vocation to a

celibate life. But an attack of swelling tumours all over his body, so severe that

he thought it was leprosy, which was perhaps some form of blood-poisoning

caused by the treatment to which he had been subjected, changed his mind. He

made his profession at the hands of St. Aelfheah, and returned to live the life of a

hermit at Glastonbury. Against the old church of St. Mary he built a little cell only

five feet long and two and a half feet deep, where he studied and worked at his

handicrafts and played on has harp. Here the devil is said (in a late eleventh

legend) to have tempted him and to have been seized by the face with the saint's

tongs.

While Dunstan was living thus at Glastonbury he became the trusted adviser of

the Lady Aethelflaed, King Aethelstan's niece, and at her death found himself in

control of all her great wealth, which he used in later life to foster and encourage

the monastic revival. About the same time his father Heorstan died, and St.

Dunstan inherited his possessions also. He was now become a person of much

influence, and on the death of King Aethelstan in 940, the new King, Eadmund,

summoned him to his court at Cheddar and numbered him among his

councillors. Again the royal favour roused against him the jealousy of the

courtiers, and they contrived so to enrage the king against him that he bade him

depart from the court. There were then at Cheddar certain envoys from the

"Eastern Kingdom", by which term may be meant either East Anglia or, as some

have argued, the Kingdom of Saxony. To these St. Dunstan applied, imploring

them to take him with them when they returned. They agreed to do so, but in the

event their assistance was not needed. For, a few days later, the king rode out to

hunt the stag in Mendip Forest. He became separated from his attendants and

followed a stag at great speed in the direction of the Cheddar cliffs. The stag

rushed blindly over the precipice and was followed by the hounds. Eadmund

endeavoured vainly to stop his horse; then, seeing death to be imminent, he

remembered his harsh treatment of St. Dunstan and promised to make amends if

his life was spared. At that moment his horse was stopped on the very edge of

the cliff. Giving thanks to God, he returned forthwith to his palace, called for St.

Dunstan and bade him follow, then rode straight to Glastonbury. Entering the

church, the king first knelt in prayer before the altar, then, taking St. Dunstan by

the hand, he gave him the kiss of peace, led him to the abbot's throne and,

seating him thereon, promised him all assistance in restoring Divine worship and

regular observance.

St. Dunstan at once set vigorously to work at these tasks. He had to re-create

monastic life and to rebuild the abbey. That it was Benedictine monasticism

which he established at Glastonbury seems certain. It is true that he had not yet

had personal experience of the stricter Benedictinism which had been revived on

the Continent at great centres like Cluny and Fleury. Probably, also, much of the

Benedictine tradition introduced by St. Augustine had been lost in the pagan

devastations of the ninth century. But that the Rule of St. Benedict was the basis

of his restoration is not only definitely stated by his first biographer, who knew

the saint well, but is also in accordance with the nature of his first measures as

abbot, with the significance of his first buildings, and with the Benedictine

prepossessions and enthusiasm of his most prominent disciples. And the

presence of secular clerks as well as of monks at Glastonbury seems to be no

solid argument against the monastic character of the revival. St. Dunstan's first

care was to reerect the church of St. Peter, rebuild the cloister, and re-establish

the monastic enclosure. The secular affairs of the house were committed to his

brother; Wulfric, "so that neither himself nor any of the professed monks might

break enclosure". A school for the local youth was founded and soon became the

most famous of its time in England. But St. Dunstan was not long left in peace.

Wihin two years after the appointment King Eadmund was assassinated (946).

His successor, Eadred, appointed the Abbot of Glastonbury guardian of the royal

treasure of the realm to his hands. The policy of the government was supported

by the queen-mother, Eadgifu, by the primate, Oda, and by the East Anglian

party, at whose head was the great ealddorman, Aethelstan, the "Half-king". It

was a policy of unification, of conciliation of the Danish half of the nation, of firm

establishment of the royal authority. In ecclesiatical matters it favoured the

spread of regular observance, the rebuilding of churches, the moral reform of the

secular clergy and laity, the extirpation of heathendom. Against all this ardour of

reform was the West-Saxon party, which included most of the saint's own

relations and the Saxon nobles, and which was not entirely disinterested in its

preference for established customs. For nine years St. Dunstan's influence was

dominant, during which period he twice refused an bishopric (that of Winchester

in 951 and Credition in 953), affirming that he would not leave the king's side so

long as he lived and needed him.

In 955 Eadred died, and the situation was at once changed. Eadwig, the elder

son of Eadmund, who then came to the throne, was a dissolute and headstrong

youth, wholly devoted to the reactionary party and entirely under the influence of

two unprincipled women. These were Aethelgifu, a lady of high rank, who was

perhaps the king's foster-mother, and her daughter Aelfgifu, whom she desired to

marry to Eadwig. On the day of his coronation, in 956, the king abruptly quit the

royal feast, in order to enjoy the company of these two women. The indignation of

the assembled nobles was voiced by Archbishop Oda, who suggested that he

should be brought back. None, however, were found bold enough to make the

attempt save St. Dunstan and his kinsman Cynesige, Bishop of Lichfield.

Entering the royal chamber they found Eadwig with the two harlots, the royal

crown thrown carelessly on the ground. They delivered their message, and as the

king took no notice, St. Dunstan compelled him to rise and replace his crown on

his head, then, sharply rebuking the two women, he led him back to the

banquet-hall. Aethelgifu determined to be revenged, and left no stone unturned to

procure the overthrow of St. Dunstan. Conspiring with the leaders of the

West-Saxon party she was soon able to turn his scholars against the abbot and

before long induced Eadwig to confiscate all Dunstan's property in her favour. At

first Dunstan took refuge with his friends, but they too felt the weight of the king's

anger. Then seeing his life was threatened he fled the realm and crossed over to

Flanders, where he found himself ignorant alike of the language and of the

customs of the inhabitants. But the ruler of Flanders, Count Arnulf I, received him

with honour and lodged him in the Abbey of Mont Blandin, near Ghent. This was

one of the centres of the Benedictine revival in that country, and St. Dunstan was

able for the first time to observe the strict observance that had had its

renascence at Cluny at the beginning of the century. But his exile was not of

long duration. Before the end of 957 the Mercians and Northumbrians unable no

longer to endure the excesses of Eadwig, revolted and drove him out, choosing

his brother Eadzar as king of all the country north of the Thames. The south

remained faithful to Eadwig. At once Eadgar's advisers recalled St. Dunstan,

caused Archbishop Oda to consecrate him a bishop, and on the death of

Cynewold of Worcester at the end of 957 appointed the saint to that see. In the

following year the See of London also became vacant and was conferred on St.

Dunstan, who held it in conjunction with Worcester. In october, 959, Eadwig died

and his brother was readily accepted as ruler of the West-Saxon kingdom. One

of the last acts of Eadwig had been to appoint a successor to Archbishop Oda,

who died on 2 June, 958. First he appointed Aelfsige of Winchester, but he

perished of cold in the Alps as he journeyed to Rome for the pallium. In his place

Eadwig nominated Brithelm, Bishop of Wells. As soon as Eadgar became king

he reversed this act on the ground that Brithelm had not been able to govern even

his former diocese propely. The archbishopric was conferred on St. Dunstan, who

went to Rome 960 and received the pallium from Pope John XII .We are told that,

on his journey thither, the saint's charities were so lavish as to leave nothing for

himself and his attendants. The steward remonstrated, but St. Dunstan merely

suggested trust in Jesus Christ. That same evening he was offered the hospitality

of a neighbouring abbot.

On his return from Rome Dunstan at once regained his position as virtual ruler of

the kingdom. By his advice Aelfstan was appointed to the Bishopric of London,

and St. Oswald to that of Worcester. In 963 St. Aethelwold, the Abbot of

Abingdon, was appointed to the See of Winchester. With their aid and with the

ready support of King Eadgar, St. Dunstan pushed forward his reforms in Church

and State. Throughout the realm there was good order maintained and respect for

law. Trained bands policed the north, a navy guarded the shores from Danish

pirates. There was peace in the kingdom such as had not been known within

memory of living man. Monasteries were built, in some of the great cathedrals

ranks took the place of the secular canons; in the rest the canons were obliged

to live according to rule. The parish priests were compelled to live chastely and to

fit themselves for their office; they were urged to teach parishioners not only the

truths of the Catholic Faith, but also such handicrafts as would improve their

position. So for sixteen years the land prospered. In 973 the seal was put on St.

Dunstan's statesmanship by the solemn coronation of King Eadgar at Bath by

the two Archbishops of Canterbury and York. It is said that for seven years the

king had been forbidden to wear his crown, in penance for violating a virgin living

in the care of the nunnery of Wilton. That some severe penance had been laid on

him for this act by St. Dunstan is undoubted, but it took place in 961 and Eadgar

wore no crown till the great day at Bath in 973. Two years after his crowning

Eadgar died, and was succeeded by his eldest son Eadward. His accession was

disputed by his step-mother, Aelfthryth, who wished her own son Aethelred to

reign. But, by the influence of St. Dunstan, Eadward was chosen and crowned at

Winchester. But the death of Eadgar had given courage to the reactionary party.

At once there was an determined attack upon the monks, the protagonists of

reform. Throughout Mercia they were persecuted and deprived of their

possessions by Aelfhere, the ealdorman. Their cause, however, was supported

by Aethelwine, the ealdorman of East Anglia, and the realm was in serious

danger of civil war. Three meetings of the Witan were held to settle these

disputes, at Kyrtlington, at Calne, and at Amesbury. At the second place the

floor of the hall (solarium) where the Witan was sitting gave way, and all except

St. Dunstan, who clung to a beam, fell into the room below, not a few being

killed. In March, 978, King Eadward was assassinated at Corfe Castle, possibly

at the instigation of his step-mother, and Aetheled the Redeless became king.

His coronation on Low Sunday, 978, was the last action of the state in which St.

Dunstsn took part. When the young king took the usual oath to govern well, the

primate addressed him in solemn warning, rebuking the bloody act whereby he

became king and prophesying the misfortunes that were shortly to fall on the

realm. But Dunstan's influence at court was ended. He retired to Canterbury,

where he spent the remainder of his life. Thrice only did he emerge from this

retreat: once in 980 when he joined Aelfhere of Mercia in the solemn translation

of the relics of King Eadward from their mean grave at Wareham to a splendid

tomb at Shaftesbury Abbey; again in 984 when, in obedience to a vision of St.

Andrew, he persuaded Aethelred to appoint St. Aelfheah to Winchester in

succession to St. Aethelwold; once more in 986, when he induced the king, by a

donation of 100 pounds of silver, to desist from his persecution of the See of

Rochester.

St. Dunstan's life at Canterbury is characteristic; long hours, both day and night,

were spent in private prayer, besides his regular attendance at Mass and the

Office. Often he would visit the shrines of St. Augustine and St. Ethelbert, and

we are told of a vision of angels who sang to him heavenly canticles. He worked

ever for the spiritual and temporal improvement of his people, building and

restoring churches, establishing schools, judging suits, defending the widow and

the orphan, promoting peace, enforcing respect for purity. He practised, also, his

handicrafts, making bells and organs and correcting the books in the cathedral

library. He encouraged and protected scholars of all lands who came to England,

and was unwearied as a teacher of the boys in the cathedral school. There is a

sentence in the earliest biography, written by his friend, that shows us the old

man sitting among the lads, whom he treated so gently, and telling them stories

of his early days and of his forebears. And long after his death we are told of

children who prayed to him for protection against harsher teachers, and whose

prayers were answered. On the vigil of Ascension Day, 988 he was warned by a

vision of angels that he had but three days to live. On the feast itself he

pontificated at Mass and preached three times to the people: once at the

Gospel, a second time at the benediction (then given after the Pater Noster), and

a third time after the Agnus Dei. In this last address he announced his impending

death and bade them farewell. That afternoon he chose the spot for his tomb,

then took to his bed. His strength failed rapidly, and on Saturday morning (19

May), after the hymn at Matins, he caused the clergy to assemble. Mass was

celebrated in his presence, then he received Extreme Unction and the Holy

Viaticum, and expired as he uttered the words of thanksgiving: "He hath made a

remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: He

hath given food to them that fear Him." They buried him in his cathedral; and

when that was burnt down in 1074, his relics were translated with great honour

by Lanfranc to a tomb on the south side of the high altar in the new church. The

monks of Glastonbury used to claim that during the sack of Canterbury by the

Danes in 1012, the saint's body had been carried for safety to their abbey; but

this claim was disproved by Archbishop Warham, by whom the tomb at

Canterbury was opened in 1508 and the holy relics found. At the Synod of

Winchester in 1029, St. Dunstan's feast was ordered to be kept solemnly

throughout England on 19 May. Until his fame was overshadowed by that of St.

Thomas the Martyr, he was the favourite saint of the English people. His shrine

was destroyed at the Reformation. Throughout the Middle Ages he was the

patron of the goldsmiths' guild. He is most often represented holding a pair of

smith's tongs; sometimes, in reference to his visions, he is shown with a dove

hovering near him, or with a troop of angels before him.

Leslie A. St. L. Toke

Transcribed by Joseph P. Thomas

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume V

Nihil Obstat, May 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor

Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York

The Catholic Encyclopedia: NewAdvent.org