Æthelnoth (archbishop of Canterbury)

Early life

Æthelnoth was a son of the Æthelmær the Stout and a grandson of Æthelweard the Historian, He was baptised by Dunstan, and a story was told at Glastonbury Abbey that as the infant was baptised, his hand made a motion much like that an archbishop makes when blessing. From this motion, Dunstan is said to have prophesied that Æthelnoth would become an archbishop.

Æthelnoth became a monk at Glastonbury, then was made dean of the monastery of Christ Church Priory, at Canterbury, the cathedral chapter for the diocese of Canterbury. He was also a chaplain to King Cnut of England and Denmark as well as Dean of Canterbury when on 13 November 1020 Æthelnoth was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury. Æthelnoth's elevation probably was a gesture of appeasement, as Æthelnoth's brother Æthelweard had been executed in 1017 by Cnut, who also banished a brother-in-law named Æthelweard in 1020. A later story stated that Cnut favoured Æthelnoth because Æthelnoth had bestowed chrism on the king. This may be a garbled account of Æthelnoth's participation in Cnut's confirmation as a Christian in 1016 or his coronation in 1017.

Archbishop of Canterbury

In 1022, Æthelnoth went to Rome to obtain the pallium, and was received by Pope Benedict VIII. On his return trip, he bought a relic of St Augustine of Hippo for 100 silver talents and one gold talent. He also presided over the translation of the relics of Ælfheah, his predecessor at Canterbury who was regarded as a martyr and saint. In 1022, Æthelnoth consecrated Gerbrand as bishop for the Diocese of Roskilde, which was in Scandinavia. The archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen was the metropolitan of Roskilde, and the fact that Gerbrand was consecrated by an English archbishop later caused friction between the bishop and his metropolitan. He also consecrated Dúnán, the first bishop of Dublin, and other Scandinavian bishops.

The medieval chronicler William of Malmesbury praised Æthelnoth's wisdom. A story of doubtful authenticity tells how he refused to crown King Harold Harefoot, as he had promised Cnut to crown none but a son of the king by his wife, Emma.

Death and legacy

Æthelnoth died in 1038, on either 28 October, 30 October,

Notes

Citations

References

References

1. who was a great-great-grandson of King [[Æthelred of Wessex]]. In the view of the historian [[Frank Barlow (historian)
2. Mason "Æthelnoth" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''
3. Knowles, et al. ''Heads of Religious Houses'' p. 33
4. Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 214
5. Ortenberg "Anglo-Saxon Church and the Papacy" ''English Church and the Papacy'' p. 49
6. Brooks ''Early History of the Church of Canterbury'' pp. 290–298
7. Stenton ''Anglo-Saxon England'' p. 463
8. Cnut was forced to concede that in the future he would not appoint bishops in [[Archdiocese of Bremen. Llandaff]] and one at [[Bishop of St David's
9. Cooper ''Monk-Bishops and the English Benedictine Reform Movement'' pp. 100, 160
10. O'Brien ''Queen Emma and the Vikings'' pp. 167–168
11. or 1 November. Prior to his death, some of his episcopal functions were performed by a royal priest, Eadsige. He was buried in [[Canterbury Cathedral]]. He is considered a saint, with a feast day of 30 October. While he is listed in [[Jean Mabillon]]'s ''Lives of the Benedictine Saints'' and in the ''[[Acta Sanctorum]]'', there is no contemporary or later evidence of a cult being paid to him at Canterbury or elsewhere.Farmer ''Oxford Dictionary of Saints'' p. 181