November 675 A.D. Malmesbury Abbey
No author. “Malmesbury Abbey.” BBC
History. N.d. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/malmesbury_01.shtml. Accessed 25 Sept 2014.
Malmesbury Abbey
On the northern borders of Wiltshire stands the small
market town of Malmesbury. Its origins date back to the middle of the sixth
century, after the Saxons wrested final control over this part of the country
from the Britons. Malmesbury is the oldest borough in England, with a charter
given by Alfred the Great around 880.
According to the 16th-century writer, Leland:
'The toun of Malmesbyri stondith on the very toppe of
a greate slaty rok, and ys wonderfully defended by nature'.
And indeed, the river Avon and a tributary almost
completely surround the town, forming a perfect natural defence system.
The town is dominated by the now ruined abbey at its
centre. Only a third of the abbey has survived, but in the Middle Ages the
building had a tall central spire, reaching 7m (23ft) higher than Salisbury
Cathedral's 123m- (404ft) high spire.
...in the Middle Ages the building had a tall central
spire...
Malmesbury Abbey's founder, Maidulph, died in 675. At
this time Aldhelm, a Saxon by birth and related to King Ine of Wessex, took
over the leadership of the borough, and under him the town grew in stature and
importance.
Around 700, Aldhelm built the first organ in England,
which was described as a 'mighty instrument with innumerable tones, blown with
bellows, and enclosed in a gilded case', and he is also credited with other
churches in the area, including the one at Bradford-on-Avon, which stands to
this day. He died in 709 and was canonised, and he has been known ever after as
St Aldhelm.
King Athelstan and William of Malmesbury
Athelstan's tomb Malmesbury Abbey © Perhaps the most important of Malmesbury's benefactors was the first
king of all England - Alfred the Great's grandson, Athelstan. He reigned
between 925 and 940.
Athelstan was a distinguished and courageous soldier
who pushed the boundaries of the kingdom further than anyone had done before.
In 927 he took York from the Danes and forced the
submission of King Constantine of Scotland and of the northern kings. All five
of the Welsh kings agreed to pay a huge annual tribute to him, and he also
eliminated opposition in Cornwall.
In 937, at the battle of Brunanburh, Athelstan led a
force drawn from Britain and defeated an invasion by the king of Scotland in
alliance with the Welsh and Danes from Dublin.
Athelstan was a collector of artworks and religious
relics, which he often gave away to churches to gain their support.
Under Athelstan, law codes strengthened royal control
over his large kingdom. Currency was regulated to control silver's weight and
to penalise fraudsters. Buying and selling was largely confined to the burhs,
encouraging town life. Areas of settlement in the Midlands and Danish towns
were consolidated into shires.
Overseas, Athelstan built alliances by marrying off
four of his half-sisters to various rulers in western Europe. He was also a
great collector of artworks and religious relics, which he gave away to many of
his followers, and to churches in order to gain the support of the clergy.
Athelstan died in 940 at the height of his power, and
was buried in Malmesbury Abbey. He had been an ardent supporter and endower of
the Abbey, and it is fitting that he should be buried there.
Another famous son of Malmesbury was the great historian
William of Malmesbury (1095-1143). He was educated at the now famous abbey
school.
William's approach to writing history was quite
different from that of his medieval counterparts, and much more like the
approach of a modern scholar. He paid great attention to accuracy and detail,
and used eyewitness accounts and solid documentary evidence to support his
arguments.
One of William's stories was about an 11th-century
monk called Elmer, who made himself a pair of wings and jumped from the tower
of Malmesbury Abbey, flying about 200 metres (220 yards) before crashing and
seriously injuring himself.
Elmer, Aldhelm and William of Malmesbury are all
remembered in the stained glass at the Abbey, in a room now used for storage.
No comments:
Post a Comment