Wærburg 4 (Female) Saint; daughter of King Wulfhere 1
l vii

Factoid List

Personal Information (1)

saintly status (1)

 RestingPlaces  24 (saint)

Office (4)

Abbess (3)

 Anon.LiberEliensis  I.24 (abbess of Hanbury and Threekingham)
 Anon.LiberEliensis  I.36 (abbess of Sheppey)
 NorthernAnnals.FirstSet  53

Queen (1)

 NorthernAnnals.FirstSet  53

Status (3)

Virgin (3)

 Anon.LiberEliensis  I.7
 WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.172.4
 WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.183.3

Personal Relationship (13)

Wærburg 4 Daughter (Consanguineal kinship) of ~ (8)

 of Eormenhild 1: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.7
 of Eormenhild 1: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.15
 of Wulfhere 1: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.17
 of Eormenhild 1: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.17
 of Wulfhere 1: WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.172.4
 of Eormenhild 1: WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.172.4
 of Wulfhere 1: RestingPlaces  24
 of Eormenhild 1: RestingPlaces  24

~ Father (Consanguineal kinship) of Wærburg 4 (1)

 Wulfhere 1: of Wærburg 4: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.7

~ Grandmother (Consanguineal kinship) of Wærburg 4 (1)

 Seaxburg 1: of Wærburg 4: WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.172.4

~ Great-aunt (Consanguineal kinship) of Wærburg 4 (1)

 Æthelthryth 2: of Wærburg 4: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.17

~ Mother (Consanguineal kinship) of Wærburg 4 (1)

 Eormenhild 1: of Wærburg 4: WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.183.3

~ Uncle (Consanguineal kinship) of Wærburg 4 (1)

 Æthelred 2: of Wærburg 4: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.23

Event (5)

Appointment - ecclesiastical (2)

 Eormenhild 1.appointing Wærburg 4 as abbess of Sheppey: When Eormenhild 1 was preparing for her journey to Ely, she installed her daughter Wærburg 4 to serve as abbess in her place.: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.36
 Æthelred 2.appointing Wærburg 4 abbess of Hanbury and Threekingham: King Æthelred 2 took Wærburg 4 from Ely and put her in charge of certain monastic communities of virgins in the office of abbess, namely Hanbury and Threekingham.: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.24

Birth (1)

 Wærburg 4.burial: Wærburg 4 was born in Mercia and lies buried in Leicester.: RestingPlaces  23-24

Burial (1)

 Wærburg 4.burial: Wærburg 4 was born in Mercia and lies buried in Leicester.: RestingPlaces  23-24

Education/teaching (1)

 Wærburg 4.joining Æthelthryth 2 at Ely: Wærburg 4 joined Æthelthryth 2 at Ely and learnt from her the rule of the religious life.: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.15; I.17 (675 - ?)

Miracle (1)

 Wærburg 4.miracle of the wild geese: Wærburg 4 had land in the country beyond the walls of Chester whose crops were being preyed upon by wild geese. The bailiff in charge [Anonymous 10086] did all he could to drive them away, but with little success. So, one day, when he was in attendance on his mistress, he put in a complaint about the matter. 'Go,' she said, 'and shut them all up indoors.' When he realized she was not joking, he went back to the crops and laid down the law in a loud voice: they must follow him as his lady commanded. They formed a flock, lowered their necks, trooped after their foe, and were all penned up. The bailiff took the opportunity to have one of them for supper. At dawn came the virgin. She reproached the birds for stealing things that did not belong to them, and told them to be gone. But the birds, sensing that not all of them are present, refused to make move. God inspired her to realize that the birds were not making all this fuss for nothing, so she closely questioned the bailiff and discovered the theft. She told him to assemble the goose's bones and bring them to her. At a healing gesture of her hand, skin and flesh immediately formed on the bones, and the skin began to sprout feathers; then the bird came to life and after a preliminary jump launched itself into the sky. Although Wærburg 4 is never slow to respond to anyone's petitions, she is particularly close at hand to help women and children who pray to her.: WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.172.5-9

Monastic life, converting to/joining/oblation (1)

 Wærburg 4.joining Æthelthryth 2 at Ely: Wærburg 4 joined Æthelthryth 2 at Ely and learnt from her the rule of the religious life.: Anon.LiberEliensis  I.15; I.17 (675 - ?)

Service (1)

 Wærburg 4.miracle of the wild geese: Wærburg 4 had land in the country beyond the walls of Chester whose crops were being preyed upon by wild geese. The bailiff in charge [Anonymous 10086] did all he could to drive them away, but with little success. So, one day, when he was in attendance on his mistress, he put in a complaint about the matter. 'Go,' she said, 'and shut them all up indoors.' When he realized she was not joking, he went back to the crops and laid down the law in a loud voice: they must follow him as his lady commanded. They formed a flock, lowered their necks, trooped after their foe, and were all penned up. The bailiff took the opportunity to have one of them for supper. At dawn came the virgin. She reproached the birds for stealing things that did not belong to them, and told them to be gone. But the birds, sensing that not all of them are present, refused to make move. God inspired her to realize that the birds were not making all this fuss for nothing, so she closely questioned the bailiff and discovered the theft. She told him to assemble the goose's bones and bring them to her. At a healing gesture of her hand, skin and flesh immediately formed on the bones, and the skin began to sprout feathers; then the bird came to life and after a preliminary jump launched itself into the sky. Although Wærburg 4 is never slow to respond to anyone's petitions, she is particularly close at hand to help women and children who pray to her.: WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.172.5-9

Theft/attempted theft (1)

 Wærburg 4.miracle of the wild geese: Wærburg 4 had land in the country beyond the walls of Chester whose crops were being preyed upon by wild geese. The bailiff in charge [Anonymous 10086] did all he could to drive them away, but with little success. So, one day, when he was in attendance on his mistress, he put in a complaint about the matter. 'Go,' she said, 'and shut them all up indoors.' When he realized she was not joking, he went back to the crops and laid down the law in a loud voice: they must follow him as his lady commanded. They formed a flock, lowered their necks, trooped after their foe, and were all penned up. The bailiff took the opportunity to have one of them for supper. At dawn came the virgin. She reproached the birds for stealing things that did not belong to them, and told them to be gone. But the birds, sensing that not all of them are present, refused to make move. God inspired her to realize that the birds were not making all this fuss for nothing, so she closely questioned the bailiff and discovered the theft. She told him to assemble the goose's bones and bring them to her. At a healing gesture of her hand, skin and flesh immediately formed on the bones, and the skin began to sprout feathers; then the bird came to life and after a preliminary jump launched itself into the sky. Although Wærburg 4 is never slow to respond to anyone's petitions, she is particularly close at hand to help women and children who pray to her.: WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.172.5-9

Wildlife-interaction (1)

 Wærburg 4.miracle of the wild geese: Wærburg 4 had land in the country beyond the walls of Chester whose crops were being preyed upon by wild geese. The bailiff in charge [Anonymous 10086] did all he could to drive them away, but with little success. So, one day, when he was in attendance on his mistress, he put in a complaint about the matter. 'Go,' she said, 'and shut them all up indoors.' When he realized she was not joking, he went back to the crops and laid down the law in a loud voice: they must follow him as his lady commanded. They formed a flock, lowered their necks, trooped after their foe, and were all penned up. The bailiff took the opportunity to have one of them for supper. At dawn came the virgin. She reproached the birds for stealing things that did not belong to them, and told them to be gone. But the birds, sensing that not all of them are present, refused to make move. God inspired her to realize that the birds were not making all this fuss for nothing, so she closely questioned the bailiff and discovered the theft. She told him to assemble the goose's bones and bring them to her. At a healing gesture of her hand, skin and flesh immediately formed on the bones, and the skin began to sprout feathers; then the bird came to life and after a preliminary jump launched itself into the sky. Although Wærburg 4 is never slow to respond to anyone's petitions, she is particularly close at hand to help women and children who pray to her.: WilliamofMalmesbury.GestaPontificumAnglorum  iv.172.5-9