Source: Textual EditionAbbo.PassioEadmundi

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Source Information
Author Abbo of Fleury
Source Title The Passio of St. Edmund
Date of composition 985x988
Language Latin

Notes

*Commonly referred to as the Passio Sancti Eadmundi
*There is some disagreement over the date of composition. Marco Mostert ({'Abbo', in Michael Lapidge et al. (ed.), The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1999}), believes that it was not completed until after Abbo's return to Fleury in Autumn 987. However it was certainly finished by May 988, when Abbo's dedicatee Dunstan died, and before Abbo's own appointment as abbot, as he describes himself as a deacon.

Edition(s)

Editor Article or Book Title Journal or Pub.Loc. Date pp.
Go to Three Lives of English Saints Winterbottom, Michael Abbo, Life of St Edmund from MS Cotton Tiberius B.ii Toronto 1972 67-87

Translation(s)

Editor Article or Book Title Journal or Pub.Loc. Date pp.
Hervey, Francis The Passion of Saint Edmund by Abbo of Fleury London 1907 7-59

Event/Transaction List

Factoid Type Source Reference Short Description
1 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  Preface Abbo 1 left Dunstan 1 and returned to the monastery.
2 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  Preface Abbo 1 wrote the Passio of St Edmund at the request of Anonymi 1728.
3 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  Preface Dunstan 1 related the story of the Passio in the presence of Abbo 1, Ælfstan 39, Æthelweard 30 and Anonymi 1729.
4 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  Preface Anonymous 700 related the story of the Passio of St Edmund to Dunstan 1 and Æthelstan 18.
5 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  Preface Abbo 1 wrote a dedicatory letter to Dunstan 1. This letter forms the preface to the Abbo 1.PassioEdmund.
6 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  Preface Edmund 6 performed miracles after his death
7 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  3 Edmund 6 not so much elected out of natural succession as forced to rule
8 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  5 Ivar 1 and Ubba 5 attempted to bring about the destruction of all Britain.
9 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  5 Ivar 1 and Ubba 5 came to Britain from the North
10 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  5 Ivar 1 and Ubba 5 attacked and subdued the kingdom of the Northumbrians.
11 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  5 Ivar 1 left Ubba 5 and suddenly approached East Anglia from the north-eastern region with a great fleet.
12 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  5 Ivar 1 set a city on fire and ordered the massacre of the inhabitants.
13 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  6 Ivar 1 questioned Anonymi 1733 about Edmund 6.
14 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  6 Ivar 1 murdered Anonymi 1734
15 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  6 Edmund 6 was staying at a villa called Haegelisdun.
16 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  6 Ivar 1 did not dare to leave his fleet without a strong force.
17 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  7 Ivar 1 sent Anonymous 702 to order Edmund 6 to submit and to share his wealth, and to threaten Edmund 6 with torture if he did not agree.
18 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  7 Ivar 1 followed Anonymous 702 with a great war-band (Anonymi 1736 9) to find Edmund 6
19 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  7 Ivar 1 had subjugated lands to himself by arms.
20 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  8 Edmund 6 took the sacrament of baptism.
21 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  8 Edmund 6 received confirmation.
22 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  10 Ivar 1 ordered that Edmund 6 be surrounded and taken prisoner.
23 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  10-11 Edmund 6 was savagely beaten, tied to a tree where he was tortured with lashes and his whole body pierced with arrows, and then decapitated.
24 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  11 Edmund 6's body was left and his head hidden in a nearby wood by Anonymi 1736 and Ivar 1.
25 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  12 Edmund 6's body and head were searched for by Anonymi 1738.
26 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  12 Ivar 1 departed with Anonymi 1731 to engage in devastation elsewhere
27 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  12 Edmund 6's head spoke until Anonymi 1738 came to it.
28 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  13 The head of Edmund 6 was brought back to his body and the two joined together were committed to a sepulchre.
29 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  13 Anonymi 1737 built over the grave a chapel of mean construction.
30 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  13 A multitude constructed a great church, to which he was translated with great glory.
31 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  13 Edmund 6 was manifesting his merits before God by numerous signs of miracles
32 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  14 At the time of his translation to the new church at Bury St Edmund's, his body was found whole and sound.
33 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  14 Edmund 6 was with reverence proclaimed to be a saint.
34 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  14 Having thrown open the tomb of Edmund 6, Oswynn 1 cut short his hair and nails, collecting all these relics.
35 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  15 Theodred 3 ordered Anonymi 1739 to be fixed to the gibbet together.
36 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  15 Using whatever implements or tools they had, they tried to break into St Edmund 6's monastery for the purpose of robbery.
37 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  15 While Anonymi 1739 were trying to rob St Edmund 6's monastery, Edmund 6 bound them in the same task, so that they could neither stir from the spot nor abandon their purpose.
38 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  15 Anonymi 1739 were arrested by Anonymi 1740 and bound tightly in chains.
39 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  15 Theodred 3 awarded himself penance because he regretted having ordered the execution of Anonymi 1739.
40 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  15 Theodred 3 persuaded the people of his diocese that by three days of fasting he might be removed from the divine wrath due to his uncanonical execution of Anonymi 1739.
41 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  15 Theodred 3 found the body of Edmund 6 incorrupt, handled it, washed it, clothed it and replaced it in a wooden coffin.
42 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  16 Leofstan 3 demanded to be shown the body of Edmund 6. Unbolting the coffin he looked in and in the same moment was struck with madness.
43 Event Abbo.PassioEadmundi  16 Leofstan 3 ended his life having been devoured by worms.
44 Transaction Abbo.PassioEadmundi  6 hereditary wealth