90. SAINT SIGFRID, BISHOP OF VAXJO
and those with him
Our holy Father Sigfrid was a monk of Glastonbury, England. According to another source, he came from York. In 994, when King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway was converted to the Faith of Christ, King Aethelred and his councillors decided to send Sigrid and two other missionary bishops and some priests to accompany King Olaf to his homeland and help him in the conversion of his people.
On arriving in Norway, St. Sigfrid wanted to visit Raud the Sorcerer, who was living on the island of Godo in Slaten Fjord; but was prevented by bad weather caused by Raud's sorceries. So Sigfrid, according to Olaf Tryggvason's Saga, took all his liturgical vestments and went forward to the prow of the king's ship. He ordered tapers to be lit and incense to be brought out. Then he placed a cross on the stern of the vessel, read the Gospel and many prayers and sprinkled the whole ship with holy water. Then he ordered the sail to be stowed away, and to row into the fjord. The king ordered all the other ships to follow him. Then they went into the fjord without encountering any wind resistance. The water curled round the keel as if in a calm. And yet on each side the waves rose up so high that they hid the sight of the mountains.
St. Sigfrid continued his missionary activity when Olaf the Saint became king of Norway in 1016, both having been expelled from the court of King Canute of Denmark and England because of the latter's jealousy towards Olaf.
Some time later, King Olaf of Sweden sent to the king of England for missionaries to enlighten his people. St. Sigfrid came, and after settling in Vaxjo began by evangelizing the surrounding district. Then, in response to an angelic vision, he built a church in Vaxjo. At about the same time, another Englishman, Gotebald, was sent to labour in Skane (he was commemorated at Lund on August 21). These were the first missionary bishops on Swedish soil.
The mission to Sweden began to bear fruit. Twelve wise and aged men were chosen to represent the twelve chief tribes of the land, who were to decide about the truth of Sigfrid's teaching. After listening to his teaching, they were converted and agreed to be baptized in twelve days» time. Eleven of them returned and were baptized, while the twelfth died in the meantime. The conversion of these leaders led to the conversion of a large number of people in Varend.
Hearing of these events, King Olaf sent one of his trusted councillors to find out what was happening. The councillor reported that during the Divine Liturgy, after the bishop had elevated the bread and the people had fallen on their knees, the bread changed into a young Boy, Whom the bishop kissed, and who then disappeared while the bread remained on the paten. When the king heard this, he
knew who the bishop was and invited him to come to him at Husaby in East Gothland.
The bishop did not hurry on his journey, but stopped at Utvangstorp to teach and baptized the people. On arriving in Husaby, he was received with great honour, and soon the king, his family and his court were baptized in the well at Husaby. Later, Sigfrid consecrated two more bishops for East and West Gothland.
Soon holy martyrdoms were strengthening the faith in Sweden. These included the three nephews of St. Sigfrid – the priest Unaman, the deacon Sunaman and the sub-deacon Vinaman. Once, when St. Sigfrid had been called to see the king, twelve men burst into their home and killed them, cutting off their heads. Then they threw the heads into a river which flowed next to the church and hid the bodies in a remote place.
A little later, Sigfrid returned, and during the night fervently prayed to God to reveal to him where the martyrs were buried. Then he saw three star-like lights twinkling above the middle of the lake and moving towards the eastern bank. He swam to the bank, and found the three heads in a vase with a heavy stone on top of them. Clutching them to his breast, he tearfully cried:
«May God avenge this crime!»
Then the first head replied:
«It will be avenged.»
And the second head said:
«How?»
And the third head replied:
«In the third generation.»
King Olaf arrived in Varend with an army and imposed heavy fines on the people for the murder of Sigfrid's nephews. Then he offered a considerable sum to the bishop himself. However, Sigfrid asked that the instead of the money some landed property should be given, as a result of which the king made over to him the estates of Hof and Tjuby. King Olaf died in 1022.
In 1028, an Englishman named Ulfrid came to Uppsala. He converted many to the Christian Faith, and proceeded to anathematize a popular idol named Thor which stood in the Thing of the pagans. At the same time, he seized a battle-axe and broke the image to pieces. Immediately he was hacked down and received the crown of martyrdom.
Other English bishops came to help Sigfrid in Sweden. Thus one by the name of Bernard was made bishop of Skane by order of King Canute, after he had supervised the preparation and putting into practice of a Christian code of laws in Iceland.
Shortly before his death, it is related of St. Sigfrid that he became somewhat forgetful. Once he ordered a bath to be prepared for him on a fast day. A voice reproved him for doing this, whereupon he left the bath and confessed his fault.
On February 15, according to an old runic calendar, St. Sigfrid reposed in Vaxjo, where he had built a wooden church on the site of the present stone cathedral. A shrine to the saint, which has now disappeared, was situated in the centre of the church. Sigfrid died, according to one source in 1045, according to another – between 1060 and 1070.
His work in Sweden was continued by his disciples, Bishops David and Eskil. David was a great ascetic, and during prayer was seen enveloped in a flame of fire. Eskil, who was a relative of Sigfrid's and had been his chaplain, worked mainly in Sodermanland, and was consecrated bishop at Strangnas. After a violent storm had destroyed a pagan altar and its sacrifices, Bishop Eskil was stoned to death in about the year 1080.
St. Sigfrid is commemorated on February 15.
Holy Father Sigfrid, pray to God for us!
(Sources: Heimskringla, 87; Adam of Bremen, History of the Archbishops of Hamburg- Bremen, II, lxii, 60; «Trois Legendes de Saint Sigfrid», Analecta Bollandiana, 1942, LX, pp. 89–90; C.J.A. Oppermann, The English Missionaries in Sweden and Finland, London: SPCK, 1937; David Farmer, The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Clarendon Press, 1978, pp. 357, 385–386; C.F. Willstedt, «Vaxjo Cathedral»)