96. SAINTWISTAN, MARTYR-KING OF MERCIA

The holy Martyr-King Wistan (Winston) succeeded to the throne of his grandfather, Wiglaf of Mercia, in 840. However, being too young to rule, he asked his mother Elfleda to act as regent.

Now an ambitious cousin of Wistan's, Berhtric by name, sought the hand of Elfleda in marriage. Wistan, however, refused to permit the marriage, considering it to be incestuous and against the canons of the Church. So Berhtric plotted to kill him.

He arranged to meet him at a place called since that time Wistanstowe (Wistow, Leicestershire). First he greeted him with the kiss of peace. But then he drew a sword from under his cloak and struck off the top of his head in the shape of a crown. Three of Wistan's followers fell with him. This took place in about 850.

A column of light was seen over the place of martyrdom; and on the first of June every year thereafter, for the space of one hour, «hairs» could be picked off the grass, touched and kissed. Wistan's body was buried next to those of his father and grandfather at the monastery of Repton, the original crypt of which can still be seen.

In 1019 Abbot Alfwerd of Evesham asked King Canute to give him the relics of St. Wistan. From then on Evesham became the centre of his veneration. Just after the Norman Conquest of 1066, the Norman abbot of Evesham, Walter de Cerisy, had doubts whether Wistan was really a saint. So he decided to subject his relics to an ordeal by fire. However, as he was carrying the skull of the saint, it suddenly fell from his hands and began gushing rivers of sweat.

Over a century later, the miracles of the «hairs» was verified by a commission sent by Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury.

In Orthodox times, the feastday of the saint was January 1, but later it was changed to June 1.

Holy Martyr-King Wistan, pray to God for us!

(Sources: C. Horstman (ed.), Nova Legenda Angliae, Oxford, 1901, p. 467; W.D. Macray (ed.), Chronicon Abbatiae de Evesham, Rolls series, 1863, pp. 232–234; P. Grosjean, «De Codice Hagiographico Gothano», Analecta Bollandiana, vol. LVIII, 1940, pp. 90–103; David Farmer, The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1978, p.

410)