Koenwald
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| Denomination | Catholic |
|---|---|
| Senior posting | |
| See | Bishop of Worcester |
| Period in office | 929–957 |
| Predecessor | Wilfrith II |
| Successor | St. Dunstan |
| Personal | |
| Date of death | 957[1] |
Koenwald (floruit 929–958) (Old English: Cenwald, Coenwald) was an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Worcester of Mercian origins.
Contents |
[edit] Life
Koenwald succeeded Bishop Wilferth at some time between 16 April 928, when Wilferth is last known to have witnessed a charter, and 15 October 929, when Koenwald is known to been at the Abbey of St. Gall and is called Bishop of Worcester.
Koenwald was a trusted servant of King Athelstan, and probably served as royal household priest. His first appearance is as Athelstan's ambassador to Germany. The visit to St. Gall followed a mission to escort two of Athelstan's half-sisters to the court of German King Henry the Fowler. This resulted in the marriage of Eadgyth to Henry's son Otto, the future Holy Roman Emperor.
Koenwald's visit to St. Gall and to Reichenau is thought to be connected to the rise of the monastic reform movement in 10th century England. Dunstan and Æthelwold of Winchester, the leading ecclesiastical proponents of reform, were associated with Athelstan's court, and Dunstan would eventually succeed Koenwald. Several charters witnessed by Koenwald also describe him as monk, as well as bishop, "suggesting a respect for the condition which set him apart from other bishops".
Koenwald appears to have been responsible for the "alliterative charters" which were issued between 940 and 956. These are described as "drawn up in a self-consciously 'literary' style (replete with alliterative and rhythmical phrases)". These have some features of earlier charters of King Athelstan, from the period 928–935, with which Koenwald may also be associated. The author of some of these may be one Ælfric, later a priest and deacon in the service of Bishop Oswald of Worcester, a strong supporter of Dunstan, and the monastic reform movement.
Koenwald was succeeded by Dunstan in 958 or 959. Keynes quotes John of Worcester's Chronicle where Koenwald is called "a man of great humility". The year of his death is not known, but the date, and a further link between Koenwald and Dunstan, may have been kept in the records of Glastonbury Abbey. Bishop Koenwald, a monk of Glastonbury, was commemorated on 28 June, the anniversary of his death.
Powicke, in The Handbook of British Chronology, second edition, gives his death date as 957.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Keynes, Simon, "Koenwald" in Michael Lapidge et al., The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England. Blackwell, 1999. ISBN 0-631-22492-0
- Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961
[edit] External links
| Religious titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wilfrith II |
Bishop of Winchester 929–957 |
Succeeded by St. Dunstan |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Koenwald |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Cenwald |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Bishop of Worcester |
| DATE OF BIRTH | |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | 957 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
