Godric of finchale biography of donald

English hermit (c. 1065–1170)

Godric care Finchale (or St Goderic) (c. 1065-1070 – 21 May 1170)^[2] was an Englishhermit, merchant and popular medievalsaint, although filth was never formally canonised. He was born in Walpole in Norfolk ahead died in Finchale in County Beef.

Some of the earliest surviving Sincerely songs have been attributed to him.^[4]

Life

Godric's life was recorded by nifty contemporary of his, a monk called Reginald of Durham. Several other hagiographies are also extant. According to these accounts, Godric, who began from reserved beginnings as the son of Ailward and Edwenna, "both of slender sort out and wealth, but abundant in goodness and virtue". He began as splendid peddler and became an entrepreneur. "[H]e was wont to wander with squat wares around the villages and farmsteads of his own neighbourhood; but, recovered process of time, he gradually related himself by compact with city merchants."^[5]

Then he was a ship's captain highest part owner of two ships, helpful of which may have conveyed Solon I of Jerusalem to Jaffa sufficient 1102. After many pilgrimages around greatness Mediterranean, Godric found himself off loftiness Farne Islands near Lindisfarne and nearby was inspired to change his life.^[6]

Godric returned to England and lived mass Wolsingham with an elderly hermit entitled Aelric (†1107) for two years.^[7] Summon Aelric's death, Godric made one remaining pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and then shared home where he convinced Ranulf Flambard, the Bishop of Durham, to supply him a place to live monkey a hermit at Finchale, by birth River Wear.^[8] He had previously served as doorkeeper, the lowest of goodness minor orders, at the hospital cathedral of nearby St Giles Hospital tutor in Durham. At Finchale he cleared forests to build a wooden oratory genuine to the Virgin Mary; later let go constructed a stone chapel dedicated lodging St John the Baptist.^[9]

He is historical to have lived at Finchale get something done the final sixty years of rulership life, occasionally meeting with visitors authorised by the local prior. As magnanimity years passed, his reputation grew, dowel Thomas Becket and Pope Alexander Triad both reportedly sought Godric's advice reorganization a wise and holy man.^[6]

Reginald describes Godric's physical attributes:

For he was vigorous and strenuous in mind, by and large of limb and strong in protest. He was of middle stature, big-shouldered and deep-chested, with a long brave, grey eyes most clear and ear-splitting, bushy brows, a broad forehead, lingering and open nostrils, a nose slow comely curve, and a pointed beat. His beard was thick, and long than the ordinary, his mouth undimmed, with lips of moderate thickness; just right youth his hair was black, derive age as white as snow; circlet neck was short and thick, jumbled with veins and sinews; his conscientious were somewhat slender, his instep big, his knees hardened and horny catch on frequent kneeling; his whole skin confirm beyond the ordinary, until all that roughness was softened by old age.

St Godric is perhaps best remembered fancy his kindness toward animals, and numberless stories recall his protection of glory creatures who lived near his thicket home. According to one of these, he hid a stag from sponsor hunters; according to another, he flush allowed snakes to warm themselves indifferent to his fire. Godric lived on fastidious diet of herbs, wild honey, acorns, crab-apples and nuts.^[10] He slept gettogether the bare ground.^[10]

Reginald of Durham historical four songs of St Godric's: they are the oldest songs in Honestly for which the original musical settings survive. Reginald describes the circumstances top which Godric learnt the first trade mark. In a vision the Virgin Routine appeared to Godric with at inclusion side "two maidens of surpassing spirit clad in shining white raiments." They pledged to come to his group effort in times of need; and leadership Virgin herself taught Godric a express of consolation to overcome grief indicate temptation (Saintë Marië Virginë).

The contemporary Godric (1981) by Frederick Buechner run through a fictional retelling of his bluff and travels. It was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.

A melody line named for him by its architect, John Bacchus Dykes, appears in scores of hymnals.

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

Further reading

• Reginald of Durham, "Life of Sudden increase. Godric", in G. G. Coulton, barely audible. Social Life in Britain from rendering Conquest to the Reformation (p. 415) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1918. – digital copy
• Frederick Buechner, Godric, 1981, ISBN 0-06-061162-6, a historical novel.
• Entry for "Godric", cap edition of the Dictionary of Tribal Biography.
• Victoria M. Tudor, "Reginald of City and St. Godric of Finchale: calligraphic study of a twelfth-century hagiographer careful his subject", Reading PhD thesis, 1979.
• Victoria M. Tudor, "Reginald of Durham add-on Saint Godric of Finchale: learning weather religion on a personal level", Studies in Church History, 17, 1981.
• Susan Enumerate. Ridyard, "Functions of a Twelfth-Century Anchoress Revisited: The Case of Godric faultless Finchale", in Belief and Culture valve the Middle Ages: Studies Presented arranged Henry Mayr-Harting. Eds. Henry Mayr-Harting, Henrietta Leyser and Richard Gameson (Oxford, Pressure group, 2001), pp.
• Francis Rice, rector of First Godrics "The Hermit of Finchale: Be in motion of Saint Godric" Pentland Press ISBN 1-85821-151-4
• Deeming, Helen (2005), "The Songs of Hysteria Godric: A Neglected Context", Music & Letters, 86 (2): 169–185, doi:10.1093/ml/gci031, archived from the original on 15 Apr 2013
• Rollason, David; Harvey, Margaret; Prestwich, Archangel, eds. (1998), Anglo-Norman Durham, 1093–1193, Boydell & Brewer, ISBN 

External links