Queen Saint Eormenhild of Ely

Venerable Eormenhild, Abbess of Ely

Today is the feast of Saint Eormenhild of Ely, the daughter of Eorcenberht of Kent by Saint Seaxburg, the wife of Wulfhere king of Mercia and mother of Saint Wærburg, niece of Saint Éanswíþ of Folkestone on her father’s side and on her mother’s Saint Æþelþrýð of Ely, and in her own right the third Abbess of Ely.

She married into a rather deadly intrigue. Wulfhere of Mercia was one of the eight children of the fierce heathen Penda of Mercia, who was defeated and slain by Oswiu King of Northumbria at the Battle of the Winwæd. Oswiu granted half of the spoils from that victory to Peada, who was poisoned by his wife the following year. Wulfhere was the next in the line of succession; out of love for his dead brother he generously patronised the Abbey at Peterborough which Peada had begun to build jointly with Óswiu King. Also, at the urging of his wife Saint Eormenhild, Wulfhere King received Bishop Saint Wilfrið of York (then out of favour with Óswiu King) hospitably and granted him land within his own kingdom with which to build a cathedral.

Wulfhere King, unfortunately, was prone to his father’s temper, and his foes used it to their advantage. A heathen thegn named Werebod approached Wulfhere hoping to wed his and Eormenhild’s daughter Wærburg. Their two elder sons, Wulfhað and Rufin, who were followers of Saint Ceadda of Lichfield, objected to the match on the grounds that Werebod was not a Christian. Werebod, seeing that the brothers’ gainsay would not be overcome, instead whispered into Wulfhere King’s ear that his sons were plotting to overthrow him. Wulfhere believed Werebod, flew into a rage, and ordered the deaths of his own sons, who went to their deaths as martyrs. After this, Saint Wærburg prevailed over her remorse-stricken father never to arrange for her another match with any man but Christ, and Saint Eormenhild managed after this to steer her husband away from his wicked rages.

Saint Eormenhild also prevailed over her husband to begin visiting Saint Ceadda frequently at his cell, and to begin promoting Christianity within his realm. Wulfhere King began to destroy heathen temples and replace them with churches; he founded a priory at Stone, near where his sons were laid to rest. In 674, Saint Eormenhild and Saint Wærburg prevailed over Wulfhere to grant his daughter leave to enter the cloister – and the king led a royal procession, as to a wedding-feast, for his daughter to Ely, where she was received with great joy by her great-aunt Abbess Æþelþrýð.

Wulfhere died the following year, and Eormenhild was overcome at first with grief, but later was drawn to where both her mother and her daughter had gone: to the cloister. She put aside all her earthly glory and finery, and took the veil as a simple Benedictine sister-nun. She went at first to the cloister of Sheppey in Kent where her mother served as abbess, and she in turn became abbess when her mother was sent instead to Ely. She herself moved to Ely after her mother Saint Seaxburg’s repose and became the third abbess there. Her son, Cœnred, would also himself later become king of Mercia and retire to a monastery toward the end of his life.

Holy Mother Eormenhild, Venerable Abbess of Ely, pray unto God to save us sinners!