Saint Walstan of Bawburgh

Saint Walstan of Bawburgh

Today in the Orthodox Church we commemorate the pre-Schismatic English saint Walstan. Walstan, who was born in Bawburgh a few miles west of Norwich in the year 975 to eldern named Benedict and Bl‎ýð, was a bright young child who became fond of reading in his father’s library. He was struck in particular by a passage from the Gospel of Saint Luke: ‘So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.’ Taking this commandment of our Lord in its fullest possible sense, at the tender age of seven he formally renounced any part of his inheritance, and at the age of thirteen he asked his parents’ blessing to leave their house and undertake a manner of living pleasing to God. Benedict and Blýð, though they were sorrowful to lose their son, both understood his sincerity and also were given to know in dreams by God that he would so choose to leave the world.

As he was leaving the home of his eldern he met two beggars on the road, and he gave to them his rich clothes and changed them for their shabby rags. Thus without any trace upon him of his birth or lineage, he came to the town of Taverham and took a rest from his walk. He was near the fields of a freeholder named Nalga, who needed hands to gather the harvest. Nalga saw him at rest, and offered him work, which Walstan took. He would spend the rest of his days a hired tenant in Nalga’s fields.

Nalga had good grounds to be pleased with Walstan, because Walstan was a tireless worker with a good disposition. He also loved poor folk and beggars, and routinely gave away all he had to care for them. Nalga was a fair employer and gave him wages and food and good clothing, but these easily and always passed out of Walstan’s hands and into those of those poorer than himself he met. Owing to this, he often went barefoot as he worked. Nalga’s wife, taking pity on him, gave him a pair of new shoes and an extra share of food. But Walstan did not keep these for himself, instead giving them to two passing beggars, one of whom went barefoot. Thinking that he was belittling their gifts to him, Nalga and his wife became angry at Walstan and demanded to know why he had given away what they had given him. Walstan answered them that the beggars had been sent by God, that God might see whether he loved them more than he loved himself. ‘I shod Christ in the poor man,’ was Walstan’s answer.

Nalga’s wife, still resentful of Walstan, sent the barefoot farmhand to go into the woods and bind and fetch back a load of briars. To do this, he would need to trample them down with his bare feet. He went cheerfully to his task, and his unhurt feet trampled on the briars as easily as if they were rose-petals and leaves, giving off a sweet fragrance, thus seeming for the Lord to win ‘a crown of thorns’. Beholding this wonder, Nalga and his wife fell down at Walstan’s feet and begged his forgiveness. Walstan forgave them and loved them as ever.

Walstan became known over the years for his simple way of life. He prayed, fasted, gave alms, worked and showed a great love to everyone – particularly to animals. God granted his steadfast and humble servant the strength to work wonders. Many farmers brought sick animals to him and he would heal them by the power of his prayers; his prayers were effective for people as well. Though whatever he put his hand to would flourish, he was content to work in his simple way. Never once did word of his high birth reach the ears of his friends and fellow-workers, and despite his eldern living just a few miles hence, they never had an inkling that the holy labourer of Tavenham was in fact their own son. (Consider how swiftly news could travel in small English villages of late antiquity, and then consider for a moment just how hard it was for King Custennin of Alt Clut to keep his identity from being known!)

He continued to be beloved by Nalga and his wife who, being childless, wanted to make Walstan their heir. True to his oath, however, he refused. Only when an angel of God told him to accept did he finally take Nalga’s wife’s gift of two white calves and a small wagon – not out of greed or sloth, but that God’s will might be done.

In May of 1016, as the haying season was beginning, Walstan was reaping with a fellow-worker when an angel came before him, saying: ‘Brother Walstan, on the third day after this shalt thou depart this life in peace and enter Paradise.’ At once, Walstan lay down his scythe and sought out the village priest, and asked him to give him the Holy Gifts on the third day as the angel had told him. On the same day Saint Walstan beheld a heavenly host of angels, with the praises of the Holy Trinity in unspeakably sweet song upon their tongues.

Some hagiographies relate the following tale. On the first day after, which was a Saturday, Nalga went into the cheaping-ground in Norwich, which was then under the sway of the Danish Cnut King. There was at that time a proclamation being cried aloud, that anyone knowing the whereabouts of Walstan – son of Benedict and Blýð, kinsman to Éadmund King of Wessex, should make them known to the king’s men. The Danes were then plotting to take the whole of England, and the proclamation warned than anyone found giving shelter to Walstan without giving him up into Cnut’s hands must pay with both his wealth and his life. After he fared home, he spoke to Walstan: ‘What am I to say to the Danes, when they learn that I have kept you here?’ Walstan was not worried: he told his master that he must tell them the truth. Then he told Nalga about what the angel had shown to him.

On the third day, which was a Monday, the thirtieth of May 2016, the village priest came to Walstan while he was haying. He was working with his scythe up until noon and his final hour came. The priest came to administer the Gifts and found he had no water to wash his hands. Saint Walstan knelt and prayed, and before him there bubbled up a spring of fresh water, in which the priest could laver his hands. Having taken the Gifts, Walstan told those gathered in the fields that after his death they were to set him on the wagon and yoke it to the two white calves Nalga’s wife had given him – and that none should lead them but rather they would go where God pleased. He then besought God that every workman and all livestock fallen ill should gain healing, if they were to ask of it meekly. At that a heavenly roust answered the saint: ‘O Holy Walstan: that which thou hast asked, is given. Come now from thy work and rest!’

With that, Walstan gave up the ghost. A white dove was seen to fly upwards. Nalga and the men of Tavenham did as they were bidden, taking Walstan’s body upon the wagon and hitching it to the calves, who then began to wander along the banks of Wensum Water, and then through a wald. They forded at the deeps, and came up the other side with dry hooves. At Costessey Wood where they stopped to rest, another holy well sprang forth with clean fresh water. The calves and those following, waxing in numbers, forged on through fenlands until they came to Bawburgh, where again they rested. Here again, a third well gushed forth. The calves then went up the hill to the church and entered through a gap in the wall which wondrously appeared and then vanished once they were through. There they stood, until Ælfgar Bishop of Elmham came with his monks to hold the Liturgy for the funeral.

The bishop, who knew something of Walstan’s tale already from his youth, sat still as Nalga and the folk of Tavenham unfolded the rest to him. They told him of the many wonders wrought by Walstan, and the Bishop thereafter made a full investigation as to their truth. This done, Bishop Ælfgar allowed the townsfolk to keep the relics and venerate them as a saint’s. Walstan’s relics were interred in the north transept of the church, and many pilgrims and wayfarers came to the church thereafter, and many wonders were wrought and illnesses cured. In particular, Saint Walstan continued to intercede with Christ for sick livestock. Water from the holy wells of Saint Walstan is still sought-after for its curative properties for both human and animal patients. Saint Walstan has, understandably, been considered a particular patron of farmers and gardeners. Having worked in Norwich in college, growing – not hay or briars – but rather mouse-ear cress for the FIBR Project at the University of East Anglia, and now trying to do a gardening project myself at home, I deeply appreciate Saint Walstan’s prayers for me, a sinner. Righteous and generous Walstan, pray to God for us!

O Righteous Walstan, thou didst leave thy home
To labour for Christ in the fields of Taverham.
Through fasting, prayer and great humility
Thou hast gathered many for the harvest of Christ.
The Lord crowned thee as a saint and bestowed upon thee the gift of miracles.
Pray then that our souls may be saved.