Ælfthryth of Crowland

Saint Ælfthryth of Crowland
Born	unknown England
Died	c.835 Crowland, England
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Antiochian Orthodox Church
Canonized	Pre-congregation
Major shrine	Crowland
Feast	2 August

Ælfthryth, also known as Alfreda, Alfritha, Aelfnryth, or Etheldritha,^[1] is a saint, virgin, and recluse, venerated in both the Roman Catholic Church and Antiochian Orthodox Church. She was a daughter of King Offa of Mercia and his consort, Cynethryth.^[1]^[2]

Ælfthryth was "either betrothed to or loved by"^[1] St. Ethelbert, the king of the East Angles. In 793, after visiting Ælfthyth, he was taken captive and murdered by her mother so that Cynethryth's brother could ascend to the throne instead; Ælfthryth's was horrified by the murder, so she departed the court and retired to the Crowland Abbey in the marshes of Crowland, where she lived as a recluse for 40 years, until her death of natural causes in 835.^[1]^[2]^[3] Ælfthryth's sister Aelfreda also lost a husband due to their parents' political intrigue.^[1]

According to the Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Ælfthryth was "famous for her prophecies".^[4] Her tomb was arranged around St. Guthlac's. A Crowland tradition states that Ælfthryth's relics were destroyed in 870 when Danes destroyed the abbey, but there is little evidence for it.^[4] Her feast day is 2 August.^[2]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "St. Alfreda". Catholic Online. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "St. Etheldritha (Alfreda) of England". Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
^ "Saint Etheldritha". Catholic Saints.Info. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b Farmer, David Hugh (2011). The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (5th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-19-172776-4. OCLC 726871260.

v t Saints of Anglo-Saxon England
British / Welsh	Aldatus of Oxford Arilda of Oldbury Barloc of Norbury Brannoc of Braunton Branwalator of Milton Credan of Bodmin Congar of Congresbury Dachuna of Bodmin Decuman of Watchet Elfin of Warrington Ivo of Ramsey Judoc of Winchester Juthwara of Sherbourne Melorius of Amesbury Nectan of Hartland Neot of Cornwall Patrick of Glastonbury Rumon of Tavistock Samson of Dol Sativola of Exeter Urith of Chittlehampton
East Anglian	Æthelberht of East Anglia Æthelburh of Faremoutiers Æthelthryth of Ely Æthelwine of Lindsey Athwulf of Thorney Botwulf of Thorney Cissa of Crowland Eadmund of East Anglia Eadnoth of Ramsey Guthlac of Crowland Herefrith of Thorney Huna of Thorney Pega of Peakirk Seaxburh of Ely Walstan of Bawburgh Wendreda Wihtburh of Ely
East Saxon	Æthelburh of Barking Hildelith of Barking Osgyth Sæbbi of London
Frisian, Frankish and Old Saxon	Bertha of Kent Felix of Dommoc Helier of Jersey Grimbald of St Bertin Wulfram of Grantham
Irish and Scottish	Aidan of Lindisfarne Boisil of Melrose Echa of Crayke Indract of Glastonbury Maildub of Malmesbury
Kentish	Æbbe of Thanet (Domne Eafe) Æthelberht of Kent Æthelburh of Kent Æthelred of Kent Albinus of Canterbury Berhtwald of Canterbury Deusdedit of Canterbury Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet Eanswith of Folkestone Mildrith of Thanet Nothhelm of Canterbury
Mercian	Ælfnoth of Stowe Ælfthryth of Crowland Æthelmod of Leominster Æthelred of Mercia Aldwyn of Coln Beorhthelm of Stafford Coenwulf of Mercia Cynehelm of Winchcombe Cyneswith of Peterborough Eadburh of Bicester Eadburh of Pershore Eadgyth of Aylesbury Ealdgyth of Stortford Earconwald of London Egwin of Evesham Frithuric of Breedon Frithuswith of Oxford Frithuwold of Chertsey Mildburh of Wenlock Mildgyth Mildrith of Thanet Milred of Worcester Oda of Canterbury Oswald of Worcester Osburh of Coventry Rumwold of Buckingham Werburgh of Chester Wærstan Wigstan of Repton
Northumbrian	Acca of Hexham Æbbe "the Elder" of Coldingham Æbbe "the Younger" of Coldingham Ælfflæd of Whitby Ælfwald of Northumbria Æthelwold of Farne Æthelwold of Lindisfarne Alchmund of Hexham Alkmund of Derby Balthere of Tyningham Beda of Jarrow Bega of Copeland Benedict Biscop Bercthun of Beverley Billfrith of Lindisfarne Bosa of York Botwine of Ripon Ceadda of Lichfield Cedd of Lichfield Ceolfrith of Monkwearmouth Ceolwulf of Northumbria Cuthbert of Durham Dryhthelm of Melrose Eadberht of Lindisfarne Eadfrith of Leominster Eadfrith of Lindisfarne Eadwine of Northumbria Ealdberht of Ripon Eardwulf of Northumbria Eata of Hexham Ecgberht of Ripon Eosterwine of Monkwearmouth Hilda of Whitby Hyglac Iwig of Wilton John of Beverley Osana of Howden Osthryth of Bardney Oswald of Northumbria Oswine of Northumbria Sicgred of Ripon Sigfrith of Monkwearmouth Tatberht of Ripon Wihtberht of Ripon Wilfrith of Hexham Wilfrith II Wilgils of Ripon
Roman	Augustine of Canterbury Birinus of Dorchester Blaise Florentius of Peterborough Hadrian of Canterbury Honorius of Canterbury Justus of Canterbury Laurence of Canterbury Mellitus of Canterbury Paulinus of York Theodore of Canterbury
South Saxon	Cuthflæd of Lyminster Cuthmann of Steyning Lewina of Bishopstone
West Saxon	Æbbe of Abingdon Ælfgar of Selwood Ælfgifu of Exeter Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury Ælfheah of Canterbury Ælfheah of Winchester Æthelgar of Canterbury Æthelnoth of Canterbury Æthelwine of Athelney Æthelwold of Winchester Aldhelm of Sherborne Beornstan of Winchester Beornwald of Bampton Centwine of Wessex Cuthburh of Wimborn Cwenburh of Wimborne Dunstan of Canterbury Eadburh of Winchester Eadgar of England Eadgyth of Polesworth Eadgyth of Wilton Eadweard the Confessor Eadweard the Martyr Eadwold of Cerne Edor of Chertsey Evorhilda Frithestan of Winchester Hædde of Winchester Mærwynn of Romsey Margaret of Dunfermline Swithhun of Winchester Wulfsige of Sherborne Wulfthryth of Wilton
Unclear origin	Rumbold of Mechelen

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Thurston, Herbert (1907). "St. Alfrida". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company.