SAINT OSWIN OF DEIRA The holy Martyr-King Oswin was the son of the apostate Osric, king of Deira

in what is now Yorkshire. On the death of his father at the hands of the Welsh King Cadwallon in 6 !, Oswin fled to the kingdo" of Wesse# for safety. $fter the death in %attle of his co&sin 't. Oswald, in 6!!, Oswin ret&rned to Deira while his co&sin Oswy %eca"e king of (ernicia to the north. )owe*er, the two kings were not destined to li*e in peace. Oswin was a "an of great holiness and piety. )e was tall and handso"e, pleasant in speech and co&rteo&s in "anner. )e was genero&s to high and low alike, and soon won the affection of e*eryone %y his regal +&alities of "ind and %ody, so that no%les ca"e fro" e*ery part of ,ngland to ser*e hi". -erhaps his greatest *irt&e was h&"ility. Once he had gi*en 't. $idan a horse to help hi" in tra*elling ro&nd his diocese. .ot long afterwards, the %ishop "et a %eggar who asked for al"s. Witho&t hesitation the %ishop dis"o&nted and ordered the horse with all its royal trappings to %e gi*en to the %eggar. When the king heard a%o&t this, he asked the %ishop as they were a%o&t to dine/ 0My lord %ishop, why did yo& gi*e away the royal horse which was necessary for yo&r own &se1 )a*e we not "any less *al&a%le horses which wo&ld ha*e %een good eno&gh for %eggars, witho&t gi*ing away a horse that 2 had specially selected for yo&r personal &se10 The %ishop answered, 0What are yo& saying, yo&r Ma3esty1 2s this foal of a "are "ore *al&a%le to yo& than this child of 4od10 $t this they went in to dinner, and the %ishop sat down in his place5 %&t the king, who had co"e in fro" h&nting, stood war"ing hi"self %y the fire with his attendants. $s he stood %y the fire, the king t&rned o*er in his "ind what the %ishop had said. Then s&ddenly &n%&ckling his sword and handing it to a ser*ant, he i"p&lsi*ely knelt at the %ishop6s feet and %egged hi" forgi*eness, saying/ 02 will not refer to this "atter again, nor will 2 in+&ire how "&ch of o&r %o&nty yo& gi*e away to 4od6s children.0 The %ishop was deeply "o*ed, and raising hi" i""ediately, ass&red hi" of his high regard, %egging hi" to sit down to his food witho&t regrets. $t the %ishop6s re+&est, the king sat down and %egan to %e "erry, %&t $idan on the contrary grew so sad that he %egan to shed tears. )is chaplain asked hi" in his own 'cots lang&age, which the king and his ser*ants did not &nderstand, why he wept. $idan replied/ 02 know that the king will not li*e *ery long, for 2 ha*e ne*er seen so h&"%le a king as he. 2 feel that he will soon %e taken fro" &s, %eca&se this nation is not worthy of s&ch a king.0 This prophecy was soon f&lfilled. 't. Oswin r&led the kingdo" of Deira "ost prospero&sly for se*en years and was deeply lo*ed %y all. (&t King Oswy to the north co&ld not li*e at peace with hi", and when their differences grew ac&te

the two kings raised ar"ies against each other. )owe*er, when Oswin reali7ed that his opponent6s forces were far stronger than his own, he decided not to risk an engage"ent %&t to wait for a "ore fa*o&ra%le opport&nity. 'o he dis%anded the ar"y that he had raised at Wilfar6s )ill, ten "iles north-west of Catterick, and sent all his "en to their ho"es. Then he hi"self, acco"panied %y a single tr&sted soldier na"ed Tondhere, went %ack and hid in the ho&se of a no%le"an na"ed )&nwald, who" he regarded as his greatest friend. (&t )&nwald %etrayed hi" to Oswy, who, to the disg&st of all, ordered his co""ander ,thelwin to p&t the" %oth to death. This cri"e took place on $&g&st 89, 6:;, at 4illing. $nd here, at a later date, Oswy %&ilt a "onastery in e#piation of his cri"e, ordering that prayers %e said for %oth kings, slayer and slain. )owe*er, the relics of 't. Oswin were not %&ried at 4illing... $ccording to a twelfth-cent&ry "onk of Tyne"o&th, the relics of the holy "artyr were translated shortly after his death to a chapel %&ilt &nder a rock in the "onastery fo&nded %y 't. Oswald at Tyne"o&th. (&t the ra*ages of ti"e and of the Danes had ca&sed the e#act place of the %&rial to %e forgotten. )owe*er, there li*ed at Tyne"o&th in the ele*enth cent&ry a "an na"ed ,d"&nd who li*ed and dressed like a "onk altho&gh he had not taken "onastic *ows. One night after a *igil he fell asleep in the ch&rch of the Mother of 4od, and as he slept there appeared to hi" a tall, strongly %&ilt "an shining in a hea*enly light. $we-str&ck %y his appearance, ,d"&nd did not dare to ask who he was. $t length the "an said/ 0(rother ,d"&nd< (rother ,d"&nd<0 Then ,d"&nd asked re*erently/ 0Who are yo&, "y lord10 02 a" King Oswin, killed %y Oswy thro&gh the detesta%le treachery of Co&nt )&nwald, and 2 lie in this ch&rch &nknown to all. =ise, therefore, and go to (ishop ,thelwin, and tell hi" to look for "y %ody &nderneath the pa*e"ent of this chapel, and let hi" raise it &p and re-inter it "ore %eco"ingly in this sa"e chapel.0 $s a res&lt of this *ision the %ody was so&ght and fo&nd. >&dith, the wife of ,arl Tostig of .orth&"%ria, washed the "artyr6s hair, still stained with %lood, %&t e#cept for the hair and %ones, the %ody had ret&rned to d&st. On $&g&st 89, ;96:, the holy relics were sole"nly translated into the new ch&rch of the Mother of 4od at Tyne"o&th. Many "iracles were wro&ght d&ring and after the finding of the relics of the royal "artyr, of which the following is one/There was a "an fro" .orwich who had s&ch re*erence for the )oly ?and that he had three ti"es "ade the long and perilo&s 3o&rney to >er&sale" and %ack. On ret&rning fro" his third pilgri"age, he decide to "ake another one to 't. $ndrews in

'cotland. )owe*er, he was s&ddenly sei7ed %y a sto"ach illness5 and, ha*ing arri*ed in .ewcastle-on-Tyne, he was taken into the ho&se of a pio&s wo"an, the wife of one Daniel, who lo*ed to entertain and care for strangers. (&t here he was again sei7ed with a fit of con*&lsions, and filled the whole ho&se with his pitif&l cries. The hostess did what she co&ld to co"fort hi", and e*ent&ally he fell asleep. 2n his sleep a "an of re*erend co&ntenacne appeared to hi" and asked hi" if he wished to reco*er fro" his illness. 0Yes, sir,0 he said, 02 desire it ardently.0 0=ise, then, in the "orning,0 said the "an in the *ision, 0and hasten to 't. Oswin, king and "artyr, so that ne#t T&esday yo& "ay %e present at the @nco*ering of his relics and %y his prayers recei*e the health yo& desire.0 The sick "an then asked/ 0(&t who are yo&, sir, who pro"ises s&ch good things10 0What ha*e yo& to do with "e1 4o in faith and %e healed.0 0Yet, sir,0 persisted the sick "an, 02 %eseech yo&/ do not %e angry with "e, %&t tell "e who yo& are, that %y the a&thority of yo&r na"e 2 "ay %e ass&red of the solidity of yo&r pro"ise.0 Then the "an answered/ 02 a" $idan, for"erly 't. Oswin6s %ishop, and so that yo& "ay %elie*e, 2 will now %y "y to&ch c&re the pain in yo&r head, lea*ing yo& to %e healed of yo&r inner con*&lsions %y 't. Oswin.0 'o saying, he pressed on the nose of the sleeping "an, and i""ediately a copio&s flow of %lood took place, which relie*ed his head. There was a "aid watching at the %edside of the sick "an, and when she saw her patient co*ered with %lood she called her "istress, who at the re+&est of the sick "an sent for the priest of the parish. To hi" he related the *ision, saying that he had heard a little a%o&t Oswin, %&t he did not so "&ch as know the na"e of $idan. $s he was &na%le to walk, one of the neigh%o&rs kindly offered to take hi" to Tyne"o&th in his %oat. On arri*ing, they laid the s&fferer at the "artyr6s to"%, where he was healed of his disease. Holy Martyr-King Oswin, pray to God for us! A'o&rces/ The Benera%le (ede, ,cclesiastical )istory5 >.). .ew"an, ?i*es of the ,nglish 'aints, ?ondon/ Cree"antle, ;D9;, *ol. !, pp. 8:E-6:5 Da*id Car"er, The O#ford Dictionary of 'aintsF