The kings of the Anglo-Saxons read like the royals we find in the Old Testament. We can be amazed by their successes and failures, but quickly get lost in the similar sounding names and who came after who.
And what’s even more confusing, there was not just two kingdoms (Judah and Israel). But seven Anglo-Saxon conflicting dominions. This is normally referred to as the Heptarchy.
Some of these many kings became honoured as saints. St Oswald was one of these.
After his father, Ethelfrith, was killed by Redwald, the King of the East Angles, Oswald sought refuge at the Scottish Court.
After seventeen years, the reigning Northumbrian king was killed by the pagan king, Penda. And soon after this, the princes returned home.
His brothers became king in turn, and quickly abandoned their faith in God as their prosperity rose. The British king, Cadwallon, who reigned in Wales, crossed the border and fought and killed his brothers.
Oswald was now king and was charged with removing the invaders. He could only muster a small army, far smaller than Cadwallon’s.
He decided to made a surprise attack at a place called Heaven’s Field. But first, he dug a hole, and erected a wooden Cross. As he held the cross upright with his bare hands, his soldiers filled in the soil around the Cross, firming it up.
He then said to his troops, “Let us all bend the knee, and join in beseeching the Omnipotent, the living and true God, that He will, of His mercy, defend us from a haughty and fierce enemy. For He knows that we have undertaken a ‘just war’ for the safety of the nation”.
All the soldiers bowed in front of the Cross, knowing they would only defeat the enemy with the power of God.
The next morning, the day of the battle, Oswald received a vision of St Columba. Columba blessed the young king, assuring him of victory and a successful future reign.
With St Columba’s words echoing in his heart, he attacked King Cadwallon and the Britons. It was a decisive victory for the Anglo-Saxons and Cadwallon was killed.
Now the kingdom was established under Oswald’s reign. He asked St Aidan, who at the time was living at the Monastery of St Columba, to come and minister to his subjects. At this time, St Aidan set up the monastery at Lindisfarne. And Oswald’s subject gladly embraced Christ.
After a time, a dark pestilence hit the land. Seeing the suffering of his people, he asked God to accept his life in exchange for of his peoples’. A sign his heart was not for himself, but to follow in the path of Christ, the Servant-King.
The next day, the king became gravely ill. All assumed he would die. But near his final breath, he had a vision of three strangers standing at his bedside. Echoing of when Abraham welcomed strangers. One spoke to him, authoritatively.
He said, “Your prayers and meekness, O king, are accepted by God. You belong to him. So for a reward for your faith, charity and piety, you shall shortly be crowned with an Immortal Crown. But first, God will give back your life and those of your subjects. He is calling you to be a martyr. Not a martyr for your people, but a martyr for God”.
The king recovered and the pestilence was removed from the land.
But then Penda, the pagan king of Mercia, invaded. He hunted down the Christian king and killed him.
As he died, he prayed for the souls of his soldiers. A saintly martyred king, who even at his moment of death, thought lovingly of the fate his subjects.
His niece, Queen Osthryda, carefully collected up his bones and brought them to a monastery in Lincolnshire.
One morning, shepherds came to that monastery. In the early hours, they had seen a pillar of light touching Heaven and the roof of the monastery.
The monks disbelieved the disheveled shepherds. Until one of their own, who had been been travelling in the Holy Land, returned by boat that night and saw the same pillar of light.
The monks knew this was related to the relics of St Oswald. Maybe this was a sign of his sainthood. Maybe this was a sign of the Immortal Crown he received from the King of Kings Himself.
Many healings were recorded throughout history which relate to Heaven’s Field, the tomb of St Oswald and even the ground where the water which was used to wash the bones was drained.
Oswald was a saintly king, who cared deeply for his subjects and worshipped the High King of Heaven.
So my family line left Norththumbria 11 generations ago to live in the US. But I have been reading old stories, tales, and such. I have learned that sometimes there is multiple tails for the same events that do not match. Years ago I was reading stories about Oswald on a Celtic Christianity website which claims that after his father's death, he lived on the Isle of Iona for some time. And that the saints of Iona encouraged him to retake the throne. After he did so, he requested Iona send a priest to him and he gave the priest Lindisfarne. Any insights into this claim?
How providential! I was just reading a beautiful epic poem about St. Oswald. I leave it with you. Hopefully, you enjoy it as much as I did!
https://www.illuminationsfantastic.com/heavensfield-an-epic-in-anglo-saxon-verse-by-samuel-j-stephens-poem-old-english-poetry-oswald-english-king-of-northumbria-saint-warrior-heavenfield-maserfield-penda-of-mercia-cadwallon-of-gwynedd-2021-illuminations-of-the-fantastic-magazine