Sigeberht of East Anglia
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Sigeberht of East Anglia (also known as Saint Sigebert) was King of East Anglia from AD 631-634.
The step-son of King Redwald, Sigeberht fled to France after the murder of his step-brother, Eorpwald in 628. There, he converted to Christianity and was baptized. Following the death of his brother's murderer, Ricberht, in 631, he returned to East Anglia, bringing with him, Saint Felix of Burgundy, the man widely credited with bringing Roman Christianity to the area. The monarch also welcomed Saint Fursey to his court and gave him the old Roman fort at Burgh Castle to establish a monastery. In AD 634, Sigeberht voluntarily abdicated the throne to Egric, possibly his brother or cousin, and retired to a simple life in a monastery, possibly at Burgh Castle or Bury St. Edmunds.
According to legend, Sigeberht was forcibly removed from his monastery in 636 by his dissatisfied former subjects and made to lead the Anglians into battle against the Pagan king, Penda, who had invaded from Mercia. However, he refused to bear arms and took to the field carrying only a staff of office. Both he and Egric were killed in the Mercian victory.
Since Sigeberht was a Christian monarch killed in battle against the pagans, he was treated as a martyr and venerated as a saint. His feast day is variously given as 16 January or 27 September.
Sources
- David Hugh Farmer (1978). The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19282-038-9
- D. P. Kirby (1991). The Earliest English Kings. Unwin Hyman. ISBN 0-04445-691-3
- Ann Williams, Alfred P Smyth and DP Kirkby (1991). A Biographical Dictionary of Dark Age Britain. Seaby. ISBN 1-85264-047-2
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