Undying devotion 6 Henry VI is invoked as a saint – surrounded by his adoring followers 1 and objects left at his tomb – as depicted in a woodcut from a Bible 2 in the Royal Collection. The image shows: 1 The king himself, holding a sceptre and orb. 2 #YCZ IWTKPG of a sailor wounded in the guts by a cannonball, who was saved after praying to Henry for salvation. 3 This could be Richard Beys or Thomas Fuller, both wrongly condemned men whom the king saved from the hangman’s noose. 4 An antelope, a heraldic symbol of the Lancastrian dynasty to which Henry belonged. 5 Helen Barker, a servant who Henry brought back from the dead after she slit her throat (see page 66). 6 A wax image of a ship which, FGURKVGTWPPKPICITQWPFQʘ0QTHQNM made it all the way to London after its crew prayed to Henry for assistance TIGER 3 5 4 BODLEIAN LIBRARIES • 67
The miraculous Henry VI CULT FIGURES Three other medieval miracle-workers who attracted devoted followings 1THE NUN WHO TIGER 3 THE ANGEL A L AM Y/ BRID GEM A N SPRANG TO LIFE OF THE NORTH 2 THE MAN WHO KEPT St Gwenfrewi’s brutal death – and THE DEVIL IN A BOOT In his lifetime, Archbishop Richard remarkable afterlife – made her a popular Scrope had been a thorn in the side of saint in England and Wales. A sev- Henry VI shared the attentions of Windsor Henry VI’s Lancastrian forebears. The enth-century nun from Tegeingl (now pilgrims with another popular saint whose PQTVJGTPGTJCFLQKPGFVJGFQQOGF2GTE[ Flintshire), St Gwenfrewi was educated to DQF[YCUVTCPUNCVGFVJGTGKPVJGVJ|EGPVW- WRTKUKPICICKPUV*GPT[|+8KPCPFQP CJKIJUVCPFCTFD[JGTRCVTQP5V|$GWPQ ry: John Schorn, a Buckinghamshire DGKPIECRVWTGFDGECOGVJG TUV'PINKUJ Despite her vow of virginity, a local prince vicar famous for catching the Devil in his bishop to be executed after trial. He was called Caradog ab Alog demanded sexual boot. This boot would be produced during beheaded on royal orders outside York, favours from her, and when Gwenfrewi John’s sermons, to the mingled amazement CNNGIGFN[D[ XGDNQYUQHVJGCZG TGRTG- VTKGFVQʚGGVQYCTFUJGTEJWTEJ%CTCFQI and horror of his parishioners, who could UGPVKPIVJG XGYQWPFUQH%JTKUV overtook her and beheaded her with his glance inside at the Devil. sword. Miraculously, a spring bubbled Viewed by many northerners as a up in the place her head fell. Even more Schorn’s other chief claim to popularity martyr, Scope was buried inside York OKTCEWNQWUN[$GWPQTGLQKPGFJGTJGCFCPF was that during a local drought, he had Minster, where his tomb was swiftly the body, restoring Gwenfrewi to life. Caradog produced a perpetual spring by striking the site of several miracles. Within a year, his was killed with a curse. ITQWPFYKVJJKUUVCʘ6JGURTKPINCFGPYKVJ cult had grown so popular that Henry IV gypsum, epsom salts and carbonic acid, QTFGTGF5ETQRGoUVQODVQDGEQTFQPGFQʘ #HVGTJGTp TUVFGCVJq)YGPHTGYKYGPV had healing properties, particularly for those with high log barriers. on pilgrimage to Rome and later settled as UWʘGTKPIHTQOG[GEQPFKVKQPUCPFTJGWOC- an abbess of nuns at Gwytherin, where tism. After his death in c1314, both the #RQRWNCTO[VJENCKOGFVJCV*GPT[|+8 she died for a second time. Five hundred spring and Schorn’s tomb at North Marston was struck down with leprosy as divine [GCTUNCVGTUJGYCUUVKNNUWʛEKGPVN[ became a popular resort for pilgrims – so punishment for killing Scrope. During the celebrated that her remains were removed popular that a later vicar dug up a skull from Wars of the Roses, Scrope was held up as to Shrewsbury Abbey. The hallowed spring the graveyard, sprinkled it with blood and a champion of anti-Lancastrianism, and YJGTGUJGJCF TUVFKGFDGECOGMPQYPCU exhibited it as Schorn’s head. Edward IV tried to secure his canonisation. (H[PPQP)YGPHTGYKQTp*QN[YGNNqCPF Ironically, it was probably Yorkist victories was a popular site of pilgrimage for In 1478, as Edward IV undertook in the wars that ended Scrope’s cult. His centuries, said to have curative powers extensive building work to the chapel at XGPGTCVKQPUGGOGFUWRGTʚWQWUKPCPCIG for all manner of ailments. Windsor, Schorn’s corpse was moved to of Yorkist ascendancy. a new shrine there, in the hope that the In 1483, William Caxton printed newly constructed tomb would be a Gwenfrewi’s biography. As late as the money-spinner with pilgrim visitors. VJ|EGPVWT[RQGOUYGTGEQORQUGFKP Gwenfrewi’s honour and religious buildings were constructed at Holywell. The site can still be visited today. 68
Search
