St Fremund, Fact and Fiction

Abstract

The Anglo-Saxon Saint Fremund has often been regarded as purely imaginary. However, a comparison of the various Latin and the one Middle English vitae discloses that the passio and translatio almost certainly go back to an Anglo-Saxon tradition, and that a cult which probably originated in Anglo-Saxon times persisted well into the 16th century. That the tradition was essentially local is borne out by detailed geographical references, especially in the Middle English version. The Life of St Fremund that has come down to us is presumably a mixture of Anglo-Saxon usage and post-1066 Norman requirements. The Middle English vita has been preserved in one manuscript only, British Library Stowe 949, produced close to the centre of St Fremund’s cult. As it has never been edited before an edition is provided in the Appendix.