Denewulf

Denewulf
Bishop of Winchester
Church	Catholic
See	Diocese of Winchester
Appointed	879
Reign ended	909
Predecessor	Tunbeorht
Successor	Frithestan
Orders
Consecration	879
Personal details
Died	909

Denewulf was a medieval Bishop of Winchester.

Denewulf was consecrated in 879. He died in 909.^[1] The twelfth-century chronicler John of Worcester recorded a tradition that Denewulf began life as a swineherd, and was promoted to bishop at an advanced age after a chance encounter with Alfred the Great, who was taking refuge from the Danes in the forest where Denewulf was feeding his pigs.^[2] This has led to Denewulf being identified in modern popular history^[3] with the cottager in the story of Alfred and the cakes (a legend first recorded in the twelfth century^[4]) whose wife berated the king for carelessness when he allowed her cakes to burn.

Notes

1. ^ Powicke Handbook of British Chronology p. 257
2. ^ The Chronicle of John of Worcester, vol. II, pp.312-5
3. ^ For instance, Early British Kingdoms: Denewulf, H. E. Marshall, Our Island Story
4. ^ History of the Monarchy - The Anglo-Saxon kings - Alfred 'The Great'

References

• Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961
• The Chronicle of John of Worcester, ed. R. R. Darlington and P. McGurk, trans. Jennifer Bray and P. McGurk. Oxford: Clarendon Press 1995.

External links

• Prosopography of Anglo Saxon England entry for Denewulf

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Tunbeorht	Bishop of Winchester 879–909	Succeeded by Frithestan

Persondata
Name	Denewulf
Alternative names
Short description	Bishop of Winchester
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	909
Place of death