Agilbert

Infobox Saint
name= Saint Agilbert
birth_date=
death_date=10 March 673
feast_day= 11 October
venerated_in= Roman Catholic Church


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major_shrine= Abbey of Jouarre
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issues= Saint Agilbert (floruit circa 650–680 AD) was the second Bishop of the West Saxon kingdom and later Bishop of Paris. Son of a Neustrian noble named Betto, he was a first cousin of Saint Audoin and related to the Faronids and Agilolfings, [Le Jan, pp. 382, notes 6, 388, & 390–391, table 48. Le Jan shows that Agilbert's first cousins included Saints Audoin and Dado, the future Bishop Ebregisil of Meaux, and Agilberta, the second abbess of Jouarre.] and less certainly to the Merovingians. [Fouracre.] His name, the Frankish language equivalent of Æthelberht, has been taken to suggest a link with the royal family of the Kingdom of Kent. [Fouracre states: " [h] is very name was the Frankish form of Æthelberht...". Le Jan, however, takes his name to indicate kinship with the Agilolfings; Le Jan, p. 388.]

Agilbert was consecrated as a bishop in Francia before he travelled to Britain. He arrived in the West Saxon kingdom after the return to power of King Cenwalh of Wessex, who had been driven out by Penda of Mercia, either in the late 640s or 650s. He was appointed to succeed Birinus as Bishop of the West Saxons, or Bishop of Dorchester. Agilbert, according to Bede's "Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum", had "spent a long time in Ireland for the purpose of studying the Scriptures".Bede, "HE", Book III, Chapter 7.]

From Bede, it appears that Agilbert did not speak Old English, and it is said that his see was divided in two, with Wine being given half, because King Cenwalh "tired of his barbarous speech", although this may be mistaken. [Higham, p. 255.] This insult supposedly led to Agilbert's resignation. He then travelled north to Northumbria, where he ordained Wilfrid. [Eddius, "VW", chapter 9.] He was present at the Synod of Whitby in 664, where he led the pro-Roman party, but he had the young Wilfrid speak on his behalf. [Bede, "HE", Book III, Chapter 25; Eddius, "VW", chapter 10.] Returning to Francia, Agilbert later took part in Wilfrid's consecration as a bishop at Compiègne. [Eddius, "VW", chapters 11 & 12.] Agilbert became Bishop of Paris between 666 and 668, and hosted Theodore of Tarsus. He was later invited to return by Cenwalh, to become Bishop of Winchester, but sent his nephew Leuthhere in his place. [Fouracre; Riché.]

Agilbert died at some time after 10 March 673, on which date he witnessed Clotilde's foundation charter for the Abbey of Bruyères-le-Châtel, and probably between 679 and 690. He was buried at the Abbey of Jouarre where his sister Theodechildis was abbess. His fine sculpted sarcophagus can be seen there in the crypts, as can that of his sister. [Fouracre; Riché.]

Notes

References

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* Bede, "Ecclesiastical History of the English People." Translated by Leo Sherley-Price, revised R.E. Latham, ed. D.H. Farmer. London: Penguin, 1990. ISBN 0-14-044565-X
* Eddius, "Life of Wilfrid" in D.H. Farmer (ed.) & J.H. Webb (trans.), "The Age of Bede." London: Penguin, 1998. IBN 0-140-44727-X
* Fouracre, P., "Agilbert" in M. Lapidge, et al, (eds), "The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England". Oxford: Blackwell, 1999. ISBN 0-631-22492-0
* Higham, N.J., "The Convert Kings: Power and religious affiliation in early Anglo-Saxon England." Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1997. ISBN 0-7190-4828-1
* Kirby, D.P., "The Earliest English Kings." London: Unwin Hyman, 1991. ISBN 0-04-445691-3
* Le Jan, Régine, "Famille et Pouvoir dans le Monde Franc (VII^e–X^e Siècle). Essai d'anthropologie sociale." Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne, 2003. ISBN 2-85944-268-5
* Riché, Pierre, "Dictionnaire des francs. Les temps Mérovingiens." Paris: Bartillat, 1996. ISBN 2-84-100008-7