__NOTOC__ Denewulf (died 908) was a medieval

Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' (except dur ...

from 878 or 879 until his death. Little is known of him, though by tradition he began life as a

swineherd A swineherd is a person who raises and herds pigs as livestock. Swineherds in literature * In the New Testament are mentioned shepherd of pigs, mentioned in the Pig (Gadarene) the story shows Jesus exorcising a demon or demons from a man and a ...

, and was promoted to bishop at an advanced age after a chance encounter with

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great (alt. Ælfred 848/849 – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who bot ...

Life and tradition

Denewulf was consecrated as

between 878 and 879. He died in 908.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 223 Chroniclers beginning with

John of Worcester John of Worcester (died c. 1140) was an English monk and chronicler who worked at Worcester Priory. He is usually held to be the author of the ''Chronicon ex chronicis''. ''Chronicon ex chronicis'' The ''Chronicon ex chronicis'' is a world wide ...

in the 12th century recorded a tradition that Denewulf was originally an illiterate swineherd who had a chance encounter with King

. According to these versions, Alfred was taking refuge from the

Danes Danes ( da, danskere, ) are a North Germanic ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. Danes generally regard t ...

in the forest where Denewulf was feeding his pigs. He was so impressed with the elderly swineherd's character that he sponsored his education and had elevated him to bishop.John of Worcester ''Chronicle'', vol. II, pp. 312-315 Denuwulf's name subsequently became attached to an older story regarding Alfred's encounter with a swineherd. According to this story, first recorded in the tenth-century ''

Life of Neot Neot (died 31 July 877) was an English monk. Born in the first half of the ninth century, he lived as a monk at Glastonbury Abbey. He preferred to perform his religious devotions privately, and he later went to live an isolated life in Cornwall ...

'', Alfred stayed with a swineherd and his wife for several days while fleeing the Danes. One day, the wife berated him for not turning her cakes on the stove when they began to burn; the humbled king subsequently helped her with the baking. This swineherd was identified as Denewulf in

John Hardyng John Hardyng (or Harding; 1378–1465) was an English chronicler. He was born in Northern England. Biography As a boy Hardyng entered the service of Sir Henry Percy (Hotspur), with whom he was present at the Battle of Shrewsbury (1403). He the ...

's verse chronicle, first published in 1543; in this version Alfred made Denewulf bishop following his wife's death. The story of Alfred and the cakes was often repeated as an example of the suffering the king endured for his realm; modern retellings usually play up the humorous aspect.

Citations

References

* * John of Worcester ''Chronicle'', ed. R. R. Darlington and P. McGurk, trans. Jennifer Bray and P. McGurk. Oxford: Clarendon Press 1995.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Denewulf Bishops of Winchester 908 deaths 9th-century English bishops 10th-century English bishops Year of birth unknown