Sainte Ermenilde
Abbesse (VIIe siècle)
Reine de Mercie
(Grande-Bretagne), veuve du roi Wulfehere, abbesse d'Ely.
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/626/Sainte-Ermenilde.html
Sainte Ermenilda
Abbesse d’Ely dans le
Cambridgeshire
Fête le 13 février
OSB
† 703
Autres graphies :
Ermenilda, Erminilda ou Ermengild d’Ely
Fille de sainte Sexburge
et d’Ercombert de Kent, elle était la femme de Wulfhere, roi de Mercie, et la
mère de sainte Werburge. Sexburge et Ermenilda furent l’une après l’autre
abbesse d’Ely dans le Cambridgeshire ; Sexburge avait elle-même succédé à
ce poste à sainte Etheldrède, sa sœur.
SOURCE : http://www.martyretsaint.com/ermenilda/
Eormenhild, Ely Cathedral
Also
known as
Eormenhild
Ermengild
Ermenhild
Erminilda
Ermenildis
Ermenegilda
Profile
Born a princess,
the daughter of King Erconbert
of Kent, and Saint Sexburga
of Ely. Ermenilda was a pious youth with a strong prayer life. Married to
the pagan Wulfhere, King of
Mercia whom she converted by
setting a good example. Queen. Mother of Saint Werburga
of Chester and King Coenrad
of Mercia, who abdicated to
become a monk in Rome, Italy.
Ermenilda used her royal influence to destroy the last of Anglo-Saxon paganism.
When widowed,
she became a Benedictine nun at
Minster-in-Sheppy abbey,
which had been founded by her mother.
She served as abbess there
and at the abbey at Ely, England.
13 February 703 of
natural causes
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
fonti
in italiano
MLA
Citation
“Saint Ermenilda of
Ely“. CatholicSaints.Info. 9 February 2023. Web. 3 September 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-ermenilda-of-ely/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-ermenilda-of-ely/
Article
ERMENILDA (Saint) Queen
(February 13) (7th century) The daughter of King Erconbert of Kent and his
wife, Saint Sexburga. She married Wulfhere of Mercia and became the mother of
Saint Wereberga. On the death of her husband she joined her mother in the Abbey
of Minster in Sheppey, embracing like her the Religious life, and eventually
succeeding her as Abbess. Later, mother and daughter are found together again
at Saint Etheldreda’s monastery at Ely, where both finished their earthly pilgrimage.
The death of Saint Ermenilda may have taken place about A.D. 700.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Ermenilda”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
2 January 2013. Web. 3 September 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-ermenilda/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-ermenilda/
St. Ermengild
Feastday: February 13
Death: 700
Queen and Benedictine
nun, also called Ermenilda. The daughter of a king of Kent, England, and St.
Sexburga, Ermengild married the king of Mercia. She helped spread the faith in
Mercia until her husband's death in 675. She then became a nun at Milton at
Minster, Sheppey. When her mother, who had served as abbess, retired, Ermengild
succeeded to that Office. She then followed St. Sexburga to
Ely, becoming abbess there
also.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=3175
Ermengild of Ely, OSB,
Widow (AC)
(also known as Ermenilda,
Erminilda)
Died 703. The daughter of
King Erconbert and Saint Sexburga, Erminilda was herself a queen, for she
married Wulfhere, King of Mercia, and used her powerful influence to remove the
remaining pockets of idolatry in a land which had been the last stronghold of
Anglo-Saxon paganism. By her virtuous example and unwearied kindness she won
the hearts of her subjects; she had great pity on all in distress, and
throughout her life she bore her witness as a Christian queen.
Like her mother before
her, the saintly Sexburga, the widowed Queen of Kent and abbess of Minster in
Sheppey, she desired to be wholly devoted to God. On Wulfhere's death Erminilda
joined her mother and succeeded her as abbess when her mother moved to Ely.
Later, Erminilda, too,
migrated to the abbey of Ely, which was the center of a flourishing community,
had the unusual distinction of having as its first abbesses a succession of
three queens; for, before Sexburga, her sister, Queen Ethelreda had held the
office. Erminilda was the mother of Saint Werburga, and so this royal
succession of Christian witness was carried into the fourth generation.
In a primitive age these
noble and saintly women by their selfless and devoted lives set before their
people a high example of Christian service, and their gracious and ennobling
influence had a far-reaching effect upon the period in which they lived. They
are counted among the saints of England and take their place among the most
faithful and distinguished followers of our Lord (Benedictines, Encyclopedia,
Gill).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0213.shtml
A Miracle of St Eormenhild
If you were a monk in eleventh-century Ely, you would today be celebrating the
feast of St Eormenhild. Since you are not, you probably won't be. But you might
like to read about her all the same.
Eormenhild, who died c.700, was born into the closely-linked nexus of royal
families who ruled early Anglo-Saxon England. On her father's side she was a
member of the royal family of Kent, descended from St Augustine's first
convert, King Ethelbert (she was his great-granddaughter), and on her mother's
side she was connected to East Anglian royalty, descended from King Anna, whose
most famous progeny was Etheldreda of Ely (Eormenhild's aunt). Eormenhild
extended these alliances by marrying the king of Mercia, Wulfhere, with whom
she had two children. Many of the women in Eormenhild's extended family founded
monasteries and entered religious life, with the result that they were
commemorated as saints after death: Eormenhild, her mother Seaxburh, and her
aunts Etheldreda and Wihtburh together
comprised the female saints of Ely, while her daughter was St
Werburh of Chester, and the Kentish royal family had its own saints
in Æthelburh
of Lyminge, Eanswythe
of Folkestone (another of Eormenhild's aunts), and Mildred
of Thanet and her mother and sisters (Mildred's mother was
Eormenhild's cousin, if I'm keeping track correctly). The monasteries founded
and ruled by these women, the wives and daughters of kings, formed an important
network of secular and spiritual power in seventh-century England.
Eormenhild's life is summarised as follows in the 'List of saints'
resting-places' in BL Stowe
944 (ff. 36-7):
'St Eormenhild, daughter of Eorcenberht and Seaxburh, was given in marriage to
be King Wulfhere's queen. He was the son of Penda, king of Mercia, and in their
time the Mercian people received baptism. Their daughter was St Werburh the
holy virgin, and she was buried in the minster which is called Hanbury, and now
rests in the city of Chester. And St Eormenhild rests at Ely with her mother
and with her aunt St Etheldreda, and her powers are often manifested there.'
After the death of her husband, Eormenhild retired to the abbey her mother
Seaxburh had founded on the island of Sheppey in Kent, now Minster-in-Sheppey.
(The Ely hagiographer describes this foundation as 'a paradise, a New
Jerusalem'. I don't know if you've ever been to Sheppey, but that's a... generous description.)
Eormenhild succeeded her mother as abbess when Seaxburh went to join St
Etheldreda at Ely. She then subsequently went to Ely herself, and died and was
buried there. Her cult was tiny, almost non-existent; there are no churches
dedicated to her, and her name only appears in a handful of post-conquest
calendars.
But there is a short text about her life and miracles, including the story
about her which I mentioned the other day. It comes from a set of late
eleventh-century lections for her feast, which may have been written by the
hagiographer Goscelin.
We shall moreover add another tender and lovely miracle, one also so certain and clear because it happened to one of the brothers of that monastery before the very eyes of all the brothers dwelling there. He was the master of the boys in the school, who, fearing him, took refuge together at that kindly mother’s tomb crying out and begging for their deliverance, the day after the happy occasion of the feast of St Eormenhild which is by annual ritual worthily celebrated on the aforementioned Ides. The master pursued them, and with great indignation snatched them from there and beat them to his heart’s content, chiding them as they wept with these words of scorn: ‘Did you think you were always going to have St Eormenhild as patroness over your faults?’ After all this was over, the following night when he was lying on his bed, lo! mighty Eormenhild, mindful of his deeds, bound up the feet that were so quick to pursue and the hands so hasty to punish more tightly than any iron shackles or fetters could. For he suddenly suffered such contractions in both his hands and his feet, indeed in his whole body, that he could not even move. Or if he was obliged to go anywhere, he had to struggle in great agony on his knees instead of his feet, and his elbows instead of his hands. At this fear and trembling and confusion overtook him along with the bitter pain in his limbs as well as despair about his deliverance, so that the mental anguish alone would have been sufficient punishment. In the morning he summoned the boys to him, and humbly begged their forgiveness, and tearfully implored them to carry him to the tomb of the most holy lady Eormenhild, and there to plead for him. And they, although of feeble strength, carried him aloft, a wretched spectacle, into the presence of St Eormenhild, and there for some time begged for the restoration of his health, chanting psalms and praying, so that he who had come there in the hands of others went away again on his own feet.
Goscelin of Saint-Bertin, The Hagiography of the Female Saints of Ely, ed.
and trans. Rosalind C. Love, Oxford Medieval Texts (Oxford, 2004), p.21.
So little is recorded about Eormenhild that this miracle is probably the
invention of Goscelin, or whoever wrote these lections. The generic type of
miracle, 'saint defends child from beating', is also attributed to St Dunstan,
St Erkenwald, and others, and it's generally a sympathetic one (except in the
version attached to St Erkenwald, where the saint lets a child escape
punishment for not having done his homework; pretty sure I'm on the teacher's
side in that one). So this is indeed a 'tender and lovely miracle', and I like
that it paints Eormenhild as a kindly mother - appropriate for a saint who was,
in fact, a mother. Interesting as the seventh-century saints of Ely are, their
later hagiography is fairly turgid stuff, pages and pages of fulsome and
repetitive praise for the virgin saints, with less enthusiasm for the women who
had marred their virginity by getting married and having children (and I say
this is as someone who is interested in both hagiography and virgin saints).
But this miracle turns a 'negative' into a positive, by giving Eormenhild an
opportunity to exercise her motherly care.
SOURCE : https://aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-miracle-of-st-eormenhild.html
Ermengild of Ely
Eormenhilde, Hermynhild)
(d. c.700), queen of Mercia, abbess of Ely. She was the daughter of Erconbert,
king of Kent, and of his wife *Sexburga, who was sister of *Etheldreda.
Ermengild married Wulfhere, king of Mercia (657–74) and son of Penda. She
converted her husband and bore him two children, Coenred, king of Mercia 704–9,
and *Werburga. After Wulfhere’s death she became a nun at Minster-in-Sheppey,
founded by her mother Sexburga. When the latter resigned this abbacy and went
to Ely, Ermengild succeeded her at Minster; when Sexburga died at Ely twenty
years later, Ermengild became Ely’s third royal abbess in succession. Nothing
is known of her rule there, not even the day of her death. Her daughter
Werburga succeeded her as abbess of Ely. Ermengild’s cult was extensive, but
several pre-Conquest calendars wrongly describe her as a virgin.
Propers for Ermengild of Ely - Abbess
O GOD, by whose grace the blessed Ermengild enkindled with the fire of thy
love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we may be
inflamed with the same spirit of discipline and love, and ever walk before thee
as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Epistle - Philippians 3:7-15.
The Gospel - St. Luke 12:22-37.
Reference and Resources:
Farmer, David Hugh (2004-07-22). The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (Oxford
Paperback Reference) (p. 176). OUP Oxford. Kindle Edition.
SOURCE : http://ohioanglican.blogspot.ca/2014/02/ermengild-of-ely.html
St. ERMENGILD, Widow
Posted on February 13, 2013 by Kawsa Ni Maria
Ermengild came from a
royal family. Her father was Erconbert, King of Kent, and her mother was Queen
Sexburga, who is also on the roll of Saints.
Ermengild married King
Wulfhere of Mercia, a pagan. She brought her husband into the Faith and through
her zeal and piety influenced him to spread Christianity in his dominions. She
also bore him two children – St. Werburga, who entered the religious life, and
Coenrad, who became King of Mercia (704-709) and later a monk at Rome.
Upon the death of her
husband, Ermengild became a nun in an abbey at Minster-in-Sheppey, founded and
ruled by Sexburga. She then replaced her mother as abbess when the latter went
on to the abbey of Ely to succeed Sexburga’s sister St. Ethelreda who had
founded it. After a few years Ermengild also retired to Ely, where her daughter
Welburga was a nun. When Sexburga died, Ermengild became the third successive
royal abbess of Ely. Little is known of her death, which occurred on February
13, 703.
Reflection
A woman of royalty and
wealth, St. Ermengild nonetheless spurned the trappings of royalty in order to
follow Christ more closely. Her life exemplifies the Gospel suggestion to sell
what one has, give to the poor, and follow Christ. Her example remains
appropriate in modern times.
Prayer
Lord God, Your servant
St. Ermengild clearly chose Your love over that of this world’s goods. Grant
that we may follow You on the narrow road to detachment. This we ask through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
SOURCE : https://vitaesanctorum.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/st-ermengild-widow/
Santa Ermenilda di
Ely Badessa
Festa: 13 febbraio
Principessa anglosassone
del VII secolo, fu regina di Mercia e madre di due figli, Santa Vereburga e
Coenred. Dopo la morte del marito, nel 675, abbracciò la vita religiosa
benedettina e divenne badessa di Minster-in-Sheppey. In seguito, si unì a sua
madre, Santa Seaxburh, nel monastero di Ely, dove le venne assegnato il ruolo
di badessa. Anche sua figlia Vereburga si fece monaca ad Ely. Non è rimasto
alcun documento sulla sua vita, ma il suo nome è citato in uno statuto del 699
unitamente ad altre tre badesse.
Santa Eormenhild (Ermenilda, Ermenildis
o Ermengild) è una badessa vissuta nel VII secolo.
Il suo nome è riportato nelle diverse versioni delle genealogie inserite nella
leggenda reale del Kent, scritte nell'XI e XII secolo.
In questi testi è menzionata come figlia del re Eorcenbertht di Kent e di Santa Seaxburh di Ely, moglie di Wulfhere di Mercia con il quale ebbe due figli, Santa Wearburh (Vereburga) e Coenred.
Dopo la morte del marito, nel 675, Ermenilda decise di abbracciare la vira religiosa benedettina.
Entrata in monastero divenne la badessa di Minster-in-Sheppey quando sua madre, santa Sexburga andò a guidare la comunità di Ely.
Successivamente si unì a sua madre nel monastero di Ely e le venne assegnato il ruolo di badessa.
Anche sua figlia Santa Vereburga si fece monaca ad Ely.
Non è rimasto alcun documento sulla sua vita. Il suo nome è citato in uno statuto del 699 unitamente ad altre tre badesse "Irminburga, Aeaba et Nerienda".
A livello locale la sua festa di celebrava nel giorno 13 febbraio.
Autore: Mauro Bonato
