Today May 19

Today is the feast of St. Dunstan (910-988). I love Dunstan because I am a great fan of Hilaire Belloc, who was loyal to this Sussex saint. Well, since he became the archbishop of Canterbury, he was saint of all (Anglo-Saxon) England. He was a political guy, but also the subject of legend. He had a calm argument with the devil, who came closer and closer to the anvil where the saint was doing some smithy work. Finally, Dunstan turned quickly and caught the Devil by the nose with the red-hot pincers he was holding! But folks remember that and forget he helped to reform England, enforcing clerical celibacy (and lay chastity) -- removing offending priests and replacing them with monks. He didn't mind whom he offended and he won for himself the enmity of the reactionary West Saxon nobles. He told off King Edwy, who left his own coronation reception to keep company with a girl named Elgiva -- and he suffered for his courage. His goods were confiscated and he was exiled, but he came back as right-hand man for the King's brother Edgar who won the throne in a revolt. Dunstan (along with Ethelwold and Oswald) re-established all the monasteries which had been destroyed in the Danish raids. He continued to advise the short-lived next king, Edward the Martyr. Dunstan was pretty broken up by his death and retired from public life to his see at Canterbury. He loved to sing, play the harp, illuminate books and make metal objects such as bells, chalices and patens. We need more men like Dunstan.