Father Hrothweard (died 880) was an Anglo-Saxon priest from Northumbria who, in 878, led a revolt against the Danish occupiers of York, driving them from the city. He came to be one of the most powerful people at King Guthred's court, as he threatened Guthred with Saint Cuthbert's displeasure (or with Saxon riots in York) if he ever strayed from his pro-Catholic Church policies. However, he was murdered by Ivar Ivarsson's army ater the Battle of Catraeth in 880.
Biography[]
Hrothweard was born in Eoferwic, Northumbria (present-day York, Yorkshire, England) to an Anglo-Saxon Catholic family, and he pursued a career as a Christian priest during the late 9th century. Hrothweard was a passionate speaker, and, following the Danish Great Heathen Army's conquest and occupation of Northumbria, he used his oratory skills to stir up anti-Danish sentiments. In 878, following the arrival of the news of Alfred the Great's victory over the Danes at the Battle of Edington, King Ecgberht II of Northumbria had Archbishop Wulfhere of York deliver a sermon at Eoferwic's largest church. Worried about the violence between Danes and Saxons which would likely follow the ceremony, Wulfhere claimed that he was ill and went to the countryside to recover, so Hrothweard was chosen to deliver the sermon. In a fiery speech, he said that Saint Cuthbert would help to deliver the Saxons from Danish rule, and he called on the Saxon population of Eoferwic to rise up against their pagan overlords. He personally took part in the ensuing revolt, massacring the Danish pagans who lived in the city and extorting the Danish Christians. Hrothweard was the most powerful man in the city, and, when King Guthred - a Danish Christian backed by Abbot Eadred Lulisc and King Alfred - entered York later that year, Hrothweard ensured that he was warmly greeted by the Saxons who still remained in York (most of them had fled out of fear of Danish retribution). Hrothweard and the other priests dominated Guthred, as Hrothweard had the power to provoke Saxon riots in York at his will, and he also threatened Guthred with Saint Cuthbert's displeasure if he did not pursue policies amenable to the Catholic Church. He opposed Guthred's reconciliation with Uhtred of Bebbanburg after Uhtred killed Brother Jaenberht in a church following the Siege of Catraeth in 880, but he was ultimately unable to prevent Guthred from allying with Uhtred against Earl Kjartan the Cruel of Dunholm.
Death[]
When King Guthred and Ivar Ivarsson's armies faced off at Catraeth, Hrothweard accused Uhtred of stealing the beard of Saint Augustine of Canterbury from the church. However, Uhtred publicly promised that he would donate all of his wealth to the Church if he could not find both the relic and the thief. He then went on to slay Ivar in single combat, and he then had his lieutenant Finan the Agile bring forward Hrothweard and the relic in full view of both armies. Uhtred accused Hrothweard of being a sorcerer who had stolen the beard and planned to curse the pagan Danes of Northumbria; however, he had secretly ordered Finan to steal the beard in order to frame Hrothweard. The Danes in Ivar's army clamored for Hrothweard's death, and Uhtred convinced them to swear allegiance to Guthred in exchange for Hrothweard. Uhtred then assured Guthred that Hrothweard had stolen from him, and he said that his idol, King Alfred the Great, would have handed over Hrothweard. Guthred agreed, and Uhtred let the Danes - who were now banging their shields to acclaim Guthred as their king - have Hrothweard. The Danes proceeded to brutally kill him out of view, and few remains of his body were found.