Willibrord between Ireland, Britain and Merovingian Francia (690–739): Beyond Mission (Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Belief and Culture)

The century between c. 650 and 750 was one of major religious, social and political transformations in northwest Europe. In the Frankish kingdom, clerics from Ireland and Britain played an important role in these processes. One of the most prominent figures to emerge from this period was Willibrord – a Northumbrian educated in Ireland who became the first bishop of Utrecht and founded the monastery of Echternach in modern Luxembourg. Through his involvement in the Christianisation of Frisia, his cooperation with the eastern Frankish elite, including the ancestors of Charlemagne, and his connection with the pope, Willibrord was at the centre of the developments which led to the formation of a new ecclesiastical and political landscape between the North Sea and Thuringia on the eve of the Carolingian period. This book, which represents the first extensive study of the topic in English, extends its analysis of Willibrord’s career beyond the mission to Frisia and examines the political dimension of his activity in Merovingian Francia and its border regions. By offering a fresh look at the main sources for Willibrord’s life, the book explores how Insular clerics shaped their Frankish environment through the creation of networks between Ireland, Britain and the continent and their ability to take on a variety of different roles within Merovingian society. Cover 1 Contents 7 Acknowledgements 9 Abbreviations 11 Introduction 19 Willibrord between Ireland, Britain and Merovingian Francia 22 Beyond Mission? Willibrord as a Political Actor 33 Sources and Methodology 45 1 The Hagiographical Narrative versus the Charter Evidence 51 The Depiction of Willibrord’s Network in Bede’s Historia ecclesiastica and Alcuin’s Prose Vita Willibrordi 51 Early Life in Northumbria and Ireland 52 The Mission to Frisia 57 Willibrord’s Relationship with Pippin II 65 Beyond Utrecht and Rome 75 The Charters of the Liber aureus Epternacensis: Implications and Limitations 77 The Compilation of the Liber aureus: Theoderic’s Chronicon (1191) 78 Camille Wampach’s Edition (1929–30) 85 Irmina and the Foundation of Echternach 91 Donors and Networks: Beyond the Hugobert-Irmina-Sippe 103 2 Between Ireland and Francia 117 Willibrord’s Ecclesiastical Network 117 Intersections: the Martyrological Entries in Willibrord’s Calendar 117 The Date and Compilation of the Calendar 118 Establishing an Interpretative Framework for the Calendar 124 Foundations: Willibrord’s Ecclesiastical Horizon around 700 138 Bede, Oswald and Ecgberct 138 Fursa, Fóillán and Amandus 156 Connections: the Development of Willibrord’s Network, c. 690–728 167 Adaption: the Dioceses of Trier, Cologne and Tongeren-Maastricht 167 Expansion: Chelles, Thuringia, Strasbourg 180 3 ‘Vassal’ or ‘Political Player’? 199 The Relationship between Willibrord and the Family of Pippin II 199 A ‘Momentous Decision’? The Establishment of the See of Utrecht 200 Willibrord as Archbishop 202 The Mission to Frisia in its Political Context, 690–714 210 Willibrord between Frisia and Francia, c. 706–26 228 Echternach and Susteren: Centres of ‘Carolingian’ Power? 229 Reassessing Willibrord’s Role in the ‘Pippinid Succession Crisis’ 237 Conclusions 247 Bibliography 251 Index 281