"Saint Swithin’s Day, if thou dost rain, For forty days it will remain; Saint Swithin’s Day, if thou be fair For forty days t’will rain na mair."

Saint Swithin’s day falls on 15th July. With the above prophecy in mind, anyone planning holidays, weddings, garden fetes etc., approaches this day with trepidation and crossed fingers. Who was this saint and why does the weather on his day affect our summers?

Swithin was a man of considerable importance in the life of the Saxon Church and the court of the kingdom of Wessex. Born sometime at the beginning of the ninth century, he was educated in the city of Winchester at the Old Minster. At this time Wessex was one of the most important of the Saxon kingdoms. Swithin was obviously very able for he became the advisor to King Egburt and tutor of his son Ethelwulf thus having a position of great influence. On October 30th 852 he was enthroned as bishop of Winchester. He worked tirelessly for the church travelling great distances over his diocese setting up new churches. He provided help to the poor and needy and gained a reputation as a healer. He set up a system of keeping diocesan records which later became an invaluable source of information for the compilers of the Angle Saxon Chronicle. In spite of all his power and influence he was a man of great simplicity and humility. He made it known that when he died he did not wish a grand tomb in a prominent place in the Minster but to be buried in the churchyard where "the sweet rain of heaven might fall on his grave". Swithin died on 2nd July in 862 and in accordance with his wishes he was laid to rest outside the west door of the church. However, this situation was soon to change. After his death miracles of healing were reported at his grave and Swithin was duly canonised.

In 964 one Ethelwold became Bishop of Winchester and he changed the nature of the Minster. He introduced monks to form a monastic cathedral chapter and made plans for the relies of the saint to be translated to the Cathedral. The translation took place on 15th July 971. According to an early medieval manuscript now held at Emmanuel College, Cambridge - it rained very heavily on that day and thus the superstition/weather prophecy was born. Accounts do differ - one being that the monks planning Swithin’s translation thought better of it when the heavens opened and left him in peace. However, there is archaeological evidence that he was moved possibly more than once as the Cathedral like many during the Middle Ages was developed and extended.

During the Norman period and throughout the early middle ages St. Swithin became almost a cult. Many pilgrims visited his new shrine within the Cathedral and he replaced St. Peter and St. Paul in the dedication. His feast day was established as 15th July the anniversary of his translation. Sadly Swithin was not left to rest in peace and the later moves were not those of reverence and respect. In 1538 the commissioners of Henry VIII descended on Winchester and St. Swithin’s shrine was destroyed. A further desecration took place in 1642 when Oliver Cromwell’s troops ransacked the cathedral and scattered his remains. In 1962 a new shrine was built - it’s style simple but impressive as befits the saint himself.

From what we know of Swithin it seems rather out of character that this gentle, kindly man of God would have inflicted this curse upon generations to come. Anyway, it is just a superstition and there is no real truth in it we enlightened folk tell ourselves. That may be so but how many of us look for signs of rain on St. Swithin’s Day? - Well, I do!