From Joan. Magnus, Hist. Goth. l. 17, c. 20, quoted by Bollandus, and
chiefly from a life of this saint, compiled at Wexlow about the year
1205, published from an ancient MS. by the care of Ericus Benzelius
junior, in his Monuments Historica vetera Ecclesiae Suevogothicae, printed
at Upsal in 1709, p. 1, ad p. 14, and in Prolegom. Sect. 1. The editor
was not able to discover the author's name: upon which he repeats the
remark of the learned Maussac, (in Diss. Critica ad Harpocrat.,) that
"many monkish writers endeavored to conceal their names out of
humility." On which see Mabillon, Diar. Ital. p. 36. Benzelius gives us
a considerable fragment of a second life of this holy prelate, ib. p.
21, ad 29, and some verses of bishop Brynoth the third, on St. Sigfrid
and the other bishops of this province, ib. p. 72.
Our zealous ancestors having received the light of our faith, propagated
the same throughout all the northern provinces of Europe. St. Anscarius
had planted the faith in, in 830; but it relapsed soon into idolatry.
King Olas Scobcong entreated king Edred, who died in 91{} to send him
missionaries to preach the gospel in his country. Sigefride, an eminent
priest of York, undertook that mission, and on the 21st of June, in 950,
arrived at Wexiow, in Gothland, in the territory of Smaland. He first
erected a cross, then built a church of wood, celebrated the divine
mysteries, and preached to the people. Twelve principal men of the
province were converted by him, and one who died, was buried after the
Christian manner, and a cross placed upon his grave. So great numbers
were in a short time brought to the faith, that the cross of Christ was
triumphantly planted in all the twelve tribes into which the inhabitants
of South-Gothland were divided. The fountain near the mountain of
Ostrabo, since called Wexiow, in which St. Sigefride baptized the
catechumens, long retained the names of the twelve first converts,
engraved on a monument. King Olas was much pleased with the accounts he
heard of the man of God, and many flocked from remote parts, out of mere
curiosity to hear his doctrine, and to see him minister at the altar,
admiring the rich ornaments of linen, and over them of silk, which he
wore in celebrating the divine mysteries, with a mitre on his head, and
a crosier, or pastoral staff, in his hand. Also the gold and silver
vessels which he had brought with him for the use of the altar, and the
dignity and majesty of the ceremonies of the Christian worship,
attracted their attention. But the sublime truths of our religion, and
the mortification, disinterestedness, zeal, and sanctity of the
apostolic missionaries, engaged them to give them a favorable reception,
and to open their eyes to the evidence of the divine revelation. St.
Sigefride ordained two bishops, the one of East, the other of West
Gothland, or Lingkoping, and Scara. The see of Wexiow he continued
himself to govern so long as he lived. His three nephews, Unaman, a
priest, and Sunaman and Wiaman, the one a deacon, the other a subdeacon,
were his chief assistants in his apostolic labors. Haring intrusted the
administration of his see of Wexiow to Unaman, and left his two brothers
to assist and comfort him, the saint himself set out to carry {418} the
light of the gospel into the midland and northern provinces. King Olas
received him with great respect, and was baptized by him, with his whole
court and his army. St. Sigefride founded many churches, and consecrated
a bishop of Upsal, and another of Strengues. The former of these sees
had been founded by St. Anscharius, in 830, and the bishop was declared
by pope Alexander III., in 1160, metropolitan and primate of the whole
kingdom. During the absence of our saint, a troop of idolatrous rebels,
partly out of hatred of the Christian religion, and partly for booty,
plundered the church of Wexiow, and barbarously murdered the holy pastor
Unaman and his two brothers. Their bodies they buried in the midst of a
forest, where they have always remained hid. But the murderers put the
heads of the martyrs into a box, which, with a great stone they had
fastened to it, they threw into a great pond. But they were afterwards
taken out, and kept richly enshrined in the church of Wexiow till their
relics were removed by the Lutherans. These three holy martyrs were
honored in Sweden. Upon the news of this massacre St. Sigefride hastened
to Wexiow to repair the ruins of his church. The king resolved to put
the murderers to death; but Sigefride, by his earnest entreaties,
prevailed on him to spare their lives. However, he condemned them to pay
a heavy fine, which he would have bestowed on the saint, but he refused
accepting a single farthing of it, notwithstanding his extreme poverty,
and the difficulties which he had to struggle with, in laying the
foundation of that new church. He had inherited the spirit of the
apostles in an heroic degree. Our saint died about the year 1002, and
was buried in his cathedral at Wexiow, where his tomb became famous for
miracles. He was canonized about the year 1158, by pope Adrian IV.,[1]
an Englishman, who had himself labored zealously, and with great
success, in the conversion of Norway, and other northern countries,
about a hundred and forty years after St. Sigefride, who was honored by
the Swedes as their apostle, till the change of religion among them.[2]
Footnotes:
1. Vastove, Vinea Aquilonis.
2. In the life of St. Sigefride, published by Benzelius, it is
mentioned, that St. Sigefride, upon his first arrival in Sweden,
preached chiefly by interpreters.