Eanbald I
Encyclopedia
Eanbald was an eighth century Archbishop of York
.
under Æthelbert
, his predecessor at York. Alcuin called him a "brother and most faithful friend." Ethelbert put Alcuin and Eanbald in charge of rebuilding York Minster
, as the duties of archbishop
kept Ethelbert from handling the details.
Eanbald was elected Archbishop of York in 780. Alcuin was sent by King Ælfwald I
of Northumbria
to retrieve Eanbald's pallium
from Pope Adrian I
in Rome.
In 786 Eanbald presided over a church synod
held in Northumbria with two papal legates from Adrian I and the king. Among the canons adopted were ones that debarred illigetimate children from inheriting kingdoms, that priests must not celebrate Mass
while bare-legged, that bishops should not debate secular affairs at church councils, that there should be a clear difference between canons
, monks, and laymen in dress and deportment, and that tithe
s must be given by all men to the Church. He also probably presided over councils held in 782, 787, and 788. Shortly before his death, he consecrated the new king, Eardwulf of Northumbria
.
Eanbald's time as archbishop was a time of political instability in the Northumbrian kingdom. The synod of 786 condemned regicide
, probably because of the number of kings and royal kin that had been killed in the political struggles taking place in the kingdom of Northumbria. His archbishorpric also witnessed the first attacks of the Danes on Northumbria. The country was so widely ravaged, that in 790, the Yorkist scholar, Alcuin, deserted the city for the Frankish Court of Charlemagne
.
On 26 May 796, Eanbald consecrated Eardwulf of Northumbria as king at York. Eanbald died at the monastery of Etlete or Edete on 10 August 796, the monastery's exact location has not be determined. He was buried in York Minster.
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
.
Life
Eanbald was a fellow student at York with AlcuinAlcuin
Alcuin of York or Ealhwine, nicknamed Albinus or Flaccus was an English scholar, ecclesiastic, poet and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student of Archbishop Ecgbert at York...
under Æthelbert
Ethelbert of York
Æthelbert was an eighth century scholar, teacher, priest and Archbishop of York.-Life:...
, his predecessor at York. Alcuin called him a "brother and most faithful friend." Ethelbert put Alcuin and Eanbald in charge of rebuilding York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
, as the duties of archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
kept Ethelbert from handling the details.
Eanbald was elected Archbishop of York in 780. Alcuin was sent by King Ælfwald I
Ælfwald I of Northumbria
Ælfwald was king of Northumbria from 778 to 788. He is thought to have been a son of Oswulf, and thus a grandson of Eadberht Eating.Ælfwald became king after Æthelred son of Æthelwald Moll was deposed in 778...
of Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
to retrieve Eanbald's pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
from Pope Adrian I
Pope Adrian I
Pope Adrian was pope from February 1, 772 to December 25, 795. He was the son of Theodore, a Roman nobleman.Shortly after Adrian's accession the territory ruled by the papacy was invaded by Desiderius, king of the Lombards, and Adrian was compelled to seek the assistance of the Frankish king...
in Rome.
In 786 Eanbald presided over a church synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
held in Northumbria with two papal legates from Adrian I and the king. Among the canons adopted were ones that debarred illigetimate children from inheriting kingdoms, that priests must not celebrate Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
while bare-legged, that bishops should not debate secular affairs at church councils, that there should be a clear difference between canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
, monks, and laymen in dress and deportment, and that tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
s must be given by all men to the Church. He also probably presided over councils held in 782, 787, and 788. Shortly before his death, he consecrated the new king, Eardwulf of Northumbria
Eardwulf of Northumbria
Eardwulf was king of Northumbria from 796 to 806, when he was deposed and went into exile. He may have had a second reign from 808 until perhaps 811 or 830. Northumbria in the last years of the eighth century was the scene of dynastic strife between several noble families, and, in 790, the...
.
Eanbald's time as archbishop was a time of political instability in the Northumbrian kingdom. The synod of 786 condemned regicide
Regicide
The broad definition of regicide is the deliberate killing of a monarch, or the person responsible for the killing of a monarch. In a narrower sense, in the British tradition, it refers to the judicial execution of a king after a trial...
, probably because of the number of kings and royal kin that had been killed in the political struggles taking place in the kingdom of Northumbria. His archbishorpric also witnessed the first attacks of the Danes on Northumbria. The country was so widely ravaged, that in 790, the Yorkist scholar, Alcuin, deserted the city for the Frankish Court of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
.
On 26 May 796, Eanbald consecrated Eardwulf of Northumbria as king at York. Eanbald died at the monastery of Etlete or Edete on 10 August 796, the monastery's exact location has not be determined. He was buried in York Minster.