The Life of St. Etheldreda

Etheldreda was born in 679 to the King Anna of East Anglia near Newmarket in Suffolk. Not much is known about her early life until her first marriage in 652 to Tondberht, ealdorman of the South Gyrwas. While this was a short marriage ending in 655 Etheldreda claimed she remained a virgin during the entirety of the marriage. During her second marriage to While this isn’t unusual for a woman to remain a virgin after her marriage, it was unusual for a woman of royalty to remain a virgin after her marriage.  Nevertheless, Etheldreda would marry for a second time to Ecgfirth, prince and future king of the Northumbrians. Even during this marriage Etheldreda still remained a virgin. The two would be married for twelve years, and during this time Etheldreda would be crowned Queen of NorthumbriansHowever, after these twelve years of marriage Ecgfirth could no longer agree to Etheldreda reaming a virgin. According to legend Ecgfirth would try and persuade Etheldreda to break her vow many times until he finally demanded that he sleep with her.  Etheldred would then leave him with the aid of a bishop and join the royal monastery at Coldingham led by her aunt AEbbe.

Etheldreda would remain in Coldingham for a year, then she would return to East Angel and establish the Ely Cathedral. Her church would be categized as a double monastery meaning, both men and women were permitted to live together under the guidance of an abbess. The abbey was soon flourishing and would be marked as one of the richest abbeys in England for this time

During this time Etheldreda would develop a tumor-like growth on her neck.  Etheldreda wrote that this tumor was actually a punishment from God for her vanity during her youth. She wrote “when I was a young girl I used to wear an unnecessary weight of necklaces; I believe that God in His goodness would have me endure this pain in my neck in order that I may thus be absolved from the guilt of my needless vanity”