The cult of Erkenwald at St Paul's Cathedral

This chapter assesses the evidence for the importance of Old St Paul’s Cathedral in Medieval England, predominantly dealing with the post-Conquest era, but briefly addressing its Anglo-Saxon origins. The historical and cultural distinctiveness of St Paul’s is explored through the peculiar combination of circumstances characterizing its institutional life. These included its community of canons rather than monks, its uncertain status and role both as a neighbour of Westminster Abbey, the ecclesiastical focus of royal authority in the Anglo-Norman kingdom, and as episcopal see within the metropolitan authority of the archbishopric of Canterbury. The life of St Paul’s is explored in relation to the burgeoning urban environment of London, with its dramatic mix of wealth and poverty, its educational and social needs, and the organization of its labour relations. This is done with particular reference to the miracles of the Cult of St Erkenwald.