Bishop Swithun (Old English: Swīþhūn, meaning "strong bear-cub") is the Bishop of Winchester and in charge of the Christian ministry which houses the relics of Saint Birinus the Apostle of the West Saxons.
Biography[]
Season 2[]
Swithun appears when the town of Winchester was attacked by the Vikings under the leadership of King Horik and Earl Ragnar Lothbrok. Swithun threatens Athelstan with the punishment that awaits all apostates of the Christian faith. After which he is taken into the nave of the church where he is tied to a pillar before the Vikings loose arrows into him. Athelstan then decides to cut the bishop's throat to put an end to his misery at the hands of his Norse captors.
In History[]
Bishop Swithun is based on the historical figure Swithun who was Bishop of Winchester and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. His historical importance is overshadowed by his reputation for posthumous miracle-working. According to tradition, if it rains on Saint Swithun's bridge on his feast day of July 15, it will continue to rain for forty days.[1]
Trivia[]
- Swithun's torture at the hands of the Northmen is based on the manner of execution of Edmund of East Anglia, after he was captured by the Danish forces of Ivar the Boneless and Ubbe during the late 860's CE, when they tied him to a pillar in a church and loosed arrows into his body. Ivar was said to have seen a painting of the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, which gave him the idea.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
| Season two appearances | ||||
| Brother's War | Invasion | Treachery | Eye For an Eye | Answers in Blood |
| Unforgiven | Blood Eagle | Boneless | The Choice | The Lord's Prayer |