Editing Dunstan (section)

==Monk and abbot (943–957)==
===Life as a monk===
[[File:DunstanLarge.jpg|thumb|Possibly Dunstan praying before Christ]]
Dunstan worked as a [[silversmith]] and in the [[scriptorium]] while he was living at Glastonbury. It is thought likely that he was the artist who drew the well-known image of Christ with a small kneeling monk beside him in the ''Glastonbury Classbook'', "one of the first of a series of outline drawings which were to become a special feature of [[Anglo-Saxon art]] of this period."{{sfn|Alexander|1992|p=9}} Dunstan became famous as a musician, [[Illuminated manuscript|illuminator]], and metalworker.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=514}} Lady Æthelflæd, King Æthelstan's niece, made Dunstan a trusted adviser and on her death, she left a considerable fortune to him. He used this money later in life to foster and encourage a monastic revival in England.<ref name=Brain>[https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Saint-St-Dunstan/ Brain, Jessica. "Saint Dunstan", Historic UK, May 25, 2023]</ref> About the same time, his father Heorstan died and Dunstan inherited his fortune as well. He became a person of great influence, and on the death of King Æthelstan in 940, the new King, [[Edmund I of England|Edmund]], summoned him to his court at [[Cheddar, Somerset|Cheddar]] and made him a minister.{{sfn|Bunson|Bunson|Bunson|1998|p=}}

Again, royal favour fostered jealousy among other courtiers and again Dunstan's enemies succeeded in their plots. The King was prepared to send Dunstan away.<ref name=Brain/> There were then at Cheddar certain envoys from the "Eastern Kingdom", which probably meant [[East Anglia]]. Dunstan implored the envoys to take him with them when they returned to their homes. They agreed to do so, but it never happened. The story is recorded:

{{blockquote|...&nbsp;the king rode out to hunt the [[stag]] in [[Mendip Hills|Mendip Forest]]. He became separated from his attendants and followed a stag at great speed in the direction of the Cheddar cliffs. The stag rushed blindly over the precipice and was followed by the hounds. Eadmund endeavoured vainly to stop his horse; then, seeing death to be imminent, he remembered his harsh treatment of St Dunstan and promised to make amends if his life was spared. At that moment his horse was stopped on the very edge of the cliff. Giving thanks to God, he returned forthwith to his palace, called for St. Dunstan and bade him follow, then rode straight to Glastonbury. Entering the church, the king first knelt in prayer before the altar, then, taking St. Dunstan by the hand, he gave him the kiss of peace, led him to the [[abbot]]'s throne and, seating him thereon, promised him all assistance in restoring Divine worship and regular observance.|source={{harvnb|Toke|1909}}}}

===Abbot of Glastonbury===
Dunstan, now Abbot of Glastonbury, went to work at once on the task of reform.{{sfn|Bunson|Bunson|Bunson|1998|p=}} He had to re-create monastic life and to rebuild the abbey. He began by establishing [[Benedictine]] monasticism at Glastonbury.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=514}} The Rule of St. Benedict was the basis of his restoration according to the author of 'Edgar's Establishment of the Monasteries' (written in the 960s or 970s) and according to Dunstan's first biographer, who had been a member of the community at Glastonbury.{{sfn|Whitelock|1979|p=920}} Their statements are also in accordance with the nature of his first measures as abbot, with the significance of his first buildings, and with the Benedictine leanings of his most prominent disciples.{{sfn|Toke|1909}}

Nevertheless, not all the members of Dunstan's community at Glastonbury were monks who followed the [[Benedictine Rule]]. In fact, Dunstan's first biographer, 'B.', was a cleric who eventually joined a community of [[Canon (priest)|canons]] at [[Liège]] after leaving Glastonbury.{{sfn|Winterbottom|Lapidge|2011|p=lxix}}
[[Image:Glastonburyabbey.jpg|thumb|350px|left|Remains of the [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] of [[Glastonbury Abbey]] church]]

Dunstan's first care was to rebuild the Church of St. Peter, rebuild the cloister, and re-establish the monastic enclosure.<ref name=Brain/> The secular affairs of the house were committed to his brother, Wulfric, "so that neither himself nor any of the professed monks might break enclosure."{{sfn|Toke|1909}} A school for the local youth was founded and soon became the most famous of its time in England.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=514}} A substantial extension of the irrigation system on the surrounding [[Somerset Levels]] was also completed.{{sfn|Williams|1970|p=50}}

Within two years of Dunstan's appointment, in 946, King Edmund was assassinated. His successor was [[Eadred of England|Eadred]]. The policy of the new government was supported by the [[Queen mother]], [[Eadgifu of Kent]], by the Archbishop of Canterbury, [[Oda the Severe|Oda]], and by the East Anglian nobles, at whose head was the powerful [[ealdorman]] [[Æthelstan Half-King|Æthelstan the "Half-king"]]. It was a policy of unification and conciliation with the Danish half of the kingdom.<ref name = "co"/> The goal was a firm establishment of royal authority. In ecclesiastical matters it favoured the spread of [[catholicism|Catholic]] observance, the rebuilding of churches, the moral reform of the clergy and laity, and the end of the [[Norse mythology|religion of the Danes]] in England.<ref name="cw"/> These policies made Dunstan popular in the North of England, but unpopular in the South.<ref name=Kiefer>[http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/160.html Kiefer, James E. "Dunstan of Canterbury", Biographical sketches of memorable Christians of the past]</ref> Against all these reforms were the nobles of Wessex, who included most of Dunstan's own relatives, and who had an interest in maintaining established customs. For nine years Dunstan's influence was dominant, during which time he twice refused the office of bishop (that of Winchester in 951 and [[Bishop of Exeter|Crediton]] in 953), affirming that he would not leave the king's side so long as the king lived and needed him.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=514}}

===Changes in fortune===
[[Image:Eadwig - MS Royal 14 B VI.jpg|thumb|280px|right|[[Eadwig|King Eadwig]]'s reign was marred by conflicts with his family and with Dunstan.]]
In 955, Eadred died, and the situation was at once changed. [[Eadwig]], the elder son of Edmund, who then came to the throne, was a headstrong youth wholly devoted to the reactionary nobles. According to one legend, the feud with Dunstan began on the day of Eadwig's coronation, when he failed to attend a meeting of nobles. When Dunstan eventually found the young monarch, he was cavorting with a noblewoman named Ælfgifu and her mother, and refused to return with the bishop. Infuriated by this, Dunstan dragged Eadwig back to the royal gathering.{{sfn|Winterbottom|Lapidge|2011|p=69}}

Later realising that he had provoked the king, Dunstan saw that his life was in danger. He fled England and crossed the channel to Flanders, where he found himself ignorant of the language and of the customs of the locals.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=514}} The [[Counts of Flanders|count of Flanders]], [[Arnulf I, Count of Flanders|Arnulf I]], received him with honour and lodged him in the Abbey of [[Blandijnberg|Mont Blandin]], near [[Ghent]]. This was one of the centres of the Benedictine revival in that country, and Dunstan was able for the first time to observe the strict observance that had seen its rebirth at [[Cluny Abbey|Cluny]] at the beginning of the century. His exile was not of long duration. Before the end of 957, the [[Mercia]]ns and [[Northumbria]]ns revolted and drove out Eadwig, choosing his brother [[Edgar of England|Edgar]] as king of the country north of the Thames.<ref name = "co"/> The south remained faithful to Eadwig. At once Edgar's advisers recalled Dunstan.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=514}}