Saint Fremund

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Saint Fremund was an English saint who lived in the 9th Century.

Legend has it that Fremund was a son of King Offa of Mercia. However he gave up his royal life to become a hermit and sailing with twelve companions from Caeleon-on-Usk, eventually landed on an island called "llefaye" where they established a hermitage. Meanwhile Vikings invaded Mercia following their victory in East Anglia which had resulted in the martyrdom of King Edmund. The Mercian people were without a leader, King Offa having died, so a group went in search of their lost prince. Finding him on the island, they led him back home as their war leader. A great battle ensued at Radford Semele in which Fremund was completely victorious. However as Fremund knelt in prayer of thanksgiving one of his own men envious of his success struck off his head. His corpse stood up, picked up his head and walked away; eventually stopping somewhere between Harbury and Whitton (Whitnash?), a miraculous well sprung up at his feet, in the water of which he washed his head then lay down and died.

[edit] Further reading

Winstead, K. A. (2007). John Capgrave's Fifteenth Century. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, pp. 130-132. OCLC: 70259035. ISBN 0812239776.
James Ivan Miller (1967). "John Lydgate's Saint Edmund and Saint Fremund" (Dissertation). . Harvard University
Lydgate, J. (2004). The life of St Edmund, King and martyr. London: British Library Publishing Division. OCLC: 59265769. ISBN 0712348719.