St. Swithin’s Day And The 40 Days’ Weather Prophecy

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - July 15 is the feast day of St. Swithin, an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester who died in 862 A.D.

His name is associated with a weather prophecy lasting 40 days. According to folklore, weather for a subsequent period is dictated. Most think it will rain for the next 40 days, starting on July 15, but this doesn't have to happen. It's also possible the Sun will shine for the next 40 days.

Born around 800 A.D., St. Swithin was well-known for his charitable gifts and the building of churches. He was a respected man in Britain, and his fame reached other countries, like Norway, where he is commemorated at Stavanger Cathedral. There is little information about his life, but historians have confirmed he served as a counselor to Kings Egbert and Aethelwulf of the West Saxons.

St. Swithin's name is still associated with an old meteorological superstition: St. Swithin's feast day means rain for 40 days. The first textual evidence for the weather prophecy appears to have come from a 13th- or 14th-century entry in a manuscript at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

The name of Swithun is best known today for a British weather lore proverb:

St Swithun's day if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain

St Swithun's day if thou be fair

For forty days 'twill rain nae mare

There is also a Buckinghamshire variation that reads:

If on St Swithun's day it really pours

You're better off to stay indoors.

According to legend, shortly before St. Swithin died, he asked to be buried outside so that his grave could easily be reached by members of the parish and the rainfall from the heavens. His wish was fulfilled, and everything was fine for about 100 years.

On July 15, 971 A.D., his body was removed from the grave. A huge storm ensued while his body was being transported to a new shrine in the Cathedral. It was believed that the Saint marked his displeasure towards those removing his remains. This led to the old superstition that the land was cursed with 40 days of rain.

On the other hand, if the weather is nice on July 15, it will be followed by 40 days of fine weather.

St. Swithin at Stavanger Cathedral, Norway. Credit: Nina Aldin Thune, CC BY-SA 2.5

"This tale predates the twelfth century and was passed along through the years. It is said that Henry VIII wanted to put an end to all the myths surrounding St. Swithin, so much so that he had the shrine at Winchester destroyed (looted). This was a bit bizarre as it was also the location of his late brother's birth! Everything from the original shrine was demolished in the middle of the night so as to avoid public outcry. "¹

St. Swithin died of natural causes and is the patron saint of Hampshire, Winchester, Southwark, and, of course, the weather.

As for the weather prediction – all one can say is - let's wait until July 15 and see what happens.

Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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