English Viking Friendship at Reedham

The standard story is of rape and pillage as in Marie de France - Life of St.Audrey 
 Felix built first a church at Soham. then a church at Reedham where people worshipped God. But the pagan Danes, who despised God and his laws, robbed it and destroyed it
and took away the servants of God…….
Felix had lovingly baptised King Anna and his people and caused the whole region to be
born again through baptism.
A different story is told in  John Lydgate's Life of St Edmund and Fremund  and perhaps the church Felix had founded just fell into disuse and disrepair.

Read about it here and in Eleanor Parker's excellent Dragon Lords.

According to Lydgate Lothbrok and Edmund were mates until something went wrong!



They used to go hunting together as here in British Library Harley 2278  f. 42 

Whatever, Lydgate's tale does reflect Norfolk's pre  Norman Conquest  confident Anglo-Norse society.

Reedham and St. Felix feature on the Norfolk Saints Way

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