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St Swithins Day is on the 15th July.
It is known that this isn't a Pagan festival, or indeed a
festival at all. However, it is interesting for the folklore
that surrounds it.
St Swithin lived in the ninth century. He was a councillor
of Egbert, King of Wessex. He became Bishop of Winchester
on October 30th 852 CE.
Ten years later when he died he asked to be buried outside
the north wall of his Cathedral so that passers-by would walk
on his grave, and the raindrops from the roof of the Cathedral
would drip on him.
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| His bones were moved several times by the
church so they are not outside the Cathedral anymore, but
there is an interesting rhyme about St Swithins Day. No-one
seems to know where it comes from, but it has endured for
quite a while.
St
Swithin's day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain;
St Swithin's day, if thou be fair,
For forty days will rain nae mair.
Rainfall for July 2003
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This means that if it rains on St Swithins
Day it will rain for forty days. If it doesn't rain
on St Swithins Day, it will not rain for forty days.
The summer of 2003 was particularly warm. and the few
weeks prior to St Swithin's Day was completely dry.
The day after, Lyneham had less than 1mm rainfall in
the 24 hour period, and the weather was unsettled until
the end of the month.
Then we had the record breaking temperatures in early
August
2003. You might want to check one year and see if
the rhyme is right. |
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