What is the Legend Behind Saint Swithin’s Day?

It’s a well-known fact that British people like to talk about the weather. And this is never more true than on Saint Swithin’s Day, which occurs on 15 July. According to folklore, whatever the weather is like on this day – whether it’s rain or sunshine – it will continue for the next 40 days and 40 nights. But where did this tradition come from and who was Saint Swithin?

The legend of the eggs

Saint Swithin was born around 800 and served as the Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester from 852 until his death in 862. He was also counsellor to King Egbert and King Aethelwulf of the West Saxons.

During his lifetime, Saint Swithin was said to have performed one miracle. The story goes that an old lady was carrying a basket of eggs across a bridge when the eggs were accidentally smashed by some workmen. Saint Swithin picked them up and, miraculously, they became whole again.

The last request

Reportedly, Saint Swithin’s dying request was to be buried in the churchyard of the Old Minster in Winchester where the rain could fall on his grave and passersby could walk near to his resting place. He was indeed buried there and lay in rest for a century. However, in 971, Saint Swithin was made the patron saint of the newly restored Winchester Cathedral and his remains were transferred to a shrine inside the building. According to legend, on the day that his remains were removed, 15 July, there was a huge storm. This was interpreted as a sign of Saint Swithin’s displeasure at being moved from his grave and led to the famous saying:

“Saint Swithin’s day if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain.
Saint Swithin’s day if thou be fair,
For forty days ‘twill rain nae mare.”

The first reference to the weather legend appears to be a 13th- or 14th-century entry in a manuscript at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

While the legend of Saint Swithin is undoubtedly fascinating, unfortunately it has no statistical backing. According to the Met Office, “Since the start of records in 1861, there has neither been 40 dry or 40 wet days following the corresponding weather on Saint Swithin’s Day.”

Dedications to Saint Swithin

Nevertheless, Saint Swithin is honoured in various ways, with over 50 churches in England dedicated to him. He is also the patron saint of Stavanger in Norway. Reportedly, the first Bishop of Stavanger, an Englishman named Reinald, transferred Saint Swithin’s arm bone from England to Norway in 1112 and it was housed in Stavanger cathedral. The cathedral was dedicated to Saint Swithin when it was completed in around 1125. Other dedications include Saint Swithin’s Lane in London, and Saint Swithin’s quadrangle at Magdalen College, Oxford University.

Although Saint Swithin’s feast day isn’t widely celebrated, it is still a notable date in British history, especially in Winchester. Saint Swithin’s original shrine was destroyed in 1538 following King Henry VIII’s orders but a new version was built in 1962. Rather aptly, the design of the metal stand features broken eggshells in a nod to Saint Swithin’s one and only miracle.