Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book III Chapter II
by Venerable Bede
HOW, AMONG INNUMERABLE OTHER MIRACULOUS CURES WROUGHT BY THE CROSS, WHICH KING OSWALD,
BEING READY TO ENGAGE AGAINST THE BARBARIANS, ERECTED A CERTAIN YOUTH HAD HIS LAME ARM
HEALED. [A.D. 635.]
THE place is shown to this day, and held in much veneration, where Oswald, being about
to engage, erected the sign of the holy cross, and on his knees prayed to God that he
would assist his worshipers in their great distress. It is further reported, that the
cross being made in haste, and the hole dug in which it was to be fixed, the king himself,
full of faith, laid hold of it and held it with both his hands, till it was set fast by
throwing in the earth and this done, raising his voice, he cried to his army, "Let us
all kneel, and jointly beseech the true and living God Almighty, in his mercy, to defend
us from the haughty and fierce enemy; for He knows that we have undertaken a just war for
the safety of our nation." All did as he had commanded, and accordingly advancing
towards the enemy with the first dawn of day, they obtained the victory, as their faith
deserved. In that place of prayer very many miraculous cures are known to have been
performed, as a token and memorial of the king's faith; for even te this day, many are
wont to cut off small chips from the wood of the holy cross, which being put into water,
men or cattle drinking thereof, or sprinkled with that water, are immediately restored to
health.
The place in the English tongue is called Heavenfield, or the Heavenly Field, which
name it formerly received as a presage of what was afterwards to happen, denoting, that
there the heavenly trophy would be erected, the heavenly victory begun, and heavenly
miracles be wrought to this day. The same place is near the wall with which the Romans
formerly enclosed the island from sea to sea, to restrain the fury of the barbarous
nations, as has been said before. Hither also the brothers of the church of Hagulstad,
which is not far from thence, repair yearly on the day before that on which King Oswald
was afterwards slain, to watch there for the health of his soul, and having sung many
psalms, to offer for him in the morning the sacrifice of the holy oblation. And since that
good custom has spread, they have lately built and consecrated a church there, which has
attached additional sanctity and honor to that place: and this with good reason; for it
appears that there was no sign of the Christian faith, no church, no altar erected
throughout all the nations of the Bernicians, before that new commander of the army,
prompted by the devotion of his faith, set up the cross as he was going to give battle to
his barbarous enemy.
Nor is it foreign to our purpose to relate one of the many miracles that have been
wrought at this cross. One of the brothers of the same church of Hagufstad, whose name is
Bothelm, and who is still living, a few years since, walking carelessly on the ice at
night, suddenly fell and broke his arm; a most raging pain commenced in the broken part,
so that he could not lift his arm to his mouth for the violence of the anguish. Hearing
one morning that one of the brothers designed to go to the place of the holy cross, he
desired him, at his return, to bring him a bit of that venerable wood, saying, he believed
that with the help of God he might thereby be healed. The brother did as he was desired;
and returning in the evening, when the brothers were sitting at table, gave him some of
the old moss which grew on the surface of the wood. As he sat at table, having no place to
lay up that which was brought him, he put the same into his bosom; and forgetting when he
went to bed to put it by, left it in his bosom. Awaking in the middle of the night, he
felt something cold lying by his side, and putting his hand to feel what it was, he found
his arm and hand as sound as if he had never felt any such pain.
