Overview - Before Ebba- Family - Life - After Ebba - Common Questions

What is really known about Ebba ?
At first glance the answer is next to nothing!! (That's better than nothing)

When was she born ?
We don't know. However her father, Aethelfrith, was killed in 616AD. Ebba must have been born before then. (It is recorded that Ebba has the same parentage as King Oswy.)

When did she die ?
We don't know, but we do know that Ebba was dead before the destructive fire. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle gives the date of the fire as 679, but the modern view corrects this to 683AD. So Ebba died shortly before 683AD.

Are there any known exact dates for Ebba ?
No.
She only enters recorded history as the abbess of the monastery set up by her at urbs Coludi. A sensible guess is about 643AD, but this could be well out. In that year her brother Oswald was killed in battle. He was succeeded by Oswy, one of his brothers. This change might have caused Ebba to withdraw from public life.
What is certain is that the monastery existed after 664AD. In that year Cuthbert became Prior of Mailros and it was soon after this that Cuthbert visited Ebba's monastery.
Students of the Life of Etheldreda think that she entered Ebba's monastery in 672AD
Bishop Wilfrid had a very colourful life and the records of him are more readily available. It is thought that he was imprisoned in 680AD.

What kind of person was Ebba ?
Bede has her honoured for her piety and nobility, and Eddius describes her as a very wise and holy woman. Some modern commentators have her as a senile old woman in charge of a licentious house. On the basis of the meagre information available, it is clear that she was of the royal family, was respected enough to train an ex-queen, and bold enough to successfully challenge the decision of the king.

How is her name spelt ?
There is no consistency in this. Variations include Eb, Abb,Aebb, Ebb, Ebba, Aebba, Ebbe and Aebbe.

Why did Ebba become a saint ?
This is not known.It can be guessed that it may have been because she was a royal lady who had helped to spread Christianity.

Is it not said that Ebba and her sisters slashed their faces as the Vikings approached ?
Yes, but most scholars do not believe it.