Saint Lullus and Saint Sturmius probably knew each other very well. They were both guided by Boniface and loved him. Saint Lullus could certainly be considered a good friend of Boniface, they both came from England and were related. Saint Sturmi originally came from Austria but had spent years looking for a suitable place for Boniface to found a monastery. By divine inspiration, the place Fulda was designated as an ideal place for the monastery. Lullus was Boniface’s intended successor and also his confidante. After the death of Boniface, the gentlemen came to blows over the sacred bones of their teacher. An ordinary heated argument between two saints.
- Vita Sturmi
- Kill Boniface
- The remains go to Mainz
- The deacon has a vision
- Sturmi wins the fight
- The Revenge of Lullus
- Fulda under the wings of Lulusl
- Sturmi is reinstated
- Sturmi in diplomatic service with Charlemagne
- Conclusion
Vita Sturmi
Eigil, the nephew of Saint Sturmius, also called Sturmi, has extensively described the life of this saint in a hagiography, called vita Sturmi. How the battle for the bones of Boniface ended is extensively described in the hagiography of Eigil. We must realize that the story is written for Sturmi’s benefit and is intended to emphasize Sturmi’s pious character. That said, the story still provides an interesting look at events. When reading this story it should also be realized that sacred bones, relics, were highly sought after in the Middle Ages and that people were also willing to lie and cheat to get their hands on them.
Kill Boniface
After Boniface and 52 of his followers were massacred near Dokkum, their remains were taken to a small church near Dokkum. This would have been the Sint Salvator Church in Utrecht. The remains of the other martyrs were buried there. The locals hoped that the martyr’s remains would remain there to protect them. We do not know to what extent this was really the main motive. We do know that the remains would bring many pilgrims to the area. According to legend, the saint did not want his bones to remain there. When they could not move the funeral bier, those present understood that the saint did not want to stay there.
The remains go to Mainz
The clergy decided that the remains should be taken to Mainz and immediately it was no longer a problem to lift the funeral bier and transport the remains by boat across the River Rhine. When Sturmi received the news that the remains were on their way to Mainz, he rushed to meet the group. When they arrived in Mainz, the clergy and the king decided that the bones should remain there as far as the saint himself wished.
The deacon has a vision
St. Boniface Crypt in Fulda / Source: AJW at Dutch Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Sturmi and his followers insisted that the saint had indicated several times that he wanted to be buried in Fulda. Lullus, the bishop of the city of Mainz, Lullus, did not believe this and issued a ban on moving the body. Miraculously, the holy (dead) bishop himself got involved. In a dream of an unnamed deacon he appeared and indicated that he wanted to be moved to the wilderness (Fulda was still in the wilderness). The deacon told his vision to Sturmi and then to all the nobles. They were all filled with fear and no longer dared to go against the wish of the holy bishop. Lullus did not believe it and demanded that the deacon swear with his hand on the altar that he had told the truth. The story provides no further information about this, but apparently the deacon did this because Lullus gave permission to move the remains to Fulda. Sturmi won the battle for the bones.
Sturmi wins the fight
Boniface’s remains were taken to Fulda and would be buried in a new grave there. Sturmi thanked God for the great honor he had received now that Fulda had received the holy martyrdom. After the arrival of the martyr, Fulda began to grow, many nobles came there to offer themselves and their goods to the church. As this shows, the importance of possessing the saint’s remains was great.
The Revenge of Lullus
According to Sturmi’s biographer, Lullus was jealous of Sturmi because he was loved and loved everywhere. Lullus is said to have induced three brothers to testify falsely against King Pepin against Sturmi. In the vita Sturmi, Lullus is accused of having hatched a plot against Sturmi under the influence of the devil. This accusation did not hinder the canonization of Lullus. The men accused Sturmi of being the king’s enemy. Sturmi was exiled by King Pepin to the abbey of Jumièges. Unrest arose in the monastery of Fulda because gossip spread that Lullus had caused their beloved Abbot Sturmi of Fulda to be removed from his post. The monks did not take this lightly.
Fulda under the wings of Lulusl
Sturmi’s biographer further notes that Lullus had bribed the king in order to gain control of Fulda. Lullus appointed his own abbot there, but the monks refused to cooperate with this new abbot. To appease him, he therefore let them choose an abbot themselves. They chose a monk named Prezzold. The name meant a true servant. This monk had been trained and raised by Sturmi since he was a little boy. Prezzold tried by means of a charm offensive in favor of Sturm to convince King Pepin to restore him to his old position.
Sturmi is reinstated
At one point Pepijn had Sturmi brought to the court and when Pepijn wanted to pray in the chapel he met Sturmi there. He told him he couldn’t remember what had made him angry. Sturmi answered him that he was indeed sinful but that he had never committed any crime against the king. The king told him that he forgave him with all his heart whether he had done anything to him or not, as God would also forgive him. For the future he could enjoy Pippin’s friendship and favors. To confirm these words, he pulled a thread from his garment and let it fall to the ground. Sturmi was reinstated as abbot of Fulda and Fulda would no longer fall under Bishop Lullus.
Sturmi in diplomatic service with Charlemagne
After Pepin’s death in 768, he would also be appreciated by Charlemagne. Sturmi went to the province of Norica, where he came from, to mediate between Charlemagne and Thasilo, the leader of Norica. Charlemagne set out with his army in the area where Sturmi worked to win over the last Saxons to the faith. This happened in many ways, even through bribery or violence. Sturmi had also repeatedly preached in that area, founded churches, and destroyed temples. In response, the Saxons decided to attack the abbey to slaughter all the servants of God and burn the abbey to the ground. When Sturmi heard about this, he and his supporters fled into the wilderness with the corpse of Boniface. After three nights they were able to return to their abbey.
Conclusion
It is doubtful whether Sturmi’s motives for bringing Boniface’s bones to Fulda were entirely pure. Like Eigil’s claim that the men who spoke ill of Sturmi were instigated by the devil, the same could also be thought of the unknown deacon who had received a message from Saint Boniface through his dream. It is certain that both men had a strong bond with Boniface and that perhaps for that reason they both wanted to keep their great teacher close to them. It is also certain that the bones ended up in Fulda and that they are still there. Saint Sturmius seems to have been forgotten. Lullus, on the other hand, not known to us, has a festival in Germany, Hersfeld to be more precise, that is held every year in his honor, the Lullus festival.