Although Boniface is sometimes called the apostle of the Germans and Frisians, he achieved little in the field of conversion in the Netherlands and Friesland in particular. He is mainly known in the Netherlands because he was murdered near Dokkum. His life’s work was to convert pagans to Christianity. In addition, he wanted to free the already converted people from Christianity as it had been spread by the Irish missionaries. He was mainly active in the area we now call Germany. He achieved a lot there especially in the field of the organization of the church. Saint Lullus and Saint Sturmius were two of his followers who would compete for his bones after his death. This unpleasant battle was eventually won by Sturmius, so that Boniface was buried near Fulda.
- Life of a martyr
- The Missions of Boniface
- Landing at Wijk bij Duurstede
- Travel to Rome
- Second trip to Friesland
- Frankish Church Reform
- Boniface’s tactics to convert the pagans
- Cut down sacred oak
- Cooperation of the Frankish kings
- Death of a martyr
- Vita Boniface
- Motives of the perpetrators
- Lex Frisionum
- Meaning of Boniface regarding conversion of Frisians and Germans
- Successors Boniface
Life of a martyr
He was born Winfried, a name meaning peaceful friend, in Crediton, southern England, in the year 672 AD. He was of nobility and related to the Anglo-Saxon king Richard of Wessex, who was also canonized. The story goes that he wanted to go to the monastery from an early age, but his father did not want to let him go. Just before his father died, he allowed Winfried to go to the monastery. Winfried studied diligently and started working as a preacher. He was an enthusiastic speaker who knew how to captivate people.
The Missions of Boniface
A passion grew within him to convert the pagans on mainland Europe. Although it is also said that he did not so much want to convert the pagans as he wanted to make those who had been converted by the Irish missionaries understand the correct doctrine. Around the age of forty, in about 715, he decided to become a pilgrim for Christ.
Landing at Wijk bij Duurstede
His first landing on the mainland was at present-day Wijk bij Duurstede, which was part of Friesland at the time. He wanted to convert the heathen in their own language. Which was not difficult because old Anglo-Saxon was very similar to old Frisian, which was spoken in Friesland at the time. The hostility against missionary work there was so great that Winfried was forced to return to his homeland. The Frisian king Radboud in particular did not like him.
Travel to Rome
In 718 Winfried again tried to get his missionary work off the ground. He went to Rome and asked the then Pope Gregory II for relics and papal authority to carry out his missionary work in Germany. Winfried asked the Pope to grant him the territory of Thuringia. The Pope granted him that power and gave him the name of a Roman Saint called Boniface. The name comes from Bonum Fari and stands for good shopping.
Second trip to Friesland
When King Radboud died in 719, he went back to Friesland to help Willibrord there. In 722 he left for Hesse in Germany where he managed to convert thousands of pagans. In 723 he was appointed Bishop of Germany by the Pope. He had to take an oath that he would do everything in his power to promote the interests of the church and the pope. In 732 he became Archbishop of Germany. In a relatively short time he had ensured that several monasteries and parish churches had been built in Germany and that there were several episcopal sees. After the church in Germany had been somewhat organized, Boniface could begin his task, namely the reform of the Frankish church.
Frankish Church Reform
A number of issues that Boniface encountered and wanted to address had to do with the fact that the Franks had been exposed at an earlier stage to Irish Christianity, which was essentially different from Roman Christianity. Boniface adhered to the stricter Roman doctrine and saw nothing in the lifestyle of the bishops and priests of the Frankish church. He was against their desire for luxury and pleasure, the married priesthood and the appointment of (spiritual) relatives to important positions. In addition, episcopal sees were established by Frankish nobility even though they were not spiritually trained and they had problems with celibacy and the ban on hunting.
Boniface’s tactics to convert the pagans
Cutting down the sacred oak / Source: Bernhard Rode, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
His strategy was aimed at winning over and converting local leaders and kings. It was not that people were converted individually but they followed their leaders. Boniface was mainly assisted by confidants and family. The saints Sturmius and Lullus were loyal followers of his and Lullus was even related to him. He was not one for field work, he preferred to conduct faith campaigns.
Cut down sacred oak
He was the man of great display. The story goes that when he was on his way from Rome to Thuringia he saw pagans kneeling around an oak tree near the town of Geismar. The oak tree was sacred to the pagans and dedicated to their god Thor. The pagans believed that if the tree was harmed the perpetrator would be punished by the gods. Boniface attacked the tree with an ax and cut it down together with his followers. When the tree fell, nothing happened. No vengeance from the gods, no thunder and no lightning. The pagans would have felt cheated by their priests and many would have converted to Christianity.
Cooperation of the Frankish kings
The areas of Thuringia and Hesse were relatively easy to convert because the local population was not very fond of the Saxon rule, which had temporarily taken possession of their area. The local population did not want to know anything about their rulers and certainly not about their religion. The Franks who protected and helped Boniface saw that there was profit to be made for them by conquering and confiscating the property of the Saxons. At one point Boniface was sidetracked by his Frankish protectors because he was too fanatical. He wanted to become Archbishop of Cologne but did not get that seat, he had to settle for the less important seat of Mainz.
Death of a martyr
Boniface had appointed Lullus as choirbishop of Mainz and he would succeed him as archbishop after his death. This move left him free to go to Friesland for a third and final time. In his hagiography it is described as such that Boniface said goodbye to his students before his departure, as if he knew he would not return. When they were attacked in broad daylight in Friesland by a group of Frisians, he allegedly said that he did not want to fight and instead they prayed. He and approximately 52 of his confidantes were killed. This probably happened on June 5, 754.
Vita Boniface
His hagiography or hagiography was written by Willibald, a relative of his. After Boniface’s death, a battle arose between two of his most beloved confidantes Sturmius and Lullus over his remains.
Motives of the perpetrators
According to Willibald, the perpetrators’ motive would have been gold and silver, i.e. a robbery murder. Boniface did not travel alone but with a large number of followers and gunmen, so a robbery does not seem very likely. It looks more like it was an organized action by the Frisians.
Lex Frisionum
Based on their law, the Lex Frisionum, they had the right to punish sacrileges with death. Boniface was in the habit of destroying the holy places of the pagans. From a Frisian point of view, this was not murder because murder was a dishonorable act, but an appropriate punishment for a sacrilege. By the way he approached his missionary work he provoked the pagans and that was probably fatal for him.
Meaning of Boniface regarding conversion of Frisians and Germans
Boniface spent only a short time in Friesland and set out like an elephant in a china shop to convert the pagans. He would enter an area with great display and then start destroying the shrines. He did little or nothing to gain the trust of the local population. He has been more successful in Germany where he managed to organize the church.
Successors Boniface
His successors in Friesland Willehad and Liudger were more successful. They took the time to gain the trust of the elite and made use of their own aristocratic networks. Willehad had the advantage of being related to the much loved Willibrord and Liudger had the advantage of being a Frisian and also of nobility. They took the time to network and have a long-term presence in the areas they wanted to Christianize.