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Ælfwaru

Field	Value
name	Ælfwaru
parents	Æthelstan Mannessune
death_date	27 February 1007
known_for	Patronage of Ramsey Abbey and Ely Abbey

Ælfwaru (died 27 February 1007) was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, who bequeathed her lands to churches such as Ely, and Ramsey. Chroniclers, writing in the 12th century, transcribed such bequests, from the original cyrographs. Ælfwaru's cyrograph has not survived. Ælfwaru's father, Æthelstan Mannessune, had two sons: Eadnoth, and Godric; and two daughters: Ælfwaru, and Ælfwyn.

Ælfwaru means Elf-protection (protection by an elf). An Elf or OE Affix Ælf- is the name of a class of legendary beings, with colossal magical powers. Elves (female elven) use their powers for the welfare (or harm) of humanity. Suffix (OE) -waru (singular; plural -ware) guardian of (a particular place) by profession.

Lineage

Her lineage is unknown. However, modern historians have constructed a plausible family tree. Ælfwaru is believed to be one of two daughters to Æthelstan Mannessune (d. 986), the other being Ælfwyn, abbess of Chatteris. If this is the case, Ælfwaru's brothers were St Eadnoth the martyr (d. 1016), first abbot of Ramsey, and Godric (d.1013).

Death

Ælfwaru is believed to have died on, or at least her obituary recorded for, 27 February.MS Cambridge, Trinity College O. 2.1 Liber Benefactorum Ecclesiae Ramesiensis records the year, 1007. Thus 27 February 1007.

Legacy

It is recorded within one chronicle, Liber Eliensis, that Ælfwaru granted to Ely Abbey the lands of Bridgham, Hingham, Weeting, Rattlesden, Mundford, Thetford, and fisheries around those marshes. Ælfwaru also granted the lands of Over and Barley to Chatteris nunnery, where her sister was abbess. The fisheries mentioned here are interesting. They link the Ælfwaru mentioned in Liber Eliensis, with the Ælfwaru, daughter of Æthelstan Mannessune, whose cyrograph is documented in Liber Benefactorum Ecclesiae Ramesiensis. If this is indeed the same Ælfwaru, then her father bequeathed lands to his children, including a fishery, which he shared out between his unnamed wife, his sons, and his two daughters.

The name Ælfwaru is made out of two parts; old English (OE) Ælf- and -waru. Ælf- means Elf- or magical being and -waru (singular; -wara plural) means guardian of (a particular place) by profession.

References

Bibliography

References

Korablev - A host of masculine and feminine names in Anglo-Saxon
OED ''affix'' Elf- (OE) Ælf-
OED ''suffix'' (OE) -waru
Wright (ed.) p. 307
Wareham, pp. 51–52
Wareham, pp. 49–50
Brooks (ed.) p. 51
Ramsey Cartulary iii 167
Fairweather p. 159
Fairweather p. 159 note 294
Wareham, pp. 51{{spaced ndash52
Brooks (ed.) p. 51
OED ''affix'' Elf- (OE) Ælf- and ''suffix'' -ware (OE) -waru

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