WILLIBRORD (WILBRORD): Apostle of Frisia and archbishop of Utrecht; b. in Northumberland, England, in 658; d. in the monastery at Echternach (19 m. n.e. of Luxemburg) Nov. 6, 739. His father, Wilgils, had built a chapel dedicated to St. Andrew at the mouth of the Humber, where he dwelt as a hermit; later royal gifts and donations from the nobles made possible the foundation of a fine mon astery, over which later Alcuin presided. He im bued his son Willibrord with the monastic spirit, and sent him to the monastery at Ripon for his edu cation, where he early received the tonsure. He went in 678 to Ireland to prosecute his studies under St. Egbert (q.v.), this being the year when Wilfrid of York (q.v.) was deposed and exiled by King Eg frid. After twelve years of this life he desired higher service in the shape of preaching to the heathen, and Egbert sent him to Frisia. The Frisians were the northern neighbors of the Franks, inhabiting a narrow strip of land between the Weser and the Sinkfal, an arm of the Schelde, as well as the adja cent islands. At this period the southern part of Friesland belonged to the Frankish kingdom. At tempts to introduce Christianity had been made under Lothair II. and Dagobert I. (i.e., c. 620-639),

while a mission had been undertaken also from Cologne, to the bishop of which the charge had been committed. St. Eligius (q.v.) had also worked here. Results had not been large. When the Franks grew weak, the Frisians relapsed into paganism. Wilfrid (q.v.) had gained the favor of the Frisians during a winter's hunting, and had preached and baptized. His friend Egbert had also been interested in the land and had sent laborers. But the new prince, Radbod, who succeeded Wilfrid's friend Aldgild, was unfriendly to Christianity as leading to the subjection of his people to the Franks. In 689 Radbod was compelled to see the southern part of his land fall under Frankish control, in which part a door for the Gospel seemed to Willibrord to open. Willibrord sought the protection and aid of Pippin, whose own desires were in that direction, but wished to work only under an understanding with the Frankish majordomos and with Rome. He therefore visited Rome to obtain ,full power, a blessing, and relics to put in the churches he hoped to found. The success of Willibrord and his companions was so great that in 692-693 it seemed fitting to select a bishop from their number to govern the territory, and the choice fell on Suidbert. But Pippin's consent had not been gained, and Suidbert could not take possession of the office. After some delay, while the companions took no further step, Pippin took the matter in his own hands, designated Willibrord for the office and sent him to Rome to receive consecration. By Bede and Alcuin and in two diplomata of Charles Martel, Willibrord is called archbishop; he received consecration Nov. -22, 695, and Pippin designated Wiltaburg (Utrecht) as his seat.

During the next few years the introduction of Christianity went on rapidly, while churches and monasteries arose and were richly endowed by Pippin. Yet among the free Friesians Willibrord had no success, though he labored among them. and Radbod was friendly to Willibrord himself. Willibrord carried his mission to the Danes, but with no results. But he brought back thirty Danish lads in order to instruct them and send them back as missionaries. On his return to Friesland he endeavored to secure the welfare of the churches, founded the monastery of Echtemach in the diocese of Treves (706) and that of Süstern in the diocese of Mastricht (714). After the death of Pippin (714) Radbod saw his chance to gain his territory back, and took the field against Charles Martel, and recovered his dominions. The priests were hunted out, the churches destroyed, and the entire work of Willibrord seemed lost, while he abode at Echternach. But in the new war which broke out in 718 Charles was victorious, Radbod died the next year, and his successor, the younger Aldgild, made peace, the consequence of which was a free road for the Gospel. Willibrord returned to Utrecht and completed the Christianization of the country so far as it was in Frankish hands, with the full assistance of Charles. The further steps that were taken are not traceable. It is known, however, that for three years Willibrord had an assistant in Boniface.

(A. Hauck.)

Bibliography: Sources are: Bede, gist. eccl., iii. 13, v. 10-11, 19-note especially Plummer's ed., with note,

374

Oxford, 1896; the earliest extant life, by Alcuin, based on a lost work by an Irish monk, in ASM, iii. 1, pp. 603 629, and partly in MGH, Poet. Lat. nevi Carol., i (1881), 207-220; other early matter in ASM, ut sup., pp. 629 630; MPL, clvii. 405-412; MGH, Script., xxiii (1874), 23 sqq. Consult further: A. Le Mire, Cort Verhael van hd Leven van den H. Willxbbrordus, Antwerp, 1613; T. Wright, Biographia Britannica, i. 250-262, London, 1842; A. Dederieh, Beiträge zur römisch-deutschen Geschichte am Niederrhein, appendix, Emmerich, 1850; P. Heber, Die vorkarolingischen christlichen Glaubensboten am Rhein and deren Zeit, pp. 193-212, Frankfort, 1858; A. Tbym, Der heilige Willibrord, Münster, 1863; J. Engling, Apostolat des heiligen Willibrord im Lands der Luxemburger, Luxemburg, 1863; W. Moll, Kerkgesehiedenis van Nederland, pp. 95-118, Utrecht, 1864; J. MüllendorfF, Leben des heiligen Clemens Willibrord, Weimar, 1868; J. B. Krier, La Pro cession dansante . . . au tombeau de St. Willibrord, Luxemburg, 1870; Life of St. Willibrord, London, 1877; J. B. Stamminger, Franconia sancta, pp. 145 sqq., Würzburg, 1881; G. F. Maclear, Apostles of Mediceval Europe, London, 1888; Poncelet, in Analecta Bollandiana, xxii (1903), 419 sqq., xxvi (1907), 73 sqq.; Friedrich, KD, vol. ii., pt. 1; Rettberg, KD, ii. 517 sqq.; Hauck, KD, i. 433 sqq.; Levison, in NA, xxxiii (1908), 1 sqq.; DNB, lxii. 13-15; KL, xii. 1669-71.