Born: 710 (circa), United Kingdom
Died: 25 February 777 or 779
Country most active: Germany
Also known as: Wealdburg, Valpurga, Walpurga, Walpurgis, Valborg
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Saint Walpurga, an Anglo-Saxon missionary to the Frankish Empire, was canonized on May 1, around 870, by Pope Adrian II.
Born in Wessex, England, around 710, she was the daughter of Richard the Pilgrim, a likely Britonnic underking of the West Saxons and Wuna of Wessex. She had two brothers, Willibald and Winibald. At 11, she was entrusted to the abbess of the double monastery at Wimborne Abbey in Dorset. She spent 26 years as a member of the community.
During her time at Wimborne, Walpurga was educated and became a nun. The nuns of Wimborne were skilled at copying and ornamenting manuscripts. They were celebrated for Opus Anglicanum, a fine needlework utilizing gold and silver threads on rich velvet or linen, often decorated with jewels and pearls. Such English embroidery was in great demand across Europe.
Walpurga was the first female author of England and Germany and served as an abbess of Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm monastery.
In 737, Walpurga’s uncle, Boniface, recruited her brothers to assist him in his religious work in Germany. During this time, Walpurga remained at Wimborne.
Walpurga is venerated in the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Anglican Communion. Her feast day is celebrated on the night of April 30 and the day of May 1. This feast commemorates Saint Walpurga’s canonization and her relics’ movement to Eichstätt. Christians prayed to God through the intercession of Saint Walpurga to protect themselves from witchcraft. In parts of Europe, people continue to light bonfires on Saint Walpurga’s Eve to ward off evil spirits and witches. Her writing achievements and religious significance have left a lasting impact on the Christian community.