Saint Botvid | |
|---|---|
 Saint Botvid | |
| Martyr | |
| Born | Södermanland, Sweden |
| Died | 1120 Södermanland, Sweden |
| Major shrine | Salem, Sweden |
| Feast | 28 July |
Saint Botvid was a Catholic missionary in Sweden during the 11th and early 12th centuries.
Saint Botvid | |
|---|---|
| Saint Botvid | |
| Martyr | |
| Born | Södermanland, Sweden |
| Died | 1120 Södermanland, Sweden |
| Major shrine | Salem, Sweden |
| Feast | 28 July |
Saint Botvid was a Catholic missionary in Sweden during the 11th and early 12th centuries.
Botvid, who was born in Södermanland, Sweden, went on a trade trip to England where he came into contact with Christianity and was converted to the Catholic faith. [1] Botvid was sent back as a missionary to Sweden by Saint Sigfrid of Växjö along with Saint David and Saint Eskil. The missionaries preached chiefly in Södermanland and Västmanland, in the area of Lake Mälaren. According to legend, Botvid was killed with an axe while boating near Rågö in the archipelago of Södermanland. Botvid was buried in Salem Church (Salems kyrka) around the year 1120 which led to the church becoming a pilgrimage church.
Saint Botvid is shown on the seal and coat of arms of Botkyrka Municipality, where he carries an axe and a fish. Botkyrka is Swedish and short for "Botvid's Church". Saint Botvid is one of the guardian saints of Södermanland along with Saint Eskil who had his base in the city of Eskilstuna in eastern Södermanland. [2]
Saint Botvid is associated with Saint Botvid's Spring (Sankt Botvids källa), an artesian spring where the water flows out under its own pressure. The spring is located at the southeastern tip of Lake Bornsjöns in Salem Municipality (Salems kommun) in Stockholm County.
In a medieval tradition, a spring would always be found in connection to the death of a saint. According to legend, when the remains of Saint Botvid were transported to the church in today's Botkyrka, the casket was temporarily put down near the shore of Lake Bornsjön, where a spring welled up. It continues to provide clear water to this day. [3]
Ansgar, also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" because of his travels and the See of Hamburg received the missionary mandate to bring Christianity to Northern Europe.
The Church of Sweden is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.4 million members at year end 2023, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sweden, the largest Lutheran denomination in Europe and the third-largest in the world, after the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
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Salem Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. The name traces its origins from Slæm in the 13th century, but was changed to Salem in the 17th century, inspired by the Biblical name of Jerusalem. Its seat is located in Salem.
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