army and make them less likely to flee. Sigeberht refused, saying that he had renounced his worldly kingdom and now lived only for the heavenly kingdom. However, he was dragged from the monastery to the battlefield where, unwilling to bear arms, he went into battle carrying only a staff. The Mercians were victorious and Sigeberht, Ecgric and many of the East Angles were slain and their army was routed. In this way Sigeberht became a Christian martyr. He is among the names of the kings who according to an ancient saying, were avenged by the slaying of Penda in 654. The Church that Sigeberht had done so much to establish in East Anglia survived for two centuries, enduring 'evil times' (such as the period when the kingdom was under attack by the armies of Penda of Mercia). It lasted continuously under a succession of bishops until the Danish Great Heathen Army invaded East Anglia in the 860s. The feast day of Sigeberht is commemorated on various dates, even within the same religious tradition. For example, different Catholic calendars of saints designate 16 January, 27 September, or 29 October, or note two dates as alternatives. Lives of the English Saints, written by John Henry Newman in 1843, is amongst the texts that gives Sigeberht's feast day as being observed on 29 October. Eastern Orthodox sources also give 16 January, but in addition list 25 January and 27 September as the relevant feast day. See also For more information on Ecgric's Wuffingas identity, see the family trees in Ecgric of East Anglia. Notes References Sources (available at Google Books) Websites Further reading A poem written in 1879 by A. Williams, A.P. Smyth and D.P. Kirkby (1991), A Biographical Dictionary of Dark Age Britain (Seaby 1991). . External links 7th-century deaths East Anglian monarchs Sigebert 7th-century Christian saints 7th-century English monarchs Year of birth unknown Monarchs who abdicated House of Wuffingas