Person

Edmund the Martyr

d. 869 · 9th century · Also known as Saint Edmund

Edmund the Martyr was king of East Anglia until 869, when he was killed by the Great Heathen Army of the Danes. Later accounts say he was shot with arrows and beheaded for refusing to renounce Christianity. His cult spread rapidly, even among the Danish settlers, who issued memorial coins in his name, and his shrine at Bury St Edmunds became a major place of pilgrimage.

Edmund the Martyr
Image: Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Kingdom of East AngliaDanish Kingdom of East Anglia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Edmund the Martyr. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/edmund-the-martyr
MLA
“Edmund the Martyr.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/edmund-the-martyr. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Edmund the Martyr.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/edmund-the-martyr.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Edmund the Martyr’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/edmund-the-martyr (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻