ast of
his _Depositio_,[7] which was afterwards kept on every 12th of October.
According to Eddius a remarkable phenomenon occurred on this occasion.
In the evening the monastery was suddenly encircled with brilliant
light, as of day, and whether this was a display of Northern Lights or
not, it was regarded as a Divine testimony to the sanctity of Wilfrid.
The story shows, at any rate, that he was already beginning to be
regarded as a saint, and it was probably about this time that his name
was coupled with St. Peter's in the dedication of the Church. Miracles
were worked at his tomb, and it became an object of pilgrimage; but
little is known of the period immediately succeeding his death, save
that the dwellers around Ripon (as a twelfth century writer, Eadmer,
represents) first encouraged the cult of the saint, then became
disgusted at the crowds it drew, and finally endeavoured to check it
altogether. Wilfrid was succeeded in the abbacy by Tatberht, and history
has recorded the names of three more abbots who followed each other
toward the end of the eighth century, Botwine, Alberht, Sigred; and of
one of uncertain date, Uilden or Wildeng.[8] In 791 a noble named
Eardwulf, who had plotted against Ethelred, then King of Northumbria,
was put to death (as it was thought) at the monastery gate by the king's
orders. The monks carried him 'with Gregorian chantings' to the
precincts of the church, where they laid him out, but after midnight he
was found within the building--a recovery which was regarded as
miraculous.

Ripon did not escape the violence of the Danes. It is thought that about
the year 860 they burned the town and did some damage to the church, and
the remarkable mound known as =Ailcy Hill=,[9] near the Canons' Residence,
and due east of the Cathedral, is probably a relic of some battle of
this period. In the street-names too, all ending in 'gate' (which in the
sense of 'way' is a Danish word), another trace may perhaps be found of
their presence, as well as of the existence of a town at this early
period. The town probably grew up around the monastery. It has been
believed that a civic charter was granted by King Alfred in 886; but
this is impossible, even if such charters were ever granted at this
time, for Alfred had resigned all this part of England (which since
about 839 had owned the overlordship of Wessex) to the Danes in 878.

One of the great events in Ripon history is the visit of Alfred's
grandson