William | |
|---|---|
.JPG) | |
| Bishop | |
| Died | 10 May 1074 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | 2 September |
William of Roskilde (Danish: Vilhelm, German: Wilhelm, Latin: Wilhelmus; died 8 May or 10 May c. 1074)[1] was a Danish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Roskilde in Denmark from about 1060.
Nothing is known about William's early life. A contemporary historian, Adam von Bremen, recounts him as a cleric serving Archbishop Adalbert of Bremen before becoming bishop of Roskilde, which suggests a German descent.[2] While the Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus written a century later frames him as Anglo-Saxon who previously served Cnut the Great in England as his priest and clerk.[3]
The sources around William's tenure as bishop are scarce. He is attributed with initiating the construction of Roskilde Cathedral that his successor completed in around 1080.[4]
According to Saxo Grammaticus, William had a close relationship with King Sweyn II that allowed him to secure valuable land and power for his bishopric. He also retells an appropriated fictional story based on a legend with Saint Ambrose and Theodosius I originally written by Paulinus the Deacon about murder and penitence to explain their relationship development.[5]
William's death is commonly recorded on either 8 May or 10 May and around year 1074[2] because evidence suggest that he died before King Sweyn II[a] as the king selected his successor after he had passed.[1] William's remains were buried in Roskilde Cathedral.[6]
William of Roskilde's date of canonization is unknown,[b] but his memorial is observed by the Roman Catholic Church on September 2.[7][8][c]
