#stdunstan

Dunstan was an Archbishop of Canterbury who eventually became one of the most beloved English saints.  Even from a young age, he was recognized as gifted in practically every domain:  he could write, draw and sing beautifully, and he was an excellent judge of character as well as a charismatic speaker and thinker who was capable of great theological insight.  While there are many saints who are said to have engaged in the contests with the Devil, the stories about St. Dunstan are rather unique in that they are true.

During the tenth century, it was common for most sizable English cities to have their own town Devil.  This was a man who wandered the town and effectively spoke truth to power, playing some of the same role for bishops, merchants, and nobility that a jester would play for a king.  In fact, in England the term "devil's advocate" came into use to refer to a servant that rich citizens would occasionally hire to take their place as the Devil.  While it was common for a Devil to serve a one-year term, there was one Edward who held on as Canterbury's town Devil for over a decade.  Other than Dunstan, there were none as sharp as him, and he took his function seriously to the point that he would stand outside the Cathedral on Sundays and point out flaws in Dunstan's homilies.  Anyone else doing so would have been burned at the stake, but such was the privilege of the town Devil.

Nonetheless, Dunstan was rather importuned by Edward's long tenure, and he resolved to give as good as he got.  He began to play tricks on Edward, such as asking an altar boy to sneak into his lodgings and stuff a ferret in his socks, or inviting him to the church's carnival and offering him sausages stuffed with sand, but he would not step down from his post as town Devil.  In the year 965, Dunstan resolved to get rid of him for once and for all, and he invited Edward to accompany him on a pilgrimage to Fowey in Cornwall, thinking that he would contrive a way to leave him there.

Alas, when they arrived, the town of Fowey was in flames, having been attacked by a Norman raiding party.  Dunstan feared they would be captured and killed and suggested they turn around right away.  Edward, who was used to bold speech, had other ideas, and he rushed toward the nearest smoldering building he could find.  When he reached it, he smeared his face with ash and soot, tore his robes, and ran to face the invaders.  Upon reaching their encampment, he beat his chest and roared, declaring that the Devil was there and ready to eat their souls.  Edward's performance was so practiced and convincing that they mounted their horses and rode away screaming, some of them not stopping until they could dive into the English Channel.