Busy #Oswaldhunting with @oswaldsraven.bsky.social. Keeping my record mainly on Instagram, but lots of reposting here….

Oswald did make it almost as far as Verona - the church at Cerro Veronese dates from C14th - but Oswald’s cult appears to have been most successful in the mountains and didn’t take hold on the northern Italian plains. #OswaldHunting

Any other saints from the British Isles got a ski lift named after them? ⛷️ #OswaldHunting

Today’s church (No. 10) stands at 2220m. St Oswald under the Ifinger mountain was 1st mentioned in 1447 in connection with a dispute about grazing rights. The current chapel dates from 1879 as the earlier building (which was even higher up) was destroyed by a lightning strike. #OswaldHunting

Oswald church number 9 at Sankt Oswald near Kastelruth was an absolute stunner! On a C13th keystone we found our earliest raven and there were also wall paintings from c.1450 showing Oswald kneeling before battle. Exciting to find a raven together with a scene from Bede. #OswaldHunting

Today in Bozen we visited a former castle chapel dedicated to Oswald, the foundations of an Oswald church that was destroyed by allied bombing in 1943, and - the highlight - a C14th wall-painting depicting Oswald with his raven in the little church of S. Magdalena in Prazöll. #OswaldHunting

Don’t think Bede would even recognise alpine Oswald…
#OswaldHunting

Turns out that when Bede wrote of Oswald that “the fame of this illustrious hero was not confined to Britain, for the rays of his beneficent light shone far overseas”, he wasn’t exaggerating #OswaldHunting

Oswald is so present in the landscape around the church, first mentioned in 1197, from which the village of Sankt Oswald (Gemeinde Badkleinchheim) takes its name. The brook, which still supplies most of the village’s water supply, is named after him as is a promontory at 1863m! #OswaldHunting

In rural alpine areas Oswald became associated with the harvest and cattle and people prayed to him asking for favourable weather for their agricultural endeavours. We found this depiction of Oswald as a weather saint on a wayside shrine. #OswaldHunting

Today we’re exploring a landscape marked by Oswald. There is a church, hamlet, wayside shrine, stream and peak all named after him in this beautiful part of the Nock mountains, far from Oswald’s origins in northern England!
#OswaldHunting

Stunning panorama from the viewing platform that has been built on to the tower of the church on the Oswaldiberg #OswaldHunting

This morning we climbed the wonderfully named Oswaldiberg just outside Villach to visit the Oswald church on the peak. It was steep, but well worth the effort! #OswaldHunting

2nd St Oswald of the day and another stunning landscape setting.

Situated on a hillock overlooking the Wörthersee, the current church dates from C15th.

Oswald’s raven was again prominent on the altarpiece. #OswaldHunting

We’ve found our first Oswald (with raven on the altarpiece)!

St Oswald im Rosental is first documented in 1267, making it one of the earlier Oswald churches in the region.

Stunning rural setting in a wildflower meadow on the banks of the Drava River. #OswaldHunting