Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

CHAP. XV. How Bishop Aidan foretold to certain seamen that a storm would arise, and gave
them some holy oil to calm it. [Between 642 and 645 AD.]
How great the merits of Aidan were, was made manifest by the Judge of the heart, with the
testimony of miracles, whereof it will suffice to mention three, that they may not be forgotten. A
certain priest, whose name was Utta,
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a man of great weight and sincerity, and on that account
honoured by all men, even the princes of the world, was sent to Kent, to bring thence, as wife for
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The Venerable Bede
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

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King Oswy, Eanfled, the daughter of King Edwin, who had been carried thither when her father
was killed. Intending to go thither by land, but to return with the maiden by sea, he went to Bishop
Aidan, and entreated him to offer up his prayers to the Lord for him and his company, who were
then to set out on so long a journey. He, blessing them, and commending them to the Lord, at the
same time gave them some holy oil, saying, "I know that when you go on board ship, you will meet
with a storm and contrary wind; but be mindful to cast this oil I give you into the sea, and the wind
will cease immediately; you will have pleasant calm weather to attend you and send you home by
the way that you desire.
All these things fell out in order, even as the bishop had foretold. For first, the waves of the sea
raged ,and the sailors endeavoured to ride it out at anchor, but all to no purpose; for the sea sweeping
over the ship on all sides and beginning to fill it with water, they all perceived that death was at
hand and about to overtake them. The priest at last, remembering the bishop’s words, laid hold of
the phial and cast some of the oil into the sea, which at once, as had been foretold, ceased from its
uproar. Thus it came to pass that the man of God, by the spirit of prophecy, foretold the storm that
was to come to pass, and by virtue of the same spirit, though absent in the body, calmed it when it
had arisen. The story of this miracle was not told me by a person of little credit, but by Cynimund,
a most faithful priest of our church,who declared that it was related to him by Utta, the priest, in
whose case and through whom the same was wrought.