Lyfing, Archbishop of Canterbury
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Lyfing (d. 12 June 1020) was born "Aelfstan" and took his ecclesiastical name from leof-carus (= "darling"). He became Bishop of Wells in 999, and in 1013 King Ethelred the Unready appointed him Archbishop of Canterbury. Lyfing was taken captive by Vikings and held prisoner for a time, but he was released in time to attend the Witenagemot in 1014, and he started repairs of the damage the Vikings had done to Canterbury Cathedral.
As Archbishop of Canterbury, Lyfing crowned two English kings: Ethelred's son Edmund Ironside in 1016 and Canute the Great in 1017.
| Preceded by: Alphege |
Archbishop of Canterbury | Followed by: Aethelnoth |