Osanna was a Northumbrian princess and a Christian nun who lived around the year 800. As the sister of King Osred I, she was likely the daughter of King Aldfrith. Although she was never formally canonized, she gained a local following as a saint. Her reputation was later highlighted by the chronicler Giraldus Cambrensis, who associated her with a moral lesson regarding clerical conduct in Yorkshire.
Life and legend
Historical records of her life are scarce, but she is identified as a member of the Northumbrian royal family. Centuries after her death, Giraldus Cambrensis described a miracle occurring at her tomb in Howden. He claimed that a priest's concubine was miraculously struck by divine lashes after sitting on the saint's tomb, an event intended to promote clerical celibacy through a display of divine retribution.
Veneration
While she lacks official canonization, she is commemorated in certain traditions. The Bollandists, based on the accounts provided by Giraldus, assigned her a feast day on June 18. However, other traditions observe her feast on July 18. Her memory serves as a historical example of how local sanctity was perceived in the Anglo-Saxon period and later interpreted by medieval chroniclers.