The Saxons

In the year A.D. 477 the Saxon warrior, Ella, and his three sons, Cymen, Wenceling, and Cissa, " came to the land of Britain " and landed at Cymensora, the modern name of which is Kynor, near West Wittering. Another and somewhat later landing is said to have been at Shoreham. Tradition tells us that one of those sanguinary but fruitless struggles between the Romanized Britons and the Saxon invaders took place on Slonk Hill, northeast of Shoreham, and that the origin of the word " slonk " is to be found in the Saxon " slaught." The term " slonk-butcher" is still used in some parts of the country. It would appear that the hill-name has therefore some connection with slaughter North-east of the Slonk is another hill known as " Thunder's Barrow," possibly derived from Thor, the God of Thunder, to whom the Saxons offered sacrifices-it may be on this hill before they accepted Christianity as their religion.

When all was complete the saint fell at the feet of this great. artizan and asked his name. " I am He in Whose honour thou hast raised this temple," he replied, and then vanished.

In the fulness of time Cuthman, with filial piety, laid his aged mother to rest, and later was himself buried in the church which he had built. Over his bones a shrine was erected and here pilgrims from far and near paid their devotions, and many wonderful cures were claimed to have been vouchsafed to the crippled and sick. The Saint's anniversary was anciently kept at Steyyning on February 8th. In the church porch may be seen what is most probably Cuthman's grave-slab. It bears a. rude double cross in low relief and is certainly of pre-Conquest date. A second slab, probably as old, may have covered the grave of the Saint's mother.