There was an immense missionary drive from England to mainland Europe in the 8th. century, inspired by the Benedictine monk St. Boniface from Nursling Abbey near Southampton. Walburga, educated at Wimborne Abbey in Dorset and highly skilled in medicine, was one example, rising to the influential post of abbess of the double monastery (monks and nuns) of Heidenheim in Germany. She was invoked as a protectress of crops and harvests, possibly a confusion of her name with 'Walborg' [='Mother Earth']. She also suffered the indignity of having one of her feast days (May 1) confused with a pagan ceremony for the approach of summer, the so-called 'Walpurgisnacht' [Walburga's Night] when witches were alleged to run riot over the earth This, let it be understood, had nothing to do with the Christian mission of Walburga herself.