Guthlac of Crowland was a 7th-century Christian hermit and monk from the Kingdom of Mercia. After serving as a soldier, he joined a monastery at Repton before seeking a solitary life on the island of Croyland in the Fens. Known for his extreme asceticism, he lived in a small cell built into a mound, wearing only animal skins and eating very little. He is remembered as a thaumaturge who faced spiritual struggles with demons and provided sanctuary to future royalty.