Clashing models: Latin-Mediterranean vs Celtic

Another topic in William Trent Foley's article "Imitatio Apostoli: St Wilfrid of York and the Andrew Script" (1989, Am Benedictine Rev) that I found very interesting is his discussion of Cuthbert and Wilfrid following different and indeed clashing life scripts. "The difference between Aidan and Cuthbert, on the one hand, and Wilfrid on the other...

St Hild: The Martha of the Anglo-Saxon England

This past weekend is the feast day of St. Hild of Whitby. According to Bede, she died on 17 November 680 and her feast is celebrated in the Episcopal Church on November 18th and in the Church of England on November 19th. Hild's return to Northumbria from East Anglia in 646 was one of the...

Eata of Melrose: Shouldering the Burden

St. Eata died of dysentery on October 26, 686/7 at Hexham in Bernicia, 22 years to the day after St Cedd, Aidan of Lindisfarne's other famous disciple. I have to admit that I have always like Eata. Although consistently described by Bede as the "gentlest and simplest of men", he was the real worker of...

Cedd of Lastingham

Bede tells us that when Bishop Aidan came to Lindisfarne, he took twelve English boys to train as the first clergy. Two of the most important of the twelve, Cedd and Eata, died on the same day, 22 years apart. St. Cedd died of the plague on October 26, 664 at Lastingham in Deira. Of...

Lindisfarne and St. John the Beloved

From time to time, I will mention to someone that St. John or the Gospel of John was the favored scripture of the Irish or Lindisfarne/Iona specifically. Much of the time I get a very puzzled or skeptical look in return, so my topic today is the Lindisfarne/Iona affinity for St. John the Beloved. First,...

Oswine the Anti-Hero

King Oswine of Deira (Yorkshire) 20 August 651 (modern icon) Today is the anniversary of the execution of King Oswine of Deira, considered by some to be a saint. All we know of Oswine is included in Bede's History (Book III:14). Bede writes a curious tale for Oswine. "King Oswine was tall and handsome, pleasant...