1,170 research outputs found
Rewriting history in the cult of St Cuthbert from the ninth to the twelfth centuries
No full textSt Cuthbert's literary cult was conceived in the late seventh and early eighth century with the production of three vitae, most importantly Bede's prose Vita sancti Cuthberti. Over the ensuing centuries, the cult stimulated the production of a great wealth of hagiographic material: this thesis analyses the key Cuthbertine works that were written by his Church during a turbulent but also prosperous time, between the ninth century and the end of the twelfth. Each chapter takes as a specific focus one of these texts, using it as a basis for exploring a number of themes pertaining to the cult of St Cuthbert, wider developments in the cult of the saints, and the changing and variable uses of hagiographic and historical writing.
The first chapter takes the Historia de sancto Cuthberto as an example of a text combining property records with miracles, and written episodically over a period spanning more than a century, establishing the thesis' triumvirate of themes: the fluidity of texts and of the representation of saints, and the enduring power of the Cuthbertine Church. Chapter Two explores the multifaceted identity that the Cuthbertine Church sought to convey for itself in Symeon of Durhamâ s Libellus de exordio. The third and fourth chapters focus on two highly flexible and manipulated texts, Capitula de miraculis sancti Cuthberti and Brevis relatio de sancto Cuthberto, which appear in manuscripts together, and often amalgamated: they are used to examine how a saint's image could be changed, and to question our often static notion of a text' s identity. The final chapter takes Reginald's Libellus de admirandis beati Cuthberti virtutibus to compare the miracle profiles of all the Cuthbertine texts, contextualising them with formative studies in the cult of saints such as the work of Sigal (1985) and Vauchez (1981). The thesis ends by suggesting that Cuthbert's cult was still thriving at the end of the twelfth century, and continued to do so, in the semi-independent socio-political and cultural sphere of northern England and southern Scotland.
The discussions in these chapters are supplemented by four appendices: a table giving detailed synopses and a thematic breakdown of Reginald's Libellus, and a table categorising and comparing the miracles that appear in all these Cuthbertine works provide the basis for exploring Cuthbert' s changing miraculous persona; a map charting the locations pertinent to Reginald's Libellus shows the vibrant geographical extent of Cuthbert' s cult; a table of manuscripts illustrates the various permutations into which these texts may be worked
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Bede, St Cuthbert and the science of miracles
No full textWhilst Bede’s Prose Life of St Cuthbert has been several times edited and translated, and has been discussed together with his historical writings, his earlier, metrical, version of the Life has received considerably less attention. Bede worked on his Lives of Cuthbert during the periods when he was also writing his fundamental works on computus and natural philosophy. A central argument of this article is that Bede’s work on these ‘scientific’ subjects had a significant impact on his ideas concerning sanctity and the miraculous, and that this gave him a unique approach as a hagiographer
Creating a gens Anglorum: Social and Ethnic Identity in Anglo-Saxon England through the Lens of Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica
No full textThis thesis examines of the role of Bede in the creation of an English national identity by considering the use, re-use and transmission of the Historia Ecclesiastica across the Anglo-Saxon period. Bede's exemplary and providential history had created an image of an idealised past to inspire change in the present, and these models resonated with writers throughout this period. This study engages with the legacy of Bede's text by surveying a wide range of case studies from across Anglo-Saxon England with attention to a broad spectrum of generic, geographical and political contexts from the eighth to the early eleventh centuries, in Latin and vernacular English.
Written in Latin as historical prose narrative in early eighth-century Northumbria, we see the work being used later in that century in a very similar context by Alcuin in his York Poem. In the ninth century the use of the text followed the shifting political hegemony of Anglo-Saxon England south through Mercia, where it was probably translated into English, and into Wessex where it was mined as a source for the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. In both of these texts, we see the Historia being used to respond to viking invasion in distinct ways, as the vernacular narrative emphasises teaching and evangelism while the annals promote the military and political successes of Wessex. In the late tenth century, the Latin history is used as an important source in the vernacular homilies and hagiography of Aelfric. Using and supplementing Bede's pantheon of saints from across England, Aelfric's work prescribes a nationalised Christianity, which mirrors the growth of English identity, as the West Saxon cultural and political hegemony expands more deeply into the geographical and conceptual collective of peoples and kingdoms known to him as Engla land.
These case studies demonstrate that Bede's work remained influential throughout the period, with later writers consistently returning to the original text, re-interpreting his work to suit their own contexts and ideological needs
Bede and the Rewriting of Sanctity
No full textBede\u27s use and revision of the anonymous Life of St Cuthbert and the redeployment of patristic texts in later continental and Anglo-Saxon ascetic and hagiographical texts
Ecclesiastical history [electronic resource] /
No full textHistorical works by Bede (672 or 673-735 CE) include his Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Lives of the Abbots of Bede's monastery, accounts of Cuthbert, and the Letter to Egbert, Bede's pupil.Includes index.v. I. Books 1-3 -- v. II. Books 4-5. Lives of the Abbots. Letter to Egbert.Historical works by Bede (672 or 673-735 CE) include his Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Lives of the Abbots of Bede's monastery, accounts of Cuthbert, and the Letter to Egbert, Bede's pupil.Mode of access: World Wide Web.Description based on print version record
Hermits, Hagiography, and Popular Culture: A Comparative Study of Durham Cathedral Priory's Hermits in the Twelfth Century.
No full textPhDThis thesis investigates the social and religious roles of two twelfth-century
hermits connected to Durham Cathedral Priory, Godric of
Finchale and Bartholomew of Farne, within the general context of
twelfth-century western European eremiticism. Chapter One is a
general discussion of the historiography of eleventh and twelfth-century
hermits, and introduces the main hagiographic materials to
be discussed. Chapter Two discusses the context of monasticism and
eremiticism in northern England, and analyses the Vitae of Gothic
and Bartholomew, particularly in terms of the problem of authority
and asceticism. Chapter Three begins the discussion of the miracle
cults at Farne and Finchale, raising the problem of popular interest in
hermits and holy sites. Chapter Four continues this discussion by
considering the large group of animal miracles at Farne and Finchale.
Through comparison with the hagiographic tradition of such stories
from their inception in Late Antiquity to the twelfth century, the
chapter considers the relationship between popular and educated
clerical elements in the Durham stories. Chapter Five considers the
hagiographic theme of the eremitical diet, and the hermit in the
wilderness, mainly through a comparison of Godric with a hermit,
Aibert of Crespin, from the Cambrai. Chapter Six discusses the theme
of eremitical clothing, and the social status of the hermit, comparing
Godric to an English hermit, Wulfric of Haslebury. Chapter Seven
considers the problem of hermits and women, and holy men and holy
women. Godric's relation to holy women, and the misogyny of
Durham's cult of Saint Cuthbert is considered through comparison
with the Life of Christina of Markyate. Chapter Eight concludes with
a final comparative discussion, of hermits and crowds, and discusses
the social function of twelfth-century hermits
St Cuthbert\u27s Deathbed Speech: Why Did Bede Write a Second Prose Life?
No full textSt Cuthbert of Lindisfarne was a massively important saint in medieval Europe—his cult following flourished for over 500 years. Four different hagiographies concerning his life and miracles, and over 50 manuscripts still in existence bear witness to his popularity. The first account was written in prose by an anonymous monk of Lindisfarne at around 702 A.D.—about fifteen years after St Cuthbert’s death. The remaining three accounts were all written by the Venerable Bede: a metrical Life completed around 710, a prose Life in 721, and a miniature hagiographical account within the famous Historica Ecclesiastica, which was completed in 731. In this paper, I explore the complex and unresolved question of why Bede wrote a second prose account so soon after Anonymous wrote the first; for, the bishop who commissioned the first prose Life to be written was the same bishop who commissioned Bede to write another prose Life. Consequently, our inquiry also includes a discussion of why Anonymous\u27 account was, apparently, insufficient, such that a second was needed
Was Bede the Author of a Penitential?
No full textThe recent publication of the more important medieval handbooks of penance in an English version raises afresh the often disputed question, whether the Venerable Bede was the author or compiler of a penitential. What may be called the positive evidence that he did so is slight. In, or soon after, 906 Regino of Prüm composed his treatise, De synodalibus causis et disciplinis ecclesiasticis, in which he refers by name to the penitentials of Bishop Theodore and of the Venerable Bede. In the second place, there still survive several nearly related penitentials which are ascribed to Bede in the extant manuscripts. However, this ascription to Bede carries little weight, if unsupported by other evidence. For several centuries after his death his authority as a theologian ranked next to that of the four Latin doctors and the list of works going under his name, but not by him, is long. Nor is Regino's testimony unimpeachable, for his acquaintance with Bede's writings was not extensive. He does not seem to have used the theological works when composing the De synodalibus causis; and, though he did, when compiling his Chronica, make use of the chronicle inserted by Bede in the De temporum ratione, he did not consult the Ecclesiastical History. Had he been familiar with that basic work on British history, he would assuredly have drawn on it, as so many others did. He would also have found in 5, 24 Bede's own list of his writings. Thus we may suspect that Regino attributed a penitential to Bede merely on the strength of a rubric in a manuscript, and we shall do well to query the accuracy of his statement, unless corroborated by other proofs.</jats:p
London, British Library, Stowe 104: Bede, "Historia ecclesiastica"; Cuthbert, "De obitu Bedae"; "Bede's Death Song," etc.
No full text308. London, British Library, Stowe 104
Bede, "Historia ecclesiastica"; Cuthbert,
"De obitu Bedae"; "Bede's Death Song," etc.
[Ker 273, Gneuss -]
HISTORY: Ker dates the writing of this copy of "Bede's Death Song" to "s. xii2." The early history of this manuscript is unknown. The Stowe manuscripts were owned by George Temple Nugent-Grenville, Marquis of Buckingham, and the majority of his collection came by bequest/purchase in 1804 from Thomas Astle, Keeper of Records in the Tower, d. 1803. The Stowe collection (so-called from the name of the Buckingham estate) was purchased by Bertram, fourth Earl of Ashburnham (1797-1878) in 1849 and acquired by purchase by the British Museum from theAshbumham estate in 1883 (see DLB 184.15-16)
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