Lesson video

Hello, welcome to History here at Oak National Academy.

My name's Mr. Newton, and I'll be your teacher today, guiding you through the entire lesson.

Right, let's get started.

In these lessons, we will focus on a specific historical environment, Durham Cathedral.

What can Durham Cathedral tell us about the wider context of this period? What can it tell us about the background story, the people or events at the time? What is the significance of the church and cathedrals in Norman England? Does Durham Cathedral tell us to what extent the Normans reformed English Church? This is how we will use the site of Durham Cathedral to address broader questions about Norman England.

And by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the religious function of Durham Cathedral.

Before we begin, there are a few keywords that we need to understand.

A cannon is a Christian priest with special duties in a cathedral.

Pulpitum is a stone screen which divides the nave and the choir in a cathedral.

Cloister is a covered walkway enclosing a large open courtyard found in a religious building.

And finally, feretory is the chapel in which a shrine is located.

Today's lesson splits up into two parts.

We'll first look at how Durham Cathedral functioned as a monastery before looking at how it functioned as a place of pilgrimage.

Right, let's start the lesson with Durham Cathedral and monasticism.

Okay, so let's cast our minds back to before the Norman Conquest when Anglo-Saxons ruled England.

At this time, Anglo-Saxon cathedrals and monasteries had become closely integrated with their communities.

So much so that local aristocratic families who had originally founded churches and monasteries tended to want family members to have the top jobs in running these religious institutions.

These family members might not be particularly religious, often saw the church as a root to gaining wealth and power, and certainly saw nothing wrong with a bishop being married and having children.

Norman Reformers wanted to change this.

One way of pushing through reforms was to replace unsuitable Anglo-Saxon prelates, prelates are church leaders, with reformers from Normandy or elsewhere in Europe.

One such Anglo-Saxon church leader was the Archbishop of Canterbury Stigan, and he was replaced by Lanfranc, who is an Italian.

In Durham, this happened with the appointments in 1071 of Walcher as Bishop of Durham.

Following the imprisonment and death of Aethelwine, the previous Anglo-Saxon Bishop who had fled the haring of the North and attempted to take St.

Cuthbert's body with him.

Walcher had been a priest in a region of France called Lotharingia.

Walcher's murder, in 1080 saw William of St.

Calais appointed as Bishop of Durham.

Another reformer, this time from Maine, the region bordering Normandy to the south.

And in the manuscript on the left, we can see an illustration of William of Saint Calais.

William of Saint Calais carried out Walchers's original plan to replace the canon of the cathedral chapter at Durham Cathedral with monks from Jarrow monastery.

Durham Cathedral's original canon had been made up of Anglo-Saxon clergy who refused to give up their secular lifestyles, which included marriage.

Replacing them with monks was therefore a highly effective way of bringing Norman reforms right to the heart of Durham Cathedral.

The monks of Jarrow were disciplined followers of the rule of St.

Benedict.

And if you ever look at the image on the left, it's an illustration of a Benedictine monk.

This meant that these monks were celibate, owned nothing, followed a strict timetable of worship, study and work, and were bound to follow the orders of their abbot without question.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding, whose plan was it to replace the canon of the cathedral chapter at Durham Cathedral with monks from Jarrow monastery? A Lanfranc, B.

William of St.

Calais, C, William Walcher.

Pause the video, have a think and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answer was C, William Walcher.

Yes, that one could have slipped you up because it's actually William of St.

Calais who implements the plan, but it was originally Walcher's plan to begin with.

Okay, let's continue.

So as a result of the introduction of these Benedictine monks from Jarrow, Durham Cathedral was now transformed into a centre of monastic life.

With monks there participating in the divine office, these were the continuous cycle of prayers, chants, and readings at set times that followed the liturgy approved by Lanfranc.

It was important that the monks of the cathedrals still live their lives away from ordinary people, and the cathedral's design reflects this.

The worshipers from the general public entered into the nave through the western end of the cathedral.

And if you have a look at the map, I've highlighted these worshipers in the nave in purple.

However, the monks worshipped in the eastern end of the cathedral in the choir.

And again, by looking at the map, I'll highlight the choir in red in the eastern end of the cathedral.

The choir was originally completely surrounded by stone screens known as the pulpitum, and the monks gathered here seven times a day for the divine office, separated from worshipers.

However the acoustics of the cathedral were designed to allow their chants and prayers to resonate clearly through the building.

This photo shows the inside of Durham Cathedral.

It's taken from the perspective of the general public in the nave.

I've highlighted the pulpitum screen in purple.

Behind the screen is where the monks were situated.

You can see that the open spaces above the monk's heads would've allowed their chants to resonate high up into the vaulted ceiling and over the pulpitum screen.

This meant the monks liturgy could be listened to by worshipers and pilgrims in the cathedral, while the monks themselves remained secluded.

This was very different from Anglo-Saxon practise and must have deeply impressed visitors to the cathedral with its sense of sanctity and religious devotion.

Monks, after all, were men who had completely dedicated their lives to the worship of God.

A further example of this monastic separation is the Galilee Chapel.

Have a look at the photo on the left.

It shows the Galilee Chapel, and we can see that it's on a smaller scale than the main building that has richly detailed features, lots of slender columns and would've been brightly painted with colourful murals.

These murals would've been of religious stories from the Bible, however, they were painted over in the 16th century by Henry VII during the Reformation.

The Galilee Chapel was the only part of the cathedral that women were allowed to enter well away from the monks themselves and from St.

Cuthbert.

A black line was inlaid into the floor, which women were not officially allowed to cross.

Around the cathedral itself, the buildings required for monastic life were also developed.

These were paid for by the monastic order while the bishop himself funded the construction of the cathedral.

An example of this includes the Chapter House where monks gathered daily to read a chapter of the rule of St.

Benedict.

The photo on the left shows Durham Cathedral's Chapter House.

Even the Chapter House is built with thick stone walls and has a magnificent vaulted ceiling, Romanesque arched windows and blind Arcadian featuring intersecting arches.

Here, the monks could read their chapter and discuss matters of the monastery.

Another example of the monastic design at Durham Cathedral was the cloister, which provided monks with a sheltered outside area.

And if you have a look at Durham Cathedral's floor plan on the left, I've highlighted the cloisters in red.

This was an open courtyard surrounded by the other cathedral buildings.

The cloisters had a laboratory, a place for washing in the middle.

Lanfranc's constitutions offered guidance that monk should bathe three times a year, but they did always wash their hands before meals.

And here's a photo which shows Durham Cathedral's cloisters.

And here it shows you the open courtyard under covered walkway.

You can see the covered walkway through the arches, which surround the grass square.

This space allowed monks to meditate, exercise, read, or copy and illuminate manuscripts, in other words, illustrate manuscripts.

The cloister was in fact designed as another way of allowing the monks to remain cut off from everyday life.

By walking around the cloister, monks could access the different buildings in which they ate, slept, studied, recovered from illness, or used a toilet.

And they could do this without having to mix with the large staff of servants who service these rooms from external doors away from the cloister entrance.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Durham Cathedral was transformed into a centre of monastic life.

Select three correct examples.

A, monks gathered seven times a day for the divine office.

B, monks gathered to read the rule of Saint Benedict in the Chapter House.

C, monk's instructed women in the Galilee Chapel.

D, the choir was surrounded by a stone pulpitum.

Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answers were, A, monks gathered seven times a day for the divine office.

B.

Monks gathered to read the rule of St.

Benedict in a Chapter House and D, the choir was surrounded by a stone pulpitum.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to task A.

Lucas and Sophia are discussing the introduction of monasticism to Durham Cathedral.

And I want you to advise Lucas and Sophia what they could say about this.

So for Lucas, you need to be able to tell him what he could say about why this happened, why were monks introduced to Durham Cathedral? And for Sophia, I want you to be able to tell her what she could say about how this happened, how were monks introduced to Durham Cathedral.

Pause the video, have a go at the task, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done for having a go at that task.

So there's many things that you may have mentioned about how and why monks were introduced to Durham Cathedral.

Let's see what you could have written for Lucas explaining why this happened.

So Lucas could have said, "The introduction of monasticism to Durham Cathedral was part of Norman reforms. The Normans wanted to replace Anglo-Saxon church leaders with reformers who lived more strictly religious lives.

For example, Bishop Walcher's plan was to replace the canon of the cathedral chapter at Durham Cathedral with disciplined monks from Jarrow, who followed stricter Benedictine rules." So a great answer there with the cause of monasticism being brought to Durham Cathedral.

And a great example too.

Okay, let's see what she could have written for Sophia in her answer explaining how this happened, "Monasticism changed Durham Cathedral's operations.

Monks lived separately from the public, dedicated to prayer and study.

This separation emphasised sanctity and devotion, transforming the cathedral into a Benedictine monastery.

The cathedral's design aspects, like the pulpitum and cloister, helped amongst state isolated and maintained their focus on religious duties without secular distractions." Another great answer there, which gives examples to the design changes such as the pulpitum and cloister.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to the second part of the lesson, Durham Cathedral as a place of pilgrimage.

Durham Cathedral was built to house the relics of St.

Cuthbert.

And the cathedral replaced the Anglo-Saxon minster that had been the resting place for the saints relics since 1020.

Mediaeval Durham was one of the largest centres of pilgrimage in England.

The location of St.

Cuthbert shrine is in the eastern end of the cathedral.

And if you have look at the floor plan, I've highlighted the shrine with a red square.

Cuthbert's shrine was a focal point for pilgrims. It was located behind the high altar.

The most sacred part of the mass took place at the high altar.

So having Cuthbert's shrine so close shows how much reverence and respect they held for the saint.

The original shrine was actually destroyed in Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries.

However, it would've been an incredibly lavish construction built using expensive green marble, decorated with gold.

Gifts from royalty church leaders and rich aristocrats were hung around the shrine and stored in special lockers along with other items once owned by St.

Cuthbert and other saints.

Pilgrims also visited the tomb of the Venerable Bede whose remains were discovered in the same coffin as St.

Cuthbert in a bag in the 11th century.

In the Norman period Bede's relics were housed in the territory alongside St.

Cuthberts.

However, in 1370, he was moved to a shrine in the Galilee Chapel at the cathedral's west end.

And if you have a look at the floor plan on the left, I've highlighted the Bede's shrine with the red square.

Bede was not officially made a saint till the 19th century, but he was highly respected in the mediaeval period as a holy man and scholars and pilgrims certainly believed that prayers to Bede could produce results.

Looking at the cathedral as a whole, the architectural design accommodated the flows of pilgrims along a set path, allowing them to venerate the saint without coming into contact with the monastic community.

The doors to the cathedral were opened with bells ringing to let pilgrims know that mass had begun.

And pilgrims were then guided through the cathedral by attendance.

The feretory had an entrance gate and an exit gate made of iron, which were then unlocked.

(monks chanting) (monks chanting) (monks chanting) What you heard there, were the Gregorian chants made by the monks.

This was when monks sang or chanted the Christian liturgy, and it really gives you a sense of the atmosphere of what it might have been like to be in a cathedral at that time.

On entry to the feretory, cathedral staff accepted the pilgrim's donation, helped them with their prayers, and then guided them out again through the exit gates.

Mediaeval shrines were built with high bases, as you can see in the photo, so the pilgrims could come into contact with the shrine without touching the relics themselves.

The atory was lit with candles, hung with hundreds of precious offerings from pilgrims, incense was burned and music was often sung or chanted.

So the experience would've been overwhelming.

The lockers in the feretory where the relics were kept were opened on St.

Cuthbert Saints Day and other days of special holiness and celebration.

The shrine and its treasures were guarded, and cathedral staff also kept a close watch on pilgrims from positions around and above the feretory.

This was the procedure for ordinary pilgrims, however, the keeper of the shrine at Durham Cathedral had instructions to unlock the gates of the feretory for any rich and important pilgrims as soon as they arrived.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding, what was one of the religious functions of Durham Cathedral related to St.

Cuthbert? A, a fortress, B, a bishop's palace, C, a pilgrimage site.

Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done if you knew the correct answer was C, a pilgrimage site.

By the 13th century, the number of pilgrims was so great that a new chapel was built.

It was built on the east end of the cathedral behind St.

Cuthbert shrine, and it was called the Chapel of the Nine Altars.

A line can be seen on the floor of this chapel marking the original semi-circular apps of the cathedral.

Okay, let's have another check.

Where were the pilgrims guided towards after the bell rang to let them of the cathedral? A, the altar, B, the bishop's chambers, C, the feretory, D, the pulpitum.

Pause the video, have a think, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew the correct answer was the feretory.

This was the chapel that housed the shrine.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to task B.

What I want you to do here is describe what somebody visiting Durham Cathedral would've seen and what these things might have meant to them.

And I want you to write this in two paragraphs.

For the first paragraph, I want you to write what a monk would've witnessed.

And for the second paragraph, I want you to write what a pilgrim would've witnessed.

And when writing your paragraphs, make sure your descriptions contain historically accurate facts.

So use plenty of evidence that we've learned through the lesson.

Pause the video, have a go at a task, and then come right back.

Okay, welcome back, and well done for having a go at that task.

So there's many ways that you could have written your answers.

So compare your answer with what I have here.

So for a monk visiting Durham Cathedral, your answer may include the following.

Durham Cathedral had been transformed into a centre of monastic life as a result of Saint Calais replacing the canon of the cathedral chapter with monks from Jarrow monastery who strictly followed Benedictine Rule.

Therefore, a monk would have witnessed elements of the cathedral catered to ensuring he had an uninterrupted spiritual experience.

For example, when he gathered in the choir seven times a day, he would've seen the pulpitum, which was built to separate him from lay people.

Additionally, when he walked across the cloister, he would've seen other monks exercising, meditating, or illuminating manuscripts, again purposely away from lay people.

Furthermore, when inside the cathedral, he would've seen its grand space, the acoustics of which would've allowed his prayers and chants to resonate.

Okay, great, now let's have a look at the paragraph on what a pilgrim visiting Durham Cathedral would've seen.

Durham Cathedral was an important place for pilgrims as it housed the relics of St.

Cuthbert.

Many made pilgrimage there to ask for the saint's help.

When a pilgrim arrived, they would've made their way to the eastern end of the cathedral where they would've seen the feretory and the green marble and gold shrine.

Upon entering the feretory's iron gates, they would've seen a staff member who they paid their donation to.

They also would've seen gifts from important people and items once owned by St.

Cuthbert hung around the shrine in special lockers, which would be open if they visited on the saint's day.

They would've also seen the feretory lit with candles and hung with hundreds of offerings, smelt incense and listen to singing or chanting, so their experience may have been emotional.

Okay, great, let's summarise today's lesson, the religious function of Durham Cathedral.

The Normans replaced the Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Durham with reformers from Normandy or elsewhere.

Bishop Calais carried out Walcher's original plan to replace the canon of the Cathedral chapter at Durham Cathedral with monks who followed stricter Benedictine rules.

Monasticism changed Durham cathedral's operations.

The cathedral's design aspects like the pulpitum and cloister helped monks stay isolated, maintaining their focus on religious duties without external secular distractions.

Durham Cathedral was built to house the relics of St.

Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.

There was a lavish shrine and feretory, cathedral staff accepted the pilgrim's donation, helped them with their prayers, and then guided them out again through the exit gates.

Well done on a brilliant lesson, and thank you for joining me as we delved into the religious function of Durham Cathedral.

And hopefully this gave you an idea of what a monk's life was like, or what experiences worshipers and pilgrims had at the cathedral.

See you in the next lesson.