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'll focus on a specific historical environment, Durham Cathedral.

What can Durham Cathedral tell us about the wider context of the period? What can it tell us about the background story, the people or events at the time? Or is this the significance of the church and cathedrals in Norman England? Does Durham Cathedral tell us to what extent that Norman Reformed English Church? Is Durham Cathedral an example of how William used the church to gain political control of England? This is how we use the site of Durham Cathedral to address broader questions about Norman England.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain the significance of Saint Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.

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

Hermitage is a place where a religious person lives on their own away from the rest of society, dedicating themselves entirely to prayer.

Pilgrimage is a religious journey to a holy place, and relics are the remains of a holy person.

And finally, a cult is a group devoted to a saint.

Today's lesson is split up into two parts.

We'll first look at the life of Saint Cuthbert before moving onto Northumbrian monasteries more broadly, and then focusing on the Venerable Bede.

And this will give us a broader context of the religious heritage of Northumbria and in New Durham.

Okay, let's start by looking at Saint Cuthbert.

So Cuthbert was born in 635 and he was a monk from Northumbria, a region in what is now northern England.

If you have a look at the image on the left, it illustrates a story about Saint Cuthbert in which God provided him with a roof timber to build his chapel with on Farne Island.

Interestingly, this illustration was completed after Cuthbert's death, and it comes from a 12th century manuscript titled "The Life of Saint Cuthbert." And this manuscript was written by another monk called Bede.

And of course we'll talk about Bede in the second part of the lesson.

Okay, but firstly, let's use this timeline to look at the life of Saint Cuthbert and discover how he became seen as a saint.

So in the 650s, Cuthbert joined the monastery at Melrose where he quickly became known for his piety and dedication.

In 664, devastating plague struck the Abbey, claiming many lives including that of the pryor, who's the head of the monastery.

Cuthbert though also afflicted survived and took on the role of pryor.

As pryor, Cuthbert embarked on long journeys, often travelling by foot to preach to people in the remote and rugged regions of Northumbria.

His commitment to reaching isolated communities earned him a reputation as a tireless missionary.

This was someone who tries to convert people to their religion.

During these travels, Cuthbert provided comfort and aid to plague victims, and there are numerous accounts of miraculous healings attributed to him.

So it's during this period that Cuthbert's reputation for spiritual guidance and healing began to spread far and wide.

And in 664, Cuthbert was appointed the pryor of Lindisfarne, an island monastery that was an important centre of early English Christianity.

As pryor, he introduced several reforms and extended his ministry across a vast area of Northumbria, including Durham.

In 676, seeking a more solitary and contemplated life.

Cuthbert retired to the island of Farne, off the coast of Northumbria.

There he built a small chapel and lived as a hermit.

This meant he decided to live away from the rest of society, dedicating himself entirely to prayer.

Despite his seclusion, he had literally isolated himself on a very remote island, his fame continued to grow and people would journey to Farne Island to seek his counsel and blessings.

In 684, Cuthbert was nominated to become the bishop of Hexham.

This was the significance and influential bishoprick in Northumbria.

Initially, he was reluctant to accept this position, preferring his life of solitude.

However, the Northumbrian king and a group of nobles sailed to Farne and pleaded with him on their knees to take up the post.

Cuthbert agreed and was consecrated as bishop in York the following Easter in the presence of the king and other high ranking officials.

In 685, Cuthbert became the bishop of Lindisfarne.

However, after serving for about a year, he once again retreated to his hermitage on Farne Island.

Cuthbert passed away on the 20th of March 687 and was buried at Lindisfarne.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What was Saint Cuthbert known for during his time as a monk bishop in Northumbria.

Select two correct answers, A, miraculous healing.

B, pilgrimage organisation.

C, relic collection.

D, tireless missionary work.

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, miraculous healing, and D, tireless missionary work.

So despite Cuthbert dying, that isn't the end of the story.

Cuthbert's grave quickly became a site of pilgrimage.

And in the illustration on the left, we can see a person with a disability praying at the tomb of Saint Cuthbert.

And we can see a Lindisfarne monk overseeing the pilgrimage site.

The belief in the power of saint's relics was strong during this period and remains so today in many Christian denominations.

People believed that a prayer close to a saint's relics provided the best chance of help or healing.

Soon many people reported miraculous healings when they prayed at Cuthbert's grave.

The monks of Lindisfarne saw these miracles as clear evidence of Cuthbert's sainthood.

11 years after Cuthbert's death, on the anniversary of his passing, the monks decided to elevate his remains.

The monks and the people that visited Cuthbert believed that he was a saint.

And so the monks wanted to move Cuthbert's body into a more suitable tomb for a saint.

And this made Cuthbert's relics more available for pilgrims to pray to.

The monks expected to find a skeleton in Cuthbert's coffin.

Instead, they discovered his body was complete and undecayed a sign of great sainthood.

This remarkable event led to the establishment of the Cult of Saint Cuthbert with pilgrims flocking to his shrine.

But it was not only ordinary people that wanted to be close to Cuthbert, kings and nobles also flocked the Lindisfarne monastery with gifts of money and grants of land.

The monasteries reputation as the centre of Christian learning grew.

Lindisfarne monks created magnificent books and artworks such as their Lindisfarne gospels.

And if you have a look at the left, it shows a page from the Lindisfarne gospels and we can see it's decorated with bright colours or illuminations because they appear to light up the page.

It's actually took six years to create the gospels.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Why did the cults of Saint Cuthbert spread? A, Cuthbert wrote influential religious texts.

B, he travelled extensively throughout to Europe.

C, people reported miracles when praying at his grave.

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

Okay, welcome back and well done if you knew it was C.

People reported miracles when praying at his grave.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to task A.

What I want you to do here is starting with the earliest sort, these events into time order.

And you can see I've given you four events on the left hand side.

And I want you to place them into the correct order in the boxes on the right.

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

Okay.

Welcome back.

So let's check the correct time order.

So the first event was that Cuthbert aided plague victims and performed miraculous healings and then Cuthbert's hermitage on Farne Island where he isolated himself from society and dedicated himself to prayer.

And then people reported miraculous healings when praying at Cuthbert's grave.

And finally, pilgrim's flock to his shrine and the cult of Saint Cuthbert is established.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to the second part of the lesson.

Northumbrian monasteries and the Venerable Bede.

In 681, another significant monastic development occurred in Northumbria.

This occurred with the founding of the monastery at Jarrow.

This new institution joined the already established monastery at Wearmouth, named so because it's near the mouth of the river Wear.

Weymouth had been founded about 12 years earlier.

So under a unified leadership, these twin monasteries became one of the most influential centres of learning and culture in Britain.

Wearmouth-Jarrow amassed significant wealth and boasted one of the finest libraries in the country filled with imported books.

If you have a look at the painting on the left, it shows the interior of something called a scriptorium, and this is the room in a monastery where manuscripts were copied.

The Wearmouth-Jarrow Scriptorium was soon producing books of their own, becoming famous for their beautiful illustrated manuscripts.

Fortunately, Northumbria was rich in cattle, which provided the vellum for the books.

Vellum is an early type of paper made from calf skin.

The library at Wearmouth must have been an important place for a young monk called Bede.

Bede had been placed in William of Monastery at the age of seven, and he went on to become one of the greatest historians of the Middle Ages.

Monks operated the only schools in Anglo-Saxon England and Bede received a rigorous education.

He spent over 50 years studying and writing by candlelight in his small stone cell.

He produced 68 books on various subjects including theology, science, and Anglo-Saxon history.

And he also wrote a verse and a prose life of Saint Cuthbert in around 720.

If we have a look at the image on the left, we can see Bede writing.

And this illustration is from Bede's manuscript, "The Life of Saint Cuthbert." And if you remember at the beginning of the lesson, I showed you an illustration from Bede's manuscript on Cuthberts, where he had illuminated the story of God providing Cuthbert with a roof timber to build his chapel with on Farne Island.

However, Bede's most famous work was completed in 731, and this was the "Ecclesiastical History of the English People." This was the first comprehensive history of England.

This work provides invaluable insights into the early Anglo-Saxon period.

Bede's work spread the idea of a United England with a single English identity.

The country at the time was divided by rival Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. These rival kingdoms would eventually rally behind a single Christian and English identity.

And this was helped by people like Bede who had promoted the idea.

Bede's contributions to scholarship and Christianity earned him the title, the Venerable Bede, reflecting the deep respect he commanded, and he was later venerated or honoured as a saint.

Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

What was significance about the monasteries of Wearmouth-Jarrow? Select two correct answers.

A, they became influential centres of learning and culture in Britain.

B, they produced the Lindisfarne Gospels.

C, they were the first monasteries attacked by Vikings.

D, Wearmouth produced a young monk called Bede.

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

Okay, welcome back.

And well done if you knew the correct answers were A, they became influential centres of learning and culture in Britain, and D Wearmouth have produced a young monk called Bede.

Okay, let's continue.

In 793, not that far from Durham, the Danes or Vikings launched a brutal raid on Lindisfarne Monastery.

This raid marked one of the earliest Viking attacks on Britain.

The raiders slaughtered many monks, plundered the monastery, and desecrated the church.

Lindisfarne was veered as the place where Christianity had first taken route in northern England.

A contemporary scholar, Alcuin of York described his horror at the effects of the raid saying, behold the Church of Saint Cuthbert spattered with the blood of the priests of God.

If you have a look at the illustration on the left, it shows the plunder of Lindisfarne.

And we can see Lindisfarne Island Monastery in the background burning with the Danish raiders having looted the monastery, killing monks, and we can see that they've even ceased some of the younger members of the community and led them off into captivity, presumably to be sold as slaves.

The attack on Lindisfarne was a profound shock to the Christian community.

However, such raid became a common occurrence for the next 300 years.

The Danes settled across Northern England ruling from their capital, Jorvik, York, which we can see on the map of Northumbria on the left.

This map also highlights the proximity of the events we have covered so far.

We can see Melrose at the top left of the map, Cuthbert's former monastery, and we can see Lindisfarne Island on the northern coaSt.

And this is where Cuthbert was buried and the Vikings later raided.

And we can also see Wearmouth and Jarrow, the twin monasteries where the Venerable Bede would write his great works.

Despite the devastation of Viking raids that Lindisfarne, Cuthbert's relics survived.

And in the early ninth century, the increased Viking activity forced the monks to abandon Lindisfarne.

They took Cuthbert's remains and wandered for seven years seeking a safe haven as Viking warlords ravaged Northumbria.

Can you guess where Cuthbert's relics final destination will be? So Cuthbert will eventually end up in Durham in the centre of the map, and I'm sure you could probably have guessed that given that Durham is our historic environment.

However, he will have to wait a century or so before he gets there.

Around 883, the monks first settled at Chester-le-Street.

An old Roman fought on the river where just north of Durham on the map.

In 934, King Athelstan visited Chester-le-Street.

Athelstan will go on to be remembered as the first king of England, but he first needed to take back Northumbria from the Vikings and fight the Scottish.

Therefore, on his way to fight the Scots, Athelstan paused to venerate Saint Cuthbert's relics and bestowed generous gifts upon the monks, including royal land, richly embroidered fabrics, and several valuable books.

The illustration on the left is from a gospel book that Athelstan gave the monks at Chester-le-Street to show ultimate respect for Northumbrian Church.

Athelstan gave the book "The Life of Saint Cuthbert" written by Bede.

And this illustration comes from within that book and it shows Athelstan on the left presenting the book to Saint Cuthbert on the right.

It is the earliest manuscript image of an English king.

In 995, facing continued Viking threats, the monks moved Cuthbert's relics once more.

This time to Durham.

They established a new church in a loop of the river Wear.

And by looking at the map, we can see the river Wear was the dark line meandering across the map.

And the new church was established here in the loop of the river.

The church soon became a major pilgrimage site and a small town developed around it.

By around 1020, Bede's remains were also relocated to Durham, placed in the same tomb as Saint Cuthbert's.

This church eventually grew into the magnificent Durham Cathedral.

Cuthbert's legacy is the most famous Anglo-Saxon saint endured.

And the people of Northumbria identified strongly with him.

They identified themselves as 'waliwerfolc,' essentially people of the saints.

They soon tells us that people of Saint Cuthbert believing he was their protector.

The Cult of Saint Cuthbert left a lasting impact on the region's religious and cultural landscape.

Cuthbert's Shrine was destroyed in Henry VII's dissolution of the monasteries.

However, amazingly Cuthbert's coffin was discovered in 1827 hidden in a wall space.

When it was opened, it was found to contain not only the saint's complete skeleton, but a gold cross and books such as the book that you can see on the left.

You can see the book covers made from Red goat skin and it's the earliest surviving Western binding.

Amazingly, they also found one of the books donated by Athelstan, "The Life of Saint Cuthbert." Okay, let's have a check for understanding.

Why did Durham become an important place of pilgrimage? A, it had the largest library in northern England at its time when books were very rare.

B, it housed the shrines of Saint Cuthbert's and the Venerable Bede.

C, it was the birthplace of the Venerable Bede who wrote a book about Saint Cuthbert.

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

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

It housed the shrines of Saint Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.

Okay, great.

Let's move on to task B.

What is the significance of Saint Cuthbert's and the Venerable Bede in Northumbria? And what I want you to do is write one paragraph each for Cuthbert and Bede.

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

Okay, welcome back.

Well done for having a go at that task.

So there's many ways you could have answered that question, but compare your answer with what I have here.

So for the first paragraph, you could have written, Saint Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede are both examples of Northumbria and Durham in particular, having a religious importance.

Saint Cuthbert's reputation spread across Northumbria after numerous accounts of miraculous healings were attributed to him.

When he was in his hermitage, people and even kings sought his counsel and blessings after his death, the Cult of Saint Cuthbert was established and his relics were moved to Durham Cathedral with pilgrims flocking to his shrine.

Cuthbert is particularly significant because he became one of the most famous Anglo-Saxon Saints.

The people of Northumbria identified themselves as 'waliwerfolc'.

They saw themselves as the people of Saint Cuthbert believing he was their protector.

Okay, let's have a look at the next paragraph on the Venerable Bede.

The Venerable Bede's legacy also demonstrates the significance of Northumbria as a religious centre.

Bede was raised amongst the Wearmouth-Jarrow monasteries, which together was considered one of the most influential centres of learning and culture in Britain.

Bede went on to become one of the greatest historians of the Middle Ages and spread the idea of a United England with a single English identity.

Bede's contributions to scholarship and Christianity earned in the title, The Venerable Bede, reflecting the deep respect he commanded, and he was later venerated.

By around 1020, Bede's relics were also relocated to Durham, placed in the same tomb of Saint Cuthbert.

This church eventually grew into the magnificent Durham Cathedral.

Okay, great.

Let's summarise today's lesson, the significance of Saint Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.

Saint Cuthbert's reputation spread across Northumbria after numerous accounts of miraculous healings.

After his death, the Cult of Saint Cuthbert was established and his relics were moved to Durham Cathedral with pilgrims flocking to his shrine.

The people of Northumbria identified themselves as 'waliwerfolc,' believing he was their protector.

Bede was a Northumbrian monk whose contributions to scholarship and Christianity earned him the title the Venerable Bede, and he was later venerated.

His relics were also relocated to Durham and placed in the same tomb as Saint Cuthbert.

Well done on a brilliant lesson, and thank you for joining me as we delve deeper into the world of Anglo-Saxon Saints and their connection to Durham.

See you in the next lesson.