New
New
Year 10
AQA
The significance of Saint Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede
I can explain the significance of St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.
New
New
Year 10
AQA
The significance of Saint Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede
I can explain the significance of St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Cuthbert was a Northumbrian monk-bishop who earned a reputation for spiritual guidance and miraculous healing.
- The cult of Saint Cuthbert spread after many people reported miraculous healings when they prayed at his relics.
- The holy island of Lindisfarne was located near to Durham.
- Northumbrian monasteries also produced the Venerable Bede whose scholarship and piety earned him veneration.
- Durham became an important place of pilgrimage as it housed the shrine of Saint Cuthbert.
Keywords
Hermitage - a place where a religious person lives on their own, away from the rest of society, dedicating themselves entirely to prayer
Pilgrimage - a religious journey to a holy place
Relics - the remains of a holy person
Cult - a group devoted to a saint
Common misconception
That saints have always been celebrated as they are in modern Britain.
In fact, medieval saints established a cult with many people believing that a prayer close to a saints' relics provided the best chance of help or healing.
Prepare a mystery box containing items (or printed images) related to Cuthbert and Bede, e.g., a pilgrim's cross or a copy of Lindisfarne Gospels. Have students guess what each item could be before revealing their significance and the wider context of the cult of saints in Anglo-Saxon England.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which word means an army made up of mostly untrained conscripts from England’s peasant population?
housecarl
knight
Q2.
Which term describes when soldiers pretend to retreat in order to lure the enemy into a more vulnerable position?
Q3.
Complete the sentence: A is a military tactic where soldiers stood in a long line overlapping their shields to form a wall of shields.
Q4.
Put the following events in chronological order.
Q5.
Put the following events in chronological order.
Q6.
The Normans' successful breaking of the Anglo-Saxons' shield wall can be described as a what?
master plan
tactic
harrying
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which word describes a place where a religious person lives on their own, away from the rest of society, dedicating themselves entirely to prayer?
Q2.
Which word describes a religious journey to a holy place?
Q3.
Which of the following actions did Cuthbert take during his time as prior and bishop?
He built a large cathedral on Farne Island.
He was buried at Lindisfarne in a richly decorated tomb.
Q4.
Why did Cuthbert’s grave at Lindisfarne become popular with pilgrims?
Because he built a magnificent cathedral there.
Because the monks of Lindisfarne created beautiful books and artwork.
Q5.
What was a notable feature of the library at the Wearmouth-Jarrow monasteries?
It was famous for its collection of ancient Roman artefacts.
It focused primarily on botanical studies and herbology.
It was the first library in Britain to use parchment instead of vellum.
Q6.
What was a major impact of Bede's work, "The Ecclesiastical History of the English People"?
It led to the destruction of Lindisfarne monastery by Viking raiders.
It was the primary source of wealth for the Wearmouth-Jarrow monasteries.
It caused the monks to stop producing manuscripts.
Additional material
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