The Venerable Bede - Durham World Heritage Site The Venerable Bede The Venerable Bede Bede was known as the Father of English History. How did he come to gain that title? Who Was the Venerable Bede? The Venerable Bede – also known as St Bede – is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. He lived and died in between the twin monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow in the North East of England between 673 and 735 AD and wrote or translated some forty books on practically every area of knowledge, including nature, astronomy, and poetry. He also wrote the first martyrology (a chronicle about the lives of the saints). However, his most famous writing was on theology and history and his best known work is The Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Read more about the Life and Death of Bede . Why Was the Venerable Bede Important?

Although Bede was a polymath and religious figure who described himself as having “devoted [his] energies to the study of the scriptures, observing monastic discipline, and singing the daily services in church” and for whom “study, teaching, and writing had always been [his] delight", he is remembered today as the earliest English historian, whose work has shed light on a period of English history that would have otherwise been unknown. He is often referred to as ‘The Father of English History.’ Bede’s Association with Durham The Venerable Bede’s bones have been in Durham Cathedral since 1022. They were brought from Jarrow by a monk called Alfred who had them buried alongside Cuthbert’s relics, where they remained until they were moved to the Cathedral’s Galilee Chapel in the 14th century. Why is Bede called the ‘Venerable’ ? In fact, ‘the Venerable Bede’ comes from the Latin inscription on Bede’s tomb in Durham Cathedral, reading: HIC SUNT IN FOSSA BEDAE VENERABILIS OSSA Here are buried the bones of the Venerable Bede Bede's tomb in Durham Cathedral.

© Durham Cathedral and Jarrold Publishing The Venerable Bede Latest issue Archive of past issues News Bulletin and info Advertisers Waterlooville Music Festival Whilst researching into the life and times of St Cuthbert, 7th Century Bishop of Lindisfarne, Rod entered Durham Cathedral to see his shrine. A few feet away, a similar imposing shrine was surrounded by visitors. Upon close examination, this one contained the remains of an individual who has been called ‘the Father of English History’ and Rod temporarily modified his investigation accordingly. Engraved boldly on this latter shrine was the text: Hic sunt in fosse bedae venerabilis ossa (Here lie the bones of the Venerable Bede) The Venerable Bede (otherwise called Saint Bede) was born in the year AD672 or 673. He entered a monastery at Monkwearmouth at the age of 7 and spent all his life in ecclesiastical surroundings. In 1899 he was made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII.

In this monastery and another one at Jarrow he had access to a superb library, opportunities rendered to him to spend much time in reading and writing on all manner of subjects. He died in AD735. Bede is credited with the use (though perhaps he did not invent it) of the words Anno Domini - to indicate the effluxion of years since the birth of Christ. This is often reduced to the initials AD. In our secular age, though AD has been employed for 1300 years, attempts are made to substitute for it the initials CE (Common Era). Rod considers that such silly changes should be resisted. The major work of the Venerable Bede is: Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People) which shed considerable light on the condition of the peoples at the time and before the 7th century. In addition this is the sole source of information about the monk and cowherd Caedmon - whose famous poem ‘Now we must praise the Guardian of Heaven’ is remembered.

The range of his research and writings is astonishing, for he had works on grammar, the bible and music, and as a skilled linguist and translator produced commentaries on classical Greek and Latin sources. Truly a genius as well as a saintly and dedicated man. Rod Dawson Durham Cathedral west end | The Venerable Bede’s bones have … | Flickr Lawrence OP By: Lawrence OP Durham Cathedral west end The Venerable Bede’s bones have been in Durham Cathedral since 1022. They were brought from Jarrow by a monk called Alfred who had them buried alongside Cuthbert’s relics, where they remained until they were moved to the Cathedral’s Galilee Chapel in the 14th century. The relics of St Bede still rest in that chapel, albeit in a tomb dating from 1831. The Galilee Chapel can be clearly seen in the photo above, a Gothic structure with windows all around, attached to the great west end of Durham Cathedral. Today, 25 May, is the feast of St Bede. My sermon for today can be read here .

Done Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905

 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning

: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning:

 Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class

 __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __

PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Warning: Class __PHP_Incomplete_Class has no unserializer in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas10_data01/00/2587400/html/wp-content/object-cache.php on line 1905 Tomb of the Vener

able Bede, Durham Cathedral, England - Travel Past 50 Venerable Bede - A Profile of Bede By Robert Wilde Updated November 06, 2015.

The Venerable Bede was a British monk whose works in theology, history, chronology, poetry and biography have led him to be accepted at the greatest scholar of the early medieval era. Bede is most famous for producing the Historia ecclesiastica (Ecclesiastical History), a source essential for our understanding of the Anglo-Saxons and the Christianisation of Britain in the era before William and the Norman Conquest , earning him the title of 'the Father of English history.' Details: Title: Saint Bede the Venerable Born: 672/3 Died: May 25 735, Jarrow, Northumbria, UK Canonized: 1899, feast day on May 25 Childhood: Little is known of Bede's childhood, other than he was born to parents living on land belonging to the newly founded Monastery of St. Peter, based in Wearmouth, to which Bede was given by relatives for a monastic education when he was seven. Initially in the care of Abbot Benedict , Bede's teaching was taken over by Ceolfrith, with whom Bede moved to the monastery's new twin-house at Jarrow in 681.

continue reading below our video 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know The Life of Ceolfrith suggests that here only the young Bede and Ceolfrith survived a plague which devastated the settlement. However, in the aftermath of the plague the new house regrew and continued. Both houses were in the kingdom of Northumbria. Adult Life: Bede spent the rest of his life as a monk at Jarrow, first being taught and then teaching to the daily rhythms of monastic rule: for Bede, a mixture of prayer and study. He was ordained as a Deacon aged 19 – at a time when Deacons were supposed to be 25 or over – and a priest aged 30. Indeed, historians believe Bede left Jarrow only twice in his relatively long life, to visit Lindisfarne and York. While his letters contain hints of other visits, there isn't any real evidence and he certainly never traveled far. Works: Monasteries were nodes of scholarship in early medieval Europe, and there is nothing surprising in the fact that Bede, an intelligent, pious and educated man, used his learning, life of study and house library to produce a large body of writing.

What was unusual was the sheer breadth, depth and quality of the fifty plus works he produced, covering scientific and chronological matters, history and biography and, perhaps as expected, scriptural commentary. As befitted the greatest scholar of his era, Bede had the chance to become Prior of Jarrow, and perhaps more, but turned the jobs down as they would interfere with his study. The Theologian: Bede's biblical commentaries – in which he interpreted the bible mainly as an allegory, applied criticism and tried to solve discrepancies – were extremely popular in the early medieval period, being copied and spread – along with Bede's reputation – widely across the monasteries of Europe. This dissemination was helped by the school of Archbishop Egbert of York, one of Bede's pupils, and later by a student of this school, Alcuin , who became head of Charlemagne 's palace school and played a key role in the ' Carolingian Renaissance '. Bede took the Latin and Greek of the early church manuscripts and turned them into something the secular elites of the Anglo Saxon world could deal with, helping them accept the faith and spread the church.

The Chronologist: Bede's two chronological works - De temporibus (On Times) and De temporum ratione (On the Reckoning of Time) were concerned with establishing the dates of Easter. Along with his histories, these still affect our style of dating: when equating the number of the year with the year of Jesus Christ's life, Bede invented the use of A.D. , 'The Year Of Our Lord'. In stark contrast to 'dark age' cliches, Bede also knew the world was round, the moon affected tides and appreciated observational science. The Historian: In 731/2 Bede completed the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People. An account of Britain between the landings of Julius Caesar in 55/54 BC and St. Augustine in 597 AD, it's the key source on the christianisation of Britain, a mixture of sophisticated historiography and religious messages containing details simply not found elsewhere. As such, it now overshadows his other historical, indeed all his other, works and is on of the key documents in the entire field of British history. It's also lovely to read.

Death and Reputation: Bede died in 785 and was buried at Jarrow before being re-interred inside Durham Cathedral (at time of writing the Bede's World museum in Jarrow have a cast of his cranium on display.) He was already renowned among his peers, being described by a Bishop Boniface as having "shone forth as a lantern in the world by his scriptural commentary", but is now regarded as the greatest and most multi-talented scholar of the early medieval era, perhaps of the entire medieval era. Bede was sainted in 1899.

Bede was declared 'venerable' by the church in 836, and the word is given on his tomb in Durham Cathedral: Hic sunt in fossa bedae venerabilis ossa (Here are buried the bones of the Venerable Bede.) Bede on Bede: The Historia ecclesiastica finishes with a short account of Bede about himself and a list of his many works (and is actually the key source about his life that we, much later historians, have to work with): "Thus much of the Ecclesiastical History of Britain, and more especially of the English nation, as far as I could learn either from the writings of the ancients, or the tradition of our ancestors, or of my own knowledge, has, with the help of God, been digested by me, Bede, the servant of God, and priest of the monastery of the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul, which is at Wearmouth and Jarrow; who being born in the territory of that same monastery, was given, at seven years of age, to be educated by the most reverend Abbot Benedict, and afterwards by Ceolfrid; and spending all the remaining time of my life in that monastery

, I wholly applied myself to the study of Scripture, and amidst the observance of regular discipline, and the daily care of singing in the church, I always took delight in learning, teaching, and writing.

In the nineteenth year of my age, I received deacon's orders; in the thirtieth, those of the priesthood, both of them by the ministry of the most reverend Bishop John, and by the order of the Abbot Ceolfrid. From which time, till the fifty-ninth year of my age, I have made it my business, for the use of me and mine, to compile out of the works of the venerable Fathers, and to interpret and explain according to their meaning..." Cited from Bede, the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, "translator not clearly indicated (But it seems to be L.C. Jane's 1903 Temple Classics translation)", Internet Medieval Source Book. Patron Saint - St. Bede Catholic Church Ingleside, IL. Patron Saint Children's Liturgies St. Bede the Scholar Monk (673-735) St. Bede, also known as the Venerable Bede, is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. He wrote some forty books on practically every area of knowledge, but most of his writings were on theology and history.

He wrote of himself: "I have devoted my energies to the study of the scriptures, observing monastic discipline, and singing the daily services in church; study, teaching, and writing have always been my delight." Born in 673, Bede began his monastic-discipline at the newly founded Benedictine monastery of St. Peter in Wearmouth at the age of seven. When he had completed this schooling, he moved to the twin monastery of St. Paul in nearby Jarrow where he remained for the rest of his life. He was ordained a priest in 702 by St. John of Beverly. Bede's Biblical writings were extensive and important in their time, but it is as an historian that he is best known. He wrote "The Life and Miracles of St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne. However, his most famous work is the Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, a chronicle of English history from the Roman occupation until the date of its completion in 731. Even today, this work is considered an important source of early English history. He also wrote grammatical and chronological works, hymns, letters, and homilies and compiled the first martyrology. St.

Bede died on the eve of the Ascension, May 26, 735. Even on the day of his death, the saint was busy dictating a translation of the Gospel of St. John. When finished, he lay upon the floor of his cell singing, "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost" and peacefully breathed his last breath. In about 1022, Bede's remains were taken some say stolen - from Jarrow by a monk called Alfred, and brought to Durham. At frist, they were buried in the Choir together with the remains of St. Cuthbert. Then in 1370, Bede's bones were moved to a splendid shrine in the Galilee Chapel. This shrine, shrine, however, was destroyed in 1540 during the Reformation and Bede's remains were buried in a grave where the shrine had previously stood. When the grave was opened again in 1831, some bones and a gilded iron finger-ring were found. The bones were re-buried in the Durham Cathedral and the present tomb erected above them. The ring is now in the Cathedral's Treasury Museum. St.

Bede was declared Venerable (made sacred) by the church in 836 and was canonized in 1899. His feast day is commemorated on may 25 with the title "Doctor of the Church." St. Bede Church 1 (847) 587-2251 ✕ Bede St. Bede was born in 672 and at the age of seven began monastic training at the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter in Wearmouth. His schooling completed he moved to the twin monastery of St. Paul in Jarrow where he spent the rest of his days. It is likely that he travelled no further than north to Lindisfarne and south to York. Bede spent his whole life writing. He was the author of 45 volumes including text-books and translations, hymns and other verse, letters and homilies. Bede wrote all of his own work, he said of himself " I am my own secretary; I dictate, I compose, I copy all myself." He asked for no assistance with his work until his last illness at the age of 62 when he was unable to write. Bede was then working on a translation of St.

John's Gospel and engaged the help of a young scribe called Wilbert. On Tuesday 24th May 735 Bede took grievously ill but continued to teach, he cheerfully suggested to his pupils that they learn quickly as he may not be with them long. The next day Bede taught until nine in the morning. He then dictated part of his book to Wilbert. That evening Wilbert said to Bede " Dear master, there is still one sentence that we have not written down." Bede said "Quick, write it down." Wilbert then said "There; now it is written down." Bede replied "Good. You have spoken the truth; it is finished. Hold my head in your hands, for I really enjoy sitting opposite the holy place where I used to pray; I can call upon my Father as I sit there." And Bede then as he lay upon the floor of his cell sang the Gloria and as he named the Holy Spirit he breathed his last breath. His only possessions - some handkerchiefs, a few peppercorns and a small quantity of incense were shared amongst his brother monks as he had wished.

In 1022 Bede's remains were taken from Jarrow by a monk called Alfred and brought to Durham. They were first buried with the body of St. Cuthbert and the head of St. Oswald. In 1370 his bones were moved to a shrine in the Galilee Chapel which was destroyed in 1540 during the Reformation. Bede's remains were re-buried in the present place in 1831. Bede was declared Venerable by the church in 836 and was canonised in 1899. He was named "Doctor of the Church" by Pope Leo XIII because of his work and piety. St. Bede is the Patron Saint of scholars and historians. ST BEDE'S DEATH SONG (Modern Translation) Before the unavoidable journey there, no one becomes wiser in thought than him who, by need, ponders, before his going hence, what good and evil within his soul, after his day of death, will be judged.

St Bede's tomb ST BEDE'S DEATH SONG (Old English) Fore there neidfaerae naenig uuiurthit thoncsnotturra than him thaarf sie to ymbhycggannae aer his hiniongae huaet his gastae godaes aeththa yflaes aefter deothdaege doemid uueorthae This is an extract from a Homily written by St. Bede: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour." With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her saviour, for she knew that he who was the source of eternal salvation would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord. "For the Almighty has done great things for me, and Holy is his name." Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for he fill with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in him.

She did well to add: "and holy is his name," to warn those who heard, and indeed all who would receive his words, that they must believe and call upon his name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: "and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." This is the name she spoke of earlier when she said "and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour" The Historical Works Of Venerable Bede CHAPTER IV § 15. Now Cutheard died in the fifteenth year of his episcopacy; and Tilred, a man of excellent character, was become bishop in his stead. In the seventh year of his bishopric, King Edward died, and his son, Ethelstan, received the sceptre, which he wielded gloriously, and was the first of the English kings who governed all Britain. God granted him this by the aid and at the prayer of St.

Cuthbert, who, when he formerly appeared to his grandfather, Alfred, promised him, saying, “The government of all Britain shall be bestowed upon your children at my request.” Lastly, the father of this Ethelstan, when he was about to die, began to recount to his son, what great acts of charity the blessed Cuthbert had done for his father; how he had bidden him leave the hiding-place where he had, from fear of his enemies, concealed himself, and again go to meet the foe; and how he afterwards gathered for him an army from all England, and, having without difficulty defeated his enemies, added the greatest part of Britain to his paternal kingdom, and ever from that time been his constant aider. “Wherefore, my son,” said he, “show yourself obedient and faithful to this our great patron and bountiful preserver, not forgetting the promise which he made to the sons of Alfred, if they should exercise piety and justice, and be faithful in his service.” These were the instructions which Ethelstan received from his pious father, and as he heard them gladly, now that he was king he gladly fulfilled them. No king before him was such a friend to the church of St.

Cuthbert, or enriched it with so many different and princely donations. Wherefore he universally prevailed in all his numerous conflicts with the enemy; and when he had either slain them, or reduced them to submission, or driven them out of Britain, he reigned with greater glory than any of the kings before him. In the first year of his reign, which was the nine hundred and nineteenth year of our Lord’s incarnation, was born St. Dunstan, who afterwards departed to the Lord in the seventieth year of his age, in the reign of King Ethelred. § 16. In the year of our Lord’s incarnation nine hundred and twenty-two, Tilred died, after an episcopacy of thirteen years and four months, and Wigred was elected bishop, and consecrated in his stead. In the tenth year of the latter, King Ethelstan, on his way to Scotland, at the head of an army collected out of all Britain, came to St.

Cuthbert’s tomb to ask his protection, and make many presents, such as beseemed a king, to ornament his church; and these gifts are preserved in this cathedral of Durham to this day, as a record of this pious king’s devotion towards the holy saint, and to keep alive his memory for ever. Their nature and quantity will be found described in order in the charter long before mentioned. Besides these ornaments, he added no less than twelve estates, for the support of those who served in the church. The names of these are given elsewhere; therefore I do not think it necessary to state them in this place. He also ratified the laws and customs of the saint, which his grandfather, King Alfred and King Guthred had established; and enacted that they should be preserved inviolate for ever. Moreover, he uttered a dreadful malediction against those who, when an offering had been made, should presume to abstract or diminish aught therefrom; to wit, that on the day of judgment they should take part with Judas, who betrayed our Lord. Besides which the army, by the king’s command, bestowed upwards of ninety-six pounds of silver on the tomb of the Holy Confessor.

Thus, when they had all commended themselves to the saint’s protection, and arranged every thing for their journey, the king departed, having first adjured his brother Edmund, that, if any reverse should happen to him in this expedition, he should bring back his body to be buried in St. Cuthbert’s church. After this he defeated Oswin, King of Cumberland, and Constantine, King of the Scots, and with a fleet and army ravaged and subdued the whole of Scotland. § 17. In the fourth year after these events, which was the nine hundred and thirty-seventh of our Lord’s nativity, he fought at Weondune, otherwise called Ettrunnanwerc, or Brunnanbyrig, against Onlaf, son of the former King Guthred, who had invaded the country in six hundred and fifteen ships, and had engaged against Ethelstan the help of the above-named kings of the Scots and Cumbrians. But the king, trusting to St.

Cuthbert’s protection, defeated their countless host, expelled those kings from his dominions, and crowning his army with victory, showed himself terrible to his enemies, but peaceable to his friends, and finally departed this life in peace, leaving to Edmund, his brother, the sovereignty of his dominions. In the third year of this king, Wigred, having held his bishopric seventeen years, died, and was succeeded by Uthred. Meanwhile, King Edmund also, on his way to Scotland, visited the tomb of St. Cuthbert, in order to obtain his protection; and, like his brother Ethelstan of old, made royal presents of gold and mantles, and confirmed his laws as they were when they were the most favourable. § 18. On the death of Bishop Uthred, Sexhelm was ordained in his place. But he had hardly held the episcopal see a few months, when he was expelled from it by Cuthbert himself.

For he turned aside from the path of his predecessors, and, instigated by avarice, afflicted the saint’s people, and those who served in his church; wherefore the saint appeared to him in a dream, and told him to depart as speedily as he could. But as he did not do so, the saint appeared to him again the second night, and threatened him with severe punishment if he did not go away immediately. The bishop, however, still lingered; and on the third night the saint appeared again, with his countenance much more terrible than before, and enjoined him instantly to depart, and to take with him nothing belonging to the church, threatening him with instant death if he should linger any longer. Then, indeed, on his awaking from sleep, his courage was broken, and, in fear of death, he hastened to depart, though he was not well. In his flight he arrived at York, where he recovered his health. Aldred ascended the episcopal throne in his stead. § 19.

In the year of our Lord’s incarnation nine hundred and forty-eight, Edmund died, and was succeeded by his brother Edred, a pious and just man, who, like his brothers, made princely presents to the church of St. Cuthbert. On the death of Bishop Aldred, Elfsig became ruler of the church in Cuncacester. He was ordained at York by Archbishop Oscetil, in the time of King Edgar, who came after his brother, King Edwy. After Elfsig had held the bishopric twenty-two years, he died, and in his place Aldhun, a man of remarkable piety, was elected and consecrated bishop, in the nine hundred and ninetieth year of our Lord’s incarnation, and in the twelfth year of King Ethelred, who became king after the death of his brother Edward, who was miserably murdered by his step-mother. This prelate was of a noble lineage, but much more noble for his way of life, which was well pleasing to the Lord; and in his habits and acts he was a praiseworthy monk, like all his predecessors.

Almost all the people of the country talk of his goodness, which they have heard of from their forefathers, as if he were still among them. § 20. In the nine hundred and ninety-fifth year of our Lord’s incarnation, and in the seventeenth year of King Ethelred’s reign, the same prelate, in the beginning of the sixth year of his prelacy, was admonished by an oracle from heaven, to flee as quickly as possible with the incorruptible body of the saint, and avoid the fury of the pirates who were at hand. He took it, therefore, with him, in the hundred and thirteenth year after it had been placed in Cuncacester, and carried it to Ripon, with all the people belonging to it. It is recorded as a singular fact in this flight, that out of so many, not a single one, great or small, was afflicted with any illness, but they accomplished their journey on foot, without any labour or inconvenience. And not only the men, but even tender animals just born, walked safe and sound the whole journey, without any difficulty.

Three or four months after peace was restored, and they purposed to carry back the saint’s body to its former place; but when they came to Werdelan, on the eastern side of Durham, they found it impossible to make the vehicle proceed any further. The bishop, upon this, commanded the people to fast three days, and by watching and prayer to ask from Heaven an explanation of the prodigy. In consequence of which, it was revealed to them, that they should carry the body to Durham, and prepare there a place for it to repose in. Thus they brought it into Durham, and having speedily erected a little church of boughs, placed it there for a season. § 21. Now the aforesaid bishop, arriving at Durham with the saint’s body, found there a place strong by nature, but not easy to be inhabited, for a thick wood covered nearly the whole of it, save that in the middle there was a small plain, which they used to plough and sow. This wood was, with the aid of all the people, and Ucthred, Count of Northumberland, entirely grubbed up, and the place in a short time rendered habitable.

The bishop then began to build a large church of stone. Meanwhile the saint’s body was removed from the little wooden church into another called “the White Church,” and remained there three years, until the larger church was built; and now the venerable Prelate Aldun solemnly consecrated that church on the third of September, in the third year after its foundations were laid, and transferred thither the body of St. Cuthbert, with all due honours, to a place which he had prepared for it. Thus the saint’s body, and the episcopal see, which was first founded by King Oswald and Bishop Aidan in the island of Lindisfarne, have remained in that place even to the present time; and from the year in which Aidan ascended the episcopal chair in the island of Lindisfarne, to the year in which Aldun ascended the same in Durham, is computed to be three hundred and sixty-one years, and three hundred and nine from the death of St. Cuthbert. § 22.

On the death of Aldun, the church was almost three years without a ruler; after which Edmund, a man famous for religion and activity, was elected; the priest at the altar, and the deacon who was attending on him, having said that they heard a voice which seemed to come from the holy father’s tomb beneath the altar, and ordered that he should be made bishop. During his episcopacy there flourished in the church of Durham a priest, named Elfred, son of Weston, a man of great piety, and good works, who also was familiar with the holy Cuthbert. He had showed himself entirely devoted to the saint, was a man of much sobriety, a frequent giver of alms, constant in prayer, an enemy to the wanton and licentious, respected by the good and by all who feared God, and one of the most zealous supporters of the church. He had in his possession a hair of St. Cuthbert, which he used to show those who visited him, and in consequence to increase the admiration of those who already admired him for his sanctity.

For he would fill a censer with burning coals, and place the hair upon the top, but it would never be consumed, for it became white, and shone like gold in the fire, and after staying there a long time, when taken off it returned gradually to its former appearance. Not only many of his disciples affirmed that they saw this miracle, but also a certain brother of this monastery, by name Gamelo, a simple and humble-minded man, who now sleeps in the Lord. § 23. Furthermore, this priest, thus celebrated for his good and religious life, in obedience to orders which he had received in a vision, went about to all the old monasteries and churches, in the province of Northumberland, and took up the bones of the saints which he knew were buried there, and left them above ground to be shown to the people, and venerated by them. Such were the bones of the hermits Balthen and Bilfrid, of Acca and Alcmund, Bishops of Hagulstad, of King Oswin, and the venerable Abbesses Ebba and Eteligitha. Some parts of the relics of these saints he carried to Durham, and placed with the body of St.

Cuthbert. Moreover, he went to the monastery of Melrose, in obedience to a revelation, and transferred from thence the bones of St. Boisil, who had formerly been the preceptor of St. Cuthbert in that monastery, and brought them to the church of Boisil’s pupil. Moreover, he knew that in the monastery of Jarrow lay the bones of the learned Bede, who had lived and died there; wherefore he used to go there every year, on the anniversary of his death, and practise therein rigid prayer and fasting. On one occasion of his doing this, he remained several days alone in the church, praying and fasting; and early in the morning, without the knowledge of his companions, he returned alone to Durham. This he had never done before, and it seemed as if he wished to have no participator in his secret. For though he lived many years after, yet he never again desired to visit that monastery; wherefore it seemed as if he had gained what he wanted. He was often asked by his brethren, where the bones of Venerable Bede lay; to which his reply was, “No one can tell that better than I.

Do not doubt what I say, my beloved brethren, but believe it most firmly; the same coffin contains the body of St. Cuthbert, and the bones of that great teacher, Bede. It is useless to search beyond the walls of this hospitable house for one single fragment of his relics.” Copyright ©1999-2016 e-Catholic2000.com Venerable Bede | Reliquarian ≈ Leave a comment Tags Baptismal Font (detail), copper alloy (c. 1226), Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany Saint Bernward of Hildesheim During the Middle Ages, few individuals did more to support and develop the arts than Saint Bernward of Hildesheim. Considered one the era’s greatest patrons of the arts, 1 Saint Bernward’s legacy included the commissioning of Hildesheim Cathedral’s monumental bronze doors 2 and the construction of the abbey church of Saint Michael in Hildesheim. 3 At a recent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, a number of objects commissioned by Saint Bernward, as well as other important objects from the treasury of Hildesheim Cathedral, were on display.

The exhibition included several reliquaries, including a skillfully fashioned reliquary containing the skull of Saint Oswald and an arm reliquary that once held relics of Saint Bernward himself. Saint Bernward was born to a noble Saxon family and served as the tutor of the future emperor Otto III before his appointment as Bishop of Hildesheim in 993. Hildesheim is one of the oldest cities in northern Germany, and the bishopric of Hildesheim was established by Louis the Pious, Charlemagne ’s heir and successor, in 815. 4 During the Middle Ages, Hildesheim was renowned for its metalworking, and many of Saint Bernward’s commissions would not have been possible if not for the extraordinary skill of the region’s metalsmiths. As noted in Medieval Treasures from Hildesheim, the proximity of nearby mines, which provided easy access to raw materials, “gave rise to a tradition of metalworking expertise that reached its peak during Bernward’s era.” 5 The Golden Madonna (Virgin and Child Enthroned) Golden Madonna, gold over linden wood, (c.

1022), Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany Neither Bernward’s Doors from Hildesheim Cathedral nor Bernward’s Column, an imposing bronze column circa 1015 representing “the first triumphal column since antiquity,” were on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but the exhibition did include other impressive examples of the metalworkers’ art. The Golden Madonna, which dates to before 1022, has been attributed to Saint Bernward’s patronage. 6 Sheathed in gold over a linden wood core, the depiction of the Virgin and Child enthroned is one of the oldest sculptures in the round from the Latin West. 7 Reliquary of the Holy Cross Cross Reliquary, gilded silver, rock crystal, and semiprecious stones, Hildesheim, Germany (c. 1180-1190), Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany. A reliquary cross containing relics of the Holy Cross was also on display. According to legend, Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony and Bavaria obtained the relics from the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

On his safe return to Saxony in 1173, Henry allegedly donated the relics to the Church of the Holy Cross in Hildesheim, although no records supporting this story appear to exist. 8 Nevertheless, the reliquary cross’s opulent gilding and intricately hammered ornamentation, as well as its impressive array of colored gems and rock crystal, attest to the significance of the darkened slivers of wood nestled at the center of the cross. The Ringelheim Crucifix and Hidden Relics of Saints Cosmas and Damian Ringelheim Crucifix, linden wood and oak (c. 1000) In addition to the Golden Madonna, Saint Bernward commissioned other large sculptures during his reign as bishop, including a striking wooden crucifix known as the Ringelheim Crucifix. Carved from linden wood and oak, the crucifix stands at over five feet tall and represents one of the most significant monumental wooden sculptures from the Ottonian period in existence today. 9 Though carved as an object of devotion, conservation work conducted in the mid-20th century revealed that the crucifix also served as an inconspicuous reliquary.

Concealed in a small cavity in Christ’s head, conservators discovered several relics, including two stones from the Holy Sepulcher and two bone fragments, wrapped in silk, of the twin saints Cosmas and Damian . 10 Reliquary of Saint Oswald and the Story of His Skull Reliquary of Saint Oswald, gold, silver, pearls, and gemstones over wood core (c. 1185-1189), Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany A more traditional reliquary, the Reliquary of Saint Oswald, was also on display at the exhibition. Richly crafted from gold and silver and embellished with niello, cloisonné, pearls, gemstones, and recycled Roman cameos and intaglios, the reliquary is regarded as a masterpiece of medieval goldsmithing. 11 The reliquary’s most obvious and most striking feature is undoubtedly the gold bust of Saint Oswald placed atop the reliquary’s octagonal base. The saint’s eyes, finished in niello, were eerie and arresting, their blackened pupils eternally transfixed on the middle distance. Meanwhile, the saint’s crown seemed remarkable for its odd fit.

I later learned that the crown and its decoration were cobbled together from earlier components, including a Roman cameo prominently displayed at the crown’s center. 12 Apparently, sovereigns occasionally donated their own crowns to churches for reuse on bust reliquaries, although whether this happened to be the case with the Reliquary of Saint Oswald is unclear. 13 The Reliquary of Saint Oswald was designed to carry the skull of Saint Oswald, and the relic is evidently still enclosed within the reliquary, wrapped in silk. Saint Oswald was a King of Northumbria who lived in the early 7th century. 14 According to the Venerable Bede, Saint Oswald was killed in battle by the pagan king of the Mercians at a place called Maserfield in 642. 15 The Venerable Bede observes that the extent of Saint Oswald’s faith and devotion were made evident by the miracles that occurred at the spot where he died in battle.

16 “[I]nfirm men and cattle are healed to this day,” he reports, and as a consequence, “many took up the very dust of the place where his body fell, and putting it into water, did much good with it to their friends who were sick.” 17 In their enthusiasm for this holy dust, the people eventually carried away so much dirt that “there remained a hole as deep as the height of a man.” 18 The Venerable Bede further explains that Saint Oswald’s head was originally buried in Lindisfarne. The Venerable Bede writes that after the Battle of Maserfield, the king of the Mercians commanded that Saint Oswald’s head, hands, and arms “be cut off from the body, and set upon stakes.” 19 Returning with an army the next year, Saint Oswald’s successor, Oswy, removed the slain king’s body parts from their stakes and eventually buried Saint Oswald’s head at Lindisfarne Abbey. A century later, Saint Oswald’s head was translated to Durham Cathedral, where it was reburied with the body of Saint Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede himself.

20 In 1538, however, under the authority of King Henry VIII, the relics of Saint Cuthbert and Saint Oswald were removed from their shrine and were deposited in an unmarked grave behind the high altar of Durham Cathedral. 21 According to some sources, the relics of Saint Oswald were eventually destroyed during the Reformation—though perhaps his skull survived, cosseted away in an opulent reliquary. 22 Arm Reliquary of Saint Bernward Army Reliquary of Saint Bernward, silver, gold, and semiprecious stones over wood core (c. 1194), Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany The exhibition also included an arm reliquary that once held the relics of Saint Bernward. Reliquaries in the shape of body parts, also called “speaking reliquaries” (redende Reliquiare), first gained popularity in the 11th century and were intended to evoke the character of the relics they contained. 23 So, for example, leg reliquaries held leg bones, and foot reliquaries held foot bones.

In the Permanent Exhibition of Religious Art in Zadar, Croatia I even encountered a shoulder blade reliquary, shaped somewhat like a baby grand piano, that allegedly contained the shoulder blade of Saint Mark. 24 Church of Saint Donatus, Zadar, Croatia. The church of Saint Donatus is located across the street from the convent of Saint Mary and the Permanent Exhibition of Religious Art. In his superb study on relics, Holy Bones, Holy Dust, Charles Freeman argues that arm reliquaries sometimes served an additional purpose beyond that of mere identification. Freeman notes that after Mass, celebrants traditionally blessed their congregations before they departed. 25 Freeman writes that a blessing given by a bishop “was of a much higher status [than] that by a mere priest, and congregations often felt they had been badly done by. Yet if a priest held up an arm reliquary and blessed the congregation with that, it was believed to have the same effect as if the bishop himself had been there.” 26 The posture of the Arm Reliquary of Saint Bernward—its right index finger and middle finger extended to heaven, its thumb curled slightly inward—suggests that it may occasionally have been used for this purpose, to deliver the final blessing.

Another arm reliquary in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Arm Reliquary of Saint Valentine, likely served a similar function. Army Reliquary of Saint Valentine, silver, gilded silver, and blue cabochon, Basel, Switzerland (c. 1380-1400), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Because of his patronage of the arts and his own reputed skill as an architect and artist, Saint Bernward is recognized today as a patron saint of architects, goldsmiths, painters, and sculptors . While the church he helped build, the abbey church of Saint Michael, may be his most conspicuous achievement, he accomplished so much more as a bishop and patron of the arts. 27 As Medieval Treasures from Hildesheim states, “While many of Hildesheim’s bishops endowed its institutions with extraordinary works of art, no donor was more prolific or had a more significant impact on Hildesheim’s production than Bernward, the thirteenth bishop of Hildesheim.” 28 Cross Reliquary (detail), gilded silver, rock crystal, and semiprecious stones, Hildesheim, Germany (c.

1180-1190), Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany. Arm Reliquary of Saint Bernward (detail), silver, gold, and semiprecious stones over wood core (c. 1194), Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany Small Bernward Cross, copper alloy, gilding, and semiprecious stones, Hildesheim, Germany (c. 1170-1180), Hildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany. Reliquary Cross (detail), silver, gilded silver, enamel, coral, and rock crystal, Italy (the Marches), c. 1375-1400, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. This reliquary cross from the late 14th century is part of the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Slivers of wood can still be seen encased at the center of the cross. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York 1  Metropolitan Museum of Art, Medieval Treasures from Hildesheim 6 (Peter Barnet et al. eds., 2013).

2  Id. at 11. According to Medieval Treasures from Hildesheim, the casting of Bernward’s enormous and highly decorated bronze doors, now known as Bernward’s Doors, was “a technological breakthrough for the Middle Ages and a milestone in the history of art.” Id. 3  Id. at 7. ≈ 5 Comments Tags Christmas , Cologne , Cologne Cathedral , Germany , Hildesheim , Italy , John of Hildesheim , Magi , Milan , mosaic , Munich , reliquary , Saint Helena , Saint Leo , Saint Ursula , shrine , Star of Bethlehem , Three Kings , Venerable Bede Adoration of the Magi (detail), Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen, oil on panel (1517), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam The story of the Magi, or the three kings, is a celebrated part of the Christmas story and a popular motif in Western culture. The story can be found in the Gospel of Matthew, though most details of the Magi’s visit derive from a more obscure fourteenth-century source known as the Historia Trium Regum.

Matthew’s gospel describes the mysterious star of Bethlehem; the arrival of “wise men from the East”; the Magi’s reception with King Herod; the Magi’s visit to the infant Jesus; their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh; and the warning the wise men received to return home by another way. 1 Other details, however, are omitted from Matthew’s Christmas tale. Exactly how many wise men arrived from the East? Who were they? What were their names? And what happened to them after they returned from Bethlehem? Ultimately, although clearly outside the scope of Matthew’s gospel, how did the bodies of the three kings come to be laid to rest in Cologne, Germany? The Historia Trium Regum, or History of the Three Kings, by John of Hildesheim elaborates on Saint Matthew’s story and provides an intriguing coda to the narrative, one that explains how the relics of the three kings were brought to the ancient city of Cologne. 2 From the Historia we learn that there were three wise men and that the three men were actually kings from the East—from the lands of Ind, Chaldea, and Persia.

The three kings, named Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper, 3 did not initially know each other before individually setting out to “seek and worship the Lord and King of the Jews.” Window of the Adoration of the Magi, stained glass (1846), Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom), Cologne, Germany. The Adoration Window actually combines two events related to the birth of Jesus: the Adoration of the Magi and the Adoration of the Shepherds. The Star of Bethlehem and the Journey of the Magi According to the Historia, the star that heralded the birth of Jesus had long been prophesied and watched for by the people of Ind.

The Historia states, “Now, in the time when Balaam prophesied of the Star that should betoken the birth of Christ, all the great lords and the people of Ind and in the East desired greatly to see this Star of which he spake.” 4 Consequently, the people gave gifts to the keepers of the Hill of Vaws, a tall hill in the Kingdom of Ind that was used as a lookout point, and bade the sentinels, “if they saw by night or by day any star in the air, that had not been seen aforetime,” to send word to the people of Ind. 5 Eventually, the star appeared. “When Christ was born in Bethlehem, His Star began to rise in the manner of the sun, bright shining.

It ascended above the Hill of Vaws, and all that day in the highest air it abode without moving, insomuch that when the sun was hot and most high there was no difference in shining betwixt them.” Following the day of the nativity, “the Star ascended up into the firmament, and it had right many long streaks and beams, more burning and brighter than a brand of fire; and, as an eagle flying and beating the air with his wings, right so the streaks and beams of the Star stirred about.” 6 The star guided each of the kings from his native land. We are told that “[w]hen they stood still and rested, the Star stood still; and when they went forward again, the Star always went before them . . . and gave light all the way.” As the three kings and their retinues converged on Jerusalem, they finally met.

“[N]otwithstanding that none of them ever before had seen the other, nor knew him, nor had heard of his coming, yet at their meeting each one with great reverence and joy kissed the other.” They continued as a group into Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem, which they entered on “the sixth hour of the day.” Together they rode through the streets until they came to a little house. There, “the Star stood still, and then descended and shone with so great a light that the little house was full of radiance, till anon the Star went upward again into the air, and stood still always above the same place.” 7 The Adoration of the Magi and the Feast of the Epiphany The kings “fell down and worshipped” Jesus at the house and offered him magnificent gifts.

8 In addition to silver, jewels, and precious stones, Melchior gave Jesus “a round apple of gold” and thirty gilt pennies; Balthazar gave Christ incense; and Jaspar gave him myrrh, which he offered “with weeping and tears.” 9 In art, this event is often referred to as the “Adoration of the Magi,” while their visitation to the infant Jesus is celebrated as the Feast of the Epiphany, or “manifestation.” 10 Columba Altar (detail), Rogier van der Weyden, oil on panel (c. 1455), Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany The Magi remained in Bethlehem for some time before preparing to return home. In a dream, the three kings were told not to return to Herod, so they chose to return to their homes by another route.

When they left Bethlehem, “the Star that had gone before appeared no more.” Journeying together for many days, they eventually came to the Hill of Vaws, where they built a chapel “in worship of the Child they had sought.” They agreed to meet at the chapel once a year and “ordained that the Hill of Vaws should be their place of burial.” 11 The Death of the Wise Men Many years later, “a little before the feast of Christmas, there appeared a wonderful Star above the cities where these three kings dwelt, and they knew thereby that their time was come when they should pass from earth.” Together, they agreed to build “a fair and large tomb” at the Hill of Vaws, “and there the three Holy Kings, Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper died, and were buried in the same tomb by their sorrowing people.” 12 As Mark Rose observed in an article for Archeology, “If we were to assume that this actually happened, that all three died at the same place at the same time, it might have been in the mid-first century (since the kings were adults already in Bethlehem).” 13 Two centuries later, the Historia explains that Saint Helena, the

 mother of the Emperor Constantine, journeyed to Ind and recovered the bodies of the three kings from their tomb on the Hill of Vaws.

She put them into a single chest ornamented with great riches and brought the relics to Constantinople and the church of Saint Sophia, also known as the Hagia Sophia. In the late sixth century, under the Emperor Mauricius, the relics were translated to Italy, where “they were laid in a fair church in the city of Milan.” Shrine of the Three Kings (detail), Nicholas of Verdun, gold, silver, and semi-precious stones (1190-1220), Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany The relics of the three kings remained in Milan until the twelfth century when the city of Milan rebelled against the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick I, also known as Frederick Barbarossa. In need of assistance against the Milanese, the emperor appealed to Rainald von Dassel, Archbishop of Cologne, who recaptured Milan and delivered the city to the emperor. In gratitude, and “at the Archbishop’s great entreaty,” the emperor transferred the relics to the Archbishop in 1164. The Archbishop, “with great solemnity and in procession,” carried the bodies of the three kings from Milan to Cologne, where they were placed in the church of Saint Peter.

“And all the people of the country roundabout, with all the reverence they might, received these relics, and there in the city of Cologne they are kept and beholden of all manner of nations unto this day.” The Historia concludes, “Thus endeth the legend of these three blessed kings—Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper.” 14 The Relics of the Magi at Cologne Cathedral John of Hildesheim may have thought he had had the last word on the three kings, but the Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral (pictured above) and the precious relics it purportedly contains has continued to fascinate modern visitors. 15 Are the bones sealed in the reliquary really those of Melchior, Balthazar, and Jasper? One of the earliest and most intriguing depictions of the Magi is a late sixth-century mosaic located at New Basilica of Saint Apollinaris ( Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo ) in Ravenna, Italy. The Magi appear dressed in Eastern clothing, carrying traditional gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

16 Additionally, the three kings are portrayed as men of different ages: Jasper is depicted as an older man with white hair and beard; Balthazar is shown as a middle-aged man with dark hair and beard; and Melchior is represented as a beardless young man. (In contrast, the Venerable Bede, writing in the 8th century, identifies Melchior as an “old man, with long beard,” Jasper as “young, beardless, [and] of ruddy hue,” and Balthazar as “with heavy beard” and “middle aged.”) Mosaic of the Magi, Basilica di Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy. Courtesy of Nina Aldin Thune, Wikimedia Commons. In 2004, Egyptologist Bob Brier and The Learning Channel examined whether the bones in the Shrine of the Three Kings could possibly be the bones of the Magi, and their investigation revealed something remarkable.

17 Scrutinizing the cranial sutures of the three skulls kept in the shrine, Brier’s team concluded that the skulls appeared to be from individuals of different ages: one older (the sutures were completely fused), one middle-aged (the sutures were mostly fused), and one younger (the sutures were incompletely fused). The relative ages of the skulls appeared to corroborate the depiction of the Magi in the Ravenna mosaic. The three skulls in the shrine were also graced with golden crowns, apparently given to the church by King Otto IV of Brunswick in 1199. Incidentally, in recognition of the importance of the kings’ relics, three golden crowns appear on the coat of arms of the city of Cologne. As Gerald J. Brault explains in Early Blazon: Heraldic Terminology in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries with Special Reference to Arthurian Heraldry, “Three crowns were frequently an allusion to the Three Wise Men whose relics were brought by Frederick I Barbarossa from Milan to Cologne in 1164.

Commemorating this event, three crowns are featured in the arms of the City of Cologne dating from the end of the thirteenth century as well as on the seal of the University of Cologne from 1392 onwards.” 18 King of Kings For those who have visited Cologne Cathedral, the impressive and stately Shrine of the Three Kings serves as a visual reminder of events that transpired over two thousand years ago, when three men left the comfort of their homes to worship at the feet of an infant. Pope Saint Leo, writing in the fifth century, helps keep the meaning of their visit in perspective: “When a star had conducted them to worship Jesus, they did not find Him commanding devils or raising the dead or restoring sight to the blind or speech to the dumb, or employed in any divine action; but a silent babe, dependent upon a mother’s care, giving no sign of power but exhibiting a miracle of humility.” 19 In the din of our modern world, this message of hope and faith may strike some as something of an epiphany. Shrine of the Three Kings, Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany . . .

To all our readers, we wish you a merry Christmas and a joyous and safe holiday season. We hope to see you back in 2014 and look forward to sharing further posts with you at Reliquarian.com in the new year. . . . Die Heiligen Drei Könige (The Three Holy Kings), oak (originally polychromed) (1490), Nuremberg, Germany. These figures are rare examples of Dutch medieval sculpture and were originally displayed on the pillars of a church, along with the Virgin Mary. The physiognomy and lively pose of the sculpture on the left identify him as King Balthazar, who is often depicted as a dark complexioned, “exotic” figure from either Africa or Arabia. Die Heiligen Drei Könige (The Three Holy Kings) (detail), oak (originally polychromed) (1490), Nuremberg, Germany Adoration of the Magi, oil on canvas, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne, Germany Poklon Trzech Króli (Adoration of the Magi) (detail), painted wood (c.

1450-1475), Archdiocesan Musem, Krakow, Poland. This sculpture was originally displayed in Saint Mary’s Church in Krakow and was probably the central scene of a lost triptych. According to the Archdiocesan Museum, it is an example of the “angular” late Gothic style of sculpture in Krakow that preceded the later, more “expressive” work of Wit Stwosz (Veit Stoss). See Andrzej Jozef Nowobilski, Origin Collection Activity 70 (2011). Adoration of the Magi (detail), oak with paint and gilding, South Netherlandish (1520), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Shrine of the Three Kings, Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany. During the Middle Ages, the shrine was kept in the crossing. Today, it is displayed above the high altar, at the rear of the inner choir. 1  Matthew 2:1–16. 2  See The Early English Text Society, The Three Kings of Cologne: An Early English Translation of the “Historia Trium Regum” by John of Hildesheim (C.

Horstmann ed., 1886); Steph Mineart, The Three Kings of Cologne—A Legend of the Middle Ages, CommonPlaceBook.com (Mar. 3, 2004), (featuring a modernized translation of the story by H.S. Morris). John of Hildesheim was a Carmelite friar who lived in the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim in what is not present-day Germany. 3  “Balthazar” is sometimes spelled “Balthasar.” “Jasper” sometimes appears as “Gaspar” or “Caspar.” 4  The Three Kings of Cologne—A Legend of the Middle Ages, supra note 2. 5  Id. The Hill of Vaws is also known as the Hill of Victory.

Bede's lost skull cast 'rediscovered' - BBC News BBC News Bede's lost skull cast 'rediscovered' 6 September 2015 Image copyright Joanna Story/LCHES Image caption The cast was found in an anatomical collection at the University of Cambridge A cast of the skull of the Venerable Bede, which had long been thought lost, has been rediscovered and is going on display on South Tyneside. The saint, who lived from 672 to 735, was an influential scholar and was also known as the father of English history. In 1831, his tomb in Durham Cathedral was excavated and three casts made of his skull, but all later disappeared. One has now been found in a collection at Cambridge University and will go on show at Bede's World in Jarrow. Image copyright Matt Storey Image caption The exhibition, which runs from 8 September, explores the medieval devotion to Bede Bede lived in the twin monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow where he wrote wrote and translated dozens of books on theology, history, nature, astronomy, and poetry.

His most famous work remains The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, which was the first work of history to use the AD system of dating. His tomb in Durham Cathedral was excavated in 1831 by Dr James Raine, who was puzzled by the shape of the skull and had three plaster casts made before reinterring the bones. One was given to Dr John Thurnam, a pioneering psychiatrist, who had also developed a specialist interest in ethnography and archaeology, but this, along with the others was later lost. Prof Jo Story, of the University of Leicester, has now discovered it among the collections of the Duckworth Laboratory in the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies (LCHES) at the University of Cambridge. Image copyright Joanna Story/LCHES Image caption Matt Storey from Bede's World described the acquisition of the cast as "exciting" She said: "The story of The skull of Bede is one that takes us to the heart of 19th Century ideas about race and the peopling of the British Isles in antiquity.

"It traces the thread of evidence that links the cast in the Cambridge cupboard back to the excavation of Bede's tomb in Durham Cathedral in 1831, and from there back to the destruction of the medieval shrines of saints in Reformation England, to the devotion to the memory of Bede throughout the middle ages, and to the creation of Durham Cathedral in Norman England."

Question: Which cathedral houses the bones of the Venerable Bede?
Answer: DURHAM