Cult of St. Cuthbert
Overview
St. Cuthbert was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop and monk who became known for his asceticism, piety, and miracles. After his death in 687, his cult quickly developed, and his shrine at Lindisfarne became a center of pilgrimage and devotion. Over the centuries, the cult of St. Cuthbert grew and spread throughout Anglo-Saxon England, influencing religious practices, beliefs, and artistic expressions.
Life of St. Cuthbert
St. Cuthbert was born around 635 CE in Northumbria, in the village of Dunbar. He grew up as a shepherd and had a vision of angels carrying the soul of St. Aidan to heaven, which inspired him to become a monk. He entered the monastery of Melrose and later became prior of Lindisfarne. St. Cuthbert was known for his austere lifestyle, frequent fasting, and long hours of prayer. He also had a reputation for healing the sick, exorcising demons, and prophesying. In 685, St. Cuthbert was consecrated bishop of Lindisfarne, but he resigned after two years, preferring the solitude of a hermit’s life on Inner Farne Island. He died on March 20, 687, and was buried at Lindisfarne.
St. Cuthbert’s legacy was soon recognized by his contemporaries and later generations. Bede, the 8th-century monk and historian, wrote The Life of Saint Cuthbert, a hagiography that celebrated the saint’s virtues, miracles, and sanctity. Bede’s biography portrays St. Cuthbert as a model of Christian perfection and a mediator between heaven and earth. Bede’s account also records some of St. Cuthbert’s miracles, such as his ability to calm storms, heal the sick, and raise the dead. The miracles attributed to St. Cuthbert were an essential aspect of his cult, as they demonstrated his power and holiness and attracted the faithful to his shrine.
Cuthbert finds a piece of timber washed up with the tide
The Development of the Cult of St. Cuthbert
The cult of St. Cuthbert developed rapidly after his death, and his shrine at Lindisfarne became a center of pilgrimage and devotion. The monks of Lindisfarne guarded St. Cuthbert’s relics zealously, and they moved them from place to place to avoid Viking raids. In 995, the monks settled in Durham and built a new shrine for St. Cuthbert, which became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in medieval England. The Durham Cathedral became a center of the cult of St. Cuthbert, and the monks who lived there created the Durham Liber Vitae, a book that listed the names of the faithful who had donated to St. Cuthbert’s shrine. The Durham Liber Vitae is an essential source for the study of the cult of St. Cuthbert, as it provides evidence of the extent and diversity of its devotees.
The Lindisfarne Gospels and the St. Cuthbert Gospel are two of the most famous artifacts associated with the cult of St. Cuthbert. The Lindisfarne Gospels is an illuminated manuscript that contains the four Gospels, written and illustrated by monks in the early 8th century. The manuscript is a masterpiece of Anglo-Saxon art, and its intricate and beautiful designs reflect the high regard in which St. Cuthbert was held by the monks who created it. The St. Cuthbert Gospel is also a significant artifact associated with the cult of St. Cuthbert. This pocket-sized book is the oldest surviving intact European book and is believed to have been placed in St. Cuthbert’s coffin at his death. Its discovery in the coffin in 1104, along with the saint’s miraculously preserved body, further enhanced the cult’s prestige and popularity.
Lindisfarne Gospels
The Lindisfarne Gospels is a manuscript Gospel book created around 700 CE in the monastery of Lindisfarne in Northumbria, a region in northern England. The book contains the four Gospels of the New Testament, written in Latin, and is decorated with intricate and colorful illuminations and artwork.
It is considered one of the most important examples of Anglo-Saxon art and religious manuscripts. It is also an important artifact of the Christianization of England during the early Middle Ages. The book’s creation is attributed to the monk Eadfrith, who is believed to have written the text and created the illuminations, while the binding was crafted by man named Billfrith.
The artwork in the Lindisfarne Gospels is characterized by intricate, interlaced patterns, intricate borders, and vibrant colors. The illustrations include depictions of the Evangelists and other biblical figures, as well as scenes from the life of Christ. The artistic style is influenced by Celtic and Christian art, and is characterized by a fusion of different cultural traditions.
The Lindisfarne Gospels is also important for its historical significance, as it is one of the few surviving examples of early medieval illuminated manuscripts. It is also an important artifact of the history of book-making and the spread of Christianity in England during the early Middle Ages.
Image: Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, incipit page to the Gospel of Matthew
Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels, incipit page to the Gospel of Matthew
Influence
The cult of St. Cuthbert had a profound influence on religious practices and beliefs in Anglo-Saxon England. One of the most notable ways in which the cult influenced religious practices was through the use of relics. The veneration of saints’ relics was an important aspect of medieval Christianity, and the cult of St. Cuthbert was no exception. Monasteries and churches associated with the cult housed and displayed relics attributed to St. Cuthbert, and pilgrims flocked to these sites to see and venerate them. The Durham Liber Vitae, a manuscript containing the names of individuals who made donations to the cult of St. Cuthbert, also attests to the widespread popularity of the cult and its relics.
Another way in which the cult of St. Cuthbert influenced religious practices was through the development of hagiography. Hagiography is the study of the lives of saints, and the cult of St. Cuthbert produced numerous hagiographical texts that helped spread the cult’s message and teachings. Bede’s The Life of Saint Cuthbert is one of the most well-known hagiographical texts associated with the cult, but there were many others. These texts helped shape the way in which St. Cuthbert was remembered and celebrated, and they helped to spread the cult’s influence beyond its immediate geographic area.
The Continuation of the Cult of St. Cuthbert in the Medieval Period
The cult of St. Cuthbert continued and transformed in the medieval period, and it remained an important aspect of English religious life. The development of new pilgrimage sites associated with the cult, such as the Cathedral of St. Cuthbert in Durham, helped to spread the cult’s influence and attract new followers. The creation of illuminated manuscripts, such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Durham Cassiodorus, also helped to promote the cult’s message and teachings to a wider audience.
In the late Middle Ages, the cult of St. Cuthbert underwent a significant transformation. The focus of the cult shifted from veneration of St. Cuthbert’s relics to a more intellectual and scholarly approach. This is evidenced by the creation of the St. Cuthbert’s Society at Oxford University in the 15th century, which was dedicated to the study of Anglo-Saxon literature and culture. Despite these changes, however, the cult of St. Cuthbert continued to be an important aspect of English religious life.
Related Topics
Further Research & References
Bede. The Life of Saint Cuthbert. In Bede: The Ecclesiastical History of the English People; The Greater Chronicle; Bede’s Letter to Egbert, edited by Judith McClure and Roger Collins, 301-362. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.
“The Durham Liber Vitae.” Durham Cathedral Library Manuscript A.IV.19, 9th century. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/durham-liber-vitae
The Lindisfarne Gospels. British Library Cotton MS Nero D.IV. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/lindisfarne-gospels
The St. Cuthbert Gospel. British Library Add MS 89000. https://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=add_ms_89000
Stancliffe, Clare. “The Cult of St. Cuthbert.” In The Anglo-Saxons: Synthesis and Achievement, edited by James Campbell, Patrick Wormald, and Eric John, 211-225. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1991.
Rollason, David. “St. Cuthbert, His Cult and the Community of St. Cuthbert in the Anglo-Saxon North-East.” In St. Cuthbert, His Cult and His Community to AD 1200, edited by Gerald Bonner, David Rollason, and Clare Stancliffe, 1-22. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 1989.
Jolly, Karen Louise. “The Making of Christian Myths in the Periphery: Cuthbert, Bede, and Hagiography.” In the Company of Angels: Saints and Their Lives in the Middle Ages, edited by Joanne Maguire Robinson, 19-45. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989.
Wogan-Browne, Jocelyn. “The Cult of St. Cuthbert in the Late Middle Ages.” In Saints and Cults in Medieval England, edited by Diana Wood, 189-213. Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2003.
Photos:
Map of Northumbria
Ben McGarr, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. [cropped]
St. Cuthbert Window
Charc2018, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.