Bede, “the Venerable” Jin A Song & Evan Sznol

Bede, “the Venerable”Jin A Song & Evan Sznol

Birth of Bede • Believed to have been born in 672 or 673AD • Bede: the word for “priest” in Old Saxon language (actual name is not known) • No information on Bede’s parents • Exact site of his birth is unknown, but it was in the region of the modern city of Yarrow in northern England

Bede’s Early Life • At age of 7, he was placed in the Wearmouth monastery located at the mouth of the river Wear, Northumbria • At that time a poor family was unable to take care for its children so might turn some over to the Church. • Or, a boy of humble birth might rise in the hierarchy of the society if raised in the church. • Thus we are unsure if Bede came from a poor family or if his family saw something special in the boy and realized that only the church represented an avenue for advancement. • 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. (Abbot Benedict: later became responsible for the monastery and the library which the Venerable Bede produced)

Bede’s 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. • At the age of 19, he was ordained as a Deacon (at a time when Deacons were supposed to be 25 or over) • At the age of 30, he became a priest • Historians believe Bede left Jarrow only twice, 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. • His love for the service--"I know that the angels are present at the canonical Hours, and what if they do not find me among the brethren when they assemble? Will they not say, Where is Bede? Why does he not attend the appointed devotions with his brethren?”--from a letter he wrote

A Lifetime Monk • His works in: • Theology • History • Chronology • Poetry • Biography

As a 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 dispersion 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.

As a 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 the modern 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.

As a Historian • In 731, 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 Christianity of Britain, a mixture of sophisticated historiography and religious matters containing details simply not found elsewhere. As such, it now overshadows his other historical, indeed all his other works.

Venerable Bede Translating the Gospel of John, by JD Penrose

Death of Bede • Bede died in 785 and was buried at Jarrow before being re-buried inside Durham Cathedral. 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. We don't know how, or when, he acquired the soubriquet 'venerable’ but assume that he did after his death.

“I have spent all my life in this monastery” Stained glass window commemorating Bede at the Bede’s World Museum at Jarrow

Quotes • “It has always been my delight to learn or to teach or to write” • "I have made it my business, for my own benefit and that of my brothers, to make brief extracts from the works of the venerable fathers on the holy scriptures, or to add notes of my own to clarify their sense and interpretation".

Historia Ecclesiatica Gentis Anglorum • The “Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation” • Bede’s most famous work • Mainly concerned with the growth of Christianity in England • Considered the most valuable source for early English history • Completed in ~731, Bede age 60 • Written in Latin • Translated into OE by King Alfred in the 9th century as part of a greater educational reform in England

Ecclesiastical History of the English Race: Importance • The total corpus of Old English is approximately 3.5 million words, equivalent to 30 medium sized novels (Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language)

Ecclesiastical History of the English Race: In 5 parts • Part 1: Description of Britain. Invasion of Julius Caesar (603) • Part 2: Death of Gregory the Great, Death of Edwin and retirement of Paulinus • Part 3: Concerning Oswald, Aidan, Fursey, Cedd and Wilfred (664) Bede, depicted in 1493

Ecclesiastical History of the English Race: In 5 parts • Part 4: Death of Deusdedit and the ascension of Theodore with abbot Hadrian • Part 5: Condition of Britain in 731 and Bede’s assorted works

Ecclesiastical History of the English Race: Style • Monastic influence permeates the text: “This man he observed to be engaged in continual prayer and watching day and night; when on a sudden the Divine grace shining on him, he began to imitate the example of faith and piety which was set before him, and being gradually instructed by his wholesome admonitions, he cast off the darkness of idolatry, and became a Christian in all sincerity of heart.” –On Alban, Book 1 Chapter 7 • Invented quotations: Then said the judge, "Of what family or race are you?" "What does it concern you," answered Alban, "of what stock I am? If you desire to hear the truth of my religion be it known to you, that I am now a Christian, and bound by Christian duties.” –Alban died in the 3rd/4th century

Contributions to History • Cited other works and made references to other earlier writers: a historical precedent • Orosius, Gildas,Prosper of Aquitane • The term anno Domini (AD, “in the year of our lord”) is coined by Dionesius in 525 • Frequent usage of “anno ab incarnatione Domini” (in the year of the incarnation of the lord) contributed heavily to the adoption of the AD standard, although he never abbreviated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bede#historiaecclesiastica

Contributions to History • Was one of the first to reference time as BC “ante incarnationis dominicae tempus” (Before the incarnation of the lord). • The notion of BC used only sporadically in the Middle Ages • Resurfaces in extensive usage in the 15th century by a Cathusian monk named Werner Rolevinck in Fasciculus Temporum

Epistola Cuthberti de obitu Bedae • “Bede’s Death Song” • Attributed to Bede and transcribed by his student Cuthbert • “And in our own language,—for he was familiar with English poetry,—speaking of the soul’s dread departure from the body.” –Cuthbert on Bede’s poem

Facing that enforced journey, no man can be More prudent than he has good call to be, If he consider, before his going hence, What for his spirit of good hap or of evil After his day of death shall be determined. Fore ðæm nedfere nænig wiorðe ðonc snottora ðon him ðearf siæ to ymbhycgenne ær his hinionge hwæt his gastæ godes oððe yfles æfter deað dæge doemed wiorðe.: Epistola Cuthberti de obitu Bedae

Characterizations of OE • Orthographical disparities to Modern English: • “ð”: Called “that” in Anglo-saxon times, “eth” by scholars. • Represented the “th” sound. For example: deað • Interchangeable with “þ”: the thorn; not employed in the transcription of Bede’s poem. • “Ȝ”: the “yogh.” Overlaps with modern g. • “æ”: the “ash.” Sound somewhere between [a] and [e]. Example: æfter • “Ƿ”: the “wynn.” Represents the /w/ sound

Characterizations of OE • Highly inflectional: • “to ymbhycgenne ær his hinionge” • Verb, 3rd person present subjunctive (“If he consider, before his going hence,”) • “hwæt his gastæ godes oððe yfles” • Noun, genitive singular neuter (“What for his spirit of good hap or of evil”) • Fore ðæm nedfere nænig wiorðe • Demonstrative, dative (“Facing that enforced journey, no man can be) • Vocabulary mostly opaque, with some exceptions: • “To” == “To”; “ær” == “ere”; “his”==“his” “deað” == “death”

Characterizations of OE • O/A oscillations: • “ðonc snottora ðon him ðearf siæ” (“More prudent than he has good call to be”) • “ðon == “than” • V Final (OV) • hwæt his gastæ godes oððe yfles / æfter deað dæge doemed wiorðe (“What for his spirit of good hap or of evil / After his day of death shall be determined.” • V2 (VS) • “Þa stod him sum mon…” – Cædmon Story (p. 20)

Sources: • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bede • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historia_ecclesiastica_gentis_Anglorum • http://orthodoxwiki.org/Bede • http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/bede-book1.html • http://www.bedesworld.co.uk/academic-bede.php • http://www.bartleby.com/211/0506.html • http://web.archive.org/web/20020611051718/www.cohums.ohio-state.edu/history/people/crisp.23/Hymns.html • Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language • http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/b/Bede.htm • http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/saints/bede_historian.htm

Bede, “the Venerable” Jin A Song & Evan Sznol