Venerable Bede
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The Venerable Bede
The Venerable Bede:
Father of English History
Jeff Ince
Humanities 101
Professor Ben Williams
June 17. 2009
The Venerable Bede
The Venerable Bede:
Father of English History
Bede, also known as Saint Bede or (from Latin) Beda, was born near Sunderland, England around the year 673 and died on May 25, 735. He was an Anglo-Saxon theologian, historian, chronologist, and teacher best known today for his Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (“Ecclesiastical History of the English People”), a source vital to the history of the conversion to Christianity of the Anglo-Saxon Tribes. Almost everything that is known of Bede’s life is contained in the last chapter of his Historia Ecclesiastica.
Nothing is known of Bede’s parentage. At age seven he was taken to the Monastery of St. Peter, founded at Wearmouth (near Sunderland, Durham) to be educated by Abbott Benedict Biscop, who scholars believe heavily influenced Bede’s thirst for knowledge. His education was later taken over by Coefirth, with whom Bede moved to the monastery’s new twin house at Jarrow.
Bede spent the rest of his adult life at Jarrow, first as a student, then later as a teacher of monastic rule. He was ordained a deacon of the church at age 19, at a time when deacons were supposed to be 25 and over. This early ordination may be an indication that Bede’s abilities were considered extraordinary. He eventually became a priest at age 30. Apart from his visits to Lidisfarne and York, he seems never to have left Wearmouth-Jarrow .
The Venerable Bede
Bede’s work falls into three groups: grammatical and scientific, scriptural commentary, and historical and biographical. His earliest works include treatises on spelling, hymns, figures of speech, verse, and epigrams. His first two chronological treatises were concerned with rectifying the correct date to celebrate Easter, a very controversial topic of his time. He also wrote a chronological history of the earth, which...
The Venerable Bede:
Father of English History
Jeff Ince
Humanities 101
Professor Ben Williams
June 17. 2009
The Venerable Bede
The Venerable Bede:
Father of English History
Bede, also known as Saint Bede or (from Latin) Beda, was born near Sunderland, England around the year 673 and died on May 25, 735. He was an Anglo-Saxon theologian, historian, chronologist, and teacher best known today for his Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (“Ecclesiastical History of the English People”), a source vital to the history of the conversion to Christianity of the Anglo-Saxon Tribes. Almost everything that is known of Bede’s life is contained in the last chapter of his Historia Ecclesiastica.
Nothing is known of Bede’s parentage. At age seven he was taken to the Monastery of St. Peter, founded at Wearmouth (near Sunderland, Durham) to be educated by Abbott Benedict Biscop, who scholars believe heavily influenced Bede’s thirst for knowledge. His education was later taken over by Coefirth, with whom Bede moved to the monastery’s new twin house at Jarrow.
Bede spent the rest of his adult life at Jarrow, first as a student, then later as a teacher of monastic rule. He was ordained a deacon of the church at age 19, at a time when deacons were supposed to be 25 and over. This early ordination may be an indication that Bede’s abilities were considered extraordinary. He eventually became a priest at age 30. Apart from his visits to Lidisfarne and York, he seems never to have left Wearmouth-Jarrow .
The Venerable Bede
Bede’s work falls into three groups: grammatical and scientific, scriptural commentary, and historical and biographical. His earliest works include treatises on spelling, hymns, figures of speech, verse, and epigrams. His first two chronological treatises were concerned with rectifying the correct date to celebrate Easter, a very controversial topic of his time. He also wrote a chronological history of the earth, which...