Difference between revisions of "Saint Aidan" - New World Encyclopedia
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|name=Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne | |name=Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne | ||
|birth_date= | |birth_date= | ||
| − | |death_date= | + | |death_date= August 31, 651 |
| − | |feast_day= | + | |feast_day=31 August (Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion), June 9 (Lutheran Church) |
|venerated_in=[[Roman Catholic Church]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], [[Anglican Communion]], [[Lutheran Church]] | |venerated_in=[[Roman Catholic Church]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], [[Anglican Communion]], [[Lutheran Church]] | ||
|image=Aidan of Lindisfarne.jpg | |image=Aidan of Lindisfarne.jpg | ||
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|caption= | |caption= | ||
|birth_place=[[Ireland]] | |birth_place=[[Ireland]] | ||
| − | |death_place=Parish Churchyard, | + | |death_place=Parish Churchyard, Bamburgh, Northumberland |
|titles=Bishop | |titles=Bishop | ||
|beatified_date= | |beatified_date= | ||
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}} | }} | ||
| − | '''Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne''', the '''Apostle of Northumbria''' (died [[ | + | '''Saint Aidan<ref>Aidan is the anglified form of the original [[Old Irish]] ''Áedán''.</ref> of Lindisfarne''', the '''Apostle of Northumbria''' (died 651), was an Irish [[monk]] who heeded [[Saint Oswald|King Oswald]]'s call to revivify English Christianity. In his missionary labors, he founded a [[monastery|monastic cathedral]] on the island of [[Lindisfarne]] ([[England]]), served as its first [[bishop]], and traveled ceaselessly throughout the countryside, spreading the gospel to both the Anglo-Saxon nobility and to the socially disenfranchised (including children and slaves). His influence was such that the [[Venerable Bede]] dedicates much of the third book of his ''Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation'' to describing this gentle and charitable monk's exploits. |
| − | + | :"''[[Augustine of Canterbury|Augustine]] was the Apostle of Kent, but Aidan was the Apostle of the English.''" - Bishop Lightfoot | |
| − | == | + | ==Biography== |
| − | + | [[Bede]]'s meticulous and detailed account of Saint Aidan's life provides the basis for most biographical sketches (both classical and modern). One notable lacuna, which (somewhat paradoxically) reinforces the notion of Bede's reliability, is that virtually nothing is known of the monk's early life, save that he was a monk at the ancient monastery on the island of [[Iona]] ([[Scotland]]) from a relatively young age and that he was of Irish descent.<ref>See Bede's [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/bede-book3.html ''Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation''] (Book III); Farmer, 8.</ref> | |
| − | |||
| + | ===Religio-Political Context=== | ||
The [[Roman Empire]] had spread Christianity into Britain, but due to its decline, [[paganism]] was seeing a resurgence in some parts. [[Oswald of Northumbria]] had been living at the Iona monastery as a king in exile since [[616]] AD. There he converted to Christianity and was [[baptize|baptised]]. In [[634]] he gained the crown of Northumbria, and was determined to bring Christianity to the mostly pagan people there. | The [[Roman Empire]] had spread Christianity into Britain, but due to its decline, [[paganism]] was seeing a resurgence in some parts. [[Oswald of Northumbria]] had been living at the Iona monastery as a king in exile since [[616]] AD. There he converted to Christianity and was [[baptize|baptised]]. In [[634]] he gained the crown of Northumbria, and was determined to bring Christianity to the mostly pagan people there. | ||
Owing to his past at Iona, he requested missionaries from that monastery instead of the Roman-backed monasteries in England. At first the monastery sent a new bishop named Corman, but he returned to Iona and reported that the Northumbrians were too stubborn to be converted. Aidan criticised Corman's methods and was soon sent as a replacement in [[635]].<ref name=Powicke237>Powicke ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 237</ref> | Owing to his past at Iona, he requested missionaries from that monastery instead of the Roman-backed monasteries in England. At first the monastery sent a new bishop named Corman, but he returned to Iona and reported that the Northumbrians were too stubborn to be converted. Aidan criticised Corman's methods and was soon sent as a replacement in [[635]].<ref name=Powicke237>Powicke ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 237</ref> | ||
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| + | |||
| + | ===The Misson of Saint Aidan=== | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
Aidan chose the island of [[Lindisfarne]], close to the royal castle at [[Bamburgh]], as his seat of his [[diocese]]. King Oswald, who spoke Irish, often had to translate for Aidan and his monks, who did not speak English at first. When Oswald died in [[642]], Aidan received continued support from King [[Oswine of Deira]] and the two became close friends. | Aidan chose the island of [[Lindisfarne]], close to the royal castle at [[Bamburgh]], as his seat of his [[diocese]]. King Oswald, who spoke Irish, often had to translate for Aidan and his monks, who did not speak English at first. When Oswald died in [[642]], Aidan received continued support from King [[Oswine of Deira]] and the two became close friends. | ||
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}} | }} | ||
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==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | *Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints''. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-140-51312-4. | + | * Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. ''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints''. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-140-51312-4. |
| − | *[[ | + | * Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine). ''The Lives of the Saints''. With introduction and additional Lives of English martyrs, Cornish, Scottish, and Welsh saints, and a full index to the entire work. Volume I. Edinburgh : J. Grant, 1914. |
| + | * The Venerable Bede. ''The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation''. Translated by L.C. Jane. London: J.M. Dent; New York E.P. Dutton, 1910. Accessed online at: Fordham University's [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/bede-book3.html Medieval Sourcebook]. | ||
| + | * Butler, Alban. ''Lives of the Saints''. Edited, revised, and supplemented by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater. Palm Publishers, 1956. | ||
| + | * Farmer, David Hugh. ''The Oxford Dictionary of Saints''. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN 0192800582. | ||
| + | * Grattan-Flood, W.H. "Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne" in [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01233d.htm The Catholic Encyclopedia]. 1909. | ||
| + | * Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' (2nd Edition). London: Royal Historical Society, 1961. | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| + | ''All links retrieved September 16, 2007'' | ||
*[http://www.discovertheborders.co.uk/places/images/small/1106-1.jpg Image of a modern statue of Aidan on Lindisfarne] | *[http://www.discovertheborders.co.uk/places/images/small/1106-1.jpg Image of a modern statue of Aidan on Lindisfarne] | ||
*[http://www.losgolding.com/aidan.pdf Biography on Aidan of Lindisfarne] by David Golding (PDF) | *[http://www.losgolding.com/aidan.pdf Biography on Aidan of Lindisfarne] by David Golding (PDF) | ||
| − | *[http://www.irelandseye.com/irish/people/saints/aidan.shtm Irelandseye.com | + | *[http://www.irelandseye.com/irish/people/saints/aidan.shtm Irelandseye.com - Biography of Saint Aidan] |
*[http://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/general/aidan.htm Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne] by Reverend Canon Kate Tristram | *[http://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/general/aidan.htm Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne] by Reverend Canon Kate Tristram | ||
*[http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/adversaries/bios/aidan.html Early British Kingdoms: St. Aidan] | *[http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/adversaries/bios/aidan.html Early British Kingdoms: St. Aidan] | ||
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[[Category:Anglo-Saxon saints]] | [[Category:Anglo-Saxon saints]] | ||
[[Category:Bishops of Lindisfarne]] | [[Category:Bishops of Lindisfarne]] | ||
Revision as of 18:51, 16 September 2007
| Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Bishop | |
| Died | August 31, 651 in Parish Churchyard, Bamburgh, Northumberland |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church |
| Major shrine | originally Lindisfarne Abbey, Northumberland; later disputed between Iona Abbey & Glastonbury Abbey (all destroyed). |
| Feast | 31 August (Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion), June 9 (Lutheran Church) |
| Attributes | Monk holding a flaming torch; stag |
| Patronage | Northumbria; Firefighters |
Saint Aidan[1] of Lindisfarne, the Apostle of Northumbria (died 651), was an Irish monk who heeded King Oswald's call to revivify English Christianity. In his missionary labors, he founded a monastic cathedral on the island of Lindisfarne (England), served as its first bishop, and traveled ceaselessly throughout the countryside, spreading the gospel to both the Anglo-Saxon nobility and to the socially disenfranchised (including children and slaves). His influence was such that the Venerable Bede dedicates much of the third book of his Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation to describing this gentle and charitable monk's exploits.
- "Augustine was the Apostle of Kent, but Aidan was the Apostle of the English." - Bishop Lightfoot
Biography
Bede's meticulous and detailed account of Saint Aidan's life provides the basis for most biographical sketches (both classical and modern). One notable lacuna, which (somewhat paradoxically) reinforces the notion of Bede's reliability, is that virtually nothing is known of the monk's early life, save that he was a monk at the ancient monastery on the island of Iona (Scotland) from a relatively young age and that he was of Irish descent.[2]
Religio-Political Context
The Roman Empire had spread Christianity into Britain, but due to its decline, paganism was seeing a resurgence in some parts. Oswald of Northumbria had been living at the Iona monastery as a king in exile since 616 C.E. There he converted to Christianity and was baptised. In 634 he gained the crown of Northumbria, and was determined to bring Christianity to the mostly pagan people there.
Owing to his past at Iona, he requested missionaries from that monastery instead of the Roman-backed monasteries in England. At first the monastery sent a new bishop named Corman, but he returned to Iona and reported that the Northumbrians were too stubborn to be converted. Aidan criticised Corman's methods and was soon sent as a replacement in 635.[3]
The Misson of Saint Aidan
Aidan chose the island of Lindisfarne, close to the royal castle at Bamburgh, as his seat of his diocese. King Oswald, who spoke Irish, often had to translate for Aidan and his monks, who did not speak English at first. When Oswald died in 642, Aidan received continued support from King Oswine of Deira and the two became close friends.
An inspired missionary, Aidan would walk from one village to another, politely conversing with the people he saw and slowly interesting them in Christianity. According to legend, the king gave Aidan a horse so that he wouldn't have to walk, but Aidan gave the horse to a beggar. By patiently talking to the people on their own level Aidan and his monks slowly restored Christianity to the Northumbrian communities. Aidan also took in twelve English boys to train at the monastery, to ensure that the area's future religious leadership would be English.
In 651 a pagan army attacked Bamburgh and attempted to set its walls ablaze. According to legend, Aidan prayed for the city, after which the winds turned and blew the smoke and fire toward the enemy, repulsing them.
Aidan was a member of the Irish branch of Christianity instead of the Roman branch, but his character and energy in missionary work won him the respect of Pope Honorius I and Felix of Dunwich.
Aidan's friend Oswine of Deira was murdered in 651. Twelve days later Aidan died, on August 31, in the 17th year of his episcopate.[3] He had become ill while at the Bamburgh castle and died leaning against the wall of the local church.
The monastery he founded grew and helped found churches and other monasteries throughout the area. It also became a centre of learning and a storehouse of scholarly knowledge. Saint Bede the Venerable would later write Aidan's biography and describe the miracles attributed to him. Saint Aidan's feast day is on 31 August.
| Religious titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: — |
Bishop of Lindisfarne 635 - 651 |
Succeeded by: Saint Finan |
Notes
- ↑ Aidan is the anglified form of the original Old Irish Áedán.
- ↑ See Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation (Book III); Farmer, 8.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Powicke Handbook of British Chronology p. 237
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-140-51312-4.
- Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine). The Lives of the Saints. With introduction and additional Lives of English martyrs, Cornish, Scottish, and Welsh saints, and a full index to the entire work. Volume I. Edinburgh : J. Grant, 1914.
- The Venerable Bede. The Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation. Translated by L.C. Jane. London: J.M. Dent; New York E.P. Dutton, 1910. Accessed online at: Fordham University's Medieval Sourcebook.
- Butler, Alban. Lives of the Saints. Edited, revised, and supplemented by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater. Palm Publishers, 1956.
- Farmer, David Hugh. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN 0192800582.
- Grattan-Flood, W.H. "Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne" in The Catholic Encyclopedia. 1909.
- Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde. Handbook of British Chronology (2nd Edition). London: Royal Historical Society, 1961.
External links
All links retrieved September 16, 2007
- Image of a modern statue of Aidan on Lindisfarne
- Biography on Aidan of Lindisfarne by David Golding (PDF)
- Irelandseye.com - Biography of Saint Aidan
- Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne by Reverend Canon Kate Tristram
- Early British Kingdoms: St. Aidan
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