Aidan of Lindisfarne

Saint

Aidan of Lindisfarne
Saint; Aidan of Lindisfarne
	Stained glass at Holy Cross Monastery
Bishop
Born	c. 590; Ireland
Died	31 August 651; Parish Churchyard, Bamburgh, Northumberland
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church; Eastern Orthodox Church; Anglican Communion; Lutheranism;
Major shrine	Originally Lindisfarne Abbey, Northumberland; later disputed between Iona Abbey and Glastonbury Abbey (all destroyed)
Feast	31 August (Eastern Orthodox, Catholic Church, Anglican Communion); 9 June (Lutheran Churchmarsh);
Attributes	Monk holding a flaming torch; stag;
Patronage	Northumbria; firefighters;

Aidan of Lindisfarne^[a] (Irish: Naomh Aodhán; died 31 August 651) was an Irish monk and missionary credited with converting the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity in Northumbria. He founded a ministry cathedral on the island of Lindisfarne, known as Lindisfarne Priory, served as its first bishop, and travelled ceaselessly throughout the countryside, spreading the gospel to both the Anglo-Saxon nobility and the socially disenfranchised (including children and slaves).

He is known as the Apostle of Northumbria and is recognised as a saint by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and others.

Biography

Bede's meticulous and detailed account of Aidan's life provides the basis for most biographical sketches (both classical and modern). Bede says virtually nothing of the monk's early life, save that he was a monk at the ancient monastery on the island of Iona from a relatively young age and that he was of Irish descent.^[1]^[2] According to Catholic tradition, in Aidan's early years, he was a disciple of Saint Senan on Inis Cathaigh.^[3] Aidan was known for his strict asceticism.^[4]

Background

Aidan (died 651) was the founder and first bishop of the Lindisfarne island monastery in England. He is credited with restoring Christianity to Northumbria. Aidan is the Anglicised form of the original Old Irish Aedán, Modern Irish Aodhán (meaning 'little fiery one'). Possibly born in Connacht, Aidan was originally a monk at the monastery on the Island of Iona, founded by St Columba.^[5]

In the years prior to Aidan's mission, Christianity throughout Britain was being largely displaced by Anglo-Saxon paganism. In the monastery of Iona (founded by Columba of the Irish Church), the religion soon found one of its principal exponents in Oswald of Northumbria, a noble youth who had been raised there as a king in exile since 616. Baptized as a Christian, the young king vowed to bring Christianity back to his people—an opportunity that presented itself in 634, when he gained the crown of Northumbria.^[6]

Owing to his historical connection to Iona's monastic community, King Oswald requested that missionaries be sent from that monastery instead of the Roman-sponsored monasteries of Southern England.^[4] At first, they sent him a bishop named Cormán, but he alienated many people by his harshness, and returned in failure to Iona reporting that the Northumbrians were too stubborn to be converted. Aidan criticized Cormán's methods and was soon sent as his replacement.^[7] He became bishop in 635.^[8]

Missionary efforts

Allying himself with the pious king, Aidan chose the island of Lindisfarne, which was close to the royal castle at Bamburgh, as the seat of his diocese.^[4] An inspired missionary, Aidan would walk from one village to another, politely conversing with the people he saw and slowly interesting them in Christianity: in this, he followed the early apostolic model of conversion, by offering "them first the milk of gentle doctrine, to bring them by degrees, while nourishing them with the Divine Word, to the true understanding and practice of the more advanced precepts."^[9] By patiently talking to the people on their own level (and by taking an active interest in their lives and communities), Aidan and his monks slowly restored Christianity to the Northumbrian countryside. King Oswald, who after his years of exile had a perfect command of Irish, often had to translate for Aidan and his monks, who did not speak English at first.

In his years of evangelism, Aidan was responsible for the construction of churches, monasteries and schools throughout Northumbria. At the same time, he earned a tremendous reputation for his pious charity and dedication to the less fortunate—such as his tendency to provide room, board and education to orphans, and his use of contributions to pay for the freedom of slaves:

He was one to traverse both town and country on foot, never on horseback, unless compelled by some urgent necessity; and wherever in his way he saw any, either rich or poor, he invited them, if infidels, to embrace the mystery of the faith or if they were believers, to strengthen them in the faith, and to stir them up by words and actions to alms and good works. [...] This [the reading of scriptures and psalms, and meditation upon holy truths] was the daily employment of himself and all that were with him, wheresoever they went; and if it happened, which was but seldom, that he was invited to eat with the king, he went with one or two clerks, and having taken a small repast, made haste to be gone with them, either to read or write. At that time, many religious men and women, stirred up by his example, adopted the custom of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, till the ninth hour, throughout the year, except during the fifty days after Easter. He never gave money to the powerful men of the world, but only meat, if he happened to entertain them; and, on the contrary, whatsoever gifts of money he received from the rich, he either distributed them, as has been said, to the use of the poor, or bestowed them in ransoming such as had been wrongfully sold for slaves. Moreover, he afterwards made many of those he had ransomed his disciples, and after having taught and instructed them, advanced them to the order of priesthood.
— Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation (Book III: Chapter V); Butler, 406–407.

The monastery he founded grew and helped found churches and other religious institutions throughout the area. It also served as centre of learning and a storehouse of scholarly knowledge, training many of Aidan's young charges for a career in the priesthood. Though Aidan was a member of the Irish branch of Christianity, his character and energy in missionary work won him the respect of Pope Honorius I and Felix of Dunwich.^[10]

When Oswald died in 642, Aidan received continued support from King Oswine of Deira and the two became close friends.^[11]^[12] As such, the monk's ministry continued relatively unchanged until the rise of pagan hostilities in 651.

During the time that he was bishop, the hostile army of the Mercians, under the command of Penda, cruelly ravaged the country of the Northumbrians far and near, even to the royal city, which has its name from Bebba, formerly its queen. Not being able to take it by storm or by siege, he endeavoured to burn it down; and having pulled down all the villages in the neighbourhood of the city, he brought thither an immense quantity of beams, rafters, partitions, wattles and thatch, wherewith he encompassed the place to a great height on the land side, and when he found the wind favourable, he set fire to it and attempted to burn the town. At that time, the most reverend Bishop Aidan was dwelling in the Isle of Fame, which is about two miles from the city; for thither he was wont often to retire to pray in solitude and silence; and, indeed, this lonely dwelling of his is to this day shown in that island. When he saw the flames of fire and the smoke carried by the wind rising above the city walls, he is said to have lifted up his eyes and hands to heaven, and cried with tears, "Behold, Lord, how great evil is wrought by Penda!" These words were hardly uttered, when the wind immediately veering from the city, drove back the flames upon those who had kindled them, so that some being hurt, and all afraid, they forebore any further attempts against the city, which they perceived to be protected by the hand of God.
— Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation^[13]

Legacy and veneration

After his death, Aidan's body was buried at Lindisfarne, beneath the abbey that he had helped found.^[14] Though his popularity waned in the coming years, "in the 11th century Glastonbury monks obtained some supposed relics of Aidan; through their influence Aidan's feast appears in the early Wessex calendars, which provide the main evidence for his cult after the age of Bede."^[14]

His feast is celebrated on the anniversary of his death, 31 August. Reflecting his Irish origins, his Scottish monasticism and his ministry to the English, Aidan has been proposed as a possible patron saint for the whole of the United Kingdom.^[15]^[16]

Aidan is honored in the Church of England and in the Episcopal Church on 31 August.^[17]^[18]

St Aidan's College of the University of Durham was named after Aidan.

References

Notes

^ Aidan is the anglicised form of the original Old Irish Áedán.

Citations

^ Bede. Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation. Medieval Sourcebook. Vol. Book III.
^ Farmer 2011, pp. 7–8.
^ Walsh, Michael, ed. (2001). Butler's Lives of the Saints. Kent, England: Burns & Oates. p. 271. ISBN 0-06-069299-5. OCLC 1100354738.
^ ^a ^b ^c "St. Aidan the Bishop of Lindisfarne", Orthodox Church in America
^ St Aidan of Lindisfarne, Catholic Pure and Simple
^ Baring-Gould 1914, pp. 63–70.
^ Kiefer 1999.
^ Fryde et al. 1996, p. 219.
^ Baring-Gould 1914, p. 392.
^ Chisholm 1911, p. 435.
^ Hole 1966, pp. 1100–111.
^ Butler 1956, p. 398.
^ "The Venerable Bede: Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England – Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org. Retrieved 23 January 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ ^a ^b Farmer 2011, p. 9.
^ Bradley 2002.
^ Milmo 2011.
^ "The Calendar". The Church of England. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
^ Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018. Church Publishing, Inc. 17 December 2019. ISBN 978-1-64065-235-4.

Sources

Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-14-051312-4.
Baring-Gould, S. (1914). 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. Edinburgh: J. Grant.
Bradley, Ian (26 August 2002). "Wanted: a new patron saint". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
Butler, Alban (1956). Lives of the Saints. Palm. Edited, revised, and supplemented by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater
Chambers, Robert; Thomson, Thomas Napier (1857). "Aidan, Saint" . A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Scotsmen. Vol. 1. Glasgow: Blackie and Son. pp. 35–38 – via Wikisource.
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Aidan" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 435.
Farmer, David Hugh (2011). The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (Fifth Revised ed.). OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-959660-7.
Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
Hole, Christina (1966). Saints in Folklore. London: G. Bell and Sons.
Kiefer, James E. (29 August 1999). "Aidan of Lindisfarne, Missionary". Biographical Sketches of memorable Christians of the past. Society of Archbishop Justus.
Milmo, Cahal (23 October 2011). "Home-grown holy man: Cry God for Harry, Britain and... St Aidan". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 April 2008. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
Webb, Alfred (1878). "Aidan, Saint" . A Compendium of Irish Biography. Dublin: M. H. Gill & son.

External links

Christian titles
New diocese	Bishop of Lindisfarne 635–651	Succeeded by Finan

[1] Aidan is the anglicised form of the original Old Irish Áedán.

[2] Bede. Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation. Medieval Sourcebook. Vol. Book III.

[FOOTNOTEFarmer20117–8-3] Farmer 2011, pp. 7–8.

[4] Walsh, Michael, ed. (2001). Butler's Lives of the Saints. Kent, England: Burns & Oates. p. 271. ISBN 0-06-069299-5. OCLC 1100354738.

[oca-5] "St. Aidan the Bishop of Lindisfarne", Orthodox Church in America

[CPS-6] St Aidan of Lindisfarne, Catholic Pure and Simple

[FOOTNOTEBaring-Gould191463–70-7] Baring-Gould 1914, pp. 63–70.

[FOOTNOTEKiefer1999-8] Kiefer 1999.

[FOOTNOTEFrydeGreenwayPorterRoy1996219-9] Fryde et al. 1996, p. 219.

[FOOTNOTEBaring-Gould1914392-10] Baring-Gould 1914, p. 392.

[FOOTNOTEChisholm1911435-11] Chisholm 1911, p. 435.

[FOOTNOTEHole19661100–111-12] Hole 1966, pp. 1100–111.

[FOOTNOTEButler1956398-13] Butler 1956, p. 398.

[14] "The Venerable Bede: Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England – Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org. Retrieved 23 January 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[FOOTNOTEFarmer20119-15] Farmer 2011, p. 9.

[FOOTNOTEBradley2002-16] Bradley 2002.

[FOOTNOTEMilmo2011-17] Milmo 2011.

[calendar-18] "The Calendar". The Church of England. Retrieved 27 March 2021.

[19] Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018. Church Publishing, Inc. 17 December 2019. ISBN 978-1-64065-235-4.

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v t e Bishops of Durham
Bishops of Lindisfarne	Aidan Finan Colmán Tuda United to York Eata Cuthbert Eadberht Eadfrith Æthelwold Cynewulf Higbald Egbert Heathwred Ecgred Eanbert Eardulf
Bishops of Chester-le-Street	Eardulf Cutheard Tilred Wigred Uhtred Sexhelm Ealdred Ælfsige Aldhun
High Medieval Bishops of Durham	Aldhun Edmund Eadred Æthelric Æthelwine
High Medieval Bishops rulers of the County Palatine of Durham	Walcher William de St-Calais Ranulf Flambard Geoffrey Rufus William Cumin William of St. Barbara Hugh de Puiset Philip of Poitou Richard Poore John de Gray Morgan Richard Marsh William Scot Richard Poore Thomas de Melsonby Nicholas Farnham Walter of Kirkham Robert Stitchill Robert of Holy Island Antony Bek
Late Medieval Bishops rulers of the County Palatine of Durham	Richard Kellaw Lewis de Beaumont Richard de Bury Thomas Hatfield John Fordham Walter Skirlaw Thomas Langley Robert Neville Lawrence Booth William Dudley John Sherwood Richard Foxe
Early modern Bishops rulers of the County Palatine of Durham	William Senhouse Christopher Bainbridge Thomas Ruthall Thomas Wolsey Cuthbert Tunstall James Pilkington Richard Barnes Matthew Hutton Tobias Matthew William James Richard Neile George Montaigne John Howson Thomas Morton Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) John Cosin Nathaniel Crew William Talbot Edward Chandler Joseph Butler Richard Trevor John Egerton Thomas Thurlow Shute Barrington William Van Mildert
Late modern Bishops	Edward Maltby Charles Longley Henry Montagu Villiers Charles Baring J. B. Lightfoot Brooke Foss Westcott Handley Moule Hensley Henson Alwyn Williams Michael Ramsey Maurice Harland Ian Ramsey John Habgood David Jenkins Michael Turnbull N. T. Wright Justin Welby Paul Butler

v t e Saints of Anglo-Saxon England
British / Welsh	Aldate of Oxford Barloc of Norbury Brannoc of Braunton Branwalator of Milton Credan of Evesham Congar of Congresbury Dachuna of Bodmin Decuman of Watchet Elfin of Warrington Ivo of Ramsey Judoc of Winchester Melorius of Amesbury Nectan of Hartland Neot of Cornwall Patrick of Glastonbury Rumon of Tavistock Samson of Dol Sativola of Exeter
East Anglian	Æthelberht of East Anglia Æthelburh of Faremoutiers Æthelflæd of Ramsey Æthelthryth of Ely Æthelwine of Lindsey Athwulf of Thorney Blida of Martham Botwulf of Thorney Cissa of Crowland Cuthbald of Peterborough Eadmund of East Anglia Eadnoth of Ramsey Guthlac of Crowland Herefrith of Thorney Hiurmine of Blythburgh Huna of Thorney Pega of Peakirk Seaxburh of Ely Sigeberht of East Anglia Tancred of Thorney Torthred of Thorney Tova of Thorney Walstan of Bawburgh Wendreda Wihtburh of Ely Wulfric of Holme
East Saxon	Æthelburh of Barking Hildelith of Barking Osgyth Sæbbi of London
Frisian, Frankish and Old Saxon	Balthild of Romsey Bertha of Kent Felix of Dommoc Helier of Jersey Grimbald of St Bertin Monegunda of Watton Odwulf of Evesham Wulfram of Grantham
Irish and Scottish	Aidan of Lindisfarne Boisil of Melrose Echa of Crayke Ultan the Scribe Indract of Glastonbury Maildub of Malmesbury
Kentish	Æbbe of Thanet (Domne Eafe) Æthelberht of Kent Æthelburh of Kent Æthelred of Kent Albinus of Canterbury Berhtwald of Canterbury Deusdedit of Canterbury Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet Eanswith of Folkestone Eormengyth of Thanet Mildrith of Thanet Nothhelm of Canterbury Sigeburh of Thanet
Mercian	Ælfnoth of Stowe Ælfthryth of Crowland Æthelberht of Bedford Æthelmod of Leominster Æthelred of Mercia Æthelwynn of Sodbury Aldwyn of Coln Beonna of Breedon Beorhthelm of Stafford Coenwulf of Mercia Cotta of Breedon Credan of Evesham Cyneburh of Castor Cyneburh of Gloucester Cynehelm of Winchcombe Cyneswith of Peterborough Eadburh of Bicester Eadburh of Pershore Eadburh of Southwell Eadgyth of Aylesbury Eadweard of Maugersbury Ealdgyth of Stortford Earconwald of London Egwin of Evesham Freomund of Mercia Frithuric of Breedon Frithuswith of Oxford Frithuwold of Chertsey Hæmma of Leominster Merefin Mildburh of Wenlock Mildgyth Mildrith of Thanet Milred of Worcester Oda of Canterbury Oswald of Worcester Osburh of Coventry Regenhere of Northampton Rumbold of Buckingham Tibba of Ryhall Werburgh of Chester Wærstan Wigstan of Repton Wulfhild of Barking
Northumbrian	Acca of Hexham Æbbe "the Elder" of Coldingham Æbbe "the Younger" of Coldingham Ælfflæd of Whitby Ælfwald of Northumbria Æthelburh of Hackness Æthelgyth of Coldingham Æthelsige of Ripon Æthelwold of Farne Æthelwold of Lindisfarne Alchhild of Middleham Alchmund of Hexham Alkmund of Derby Balthere of Tyningham Beda of Jarrow Bega of Copeland Benedict Biscop Bercthun of Beverley Billfrith of Lindisfarne Bosa of York Botwine of Ripon Ceadda of Lichfield Cedd of Lichfield Ceolfrith of Monkwearmouth Ceolwulf of Northumbria Cuthbert of Durham Dryhthelm of Melrose Eadberht of Lindisfarne Eadfrith of Leominster Eadfrith of Lindisfarne Eadwine of Northumbria Ealdberht of Ripon Eanmund Eardwulf of Northumbria Eata of Hexham Ecgberht of Ripon Eoda Eosterwine of Monkwearmouth Hilda of Whitby Hyglac Iwig of Wilton John of Beverley Osana of Howden Osthryth of Bardney Oswald of Northumbria Oswine of Northumbria Sicgred of Ripon Sigfrith of Monkwearmouth Tatberht of Ripon Wihtberht of Ripon Wilfrith of Hexham Wilfrith II Wilgils of Ripon
Roman	Augustine of Canterbury Firmin of North Crawley Birinus of Dorchester Blaise Florentius of Peterborough Hadrian of Canterbury Honorius of Canterbury James the Deacon Justus of Canterbury Laurence of Canterbury Mellitus of Canterbury Paulinus of York Peter of Canterbury Theodore of Canterbury
South Saxon	Cuthflæd of Lyminster Cuthmann of Steyning Lewina of Bishopstone
West Saxon	Æbbe of Abingdon Ælfgar of Selwood Ælfgifu of Exeter Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury Ælfheah of Canterbury Ælfheah of Winchester Æthelflæd of Romsey Æthelgar of Canterbury Æthelnoth of Canterbury Æthelwine of Athelney Æthelwold of Winchester Aldhelm of Sherborne Benignus of Glastonbury Beocca of Chertsey Beorhthelm of Shaftesbury Beornstan of Winchester Beornwald of Bampton Centwine of Wessex Cuthburh of Wimborn Cwenburh of Wimborne Dunstan of Canterbury Eadburh of Winchester Eadgar of England Eadgyth of Polesworth Eadgyth of Wilton Eadweard the Confessor Eadweard the Martyr Eadwold of Cerne Earmund of Stoke Fleming Edor of Chertsey Evorhilda Frithestan of Winchester Hædde of Winchester Humbert of Stokenham Hwita of Whitchurch Canonicorum Mærwynn of Romsey Margaret of Dunfermline Swithhun of Winchester Wulfsige of Sherborne Wulfthryth of Wilton
Unclear origin	Arilda of Oldbury Juthwara of Sherbourne Rumbold of Mechlin Urith of Chittlehampton

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v t e Saints of Ireland
Abbán Abel of Reims Abran Adalgis of Ireland Adomnán Adomnán of Coldingham Aidan of Lindisfarne Ailbe of Emly Ailerán Andrew the Scot Assicus Athracht Autbod Baithéne Balin Baldred of Tyninghame Barrfoin Bean Bécán Bega Benignus of Armagh Beoadh Beoc Berach Blaithmaic Boadin Boethian of Pierrepoint Brandan Breage Brendan Brendan of Birr Briarch Brigit of Kildare Brogan Bron Brónach Budoc Buriana Gobhan Máedóc of Ferns Óengus of Tallaght Patrick Scuithin
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