Bells Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Durham | Page 3

in reply came a monk, who, for some
reason, said by old writers to be his harshness, failed in his mission. He
was replaced by another monk named Aidan (635-651), who was
eminently successful. Beda speaks of him as "a man of great piety and
zeal, combined with tender charity and gentleness." Aidan became
intimately associated with King Oswald, the two working together, and
he chose for his headquarters the small sandy island of Lindisfarne, off
the Northumbrian coast, which we now know as "Holy Island."
Lindisfarne thus resembled Iona, and it is probable that the similarity of
position and surroundings influenced Aidan in his choice. However that
may be, Aidan there founded his monastery and directed the work of
his monks.
Passing over a short period, we find at Lindisfarne a monk who is so
intimately connected with this cathedral that he demands special
attention--the great S. Cuthbert, sixth bishop of Lindisfarne, and the
patron saint of Durham. Little is known of his birth and parentage.
Some writers give him a Scotch origin, others Irish,[1] and others again
say he was born of humble parents on the banks of the Tweed. The
latter is most probable. Certain it is that at an early age he was left an
orphan, and was employed as an under-shepherd near to Melrose. From

his earliest youth he was thoughtful and pious, and watched and
imitated in his mode of life the monks of Melrose. There are numerous
legends and stories of S. Cuthbert's youth. He is said to have wrought
many miracles, even to the extent of stilling a tempest. One of these
may be told here on account of the share it played in his choice of
monastic life:--On a certain night in A.D. 651, while tending his sheep,
his companions being asleep, Cuthbert saw in the heavens a brilliant
shaft of light, and angels descending. These very shortly re-ascended,
bearing among them "a spirit of surpassing brightness." In the morning
it was found that the good S. Aidan was dead. The vision had a marked
and lasting effect on Cuthbert, and eventually resulted in his entering
the monastery at Melrose. For ten years Cuthbert led a holy and
studious life at Melrose, under Prior Boisil, when he was chosen among
others to proceed to the newly-founded monastery at Ripon. His
sojourn there was, however, short, as owing to doctrinal differences
concerning the celebration of Easter, he and the other Scottish monks
returned to Melrose. Some four years later, on the death of Boisil,
Cuthbert was elected his successor, as prior of Melrose. In A.D. 664,
we find him holding the same office at Lindisfarne, where he remained
for twelve years. He then retired from his position, in order to attain a
higher degree of Christian perfection by living a solitary life, first on a
small island near Lindisfarne, and afterwards on the island of Farne,
near Bamburgh. There are many stories told of his great piety at this
time, so that even the wild sea-birds are said to have obeyed him.
[1] Sanderson, in his edition of "Rites of Durham," 1767, says: "He is
said to be descended from the Blood Royal of the Kings of Ireland,
being son of one Muriardach and Sabina his wife, a King's daughter.
He was educated in the Abbey of Mailrose."
In the year A.D. 685 Cuthbert was, though against his own wishes,
consecrated Bishop of Lindisfarne. His great activity and usefulness in
this office was soon cut short, for in less than two years, on the 20th of
March A.D. 687, he died. Obediently to his own request, his body was
wrapped in a linen cloth, which had been given him by the Abbess
Yerca; and, placed in a stone coffin, the gift of the Abbot Cudda, was
interred in the church at Lindisfarne. He was not to rest, however. In

A.D. 698 the monks disinterred his remains in order to place them in a
specially-prepared wooden coffin. It is said they found the saint's body
perfectly incorrupt. To quote the quaint Hegge:
But whiles they opened his coffin, they start at a wonder, they look't for
bones and found flesh, they expected a skeleton, and saw an entire
bodie, with joynts flexible, his flesh so succulent, that there only
wanted heate to make his bodie live without a soul, and his face so
dissembling death, that elsewhere it is true that sleep is the image of
death, but here death was the image of sleep. Nay, his very funerall
weeds were so fresh, as if putrefaction had not dared to take him by the
coat.[2]
[2] "County of Durham," by J.K. Boyle, F.S.A.
Whatever may be the truth of this, his body was placed in a wooden
coffin, portions of which are still preserved in