The Lindisfarne Gospels, now in the British
Library in London, are a superb example of illuminated manuscript
from the Dark Ages (proving that the Dark Ages weren't pitch black).
The Gospels were created around 700 A.D. by Eadfrith, bishop of Lindisfarne
monastery on Holy Island (Northumberland).
As the story goes the monks took to the sea to escape from a Danish
raids in the late 9th century. The Gospels, in a jewelled container,
were lost overboard in a storm. Then a vision of St. Cuthbert appeared
to one of the monks, telling him where to find the precious book.
Sure enough, when the monks searched the shore at the spot indicated
by the saint, the Gospels were found, intact but for a small sea water
stain which can still be seen.
The Alfred Jewel, kept in the Ashmolean
Museum in Oxford, is another Dark Ages treasure. A small ornament
of gold, crystal, and enamel, it was made to fit on the end of a staff
or rod. Its association with King Alfred evolves from the inscription
"Alfred had me made" around the rim of the jewel. The attractive
idea that it was actually owned by Alfred the Great is enhanced by
the fact that it was found near his sanctuary at Athelney.
At Sutton Hoo (Suffolk) a Saxon ship burial from the early
7th century was excavated in 1939. The haul, in archaeological terms,
was staggering. Inside the hull of a wooden ship buried beneath an
oval mound were the war gear and treasures of a Saxon leader, perhaps
a "bretwalda" or king of Suffolk. Curiously, no skeleton
was found, and there is some debate over whether the "grave"
ever contained a body. It did contain a wealth of gold and silver
goods, however, of such fine workmanship as to dispel any notion that
the Anglo-Saxons were nothing but crude barbarians. Included were
a sword with gold and garnet fittings, drinking horns mounted in silver,
and a heavy gold buckle or reliquary. These and much more are resident
in the British
Museum in London.
Anglo-Saxon Place Names. And to polish off this eccentric
collection of Anglo-Saxon remains, here's something you can have some
fun with: place names. The Anglo-Saxon and Danish settlers had an
immense impact on what we now call the English language. Some of their
most enduring remains are to be found in the place names that dot
modern maps. Suffixes and prefixes often describe the history of a
village. Here are a few examples to get you started:
- -ing (place of the people of; e.g. Hastings = place of Haesta's
folk).
- -port (town with a market, not necessarily on the coast)
- -ney (island)
- -bury (from burh, later borough, a walled town with the right
to hold a market and possibly to mint coins. Many were purpose-built
regional defense centres)
These are just a few of many examples. By the way, there are no prizes
for figuring out the origin of the name "Oxford".
Related articles:
The English parish church
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon Towns
Also see "Anglo-Saxon
London" in our "London
History" section.
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Britain - Dark Ages - Medieval
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