dMAC Digest Vol 7 No 1A: History Behind the Lindisfarne Gospels

By Duncan MacDonald

The Lindisfarne Gospels is one of the world’s greatest masterpieces of calligraphy and illumination. It was written and illuminated at Lindisfarne around 695 to 700. It contains the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, in Latin. We trace the early history of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and the travels and tribulations associated with the gospels, as the monks try to evade Viking attacks and other predators.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Duncan MacDonald
• Release date: Jun 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370121403

Duncan MacDonald

Duncan is an Australian currently living in Jakarta, Indonesia. He is married to Shinta Dewi Sanawiya, muse, mate, motivator and President Director of the business he founded in 1993, dMAC Group in Asia, now PT Daya MACro Dinamika.Duncan has had a passion for history since childhood. He travelled alone to Turkey in 1975 to visit ANZAC Cove, scene of Australia and New Zealand’s entry to World War I. He then worked for 5 years in London, enabling him to research the Roman Empire’s occupation of Britain and question the Arthurian legends. He has published his illustrated historical e-novels set in Ireland and Britain in the 1st-7th centuries on Smashwords. Search for 'Culann - Celtic Warrior Monk'.Duncan has also published an illustrated account of his private pilgrimage to 'Anzac Cove and Lone Pine in 1975' - Search for 'Anzac'Those interested in obtaining the latest historical information on the Battle of Waterloo, (detailing who actually defeated Napoleon) can download Duncan's illustrated version in dMAC Digest Vol 4 No 6 'Waterloo'. Also the Jakarta Journals, tracing Indonesian history over the past 2,000 years, up to granting of Independence in December 1949.Any one of Duncan's 12 'dMAC Digest Health & History' magazines, or 5 illustrated historical novels can be downloaded at Smashwords.'Britannia Bulletin #1 and #2' are the latest illustrated historical novel published by Duncan. Set in the 1st & 2nd century CE we follow the adventures of a Roman Legionary in Europe & Britain. He records the lives of the early Roman Emperors and Governors of Britannia, their initial rise to power and occasional fall from grace. Major battles are dealt with in detail.

Book preview

History Behind The

Lindisfarne Gospels

Volume 7 ~ No 1

Welcome to this edition of dMAC Digest

dMAC designed to protect your family’s health - and enrich a knowledge of history

Edited by

Duncan MacDonald

16 January 2017

Revised 3 June 2017

Dedicated to my darling wife Shinta DS MacDonald

muse, mate and motivator

Copyright 2017 Duncan MacDonald

Smashwords Edition

License Notes

Thank you for downloading this free e-book. This book remains the copyrighted property of the Editor, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this e-book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favourite authorized retailer.

Thank you for your support.

Table of Contents

Editor’s Note

Chapter 1 – The Holy Island of Lindisfarne

1.1 Early History

1.2 Iona

1.3 Saint Oswald, King of Northumbria

1.4 Saint Aidan, 1st Bishop of Lindisfarne

1.5 Saint Finan, 2nd Bishop of Lindisfarne

1.6 Saint Colmán, 3rd Bishop of Lindisfarne

1.7 Saint Tuda 4th Bishop of Lindisfarne

1.8 Saint Eata 5th Bishop of Lindisfarne

1.9 Saint Cuthbert 6th Bishop of Lindisfarne

1.10 The Saint Cuthbert Gospel

1.11 The Venerable Bede

Chapter 2 – The Lindisfarne Gospels

2.1 Saint Jerome’s letter to Pope Damasus

2.2 Saint Matthew

2.3 Saint Mark

2.4 Saint Luke

2.5 Saint John

2.6 Details of Decorated Initials

2.7 North, South, East and West

Chapter 3 – The Vikings

3.1 Later History

Chapter 4 – Modern Lindisfarne

Reference

That’s Life

About the Editor

Other books by Duncan MacDonald

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Editor’s Note

The condensed details incorporated within this digest, are written for those of us who wish to learn more about the fascinating actual events that took place in Ireland, Caledonia and Britain between the end of the Roman occupation and the Twentieth century (409 CE to 1973).

Because of the paucity of information available of the past, the period up to the Norman Conquest (409 CE to 1066) has been described as the ‘Dark Ages’. In fact, there were dramatic changes and development of the people who inhabited these islands. Our information is derived from the latest archaeological discoveries and the surviving manuscripts from the most learned men of that period - the Monks of the Celtic Church and the Church of Rome.

Hopefully the research I’ve incorporated into this e-book will shed a little light on those ‘Dark Ages’.

Illustrations of the Lindisfarne Gospels are from the original, now in the British Library, London. All illustrations and photos signed dMAC 2017 or similar, are by Duncan MacDonald.

The Lindisfarne Gospels

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Chapter 1 – The Holy Island of Lindisfarne

Lindisfarne location in Britain;

about 1 ½ miles (2,4 km) off-shore, and 12 miles (19 km) south of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The modern causeway links the mainland to The Snook

1.1 Early History

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, just south of the Scottish border. It is also known just as Holy Island. The island was known to the native Britains in ancient Celtic times as Medcaut. When the Angles (from the German/Danish/Frisian coast) invaded Britain in the 6th century, they called the island ‘Lindisfarne’. Although the Anglo-Saxon name has been associated to a stream or brook, historians consider the name is in some way linked to a tribal group in Lincolnshire called the Lindisfarona.

Lindisfarne or Holy Island: The island is rarely referred to by its Anglo-Saxon name ‘Lindisfarne’ by the local