Happy Easter all, and for the day that’s in it we champion a Durham Bede&B and the true meaning of Eostre.
Because while the resurrection story will always begin in a cave in Jerusalem, Easter we owe to the Venerable Bede.
And the oul’ monk is as relevant today in the year 2022 AD (Anno Domini, the year of the Lord) as back in his day in the 700s.
Bede was a Jarrow boy so may well have spoken in a singy-songy voice and called the nuns ‘pet’.
You’ll most likely know him from his work, Ecclesiastical History of the English People.
For which he gained the moniker of ‘The Father of English History.’
All of which you can learn, and more, in the ancient and beautiful cathedral town of Durham in the north-east of what is now called Engerlund.
Computus says
Such as Bede describing Eostre as the name of an Old English goddess and behind the name Eosturmonath, the equivalent of the month of April.
Now the fact that our Easter is a moveable feast is down to Bede and the science of Computus.
That’s the calculation of the date of Easter to you and me and which if you’ve got a Bede-sized brain instead of a brain the size of a bead you’ll understand.
Because it brings together the monk’s interests in history, theology and astronomy.
The system required a thorough understanding of the movements of the cosmos and the relationship between Easter and the Jewish Passover.
Bede cracked the code at the Synod of Whitby in 664AD which meant that everybody would now follow the Roman Easter cycle.
And that is the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox.
And if the full Moon falls on a Sunday then Easter is the next Sunday.
Ain’t half Bede
Of course, Durham is worth a visit any time of the year.
Now cribbing from their bumph at the Bede museum at Jarrow Hall:
‘We are home to Europe’s largest collection of coloured glass from the 7th and 8th centuries alongside unique stonework, artefacts, and the Abbadia Reliquary.
‘This was gifted to Jarrow Hall as part of our twinning with the Museum of the Abbey in Tuscany.
‘The museum also hosts a full-sized reproduction of Codex Amiatinus; the oldest complete Latin Bible in existence.’
Of course, if you want to venerate the Venerable Bede you’ll want to see his grave at the ornate Durham Cathedral.
And if it looks familiar it’s probably because the cathedral has been used as film locations for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
And do climb the central tower’s 325 steps for views over Durham and take a tour of some of the cathedral 1000 years of history with our guides.
Durham dreams
Also recommended while you’re in these parts is the Beamish open air museum which brings the history of north-east England to life.
From 1820s Pockerley to the 1900s Town, 1900s Pit Village, 1940s Farm, 1950s Town and 1950s Spain’s Field Farm exhibit areas.
The excellent This Is Durham site will give you a swathe of other things to do around Durham, which is a half-hour drive south of Newcastle.
And the best accommodation available.
So now you know about a Durham Bede&B and the true meaning of Eostre.