Billfrith ( ang, Billfrið; fl. early 8th century) is an obscure

Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...

n saint credited with providing the jewel and metalwork encrusting the former

treasure binding A treasure binding or jewelled bookbinding is a luxurious book cover using metalwork in gold or silver, jewels, or ivory, perhaps in addition to more usual bookbinding material for book-covers such as leather, velvet, or other cloth. The act ...

of the

Lindisfarne Gospels The Lindisfarne Gospels (London, British Library Cotton MS Nero D.IV) is an illuminated manuscript gospel book probably produced around the years 715–720 in the monastery at Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumberland, which is now in the ...

. His name is thought to mean "peace of the two-edge sword".

Biography

Symeon of Durham's '' Libellus de Exordio'' (ii.13), which calls him "St Billfrith the Anchorite", says he was a

goldsmith A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made silverware, platters, goblets, decorative and servicea ...

and that he gilded an important book written by

Eadfrith Eadfrith of Lindisfarne (died 721), also known as Saint Eadfrith, was Bishop of Lindisfarne, probably from 698 onwards. By the twelfth century it was believed that Eadfrith succeeded Eadberht and nothing in the surviving records contradicts this ...

Bishop of Lindisfarne The Bishop of Durham is the Church of England, Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler (bishop), Pau ...

. This book is the

gospel book A Gospel Book, Evangelion, or Book of the Gospels (Greek: , ''Evangélion'') is a codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament – normally all four – centering on the life of Jesus of Nazareth ...

known today as the

. Symeon probably derived this information from a colophon added to the Lindisfarne Gospels by a scribe named "Aldred" at some point between 950 and 970.Rollason, "Billfrith" The colophons describes how:

Eadfrith, bishop of Lindisfarne church, originally wrote this book for God and for St Cuthbert and—jointly—for all saints whose relics are in the island. And Æthelwald, bishop of the Lindisfarne islanders, impressed it on the outside and covered it ... And Billfrið the anchorite forged the ornaments which are on it on the outside and adorned it with gold and gems and with gilded-on silver-pure metal ...

The Gospels today are in a different binding, as Billfrith's craftsmanship has not survived. The name ''Billfrith'' occurs in the Durham ''Liber Vitae'', and the latter is the only pre-

Conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, ...

source other than the Lindisfarne colophon containing Billfrith's name. Although this

confraternity book A confraternity book (german: Verbrüderungsbuch, la, liber confraternitatum or ''confraternitatis''), also called a ''liber memorialis'' (memorial book) or ''liber vitae'' (book of life), is a medieval register of the names of people who had ente ...

did not begin until the 9th century, the name's position indicates that this Billfrith was from the 8th century. His name is in the same group as that of the Irish monk Echa, who died in 767. The ''Libellus'' further relates that in the 11th century his venerated bones were among those taken from the monasteries and churches of Northumbria to

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

by Ælfred the Priest; Ælfred also took the bones of Balthere of Tyninghame, Acca and

Alchmund of Hexham Alcmund of Hexham (died 7 September 780 or 781) became the 7th bishop of the see of Hexham in Northumberland when he was consecrated on 24 April 767;Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 217 the see was centred on the church there ...

, King Oswine, and

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Copt ...

es Æbbe and Æthelgitha. Billfrith's name appears in a relic list of the church of Durham dating to the mid-12th century. The ''Oxford Dictionary of Saints'' says that the "feast of Bilfrith and Baldred" was celebrated on 6 March.Farmer, ''Oxford Dictionary'', s.v. "Billfrith", p. 55

Notes

References

* * * * * * * {{authority control 8th-century Christian saints English Christian monks British goldsmiths History of County Durham History of Northumberland Northumbrian saints People from County Durham People from Northumberland Religion in County Durham Religion in Northumberland

Biography

See also

Notes

References