Bede

Scott De Gregorio (University of Michigan-Dearborn)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

The Venerable Bede, Anglo-Saxon England's most prolific Latin author and one of the greatest of the early Middle Ages, was born either in 672 or in 673, in the kingdom of Northumbria. His exact birthplace and parentage are unknown. He tell us himself, at the end of his

Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum

[

Ecclesiastical History of the English People

], only that he was born somewhere in the territory of the monastery of Wearmouth and that, when only seven years of age, he was given by his relatives into the charge of the monastery's founder, the thane-turned-monk Benedict Biscop (d. 689). But as to who these relatives were and why they committed him to the monastic life, Bede says no more. It is possible that his original parents passed away, leaving him to the care of more distant kin…

1866 words

Citation: De Gregorio, Scott. "Bede". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 May 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4999, accessed 03 December 2024.]

4999 Bede 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.