St Hilda of Whitby

As a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon abbess, Hilda was one of the most influential Church leaders of her day. At a time when the monasteries and their estates, rather than parishes and dioceses, formed the basic ecclesial structures in Britain, Hilda exercised largely the same administrative powers a bishop. At Whitby in Northumbria, she built up a thriving double-monastery. Here she ruled over, and saw to the education of, both male and female monastics, including five future bishops. Kings and princes sought her advice.

The Synod of Whitby in 664, when it was decided that the English Church should conform to Roman rather than Irish practices, was hosted by Hilda at her monastery.

Hilda was responsible for enabling Caedmon, formerly a cowherd on her estate, to become arguably the first English poet. She took Caedmon into the monastery and arranged for his compositions in Anglo-Saxon English to be set down in writing. It was Hilda who saw and exploited the potential of Anglo-Saxon sung poetry, rather than the usual Latin, for the spread of the Gospel.

Hilda exercised sacramental responsibilities well into the seventh century. As was common practice for abbesses in her day, she almost certainly heard confessions and set penances.

At the age of sixty-six, Hilda died in 680. She was widely acknowledged by the low-born and nobility alike as a person of exceptional holiness and an outstanding spiritual guide, and as Bede testifies, she was immediately recognised as a saint.

The author of this entry is Dr Ann Inman is the author of Hild of Whitby and the Ministry of Women in the Anglo-Saxon World www.amazon.co.uk/Whitby-Ministry-Women-Anglo-Saxon-World/dp/1978700660

See also: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/whitby-abbey/history-and-stories/st-hild/ and A Clerk of Oxford’s piece: https://aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/2015/11/st-hilda-and-hidden-gold.html