Hwaetberht
Encyclopedia
Hwaetberht was Abbot
of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory where he had served as a monk
.
He was elected to succeed Abbot Ceolfrith in 716 or 717 when Ceolfrith set off on a pilgrimage
to Rome
. Bede
reports that Hwaetberht had himself made a pilgrimage to Rome, "and had stayed there a good long while, learning, copying down and bringing back with him all that he thought necessary for his studies" during the papacy of Sergius I
(687–701).
Hwaetberht was the author of a collection of sixty riddle
s, known as the Enigmata Eusebii, written under the pen-name Eusebius. These were written as a supplement to forty riddles written earlier by Tatwine, Archbishop of Canterbury
. Bede's De temporum ratione
is dedicated to Hwaetberht and Bede appears to have regarded him highly. A part of the correspondence between Hwaetberht and Saint Boniface
has survived, date to circa
747, placing Hwaetberht's death after that date.
It was during Hwaetberht's time that the remains of Abbots Sigfrith
and Eosterwine were reburied alongside those of Benedict Biscop
next to the main altar at Monkwearmouth.
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory where he had served as a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
.
He was elected to succeed Abbot Ceolfrith in 716 or 717 when Ceolfrith set off on a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
reports that Hwaetberht had himself made a pilgrimage to Rome, "and had stayed there a good long while, learning, copying down and bringing back with him all that he thought necessary for his studies" during the papacy of Sergius I
Pope Sergius I
Pope Saint Sergius I was pope from 687 to 701. Selected to end a schism between Antipope Paschal and Antipope Theodore, Sergius I ended the last disputed sede vacante of the Byzantine Papacy....
(687–701).
Hwaetberht was the author of a collection of sixty riddle
Riddle
A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: enigmas, which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution, and...
s, known as the Enigmata Eusebii, written under the pen-name Eusebius. These were written as a supplement to forty riddles written earlier by Tatwine, Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. Bede's De temporum ratione
De temporum ratione
The Reckoning of Time is an Anglo-Saxon era treatise written in Latin by the Northumbrian monk Bede in 725. The treatise includes an introduction to the traditional ancient and medieval view of the cosmos, including an explanation of how the spherical earth influenced the changing length of...
is dedicated to Hwaetberht and Bede appears to have regarded him highly. A part of the correspondence between Hwaetberht and Saint Boniface
Saint Boniface
Saint Boniface , the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid, Wynfrith, or Wynfryth in the kingdom of Wessex, probably at Crediton , was a missionary who propagated Christianity in the Frankish Empire during the 8th century. He is the patron saint of Germany and the first archbishop of Mainz...
has survived, date to circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
747, placing Hwaetberht's death after that date.
It was during Hwaetberht's time that the remains of Abbots Sigfrith
Sigfrith
Sigfrith, abbot of Monkwearmouth Priory. He was a deacon at the time he was chosen "by Ceolfrid [abbot of the twin abbey at Jarrow] and the monks" . Bede states:...
and Eosterwine were reburied alongside those of Benedict Biscop
Benedict Biscop
Benedict Biscop , also known as Biscop Baducing, was an Anglo-Saxon abbot and founder of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory and was considered a saint after his death.-Early career:...
next to the main altar at Monkwearmouth.