March 11, 2007

650-669 King Oswy of Northumbria Ties England to Roman Pope



In this twenty year period Christianity in England took precedence over everything else to the extent that King Oswy of Northumbria (pictured) called a conference at Whitby in 664 to resolve not only the date of Easter but the hairstyle of monks.

English Christianity had developed in two directions. The Celtic monks of Iona were inspired by St Patrick and the Augustine missionaries were inspired by Pope Gregory.

When King Oswy of Northumbria married Eanfled, a princess from Kent, she came north with her own Augustine chaplain who celebrated Easter according to the Jewish lunar calendar on a date different to him.

In 664 King Oswy called a conference at Whitby to resolve not only the date of Easter but the hairstyle (tonsure) of monks. In the south the monks shaved the top of their heads, creating a crown of thorns; in the north, the monks shaved like Druids.

As the southern monks took authority from Rome and St Peter (a Jew, like Jesus, to whom Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven), King Oswy decided to save his soul by adopting the Augustine customs, and in doing so tied England to the Pope of Rome.

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