A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



St. Cuthbert's Coffin : Iron Ring. 



first, with the double keys. 



which still remains, only a few fragments are left. They are enough to show 

 that it was inscribed with a simple cross on two steps. ^ 



The right side of the coffin is inscribed with six archangel figures, 



simple and somewhat monotonous in pose ; 

 they also all have the right hand on the breast, 

 with variations in the fingers ; their left hands 

 all carry books, with the hand under the robe. 

 There is one variation ; the Archangel Gabriel 

 holds in his right hand the traditional lily. 

 Their hair is all curled, and carried down on 

 to the left shoulder only. The names Raphael 

 and Urial alone remain.^ 



The left side of the coffin contained, in a 

 double row, fourteen figures, the twelve Apostles, 

 together with St. Paul and (probably) St. Bar- 

 nabas. Twelve figures now remain, in whole 

 or in part. These are treated much in the 

 same way as the Archangels. St. Peter comes 

 There are slight variations here also in the 

 fingers on the breast, and St. Paul is specially distinguished by a beard, 

 while he has no flowing hair at all. There was room for two more figures 

 at the end, but this portion of the plank is altogether lost.^ 



The larger end, at the head, has two Archangels — Michael and Gabriel. 

 To give a kind of composition to the piece, Gabriel carries his book in his 

 right hand. 



Lastly comes, at the foot, the most interesting of the series — the very 

 naive and simple representation of the Virgin and Child.* 



This pourtrayal of the Virgin and Child, carved about 696,^ is among 

 the earliest Western examples of a subject destined to become so common 

 afterwards in religious decoration. The infant Christ is not blessing ; in 

 His left hand He holds a kind of roll, perhaps to indicate the Gospel 

 message; His nimbus is cruciferous, while that of the Virgin is plain. She 

 wears a dress with closely-fitting sleeves, and her right hand is laid across the 

 knees of the Christ, the fingers of the left hand just show on His shoulder. 



These remnants (with a half-sized model of the coffin) are preserved 

 in the Cathedral Library. If it seems wonderful that in the seventh century, 

 on a far away island, such work was possible, it should be remembered that 

 tliese Anglian monks took their inspiration and learning from the Irish 

 Christians, who have left us splendid examples of their skill botli in 

 caligraphy and in illumination. One needs no better examples of their 

 art than the Evangelistary of St. Cuthbcrt, now in the British Museum; 

 it is a very fine specimen of the work ot the Lindistarne monks of this 

 period. In fact, as Dr. Greenwell tells us, they felt, together with their 

 missionary fervour, a deep devotion to the learning and art of the West, 



' Sec Havcrficid and Grccnwcll, Caltihguc, 155. 



' The others arc certainly Gahricl, who holds the lily, and proh.ibly Mich.icl, as he appc.irs .ilonc with 

 Gabriel on the larger end of the coflin. For the olhcr two there is choice lietwecn Chaniial, Zadkicl and Jopiiicl. 

 ■'' Sec Havcrficid and Grccnwcll, Catalogue, 149. 



♦ What is left of the 'Maria' is in Roman character, the 'Jesus Cliristus ' in runes. 

 ' He was buried in 698, but the coffin had probably been prepared before this. 



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