Abbey of Whitby

The abbey of Whitby is a monastery Benedictine in ruins located near the town of Whitby, in the Yorkshire of North on the north-eastern coast of the England.

Foundation

It is founded in 657 by the Anglo-Saxon king of Northumbrie Oswiu (Oswu) under the name of Streoneshalh (or Streoneschalh , Streanshalh , Streonæshalch , old names of the town of Whitby). He entrusts the direction of the monastery to Hilda, niece of Edwin, first Christian king of Northumbrie. Streoneshalh means the Bay of the Fort or the Bay of the Tower , probably because of an old Roman construction which would have existed on the site. This forever proven explanation, and other theories circulate, as that affirming that Streoneshalh means the payment of Streona , reference to the poet Eadric Streona. It is however very little probable, the Streona poet having died in 1017, Streoneshalh name would have preceded its birth by several centuries.

The abbey of Whitby is founded like a Monastère doubles, i.e. it accommodates men and women, under the authority of the abbess.

History

The monastery is known to have accommodated the large Saxon poet Caedmon. In 664, it shelters the Concile of Whitby, at the conclusion which the Celtic Church of Northumbrie adopts the rites of the Roman Catholic church, in particular for the Calcul of the date of Easter.

In 867, the abbey is ruined by the Viking S, then abandoned.

Guillaume de Percy orders the recasting of the abbey in 1078, thing made by Regenfrith (Reinferd), monk soldier, and the dedication with saint Pierre and holy Hilda. Later the place is called Presteby (Presbytère, place of dwelling of the priests, in Vieux norrois), then Hwytby, Whiteby, (the White House, in Vieux norrois) and finally Whitby.

The second monastery is destroyed by Henri VIII in 1540. The buildings of the abbey fall in ruins, are used of career for the stone, and Amer (benchmark) for the sailors.

It inspired Bram Stoker for its novel Dracula .

----

Random links: