Aldred the Scribe facts for kids

Aldred the Scribe (also known as Aldred the Glossator) was a priest who lived in the 900s. We know him as Aldred, and he was a leader (called a provost) at the church community of St. Cuthbert in Chester-le-Street around the year 970.

Aldred's Most Famous Work

Aldred is most famous for adding notes and translations to the Lindisfarne Gospels. He did this in the late 900s.

Making the Gospels Understandable

The Lindisfarne Gospels were written in Latin. Aldred translated the Latin words into Old English. This was the everyday language (or vernacular) spoken by people in his community. His translation helped people who spoke Old English understand the Gospels much better.

Aldred's work was more than just copying words. He took difficult Latin ideas and explained them clearly in Old English. This made the text easier to read and understand for everyone.

The Important Colophon

Aldred also added a special note at the end of the Lindisfarne Gospels. This note is called a colophon. Scribes (people who copied books) often added colophons. These notes would share important details about the book. They might include when and where it was copied, how much it cost, or who it was made for.

Aldred's colophon tells us many interesting facts about the Lindisfarne Gospels:

• The Gospels were originally written by Eadfrith. He was a bishop of Lindisfarne in 698.
• The first binding (the cover that holds the pages together) was made by Ethelwald. He took over from Eadfrith in 721.
• The beautiful decorations on the outside were done by Billfrith. He was a religious hermit (an anchorite) from Lindisfarne.
• Aldred also wrote that the Gospels were made to honor God and St. Cuthbert.

Other Important Writings

Besides the Lindisfarne Gospels, Aldred also added notes to another important book. This book is called the Durham Ritual.

These two sets of notes are very important. They are some of the best examples we have of the Northumbrian dialect of Old English. This was a specific way of speaking Old English in the northern part of England during the 900s.

About Aldred Himself

In a note at the end of one manuscript, Aldred wrote about himself. He said, "My name is Aldred, son of Alfred; I speak as the excellent son of a good woman (Tilwin)."

Some people have thought that Aldred only wrote the notes for the Gospel of St. John himself. They believed other scribes wrote the rest under his guidance. However, there is good reason to believe that Aldred wrote all the notes himself.