When the Romans left in AD407 Britain fell into what came to be known as the Dark Ages. Many of the bustling Roman towns were now abandoned and technological advances as basic as writing and coinage disappeared from the countryside and all but the biggest towns. Christianity survived in isolated pockets and, of course, there was still much paganism.
The story was rather different across the sea in Ireland, which had never been part of the Roman Empire. Christian missionaries arrived there when the Empire was in its last gasps and the Faith they brought took off and flourished as Celtic Christianity. This was not the same as Roman Christianity: it originated from the desert fathers of Egypt and Syria and the emphasis was on mysticism and austerity. Think of the prophets in the Bible experiencing God in the desert or on the mountains. Whole communities would grow up round the Irish hermits and this is the beginnings of monasteries.
By now England was practically a pagan country again, having been invaded and settled by the Anglo Saxons. Missionaries were sent out from Ireland back to Britain. These Irish evangelist monks called themselves "Peregrinari Pro Christ" (pilgrims for Christ). The meaning of peregrine being "a wanderer". Thanks to these wandering pilgrims Celtic Christianity flourished in the west and north, whilst the Anglo Saxon pagan gods continued to held sway down the south and east. We don't know much about this pagan religion because the people were not really literate. However in Sutton Hoo they buried their King in his ship and with many treasures. It appears that their religion had strong military overtones and that they believed their buried king in his ship continued to protect the land of his people.
This was a very different religion to Celtic Christianity, based on a gospel of peace. Perhaps it reached its peak in the seventh century when the King of Northumbria (in the extreme north of England) was baptised by Celtic Christian monks from the isle of Iona. Bamburgh was his capital and he invited the monks to set up a monastery on Lindisfarne (or Holy Island) as the Christian centre of his kingdom. (See photos from my trip to Bamburgh and Lindisfarne.) Even today Holy Island has that air of austerity and mystery so central to Celtic Christianity: the causeway is cut off at certain times by the tide and often wreathed in mists. Holy Island became a place of Christian worship, prayer and study, with missionaries crossing the causeway to the mainland to spread the gospel and pilgrims crossing over to the island. Today many people go to Holy Island on retreats; it still has a spiritual feel.
The crossing from Holy Island at low tide from To be a Pilgrim
The hero of Lindisfarne was St Cuthbert, depicted in the picture on top of this post. An ex soldier who went on to become a brilliant preacher and bishop, and then a hermit who lived an austere life on one of the little Farne islands.
Northumbria was also the heart of a revival of art and literature, a kind of fusion of Roman, Celtic Christianity and Anglo Saxon influences which gave us works such as the Lindisfarne Gospels.
A Celtic Prayer
I would welcome the poor and honour them. I would welcome the sick in the presence of angels and ask God to bless and embrace us all.Seeing a stranger approach I would put food in the eating place, drink in the drinking place, music in the listening place, and look with joy for the blessing of God, who often comes to my home in the blessing of a stranger
We call upon the sacred Three to save, shield and surround the house, the home, this day, this night, and every night.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Read more about Celtic Christianity.






