Vikings, a Saint and a sacred Coo!

The Legend of The Old Dun Cow

“The Dun Cow led the way, To Dunholm, where St Cuthbert was to lay.”

The founding of Durham and the tale of The Old Dun Cow.

Twas 995, during the reign of Ethelred the Unready, the monks who cared for the coffin and body of St Cuthbert decided to take the saint back from Ripon to Chester-le-Street, where he had rested through much of the previous century. The reason for this move was primarily because of the ongoing Viking raids that were a threat to the safety of the community and the relics of St Cuthbert. He was an important figure in Anglo-Saxon England, and his relics were highly prized. The monks believed that moving the saint’s remains to Chester-le-Street would bring greater prestige and protection to their community.

Upon reaching Warden Law, not six miles from home, when their waggon suddenly stopped, and defied every effort to move it. Abbot Aldhun, who led the group of monks, urged them to prayer and fasting for three days, in the hope of receiving a revelation about what to do next. And their fasting and prayers were answered, as they received the revelation that the coffin must be carried to Dunholm. However, none of the monks had ever heard of Dunholm.

Undeterred, they decided to strike a westward path. After traveling some miles, they heard a dairy-maid tell a neighbour that her cow had wandered off, and the neighbour reply that a “loose coo” had been seen in Dunholm. So Abbot Aldhun and his companions followed the dairy-maid to Dunholm, where they built the White Church as a new home for their beloved saint. This church, now known as Durham Cathedral, would become one of the most important pilgrimage sites in England and the resting place of St Cuthbert for the next several centuries. The move of the relics to Dunholm not only safeguarded it from the Vikings but also established it as an important religious and cultural center.

In a related aside, Uhtred of Bamburgh provided labour and protection for the monks during construction of the first ‘little white church’ and married Aldhun’s daughter. Aldhun becoming the first Bishop of Durham in 995.

In life, St Cuthbert was also a wanderer of sorts, as early in life he journeyed on foot from Melrose Abbey, Scotland to the island of Lindisfarne, later founding the monastery there.

Cuthbert retired to Inner Farne in 687, where he spent his final years as a hermit dedicating himself to prayer, fasting (presumably because of the shellfish and sea bird diet) and quiet contemplation.

As something of an interesting aside; there are a number of songs around the theme of the ‘Dun Cow’ public house name(s). As eponymous names go, the Dun Cow public house in Durham City gets my nod!

The Old Dun Cow Song as done by The Futureheads.

Song Lyrics

Tom Brown and I in the local pub,Were playing dominos one night,When all of a sudden in the postman rushed,His face all chalky white.”Hey what’s up?”, said Brown, “Have you seen a ghost?Have you seen your Aunty Mariah?””Well, me Aunt Mariah be blown”, said he,”The bloody pub’s on fire!”

Oh, there was Brown upside down,He was moppin’ up the whisky on the floor.”Booze, booze!” the firemen cried,As they came knockin’ at the door.Don’t let them ‘in til it’s all mopped up,Somebody shouted MacIntyre! (MACINTYRE!)And we all got blue-blind paralytic drunk,When the Old Dun Cow caught fire.

“On fire!” says Brown, “What a bit of luck.Everybody follow me.Down in the cellar,Where the fire isn’t there,We will have a gay old spree.”So we all went down with good old Brown,The beer we could not miss,And we hadn’t been but ten minutes there,’til we were bloody pissed.

Oh, there was Brown upside down,He was moppin’ up the whisky on the floor.”Booze, booze!” the firemen cried,As they came knockin’ at the door.Don’t let them ‘in til it’s all mopped up,Somebody shouted MacIntyre! (MACINTYRE!)And we all got blue-blind paralytic drunk,When the Old Dun Cow caught fire.

Oh Jones did rush, to the port wine tub,And gave it just a few hard knocks,Started takin’ off his pantaloons,Likewise his shoes and socks.”Hey, what’s up?, ” said Brown, “If you want to wash your feet,There’s a tub of booze down here.Don’t wash your trousers in the port wine tub,When we theres lots of Carling lager beer.”

Oh, there was Brown upside down,He was moppin’ up the whisky on the floor.”Booze, booze!” the firemen cried,As they came knockin’ at the door.Don’t let them in ’til it’s all mopped up,Somebody shouted MacIntyre! (MACINTYRE!)And we all got blue-blind paralytic drunk,When the Old Dun Cow caught fire.

All of a sudden there’s a bloody big bang,And half the flamin’ roof gave away.And we were drowned in the firemen’s hose,But were all still going gay.So we got some tacks and some old tin scraps,And boarded ourselves inside,And we kept on drinking good old Scotch,’til we were bleary-eyed.

Oh, there was Brown upside down,He was moppin’ up the whisky on the floor.”Booze, booze!” the firemen cried,As they came knockin’ at the door.Don’t let them ‘in til it’s all mopped up,Somebody shouted MacIntyre! (MACINTYRE!)And we all got blue-blind paralytic drunk,When the Old Dun Cow caught fire.

The End