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Ireland and the Making
of Britain
In the foundation of other monasteries Aidan was asso-
ciated with St. Hilda. Bede tells us that Hilda went and
lived a whole year in East Anglia with the design of
going abroad, but being recalled by Bishop Aidan, she
received from him the land of one family on the north
side of the River Wear, where for a year she also led a
monastic life with very few companions. After this she
was made abbess of the monastery called Heruteu, which
monastery had been founded not long before by the
religious servant of Christ Heiu, whom some identify
with Begha, or Begu, an Irishwoman of noble family,
whose name is preserved in St. Bees Head in Cumber-
land. Heiu is said to have been the first woman that in
the province of the Northumbrians took upon
her the
habit and life of a nun, being consecrated by Bishop
Aidan but she soon after she had founded that ; monastery,
went away to the city of Calcacestir, and there fixed her
dwelling. Hilda, being sent over to that monastery began
immediately to reduce all things to a regular system,
according as she had been instructed by learned men;
for Bishop Aidan and other religious men that knew
and loved her frequently visited and diligently instructed
her. Some years later the monastery at Streaneshalch
(Whitby) was built and from it came five bishops Bosa,
Hedda, Oftfor, John and Wilfrid (and). St. Hilda was
the daughter of Hereric, the nepos of King Aedwine.
Attracted by the reputation of some of the Irish convents
in Gaul, she appears to have made up her mind to join
one of them, but if Bede is to be taken literally she did
not get out of England, being summoned back by Aidan.
She moved to Hartlepool when Heiu went to Tadcaster,
and here she appears to have had the help of certain
learned Irishmen. In 651 when Finan had succeeded
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