The Diversity of Sacred Lands in Europe - IUCN

modern peoples in Britain, the Anglo-
Celtic diaspora and beyond. It does
seem important, while remaining true to
what we know of their lives, that these
saints are interpreted and revitalised to
new generations, as their vigour, frugality
and closeness to nature are values
needed by modern society. ‘The tales
are ancient but the underlying sentiments
speak directly to us today. We
have much to learn from a spirituality
that works with the grain and rhythm of
the natural world and rejoices in the
whole of creation’ (McManners, 2008).
The Holy island of Lindisfarne is one of
Britain’s foremost Christian Sacred
Natural Sites and one where national
ecological values overlap with national
religious and historical values. The revival
of interest in ‘Celtic’ as an indigenous
branch of Christianity may infuse
the conservation movement with a
spiritual dimension and has contributed
to the Island’s tourism economy.
Conversely, it may have added to the
risk to local community values and put
the Island’s fabric under strain. It is encouraging
therefore that the key institutions
are increasingly working together
to ensure that the island maintains
its integrity, community and multiple
values into the future.
References
Adam, D. (1989), Tides and Seasons: Modern Prayers in the Celtic tradition, London:
Triangle.
Adam, D. (1991), Border Lands: The Best of David Adam’s Celtic Vision, Wisconsin:
Sheed and Ward.
Backhouse, J. (1981), The Lindisfarne Gospels, London: Phaidon Press Ltd.
Bede. (1994), An Ecclesiastical History of the English People, ed. McClure and
Collins, Oxford: Oxford World Classics, OUP.
Brown, M. P. (2003), Painted Labyrinth: The World of the Lindisfarne Gospels, London:
The British Library.
Carmichael, A. (1900), Carmina Gadelica: Hymns and Incantations Collected in
the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, (reprinted in 1992), Edinburgh: Floris
Books.
Doel, F. and Doel, G. (2009), Folklore of Northumbria, Stroud: The History Press
Ltd.
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