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The Chapel of the Nine Altars

The Pietà Sculpture
Christ in the Tomb Sculpture
St Margaret Painting
The Scottish Soldiers
Altar frontals
St Hild Icon
Van Mildert Statue
Joseph Window
'Lam'a Sabach'thani' - a metal Cross artwork
Illumination Window
Matthew Woodifield Memorial

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In the northeast area of the Chapel of Nine Altars is the St Hild Icon, the only one of its kind in Durham Cathedral.


St Hild is considered one of the most significant women in the history of the English church. Not only did she establish monasteries, but she was also a strong believer in caring for the poor.

The icon was commissioned as part of a project to make women more visible within the cathedral and celebrate female contributions. The icon is located next to the St Hild altar which was created in 1999.

In the Russian Orthodox tradition, the icon was 'written' by the artist Edith Reyntiens.

Notable people

St Hild

  • St Hild of Whitby (614-680) was a princess, and the daughter of Prince Hereric, the nephew of Edwin, King of Deira (now Northumbria). Information on the life of St Hild comes from the writings of the Venerable Bede, in his manuscript 'The History of The English Church and People'.

  • Aged 33, Hild decided to follow a religious life, and with the assistance of St Aidan she held the post of Abbess at several monasteries. Bede describes Hild as “a most devoted servant of Christ”.

Interesting facts

Icon writing

  • The creation of icons can be traced back thousands of years and is mentioned in the Bible.

  • Icons are considered much more than artworks and are held as sacred objects central to Orthodox worship. An icon is ‘written’ rather than painted, in keeping with Greek traditions. They are often made on wood using egg tempera paint and panels can also include worked metal, especially silver.

  • The artistic rules surrounding icons are very strict. Only specific religious figures and scenes can be made. Everything is highly symbolic, including the colours used.

  • In medieval times icons were written by monks in silence as an act of meditation and devotion to God.

Things to look for

The origin of St Hild

  • The Icon is divided into 12 squares each showing a scene from St Hild’s life and with a portrait of the Saint at the centre.

  • The imagery begins with the birth of Hild, followed by her baptism aged 13. We then see Hild distributing alms to the poor and developing her Christian faith.

  • The icon then shows the meeting with Bishop Aidan as she was journeying to France, when he persuades her to establish a monastery.

  • On the second row, on either side is the story of Bishop Aidan giving Hild authority to found a religious monastery and 'taking the veil' (becoming a nun). She goes on to establish several monasteries.

  • The opposite square shows the building of the most famous of the monasteries, located at Whitby. It was a double monastery which was significant because it allowed for both men and women, living separately but worshipping together.

Respected by Kings and Bishops

  • The third row of images, on either side, shows a king receiving God’s wisdom from Hild.

  • Hild became widely respected for her wisdom and was visited by kings and princes. The opposite side shows Bishops also receiving wisdom from Hild.

  • The fourth row, on either side, portrays Hild encouraging a young monk to offer his gifts to the church and God. This is Caedmon who later became the earliest English poet.

  • On the right is Hild and the legend of the snakes. Before breaking ground to build the monastery, Hild had to get rid of the poisonous snakes in the area. She prayed, and they coiled up and turned to stone. Hild gathered them up and threw them over the cliff. When people later found coiled ammonite fossils on the beach below they thought they were the snakes.

Trailblazing

  • The bottom row, on the left, displays the synod of Whitby in 664 which was a very significant chapter in the life of Hild.

  • Hild played a vital role within the synod which was a primarily male gathering aiming to bring different traditions of the church together, such as the dating of Easter.

  • A double-sized scene concludes the story with the death of Hild, aged 66. When Hild knew she was dying she left Whitby and went to a smaller monastery about 14 miles away in Hackness. In the centre of the scene is Hild being taken to heaven by angels, as seen in a vision.

Follow the guided tour

You’re in: The Chapel of the Nine Altars You’re at: St Hild Icon Next stop: Van Mildert Statue

  • Turn to your left
  • You will see a large marble sculpture of a seated man
  • This is the Van Mildert Statue
Next item: Van Mildert Statue Previous item: Altar frontals Return to: The Chapel of the Nine Altars