This paper seeks to explain why Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People constitutes a valid historical work, rather than a religious text. It starts by addressing the nature of historical vs non-historical narrative, focusing on a concept of “genealogy of information.” It couples ideas from narrative theory, historiography, and anthropology, and compares Bede’s work to some other works of narrative and pseudo-history which fail to include the elements necessary to be considered history.