No More Learning

There seems no reason
" ofthe The feast
to doubt the tradition that this saint was the
High Bishop of the Picts, yet disti—nct traces of him are found in Ireland. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 450.
2 From the Leabhar Breac copy is the fob
pious Coeman, named vehement Sanct-lethan.
Torannan
lowing s—tanza, translated by Dr. Whitley observation, likewise, that Palladius was
Stoke*
:
sent by
Peter's successor into Ireland before
lasting, deedful, over a wide shipful sea. " —
"
of the Irish Transactions Boyal Academy,"
Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. xciii.
3 The Scholiast on this Calendar has the
638 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 12.
appears to identify him also with the Pictish bishop Ternan, who had visited Rome. There are lines * in the Bodleian copy of this Manuscript,* which differ from those in the Leabhar Breac. The Bollandists have the Acts of St.
Ternanus, Bishop of the Picts, at this day.
6
They are written or compiled by
Father Daniel Papebroke, yet his digression on the subject ' throws little light
on the personal biography of this early missionary, or even on that distant
periodofScottishhistoryinwhichhelived. Onlyshortanddoubtfulallusions
tothisholybishopcanbefoundintheearlyScottishChronicles; andamong
our modern writers, it is not to be expected they can enlarge on his career.
We find in Dean 8 Challoner 9 and Rev. Alban Butler I0 some
Cressy, Bishop
brief references to him, at the 12th of June. A few particulars regarding him,
will be found in Forbes' 11 as also in that of William F. 12 Bishop work, Skene;
but most of these are conjectural and somewhat conflicting. The Aberdeen
Breviary *s states, that St. Ternan was descended from noble Scotch parents,
in a province called the Mearns. '4 According to the Scottish accounts, St.
Ternan is said to have been baptized by St. Palladius, 15 who was admonished
by an angel to perform this ceremony, and who afterwards unde—rtook his in-
6
— If we are to credit some accounts,'? St. Ternan also called
Tervanus wasacolleagueofSt. Servanus,ApostleoftheOrkneys,whileheis
also called Apostle of the Picts, whom he converted from the worship of idols.
He is said to have spent seven years under the tuition of St. Palladius. 18
Again, we are told, he had sanctified himself many years in the Abbey of
struction. '
Culross, in Fifeshire, in which St. Kentigern had established a m—ost holy 1 20
Rome accord- ing to the Legend of the Aberdeen Breviary St. Ternan undertook a journey thither to follow his words and works. This may be regarded, however, as an unchronological statement, if we are to suppose our saint to have lived con-
—St.
manner of living. ' Hearing of the fame of Gregory at
temporaneously with St. Palladius ;
21
while with the latter he has been even
Patrick to teach them. He was not received
in Ireland, so he went into Scotland. He
was buried in Liconium. Or My-Toren of Ancient Alban," vol. ii. , book ii. , chap, i. , Tulach Fortchirn in Ui-Felmeda and
of Druim Cliab in Cairpre. See ibid. ,
p.
—
u Latinized
cii.
4 They run thus:
Co]\AruiAn r>UAn bArmAch bAnnach barm beif ]-aij\
Aguf bAnn ]\eir" AnAip.
Pars Hyemalis, fol. cv.
Myrnia.
js See Hector Boece's "Scotorum Hysto-
rie," lib. vii. , fol. cxxxiii.
'6
See John Fordun's Scoiichronicon," tomus i. , lib. iii. , cap. ix. , p. 113.
They are translated into English, as follows:
" Torannan the long-famed voyager, a dash by him to the east, and a dash by him from
"
the east.
5 Classed Laud 610.
6 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Junii
xii. De Sancto Ternano, Pictorum in Bri- tannia Episcopo, Illorum Simul et Scoto- rum, limites, Apostoli, diceceses, pp. 533 to 535.
7 It is contained in 11 paragraphs.
8 See " Church History of Brittany," book ix. , chap, iii. , pp. 173, 174.
9 See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , pp.
366, 367.
10 See his " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs
and other principal Saints," vol. vi. , June xn.
" See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp.
clesiastica Gemis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib.
xviii. , num. 1107, p. 607.
,8
Thus we read in the Breviaiy of Aber- deen, at the 12th of June: "A quo tanta sciencia septem annis erudiius est vt per eun-
"
dem ad pontiiicatus apicem promoueretur. —"Proceedings of the Society of Antiqua- ries of Scotland," vol. ii. , p. 264.
,9 See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. vi. , June xit.
TO St. Gregory L, surnamed the Great,
ruled over the Church from A. D. 590 to a. i>.
"
604. See Sir Harris Nicolas' Chronology
of History," p. 209.
" See his Life, in the Seventh Volume of
this work, at July 6th, the date for his fes- tival.
» See William F. Skene's " Celtic Scot-
450, 451.
" See " Celtic Scotland : a History of
pp. 29 to 32.
I3 It devotes six Lessons to his history, in
17 See Thomas
Dempster's
" Historia Ec-
June 12. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
639
confounded, by a certain scholiast, who adds, moreover, that he was sent from the Coarb of Peter to Erin before Patrick. According to one opinion, Ter-
rananus or Ternan was probably a disciple of Palladius, and brought his relics either from Ireland or from Galloway, to his native district in the territories of
years, he was promoted to the Episcopal rank by Pope Gregory, who in- structed him to return for the purpose of evangelizing Scotland. A supposi- tion has been offered, that he was sent there to water the vineyard, planted
22 BlessedGregoryreceivedtheyouthwithgreathonour. 23 Attheendofseven
the southern Picts.
Knowing it to be his intention to visit Rome, the
St. 2* and that he became successor to the latter. 2^ by Ninian,
In the Missal
heavy and inconvenient to carry with him, that he left it at Rome. However, morning after morning, that bell was found lying beside the saint, while he and his companions proceeded on their journey. At last, through Divine
2
power, the bell and its owner reached their destination, in Scotland. 9 Accord-
ing to some accounts, St. Palladius made him bishop of the Picts in 431. 3°
Several of the ancient Scottish writers regard St. Terrenanus or Ternanus
x asthefirstBishopofthePicts,andamongtheseareFordun,3 Boece32 and
Lesley. 3^ At Abernethy 34- in Stratherne is said to have been the seat of the
° ;
jutorstothetwochiefbishops. 39 Theextensivewarsandforeignexpeditions
are thought to have hindered the canonical division of these kingdoms into
regular dioceses. The practice of ordaining bishops at large in Ireland, with- out fixed Sees and by one single bishop, appears to have prevailed down to
Church of St.
26 St. Terrenanus is
2 7 Archi-
of the
presul and Archbishop of the Picts, while his festival was annually celebrated
Metropolitan
Andrew's,
styled
and with on the 12th great solemnity,
28 The that legend relates,
of
he was presented by Pope Gregory, with a little bell, which he found so
Pictish bishops,3s as also of the Pictish kings in ancient times 3
diocese of those bishops included all the Pictish kingdom. In the early ages of Christianity in Scotland, it has been stated, that as there were two distinc- tive nations, one of Picts and the other of Scots ; so there were two head bishops for those people, one designated Archiepiscopus and Archipraesul Pictorum,37 and the other Primus or Summus Episcopus or Archiepiscopus Scotorum. 38 Underthesewereotherbishops,andsomeperhapsnotordained to any title, or for any fixed locality, seat or district, being suffragans or coad-
land : a History of Ancient Alban," vol. ii. ,
book
ii. , chap, i. , p. 30
25 According to the Aberdeen Breviary. 24 His feast lias been assigned to the 16th
of September.
25 See Dean Cressy's "Church History of
Brittany," Book ix. , chap, iii. , pp. 173, 174.
36
Sancta," part i. , pp. 366, 367.
3I ix. See "Scotichronicon," lib. iii. , cap.
^ See " Scotorum Hystorie," lib. vii. , fol. cxxxiii.
33 See " De Origine, Moribus et Rebus Gentis Scotorum," lib. iiii. , p. 131.
^ " Fuit ille locus principalis Regalis et
Pontificalis— totius regni per aliqua tempora
This, with some other liturgical books,
Pictorum. " Fordun's "Scotichronicon," was in possession of the ancient and noble tomus i , liv. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 189.
3S According to the Book of Paisley, in the King's Library at London, and which quotes the Chronicle of Abernethy for proof.
"
3<s See Rev. Thomas Innes' Civil and
Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," book ii. , sect, xxiv. , p. 157.
37 Their seat was at Abernethy.
38 Andrews. Their See was St.
land, p. 44. part i. , p. 367.
*> See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia «• See Rev. Thomas Innes' "Civil and
family of Arbuthnot, and the Viscount of his day allowed Father Thomas Innes to peruse them.
*? Both in the Calendar and in the
Collect or prayer of the Liturgy of the
day.
28 See Rev. Thomas Innes' "Civil and
Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," book sect, xxiv. , p. 157.
ii. ,
39 However, Bishop Challenor denies that there were Archbishops in Scotland in St. chronicon," vol. i. , Early Bishops in Scot- Ternan's age. See "Britannia Sancta,"
29 See Rev. J. F. S. Gordon's " Scoti-
day
June.
while the
640 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 12.
the eleventh or beginning of the twelfth century ; and, it was probably begun
out of motives dictated by piety, necessity or expediency, however incon-
venient, irregular and conflicting must have been the usage. As the Scotch had received originally the doctrines and discipline of Christianity from Ire- land ; so, it is probable, that their practices had been borrowed or greatly in- fluenced by the like prevailing practices/ Ternan was the companion of St. Macharius, and a most devout lover of solitude. 41 A certain Convecturius is said to have been prince in the territory, where St. Ternan lived.
man with his companions was approaching. The prince cried out
:
The holy " Hypo-
? " St. Ternan salvation, that thou mayest know God and serve him alone. "
" We seek But, Convec-
crite,
what dost thou in
my territory
replied :
thy
" Cease from these deceiving words. " Thus repulsed, the saint retired from him. Convecturius thought to retire, also, but his feet adhered firmly to a stone. However, the saint prayed for his release. This miracle convinced that prince of his impiety, and professing a desire to be baptized, St. Ternan received his profession of Faith. *2 If we are to believe Thomas Dempster, he wrote one book intituled u Exhorationes ad Pictos," another
"
turius said
14 Contra and a third Pelagianos,"
:
Homilias ex Sacra but these Scriptura,"43
statements are given without guarantees, and they are wholly gratuitous St.
Machar of Aberdeen is said to have sent for some seed corn to St. Ternan. '' 4
Having none to give on loan, the latter sent some sacks of sand. Machar
sowed the sand, moved by a like faith, and the legend states, that he after-
wardsreapedanabundantharvest. 45 Oneofthefablesrelatedaboutthissaint
is, that he had been engaged in extripating the Pelagian heresy from among
the Picts 46 whereas, in it had no hold them in the time of St. ; reality, among
Ternan. 4? He flourished, it is said,48 a. d. 440, and he died at Abernethy, where his remains were afterwards held in distinguished veneration. He is said to have been buried in Liconium, which was probably the old name for that place, afterwards called Banchory-Ternan. 4? At the 12th of June, his festival is entered in the Carthusian additions to the Martyrology of Usuard 5° in Ferrarius 51 and in Canisius. s2 In the Martyrology,53 Calendar and Breviary of Aberdeen, at the 12th of June, is the feast of St. Terrenanus. It is entered, also in Adam King's Ka- lendar. s4 at the same date;55 in the Menologium Scotorum 5° of Thomas
49 See William F. Skene's "Celtic Scot- sect, xxiv. , xxv. , pp. 157 to 160. land : a History of Ancient Alban," vol. ii. ,
41 In the Martyrology of Aberdeen, we book ii. , chap, i. , p. 30.
read: "Eratenim Beati Mauricii contem- 5° Thus : "In Scotia Ternani Archiepis- poraneus et heremi cultor deuotissimus. " copi et Confessoris. "
Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," book ii. ,
42
chronicon," p.
" 5'In" Scoti-
See Rev. Dr. J. F. S. Gordon's
Catalogus Generalis. "
43 See Thomas
Dempster's
fol. cv.
45 See Rev. Dr.
F. S. Gordon's
"
Scoti-
siam de Banquorefternysepultus quern Sanc- tus Palladius Scotorum apostolus de sancto fonte leuauit — Rome
magno commendauit. " Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. ii. , p. 264.
vol. i. , 44.
5~ See " Germanicum. " Martyrologium
SJ The of Aberdeen at Martyrology says
" Historia Ec- clesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomusii. ,
lib. xviii. , num. 1107, p. 608.
44 Breviary of Aberdeen, Pars Hyemalis,
J. chronicon," vol. i. , pp. 44, 45.
adultumque Gregorio "
46 This is stated by Bishop Lesley, in his work, " De Origine, Moribus, et Rebus Gen- tis Scotorum," lib. iiii. , p. 131.
54 Thus at the 12th : "S. Turnane, arch- 47 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum," bishop of ye 1'iclues ordenit le S. padie
tomus ii. , Junii xii. 1 )e Sancto Ternano Pic-
vnder king Kugenius 2. "
55 See Forbes' "Kalendars of Bishop
Scottish Saints," p. 154.
5" Thus : "xn Kinkar—niae Tarnani picto-
torum in Britannia
48 See Thomas Dempster's
num. 534.
Episcopo,
"
5, p. Historia Ec-
clesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xviii. , num. 1 107, p. 608.
rum Archiepiscopi. k. " Jbid. , p.
202.
"
Terrenani Pictorum archiprcsulis apud eccle-
FridieIdasJunijj
In Scotia natalis sancti
June 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 641
Dempster; and likewise, in the Scottish Entries 57 in the Kalendar of David
Camerarius. The head of this saint was preserved at Banquhory-Ternan,
where it was seen by the compiler s 8 of the Aberdeen Martyrology, about
a. d. 1530, or as calculated 1,100 years after his death, and even then, the
skin on that part where he had been tonsured and anointed was observed. 59
That miraculous bell ^—called the Ronnecht—was preserved at Banchory-
TernanuntiltheReformation. Oneofthose
ecclesiasticalrelics aBookoftheFourGospels hadbeenpreservedatBanchoryformany
——
interesting
ornamented with silver and 61 A gold.
and it was enclosed in a
monstrance containing his relicswas in the treasury of the church at Aberdeen. 62 The cathedral church is said to have been dedicated to him at Abernethy, withmanyothersinthatdistrict. 63 AchapelandwellbearthenameofSt. Ternan, at Findon, in Banchory-Devenick. 64 He was patron of the
ages,
parishes
case,
of
Slains,
65 of
Arbuthnott,
66 and of
Upper Banchory.
67 a Perhaps
church or a chapel in Brechin also bore his name. 68 Although it cannot be
ascertained, that the present holy bishop had been a native of Ireland, or
eventhathehadsetfootonhershores; yet,asappearsfromourCalendars, he was greatly venerated in our Island, and this seems to have caused mis-
conceptions regarding his country, places, and identity, as may be deduced from the succeeding article.
Article III. —Reputed Festival of St. Torannan, or Tarannan,
Abbot of Bangor, County of Down. There is some confusion x about
Torannan, who is evidently the same as St. Ternan, that bishop among the Picts, and who was the disciple of St. Palladius. In the Martyrology ofTal-
2 at the 12th of
This appears to be a mistake for the Benchory alluded to in the previous article, and it has set subsequent Irish calendarists astray. The gloss on a copy of the Felire of St. yEngus confounds him with Palladius 3 while another
lagh,
June,
is the
simple entry, Tarannan,
Abbot of Bandchair.
;
gloss in the Felire of St. ^Engus confounds him with St. Mothoria,* or Mothoren. s The suggestion, that he was abbot of Bangor and of Tulach
57 Thus : "12 Die. Sanctus Ternanus volueiit inter cetera in Britannie finibus mi- Episcopus et Confessor et post Ninianum randa singularis. "—"Proceedings of the
sanctu—m Pictorum Australium veluti Apos-
tolas. " Ibid. , p. 238. .
58 As he states: "Habetur caput Terre-
nani admirationis ita quod caro caracteris corone sue sacro oleo vncte ad mille centum annos nostris indignis oculis intuentibus manet incorrupta. Sed et alia continue cor-
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. " vol. ii. ,
264.
62 According to "Registrum Episcopatus
Aberdonense," tomus ii. , p. 185.
6s See Thomas Dempster's "Historia
Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. ,
lib. xviii. , num. 1 107, p. 608.
6* See " Memorials of and Jervise's Angus
Mearns," p. 364.
6s See "View of the Diocese of Aber-
deen," p. 387.
* See " New StatisticafAccount of Scot-
land," Kincardine, p. 160.
6? See ibid. , p. 323.
M See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints,"—p. 451.
* of Article hi. In the opinion Rev.
Dr. Todd.
3 Edited Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxvii. by
3 The festival of this Scottish Apostle is celebrated on the 6th day of July,
* Who is venerated June 9th.
s From this probably comes the sugges- tion, that he was abbot of Drumcliff.
is
ruscantia miracula videant
qui
eius
legendam
legunt. "
59 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 451.
"Registrum Niger Aberbrothock," in the year 1485, a conces- sion of St. Ternan's bell "vicario ejusdem
specialiter pro ornatione capitis dicti Sti. Ternani patroni nostri ejusdem ecclesise. "
p. 239.
61
60 There exists in the
de
It is thus described, by the compiler of the
Aberdeen " Martyrology :
Euuangelistarum quoque quatuor voluminibus metallo inclusis argento auro texto in superficie fabricatis re- muneraretur quorum Mathei euuangeliste volumen adhuc apud Eanquory, cuius miracula si curiosus aliquis inuestigare
Vol. VI. —No. ii.
p.
642 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 12.
Foirtceirn, as well as of Drumcliff, in the county of Sligo, occurs in the gloss of Marianus O'Gorman, who notices St. Torannan, in his Calendar, at this same date. At Drumcliff, an ancient rock-monument is found, and it is thoughttobeaworkreferabletopagantimes. 6 TheMartyrologyofDonegal? describes him more fully—and perhaps more inexactly—at the same date.
Heis 8 as not described, also,
beenAbbotof butas Bennchor,
only having
having had some relation with Tulach Foirtceirn, in Leinster, and with
Druim-chliabh, of Cairpre, in Connacht. St. Torannan is said to have descended from the race of Cairbre Riada, son to Conaire, son of Mogh- lamha. A certain book 9 is quoted, as authority for this statement. The writer is of opinion, that the Tulach Foirtceirn already mentioned is identical withTullow,10inthecountyofCarlow. 11 Amongsomebeautifulphotographs in possession of Miss Stokes, Dublin, there is a very fine representation of Drumcliff sculptured cross and round tower. 12 The name of Torannan also occurs at the 12th of June, in that Calendar compiled by the Rev.