—Reputed
Festival
of a St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
ii,, p.
344,
s Ibid. , n. 2, p. 347. Under either form,
we cannot the identify place.
Keliy, p. xvi. ^"
Acta Sane-
Ba- denoch, a highland district, about 35 miles long and 28 miles broad, in the souih-east of the mainland of Inverness-shire. "—" Im-
By the BoUandists. See
torum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxii. Among
the pretermitted saints, pp, 280, 281, How- perial Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. i. , p.
56,57. • See
115, This convenient vagueness, we fear, has often served Dempster's purpose, in preventing the full exposure of his hap- hazard statements.
''See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," XV. Februarii. Vita S. Berachi.
Scottish Saints,"
^ See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco-
torum," tomus ii. , lib. xii. , num. 886, p. 469.
^ This we are informed from his appears
Life, which had been written by Veremun- dus. See ibid.
5 However, a grave suspicion is advanced, that Dempster cites Veremundus, without having even seen, much less read, that author. See Ussher's "Works," vol. vi.
^
See the Life of this saint, at the 15th of
Colgan's
p. 192.
February, — Article vi,
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxii. Among the pre-
termitted saints, p. 281.
*
This the BoUandists could not find.
3 See **
Scoticum. "
* It is said, this may be Latinized, Marno- cus Niger, owing to the habit he wore, according to a customary form of appella-
tion, among the Scots and Irish,
s Such a place cannot be found, in Scot-
Menologium
670 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 22.
Article VII. —St. Gurnin, or Guirminn, Daughter of Cugheala OR CoNGHAiL. We find a notice of this holy Avoman, called Garnimia, a virgin, and daughter to Congal, in the Bollandists. ^ Also, Guirminn or Gurnin, daughter of Conghail or Cughaela, is entered in the Martyrologies of Tallagh,'' of Marianus O'Gorman, and of Donegal,3 as having a festival at this date. Her charities to the poor were profuse, owing to the generous liberality of her disposition. Good souls, too, felt a pleasure, in enabling her to satisfy the ardent longings of her heart, to relieve distress in every shape. Her charity was only equalled by her humility, her beautiful child-like diffi- dence, her fervent piety, and her sweet disposition.
Artijcle VIII. —Festivals of St. Peter's Chair, at Antioch, of
THE Birth of St. and of St. Tecla. In the " of Laurence, Festilogy"
St. ^ngus,^ at this day, we find these festivals duly celebrated in Ireland, before the eighth century : —
"O. UIII. kl. 1t1 AnCUAl^ AO^-OAtl, pecA1]^ Acpec ecriAi ;
5ein l,Avi]Mnc lAiipiAec^A, La feiL coi-obg CccIa.
In Antioch^ was his Ordination (honor)— Peter his wisdom is known—
The birth of Laurence^—the full response— On the resplendent feast of Tecla. *
Article IX. —Festival of St. Dima or Dioma, First Missionary BishopamongtheMerciansandMidlandAngles. [Sez'enthCentury. '] This saint was a native of Ireland, where he was problbly born, about the be- ginning of the seventh century. He accompanied St. Cedd' to England. The presentsaintwasprobablytrainedinthegreatmonasteryatlona. Aboutthe year 642, it is stated, that the religious King Oswy began his reign over Nor- thumbria. ^ Abouta. d. 655,thepowerfultyrant,Penda,KingoftheMercians, who had already slain his brother. King Oswald,3 began to exercise those in- tolerable vexations, which caused Oswy to offer gifts to obtain a peace, even on humiliating conditions. But the tyrant, instigated by Cadwallin, a British
3 1 have not been able to find from what
source St. ^ngus derived his authority for
placing this festival, at the present date.
* The festival of this holy virgin is to be
found, at this date, in the ancient Martyr- See liishop Forbes' Kalendars of ology, attributed to St. Jerome, but regard-
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates, cap. XV. , p. 199.
'°
See ibid.
^' See " Memorials of Ancient British
Piety," p. 72. ""
Scottish Saints,"—
p. 393.
of
prevailed. On this subject, the late interest-
Article vil
^
See "Acta Sanctorum,"
xxii. Februarii. Among the pretermitted
saints, p. 280.
ing posthumous work, by Father Victor De "
"
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
'
For the generally celebrated festival in
ordered Oswald's body to be cut in pieces, *'
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvi.
Ecclesiastiques," will afford very complete information. S—ee sect, ii. , iii. , pp. 6 to 10.
'
Article ix, See his Life, at the 7th
56, 57. — Article viii.
'
The stanza, copied
" " =^
of January,
See Dr. Lingard's "History of Eng-
land," vol. i. , chap, ii. , p. 93.
3 With savage cruelty, it is said, Penda
See Histoire d'Angleterre, representee notices in the Bollandists' Acta Sane- par figures, accompagnees de Discours," torum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxii. De par F. A. David, Le Toumeur et Guyot.
Cathedra S. Petri Antiochena, pp. 282, 283. Tome i. , p. 46.
from the Leabhar Breac copy, and its
English translation, have been furnished by
Professor O'Looney.
the Church this day, the reader will find
**
which so much
ing diversity
has
Buck, Recherches sur les Calendriers
opinion
February 22. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 671
king,'^ was bent on the extermination of the Northumbrians. Their pious monarch then resolved to call on the Almighty in this extremity, and he is
"
Since this Pagan King refuses our gifts, let us offer them to our Lord God, who will graciously accept them. " Oswy made a vow, that should he obtain a victory in the inevitable contest, which now im- pended, that not only would he grant twelve parcels of land for building and endowing monasteries, but that even he would consecrate his daughter, Elfleda,5 to serve the Lord in perpetual virginity. The king then mustered his small army to defend his province, and he had even to lament the defec- tion of those, who ought naturally have been ranged on his side. It is stated, that while Egfrid, the son of Oswy, was then kept as a hostage by King
Penda's Avife, Edilwald, his nephew^, and the son of King Oswald, was one of thirty generals, in the army of Penda. Notwithstanding their greatly superior forces. King Oswy and his son Alcfrid fought a great batde, near the river
or — or on the of a. d. in the Inwet, Winwed, Wingfield,^ 15th November, 655,
7
region of Loidis now Leeds, in Yorkshire. This resulted in a complete
victory for Oswy ; the army of King Penda fled in confusion, while himself, many of his generals,^ and a vast number of his men, were slain, or drowned in the River Aire, which then had overflowed its banks. Not alone was Northumbria saved from the formidable Mercians ; but, the altered tide of
conquest soon led to these people and their adjoining provincials embracing the Christian raith. 9 The most Christian King, Oswy, took immediate possession of Mercia ; yet, he politicly confirmed to Peada, his own son-in- law, and the surviving son of Penda, permission to rule over its southern part,^° while, at the same time, he obtained permission for Christian mission- aries to preach among the Pagans. For this purpose, after King Peada, even during his father's lifetime, had embraced Christianity, and had been baptized by St. Finan ;" St. Chad or Cedd, with Adda,^^ Betti^3 and Diuma were sent to convert the Mercians and Middle Angles. The Prince Peada was accompanied to his principality by those missionaries, who soon began to make converts among the nobles and common people. It was found necessary for St. Finan to consecrate Diuma or Dima, as first bishop over the Mercians and Middle Angles ; for, the want of a sufficient number of priests obliged the same bishop to preside over two distinct provinces. ^'^ Little more, in detail, is known about St. Dima or Dioma, except that it is said, he died and was buried, ^5 among the people of Middle Anglia. ^"^ It has been
reported to have said,
4 See Matthew of Westminster's *' Flores
Historiarum," A. D. DCLVi. , p. 230.
5 At this time, she was a mere infant,
scarcely a year old.
^ On the site is a village, said to have
been called Winfield, either from this cele- brated victory of Oswy, or from a former one obtained there by Edwin.
7 Sec Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of England," vol. iii. , p. 50.
and the part reserved for King Oswy. See
Matthew of Westminster's "Flores Histo-
riarum," A. D. dclvi. , p. 231.
'^
See his Life, at the 9th of January.
^^ See notices of him, at the 17th of Jan*
uary.
^3 See notices of him, at the llth of Feb*
ruary.
/^ See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle*
siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 21, p. 219.
^
Among these is noticed Aethelher, or
Ethelhere, brother to Anna, King of the East Angles. See Rev. J. Ingram's edition of "The Saxon Chronicle," at a. d. 655, p. 40.
9 This victory caused Northumbria to be- come the leading power of Britain. See Edward A. Freeman's "History of the Norman Conquest of England," vol. i. , chap, ii. , sect. 3, p. 37.
^° The River Trent, as we are told, formed the boundary between Peada's dition,
'5 Matthew of Westminster thus speaks of Dirua, predecessor to our saint in the eccle* siastical government of the Mercian province of the Middle Angles, and of Lindiffaria. See "Flores Historiarum," A. D. dclvi. , p. 231.
'^ See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 24, p. 231.
^^ Yet, I cannot find this statement borne out, by a reference to his "Menologium
672 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February2;
stated, that Dempster assigns him a feast on this day. ^7 Other writers state, however, that his festival was kept, on the 22nd of February; while, some
have it, at the 8th of April,^^ at the iQth of June,'9 and at the 19th of July. =° To this latter date, the reader is further referred. The i6th of November is noted,^^ as another day, dedicated to this saint's memory.
Article X.
—Reputed Festival of a St. Brixius, Bishop of Moray, Scotland. \TwelJih and Thirteenth CenturiesP\ This holy prelate is noted in the Kalendar of David Camerarius. ^ The Bollandists,"* who notice this account, at the 22nd of February, promise to treat more about him, at the 1 2th of August, to which date Thomas Dempster assigns his festival. 3^ The See of Moray had its name from the territory so called. + It is said, that from his tender years, Brixius embraced a monastic life, and soon wonderfully improved in a knowledge of sacred literature. At an early age, he was pro-
moted, to be prior of Lesmahago monastery. When Richard, Bishop of Moray, died, it is stated, the present holy man succeeded. s If we are to
"
credit Dempster, he wrote "Super Sententias," lib. iv. , and name and place.
Homilias," lib. i. ^ He is said to have died a. d. 1222. 7 It is most probable, this pious man was a native of Scotland, considering the time when he flourished, as also his
CtoentL)-'Cftirii JBap of Jebniarj).
ARTICLE I. —ST. GUIGNER, FINGAR, OR FINN GUAIRE, WITH HIS SISTER PIALA, AND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN COMPANIONS, MARTYRS.
[FIFTII CENTURY. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ACTS OF ST. FINGAR AND OF HIS COMPANIONS—SAID TO HAVE BEEN CONVERTED TO THE FAITH IN THE TIME OF ST. PATRICK—CONJECTURES REGARD- ING FINGAR's PARENTAGE—THE EXILES FROM IRELAND PASS OVE TO BRITAIN— FAVOURABLY RECEIVED BY A CHIEFTAIN AND HIS PEOPLE—FINGAR SEPARATES FROM HIS COMPANIONS, BUT THE PLACE OF HIS RETREAT IS DISCOVERED.
uncertainty has prevailed, regarding the history and proper
MUCH for these
festival, holy martyrs. Indeed,
we
their Acts, remaining to us, abound in improbabilities, misstatements, and
Scoticutn," at this date, nor to his "His- saints, p. 2S1. —
toria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus
i. , lib. iv. , num. 365, p. 201, when treating of a S. Dimaus.
»8 According to Camerarius.
*9 See Father Hugh Menard's "Martyr- ologium Benedictinum. "
=° According to the "Martyrologium An-
"
3 See Menologium Scoticum. "
"
«^ ^
glicanum. " lAlso see Bishop P'orbes' endars of Scottish Saints," p. 324.
Ka-
Moray, 1203. See Mackenzie E. Walcott's *'
According to the Kalendar of Philip Ferrarius.
Article x. —' See Bishop Forbes"* Ka- lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 235.
"
Scoti-Monasticon," p. 263.
For the particulars of his Life, the
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Februarii xxii. Among the pretermitted 102, 103.
may
well
assume,
that
Bishop Forbes' ** Kalendars of Scottish Saints,''
p.
208.
4 See Mackenzie E. C. Walcott's ** Scoti-
Monasticon ; The Ancient Church of Scot- land," p, 2.
s We find Bricius Douglas, Bishop of
Scotichronicon," hb. viii. , cap. Ixiv. , and lib. ix. , cap. xxxvii,, is cited,
7 See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. ii. , num. 183, pp.
February 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 673
that infusion of romance, which spring from traditional embellishments of questionable taste and credibility. To weave, therefrom, a more coherent andprobableaccountmaybeattendedwithunsatisfactoryresults; and,-yet, it is evident, this must be attempted, with the slender hope of presenting some
thing intelligible and interesting to our readers.
His Life is said to have been written by St. Anselm,^ Archbishop of
=" and it is even in some editions3 of his works. '^ It is printed
Canterbury,
preceded, by some observations-^ These Acts have been published also by
Messingham. ^ But, they must have been written by some other Anselm.
They have been published by Colgan,7 and by others. The Bollandists, at this date,^ have a very short notice ; for, they remark, that their festival be- longs rather to the 23rd of March. 9 The accuracy of these Acts relating to Fingar—or Winer as some Cornish writers call him'"^—and to his companions has been questioned ; and, we must add, with great apparent reason. Dr. Lanigan throws out a query, which seems to indicate a possibility, regarding the martyrdom of St. Fingar, or St. Guigner," and of his companions, having occurred, during some of the civil wars, in Wales, in Cornwall, or in Britany. ^^ Yet, the Acts themselves seem to refer their period, to the times of St. Patrick, who is represented, as having set out from the shores of Cornubia, to bring a barbarous, idolatrous and incredulous people in Ireland, to a knowledge of the Christian Faith. ^3 They speak of seven kings,'''^ with their Gentile nobles and priests, who heard the Apostle, in one locality, but who
Article i. —CnArxER i, —^ In John
Picard's edition of St. Anselm's works, this headed,
resting Lives of Cornish Saints, in a letter,
"
Stockcross Vicarage, Newbury, September 26th, 1876. "
" Our saint is indifferently so called
throughout the Acts, as written by Anselm.
tany," book X. , chap, xxi. , p. 223. The Colgan, who does not appear indeed to have
tract is thought to have been his genuine
composition by the editor. ^"
See Cressy's Church History of Brit- learned Ussher was even under this impres-
been very happy in his conjectures referring to our saint, thinks that for Guigner might be read Guairen or Guaire, a name occurring more than once in our Sanctilogy ; and, for Fingar might be substituted Fingan or Fin- chadan, as the latter names of Irish Saints
sion. See
*'
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum
Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , pp. 443, 451, 452. 3 Towards the conclusion of this bio- graphy, the writer calls himself Anselm ; and, it is certain, thinks Bishop Challenor,
the style is not unworthy the celebrated are found. Now, as on this day, a St.
Archbishop of Canterbury. See "Britannia Sancta," part ii. , p. 316.
4 In the account of St. Hia, at the 25th of
January, we have, through an oversight, attributed this tract to St. Anselm.
5 These are gf an apologetic and humble nature.
^
In "Florilegium Insula Sanctorum," pp. 210 to 216.
"
7 See Acta Sanctorum Hibernioe," xxiii.
Februarii. Passio SS. Guigneri sive Fin-
garis, Pialoe et Sociorum 777, pp. 387 to
Finnchadhan of Ard, or of
"
the Hill," is in
391- ^
"
Colgan has cited the authority of the
land," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, x. , n. 109, p.
302.
^3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctomm Fliber-
nise," xxiii. Februarii. Passio SS. Guigneri
sive Fingaris, &c. , cap. i. , ii. , p. 387.
'^ Colgan seems to favour the idea, that these were the seven sons of Amalgaidh, King of Connaught, who are alluded to as converts to the Christian Religion, when St. Patrick visited that part of the country, as related in his several Lives. See "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. lix. , p. 78, Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. Ixxvi. , and the following to cap. Ixxxvii. , pp. 140, 141. Allusion is also made to these in the Office of St. Frigidian,
Martyrologium Anglicanum," and the latter edition of it, by John "Wilson, for this
arrangement ; the Bollandists state, how-
ever, that his authority has instead the 23rd
of March.
"
Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb-
9 See
ruarii xxiii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 360. And, ibid. y tomus iii. , Martii xxiii. , pp. 455 to 459.
'°
Thus is the writer informed by Rev. J. Adams, who has written several very inte-
our Calendars ; and, as the English Martyr- ology has St. Fingar, at the 23rd of Feb-
ruary, with an absurd legend relating to a hill, Colgan supposes, that the latter names may have been confounded. See "Acta
Sanctorum Hibernise," xxiii. Februarii, n. 3> P- 391-
^^
See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
2X
674 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February23.
despised him for the lowhness of his habit and appearance. A great multi-
tude of people, likewise, were present, to whom St. Patrick preached the Gospel truths, but in vain. One of the chief kings there is called Clito, and he is reputed to have been the father of our saint. He seems to have been
a zealot, in his profession of paganism. The account of the martyrdom of Fingar and of his companions—who are regarded as natives of Ireland's—
was probably built upon a traditionary and an exaggerated statement, relating to the persecution of Coroticus, in the time of St. Patrick. ^^ Colgan inclined to this opinion, ^7 and he has been followed by Dr. Lanigan,^^ and by the Bollandists. This Coroticus is even supposed to have been a bad-living Christian. ^9
It has been stated, that Fingar was the son of a certain Cliton,=° or of Clito,
aPrinceinIreland. ^^ This,however,isverydoubtful. Acc9rdingtoanother
account, his father was Olilt, King of Connaught, and his name Fingar or Finguaire, is rendered "Guaire the Fair. "" The mistake is ingeniously
accounted for by Colgan, who thinks, that as Albert le Grande has printed,
Princius, for, Patricius ; so he may have set down Clito, for, Olilto, since we find an Olilt Molt, who lived in the time of St. Patrick, and who, from having
been a king over Connaught, succeeded to the post of supreme monarch, in Ireland. ^3 He was a nephew to Amalgaid, King of Connaught, who, also, had a son, whose name was Olilt. He had another son, named Echo, the form of which was liable to perversion. Fingar, who is said to have been adolescent, when St. Patrick visited his part of the country, was moved by
some inward impulse, to receive the Apostle graciously, before his father, the king, and his chiefs. The young prince arose from his seat and invited St. Patrick to occupy it. Having embraced the Christian faith, Fingar incurred the displeasure of his parent, who thought St. Patrick and his convert ^should drive the rites of paganism out of the country, and introduce those new laws, promulgated by the Apostle. Many of the young Irish nobles were greatly attached to their prince, and as all were proscribed by order of the king, they resolved in a company to leave Ireland, and trust themselves to the direction of Divine Providence. Fingar fled, to avoid the consequences of his father's wrath. At the same time, several young nobles^'^ accompanied him to Britain. Not alone was Fingar remarkable lor his good disposition, but his handsome features and graceful bearing were particularly admired. When he landed in Britain, he was kindly received, by a governor in that province, who expressed a desire to see the prince and his fellow exiles. These
Bishop of Lucca, lect. i. See ibid. , n. 2, p. 391. It must be recollected, however, that whereas these seven princes of Connaught are represented as converts, the seven kings, mentioned in St. Fingar's Acts, are enemies to the Christian Faith.
s Ibid. , n. 2, p. 347. Under either form,
we cannot the identify place.
Keliy, p. xvi. ^"
Acta Sane-
Ba- denoch, a highland district, about 35 miles long and 28 miles broad, in the souih-east of the mainland of Inverness-shire. "—" Im-
By the BoUandists. See
torum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxii. Among
the pretermitted saints, pp, 280, 281, How- perial Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. i. , p.
56,57. • See
115, This convenient vagueness, we fear, has often served Dempster's purpose, in preventing the full exposure of his hap- hazard statements.
''See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," XV. Februarii. Vita S. Berachi.
Scottish Saints,"
^ See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco-
torum," tomus ii. , lib. xii. , num. 886, p. 469.
^ This we are informed from his appears
Life, which had been written by Veremun- dus. See ibid.
5 However, a grave suspicion is advanced, that Dempster cites Veremundus, without having even seen, much less read, that author. See Ussher's "Works," vol. vi.
^
See the Life of this saint, at the 15th of
Colgan's
p. 192.
February, — Article vi,
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxii. Among the pre-
termitted saints, p. 281.
*
This the BoUandists could not find.
3 See **
Scoticum. "
* It is said, this may be Latinized, Marno- cus Niger, owing to the habit he wore, according to a customary form of appella-
tion, among the Scots and Irish,
s Such a place cannot be found, in Scot-
Menologium
670 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 22.
Article VII. —St. Gurnin, or Guirminn, Daughter of Cugheala OR CoNGHAiL. We find a notice of this holy Avoman, called Garnimia, a virgin, and daughter to Congal, in the Bollandists. ^ Also, Guirminn or Gurnin, daughter of Conghail or Cughaela, is entered in the Martyrologies of Tallagh,'' of Marianus O'Gorman, and of Donegal,3 as having a festival at this date. Her charities to the poor were profuse, owing to the generous liberality of her disposition. Good souls, too, felt a pleasure, in enabling her to satisfy the ardent longings of her heart, to relieve distress in every shape. Her charity was only equalled by her humility, her beautiful child-like diffi- dence, her fervent piety, and her sweet disposition.
Artijcle VIII. —Festivals of St. Peter's Chair, at Antioch, of
THE Birth of St. and of St. Tecla. In the " of Laurence, Festilogy"
St. ^ngus,^ at this day, we find these festivals duly celebrated in Ireland, before the eighth century : —
"O. UIII. kl. 1t1 AnCUAl^ AO^-OAtl, pecA1]^ Acpec ecriAi ;
5ein l,Avi]Mnc lAiipiAec^A, La feiL coi-obg CccIa.
In Antioch^ was his Ordination (honor)— Peter his wisdom is known—
The birth of Laurence^—the full response— On the resplendent feast of Tecla. *
Article IX. —Festival of St. Dima or Dioma, First Missionary BishopamongtheMerciansandMidlandAngles. [Sez'enthCentury. '] This saint was a native of Ireland, where he was problbly born, about the be- ginning of the seventh century. He accompanied St. Cedd' to England. The presentsaintwasprobablytrainedinthegreatmonasteryatlona. Aboutthe year 642, it is stated, that the religious King Oswy began his reign over Nor- thumbria. ^ Abouta. d. 655,thepowerfultyrant,Penda,KingoftheMercians, who had already slain his brother. King Oswald,3 began to exercise those in- tolerable vexations, which caused Oswy to offer gifts to obtain a peace, even on humiliating conditions. But the tyrant, instigated by Cadwallin, a British
3 1 have not been able to find from what
source St. ^ngus derived his authority for
placing this festival, at the present date.
* The festival of this holy virgin is to be
found, at this date, in the ancient Martyr- See liishop Forbes' Kalendars of ology, attributed to St. Jerome, but regard-
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates, cap. XV. , p. 199.
'°
See ibid.
^' See " Memorials of Ancient British
Piety," p. 72. ""
Scottish Saints,"—
p. 393.
of
prevailed. On this subject, the late interest-
Article vil
^
See "Acta Sanctorum,"
xxii. Februarii. Among the pretermitted
saints, p. 280.
ing posthumous work, by Father Victor De "
"
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
'
For the generally celebrated festival in
ordered Oswald's body to be cut in pieces, *'
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvi.
Ecclesiastiques," will afford very complete information. S—ee sect, ii. , iii. , pp. 6 to 10.
'
Article ix, See his Life, at the 7th
56, 57. — Article viii.
'
The stanza, copied
" " =^
of January,
See Dr. Lingard's "History of Eng-
land," vol. i. , chap, ii. , p. 93.
3 With savage cruelty, it is said, Penda
See Histoire d'Angleterre, representee notices in the Bollandists' Acta Sane- par figures, accompagnees de Discours," torum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxii. De par F. A. David, Le Toumeur et Guyot.
Cathedra S. Petri Antiochena, pp. 282, 283. Tome i. , p. 46.
from the Leabhar Breac copy, and its
English translation, have been furnished by
Professor O'Looney.
the Church this day, the reader will find
**
which so much
ing diversity
has
Buck, Recherches sur les Calendriers
opinion
February 22. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 671
king,'^ was bent on the extermination of the Northumbrians. Their pious monarch then resolved to call on the Almighty in this extremity, and he is
"
Since this Pagan King refuses our gifts, let us offer them to our Lord God, who will graciously accept them. " Oswy made a vow, that should he obtain a victory in the inevitable contest, which now im- pended, that not only would he grant twelve parcels of land for building and endowing monasteries, but that even he would consecrate his daughter, Elfleda,5 to serve the Lord in perpetual virginity. The king then mustered his small army to defend his province, and he had even to lament the defec- tion of those, who ought naturally have been ranged on his side. It is stated, that while Egfrid, the son of Oswy, was then kept as a hostage by King
Penda's Avife, Edilwald, his nephew^, and the son of King Oswald, was one of thirty generals, in the army of Penda. Notwithstanding their greatly superior forces. King Oswy and his son Alcfrid fought a great batde, near the river
or — or on the of a. d. in the Inwet, Winwed, Wingfield,^ 15th November, 655,
7
region of Loidis now Leeds, in Yorkshire. This resulted in a complete
victory for Oswy ; the army of King Penda fled in confusion, while himself, many of his generals,^ and a vast number of his men, were slain, or drowned in the River Aire, which then had overflowed its banks. Not alone was Northumbria saved from the formidable Mercians ; but, the altered tide of
conquest soon led to these people and their adjoining provincials embracing the Christian raith. 9 The most Christian King, Oswy, took immediate possession of Mercia ; yet, he politicly confirmed to Peada, his own son-in- law, and the surviving son of Penda, permission to rule over its southern part,^° while, at the same time, he obtained permission for Christian mission- aries to preach among the Pagans. For this purpose, after King Peada, even during his father's lifetime, had embraced Christianity, and had been baptized by St. Finan ;" St. Chad or Cedd, with Adda,^^ Betti^3 and Diuma were sent to convert the Mercians and Middle Angles. The Prince Peada was accompanied to his principality by those missionaries, who soon began to make converts among the nobles and common people. It was found necessary for St. Finan to consecrate Diuma or Dima, as first bishop over the Mercians and Middle Angles ; for, the want of a sufficient number of priests obliged the same bishop to preside over two distinct provinces. ^'^ Little more, in detail, is known about St. Dima or Dioma, except that it is said, he died and was buried, ^5 among the people of Middle Anglia. ^"^ It has been
reported to have said,
4 See Matthew of Westminster's *' Flores
Historiarum," A. D. DCLVi. , p. 230.
5 At this time, she was a mere infant,
scarcely a year old.
^ On the site is a village, said to have
been called Winfield, either from this cele- brated victory of Oswy, or from a former one obtained there by Edwin.
7 Sec Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of England," vol. iii. , p. 50.
and the part reserved for King Oswy. See
Matthew of Westminster's "Flores Histo-
riarum," A. D. dclvi. , p. 231.
'^
See his Life, at the 9th of January.
^^ See notices of him, at the 17th of Jan*
uary.
^3 See notices of him, at the llth of Feb*
ruary.
/^ See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle*
siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 21, p. 219.
^
Among these is noticed Aethelher, or
Ethelhere, brother to Anna, King of the East Angles. See Rev. J. Ingram's edition of "The Saxon Chronicle," at a. d. 655, p. 40.
9 This victory caused Northumbria to be- come the leading power of Britain. See Edward A. Freeman's "History of the Norman Conquest of England," vol. i. , chap, ii. , sect. 3, p. 37.
^° The River Trent, as we are told, formed the boundary between Peada's dition,
'5 Matthew of Westminster thus speaks of Dirua, predecessor to our saint in the eccle* siastical government of the Mercian province of the Middle Angles, and of Lindiffaria. See "Flores Historiarum," A. D. dclvi. , p. 231.
'^ See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 24, p. 231.
^^ Yet, I cannot find this statement borne out, by a reference to his "Menologium
672 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February2;
stated, that Dempster assigns him a feast on this day. ^7 Other writers state, however, that his festival was kept, on the 22nd of February; while, some
have it, at the 8th of April,^^ at the iQth of June,'9 and at the 19th of July. =° To this latter date, the reader is further referred. The i6th of November is noted,^^ as another day, dedicated to this saint's memory.
Article X.
—Reputed Festival of a St. Brixius, Bishop of Moray, Scotland. \TwelJih and Thirteenth CenturiesP\ This holy prelate is noted in the Kalendar of David Camerarius. ^ The Bollandists,"* who notice this account, at the 22nd of February, promise to treat more about him, at the 1 2th of August, to which date Thomas Dempster assigns his festival. 3^ The See of Moray had its name from the territory so called. + It is said, that from his tender years, Brixius embraced a monastic life, and soon wonderfully improved in a knowledge of sacred literature. At an early age, he was pro-
moted, to be prior of Lesmahago monastery. When Richard, Bishop of Moray, died, it is stated, the present holy man succeeded. s If we are to
"
credit Dempster, he wrote "Super Sententias," lib. iv. , and name and place.
Homilias," lib. i. ^ He is said to have died a. d. 1222. 7 It is most probable, this pious man was a native of Scotland, considering the time when he flourished, as also his
CtoentL)-'Cftirii JBap of Jebniarj).
ARTICLE I. —ST. GUIGNER, FINGAR, OR FINN GUAIRE, WITH HIS SISTER PIALA, AND SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN COMPANIONS, MARTYRS.
[FIFTII CENTURY. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ACTS OF ST. FINGAR AND OF HIS COMPANIONS—SAID TO HAVE BEEN CONVERTED TO THE FAITH IN THE TIME OF ST. PATRICK—CONJECTURES REGARD- ING FINGAR's PARENTAGE—THE EXILES FROM IRELAND PASS OVE TO BRITAIN— FAVOURABLY RECEIVED BY A CHIEFTAIN AND HIS PEOPLE—FINGAR SEPARATES FROM HIS COMPANIONS, BUT THE PLACE OF HIS RETREAT IS DISCOVERED.
uncertainty has prevailed, regarding the history and proper
MUCH for these
festival, holy martyrs. Indeed,
we
their Acts, remaining to us, abound in improbabilities, misstatements, and
Scoticutn," at this date, nor to his "His- saints, p. 2S1. —
toria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus
i. , lib. iv. , num. 365, p. 201, when treating of a S. Dimaus.
»8 According to Camerarius.
*9 See Father Hugh Menard's "Martyr- ologium Benedictinum. "
=° According to the "Martyrologium An-
"
3 See Menologium Scoticum. "
"
«^ ^
glicanum. " lAlso see Bishop P'orbes' endars of Scottish Saints," p. 324.
Ka-
Moray, 1203. See Mackenzie E. Walcott's *'
According to the Kalendar of Philip Ferrarius.
Article x. —' See Bishop Forbes"* Ka- lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 235.
"
Scoti-Monasticon," p. 263.
For the particulars of his Life, the
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Februarii xxii. Among the pretermitted 102, 103.
may
well
assume,
that
Bishop Forbes' ** Kalendars of Scottish Saints,''
p.
208.
4 See Mackenzie E. C. Walcott's ** Scoti-
Monasticon ; The Ancient Church of Scot- land," p, 2.
s We find Bricius Douglas, Bishop of
Scotichronicon," hb. viii. , cap. Ixiv. , and lib. ix. , cap. xxxvii,, is cited,
7 See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. ii. , num. 183, pp.
February 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 673
that infusion of romance, which spring from traditional embellishments of questionable taste and credibility. To weave, therefrom, a more coherent andprobableaccountmaybeattendedwithunsatisfactoryresults; and,-yet, it is evident, this must be attempted, with the slender hope of presenting some
thing intelligible and interesting to our readers.
His Life is said to have been written by St. Anselm,^ Archbishop of
=" and it is even in some editions3 of his works. '^ It is printed
Canterbury,
preceded, by some observations-^ These Acts have been published also by
Messingham. ^ But, they must have been written by some other Anselm.
They have been published by Colgan,7 and by others. The Bollandists, at this date,^ have a very short notice ; for, they remark, that their festival be- longs rather to the 23rd of March. 9 The accuracy of these Acts relating to Fingar—or Winer as some Cornish writers call him'"^—and to his companions has been questioned ; and, we must add, with great apparent reason. Dr. Lanigan throws out a query, which seems to indicate a possibility, regarding the martyrdom of St. Fingar, or St. Guigner," and of his companions, having occurred, during some of the civil wars, in Wales, in Cornwall, or in Britany. ^^ Yet, the Acts themselves seem to refer their period, to the times of St. Patrick, who is represented, as having set out from the shores of Cornubia, to bring a barbarous, idolatrous and incredulous people in Ireland, to a knowledge of the Christian Faith. ^3 They speak of seven kings,'''^ with their Gentile nobles and priests, who heard the Apostle, in one locality, but who
Article i. —CnArxER i, —^ In John
Picard's edition of St. Anselm's works, this headed,
resting Lives of Cornish Saints, in a letter,
"
Stockcross Vicarage, Newbury, September 26th, 1876. "
" Our saint is indifferently so called
throughout the Acts, as written by Anselm.
tany," book X. , chap, xxi. , p. 223. The Colgan, who does not appear indeed to have
tract is thought to have been his genuine
composition by the editor. ^"
See Cressy's Church History of Brit- learned Ussher was even under this impres-
been very happy in his conjectures referring to our saint, thinks that for Guigner might be read Guairen or Guaire, a name occurring more than once in our Sanctilogy ; and, for Fingar might be substituted Fingan or Fin- chadan, as the latter names of Irish Saints
sion. See
*'
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum
Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , pp. 443, 451, 452. 3 Towards the conclusion of this bio- graphy, the writer calls himself Anselm ; and, it is certain, thinks Bishop Challenor,
the style is not unworthy the celebrated are found. Now, as on this day, a St.
Archbishop of Canterbury. See "Britannia Sancta," part ii. , p. 316.
4 In the account of St. Hia, at the 25th of
January, we have, through an oversight, attributed this tract to St. Anselm.
5 These are gf an apologetic and humble nature.
^
In "Florilegium Insula Sanctorum," pp. 210 to 216.
"
7 See Acta Sanctorum Hibernioe," xxiii.
Februarii. Passio SS. Guigneri sive Fin-
garis, Pialoe et Sociorum 777, pp. 387 to
Finnchadhan of Ard, or of
"
the Hill," is in
391- ^
"
Colgan has cited the authority of the
land," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, x. , n. 109, p.
302.
^3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctomm Fliber-
nise," xxiii. Februarii. Passio SS. Guigneri
sive Fingaris, &c. , cap. i. , ii. , p. 387.
'^ Colgan seems to favour the idea, that these were the seven sons of Amalgaidh, King of Connaught, who are alluded to as converts to the Christian Religion, when St. Patrick visited that part of the country, as related in his several Lives. See "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. lix. , p. 78, Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. Ixxvi. , and the following to cap. Ixxxvii. , pp. 140, 141. Allusion is also made to these in the Office of St. Frigidian,
Martyrologium Anglicanum," and the latter edition of it, by John "Wilson, for this
arrangement ; the Bollandists state, how-
ever, that his authority has instead the 23rd
of March.
"
Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb-
9 See
ruarii xxiii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 360. And, ibid. y tomus iii. , Martii xxiii. , pp. 455 to 459.
'°
Thus is the writer informed by Rev. J. Adams, who has written several very inte-
our Calendars ; and, as the English Martyr- ology has St. Fingar, at the 23rd of Feb-
ruary, with an absurd legend relating to a hill, Colgan supposes, that the latter names may have been confounded. See "Acta
Sanctorum Hibernise," xxiii. Februarii, n. 3> P- 391-
^^
See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
2X
674 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February23.
despised him for the lowhness of his habit and appearance. A great multi-
tude of people, likewise, were present, to whom St. Patrick preached the Gospel truths, but in vain. One of the chief kings there is called Clito, and he is reputed to have been the father of our saint. He seems to have been
a zealot, in his profession of paganism. The account of the martyrdom of Fingar and of his companions—who are regarded as natives of Ireland's—
was probably built upon a traditionary and an exaggerated statement, relating to the persecution of Coroticus, in the time of St. Patrick. ^^ Colgan inclined to this opinion, ^7 and he has been followed by Dr. Lanigan,^^ and by the Bollandists. This Coroticus is even supposed to have been a bad-living Christian. ^9
It has been stated, that Fingar was the son of a certain Cliton,=° or of Clito,
aPrinceinIreland. ^^ This,however,isverydoubtful. Acc9rdingtoanother
account, his father was Olilt, King of Connaught, and his name Fingar or Finguaire, is rendered "Guaire the Fair. "" The mistake is ingeniously
accounted for by Colgan, who thinks, that as Albert le Grande has printed,
Princius, for, Patricius ; so he may have set down Clito, for, Olilto, since we find an Olilt Molt, who lived in the time of St. Patrick, and who, from having
been a king over Connaught, succeeded to the post of supreme monarch, in Ireland. ^3 He was a nephew to Amalgaid, King of Connaught, who, also, had a son, whose name was Olilt. He had another son, named Echo, the form of which was liable to perversion. Fingar, who is said to have been adolescent, when St. Patrick visited his part of the country, was moved by
some inward impulse, to receive the Apostle graciously, before his father, the king, and his chiefs. The young prince arose from his seat and invited St. Patrick to occupy it. Having embraced the Christian faith, Fingar incurred the displeasure of his parent, who thought St. Patrick and his convert ^should drive the rites of paganism out of the country, and introduce those new laws, promulgated by the Apostle. Many of the young Irish nobles were greatly attached to their prince, and as all were proscribed by order of the king, they resolved in a company to leave Ireland, and trust themselves to the direction of Divine Providence. Fingar fled, to avoid the consequences of his father's wrath. At the same time, several young nobles^'^ accompanied him to Britain. Not alone was Fingar remarkable lor his good disposition, but his handsome features and graceful bearing were particularly admired. When he landed in Britain, he was kindly received, by a governor in that province, who expressed a desire to see the prince and his fellow exiles. These
Bishop of Lucca, lect. i. See ibid. , n. 2, p. 391. It must be recollected, however, that whereas these seven princes of Connaught are represented as converts, the seven kings, mentioned in St. Fingar's Acts, are enemies to the Christian Faith.
