No More Learning

For more than three hundred years after the time of St. Disibod, the Benedictines held possession of this monastery at Disenberg ; but, in the fifteenth century, it had fallen into the hands of the Cistercians. 54
The Reformation period of its history is also full of incidents. 55 The Kloster itself was not free from the new heresy. 56 But the commencement
great
the shape of pitch and resin, which were em-
ployed in lighting their churches. They pro- cured beeswax for which they found many ecclesiastical uses, and wild honey, with which
S3 A stone with an inscription formed part
of this sarcophagus.
54 go states John of Trittenheim —born
there 1st of February, 1462, and who died
Abbot of St. — at James,
made
tionery, and also corrected the acidity of their
they
many
kinds of confec-
of " De Viris Illustribus Ordinis S. Benedicti," lib. iii. ,
wines.
4» They boasted of one name, that is not
even yet forgotten, by those who take an in- terest in the history of mediaeval literature, viz. , Petrus a Roberiis, or Peter of Retiborn. While only a common monk of Disiboden- berg, on account of his great learning, he had been elevated by Pope Boniface IX. to the Bishopric of Samaria.
'•He departed this life on the vi. of the
July Nones, A. D. 1155, according to Dode- chinus, and he was succeeded by the Abbot
Helinger, who urged the Abbess Hi Idegarde to write the Acts of St. Disibod.
SI Dodechinus states it, "Hoc anno, In-
v
dictione VI.
s* Dodechinus states: "altero eorum,
scilicet minore, ossa continente, altero ma- jore cinires. "
cap. 288.
ss Johannes Schwebel, the re$>rmer of the
Zweibrucken country, found refuge there, when driven from his native town of Pfors- heim, between Mannheim and Banden. With the celebrated Franz von Sickingen, at Ebernburg, he spent a whole year. There, too, were TJlrich von Hutten, Bucar, Aquila, and CEcolampadius, engaged mainly in study- ingtheBible, bythe light of Luther'snewdoc- trine. Franz sent him with a letter of re- commendation to Duke Ludwig II. , of Zweibrucken. Not long after, the Zweib- rucken Duchy, with its Duke, became Pro- testant.
s6 The whole of the monks left it except the abbot and one monk. In 1559, the abbot surrendered it, with all its belongings, to the
December, 1516
in his
Wurtzburg, 27th work,
102 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
of the Thirty Years' War saw its old possessors reinstated by the Marquis
Spinola. In 1631, the monks were driven out again by the Rheingraf Otto
Ludwig,underthewingofGustavusAdolphus. AtthepeaceofWestphalia, Disibodenberg again reverted to the Catholics.
In their turn, the Cistercians lost possession of Disenberg, and in the seventeenth century, secular Canons are found to be in occupation,5? which
state of in the early and middle things prevailed
period
During the French Revolution, that establishment was consficated to the
Republic, and sold by auction for a few hundred francs, to the ancestors of its present possessors. 5? The ruins of the ancient monastery of Disiboden- berg lie near the little town of Staudernheim, a railway station some forty minutes distant from Kreuznach, and just on the confines of Rhenish Prussia and the Bavarian Palatinate. The line of boundary posts, between the two, crosses that road which leads from Staudernheim, on the Prussian territory, toDisibodenberg,whichisontheBavarianside. Theruinsaresituatedonthe flat top of a hill, which rises out of the level land, and which occupies the angle,formedbytheNahe. Atthispoint,theriverflowsfromwesttoeast, and the Glan, one of its tributaries, flows in a direction, a little to the east of north. The greater part of the flat hill-top must have been occupied by buildings and by courts, during the last century, although we can find few accounts of its condition at the time, probably owing to the fact, that the ecclesiastics who served there lived in quiet and retirement, thus passing an uneventful career. During the troublous times which preceded and followed the French Revolution, the buildings were torn to pieces by the inhabitants of the surrounding district, who made Disibodenberg a quarry for dressed stones. 60 Gradually its buildings came to a state of complete ruin. The cloister bells went partly to Odernheim, and partly, including the great bell cast in 1382, to the church of Meisenheim, in Glanthal. 61 The remains of Disibodenberg are still considerable, and they show, that it must in its prime
62
have been of great extent.
The view from different points around Disenberg is various and charming.
On the north-west, the Nahe pours itself down in picturesque windings through the hills into the valley. From the south, comes the Glan to meet it, at the eastern foot of the hill. Right opposite towers Lemberg in majestic repose—monarch of the landscape—with the hamlet of Duckroth at its feet.
Farther to the north rises the Abbey, there is a magnificent view.
Duke. He dedicated it, together with the Klosters of Hornbach, Wersweiler, and
Offenbach to the public worship in Zweib- rucken, to the establishment of schools at
Hornsbach, and to other like purposes. He was a little more conscientious in dealing
63 Towards the south side of the You look westward into the pleasant
it a favourite place for excursions, among the strangers who come to Kreuznach.
^ The new piers of Staudernheim Bridge
were built out of its spoils. All the houses
at that period in Odernheim, Standernheim,
hands, than were the English, Irish and
Scotch nobles of the Reformation.
"
s? See Mabillon's Annales Ordinis S.
Benedicti," tomus i. , lib. xvi. , sect, xliv. ,
il
This is an old church, where the Stalz- graten of the Rhei and many noble families are buried. It is worth a visit, on account of the tower of its church, which is a beauti-
ful specimen of architecture.
p. 523.
s" See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Julii viii. De S. Disibodo Epis. et Confess, in Dysenberg, Territorii Mogun- tini, in Germania. Commentarius Praevius,
sect, i,, pp. 581 to 583.
59 These have done a great deal to make
Gangelsberg.
and even as far as Brockelheim, were built with the windfalls of Church property, out of the wrecked Disibodenberg monas-
which the Reformation brought into his tcry.
" 62
of the last 8 century. s
Indeed, the lordly list of its possessions, and the bead-roll of its benefactors for cen- turies, might lead one to expect such a con- dition.
63 On it stood a signal-tower, when this part of the country belonged to the French.
July 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 163
Nahethal. Staudernheim, with its romantically situated mills, lies below.
Westward 6* and further on the old town of 65 appears Sobernheim, Monzi^en.
On the right bank of the Nahe, and resting on the mountain side, is the hamlet of Middersheim ; and, where the valley closes, Merrheim, not far fromthestatelyruinsoftheSchlossDhaun. Onaclearday,thesecanbe
distinctly back to the
66 and
— These, too, height. carry
made
and their wooded out, crowning
us almost coeval with the In the middle of the valley, on the Nath, are clusteredthemillsandbarnsofSobernheim. Fromanotherpoint,youhave a view up the valley of the Glan, so far as the ancient town of Odernheim.
Nearer still are the old Kloster mills. Such is the scenery, with which the modern tourist often renders himself familiar, and it is intimately associated with St. Dysibod's name and missionary labours.
Article III. —St. Diarmaid, Bishop of Gleam-Uissean, now Kille-
SHIN, Queen's County. That Gleann-Uissean had been a place of impor-
tance in pagan history is not improbable ; and, at the present time, a remark- able artificial and cone-shaped mound is to be seen on the sloping upland, whichgraduallyascendstothesummitofClogrennanmountain. Itriseson the south side of the road, which leads from the town of Carlow to the collie- ries, in the Queen's County. On the opposite side of the road are the ancient cemetery and ruined church of Killeshin, also rising high over the same road, whichwindsthroughadeepcutbeneath. Atalowerlevelstill,andbound- ing the cemetery on the northern side, is a rapid stream, which falls through a very romantic glen, and in a succession of small cascades, almost buried from view, unless the pilgrim desires to clamber down into that ravine, where the water has hollowed out its course. The situation is still surrounded with natural charms ; but, we know not at what remote date in Christian times, it had been selected as the site for a religious foundation. It seems to be well established, however, that the present holy man, St. Diarmaid, must have pre-
sided as Abbot there, probably before the eighth century. Were we to accept
early Wildgrafen foundation of Disibodenberg.
Nahgangrafen
1 his rule should be referred to the commencement of the sixth
one
century. Still, we cannot discover on what authority Colgan makes this saint the first Abbot over Gleann-Ussein 2 He to
statement,
monastery. seems, however, havefollowedsomegenealogicalorotherhistoricaccount; yet,perhaps,it has been inferred from notices, in two of our earliest preserved calendars. 3 Thus, in the Feilire * of St. iEngus, at the 8th of July, the feast of this saint
64 Around it, tobacco is extensively culti- vated.
2 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xxvii. Februarii, Vita S. Comgani, and nn. 8, 9, pp. 417, 418.
3 These known as the Martyrology of Tal- lagh and the Feilire of St. ^Engus, coin- nosed originally in the eighth, or at latest early in the ninth century.
4 From the Leabhar Breac copy the fol- owing stanza, translated by Whitley Stokes,
63 The
ing an excellent quality of wine.
vicinity
is well known for
produc-
66 To its feudal lords, in the early middle ages, it gave the title of Wildgrafen. These were distinguished as Comites Salvagii, or Comites Silvestres, meaning "Counts of the Wildwood. "
Article hi. — « That of he
Colgan, sup- LL. D. ,
posing the St. Comgan referred to in the
has been extracted :—
——who died on the
Acts of St. Ita
January, a. d. 569 to have been St. Com- gan, Abbot of Gleann-Ussen. The latter therefore is thought to have died before St. Ita, and it is asserted, that Diermait pre- ceded him, in the government of that monas- tery.
5 Sab-Air
15th
of
brxocan SAepbuAit) cenAch cuifel
La ,OiA|MnAic tjepb Ia|ja^ Stuan gel Sl/itroe h Uiffen.
" Brocan the scribe won a noble victory with- out any fall, with Diarmait a sure flame,
pcjubtiiT)
164 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
Diarmait is commemorated. In the commentary attached, he is called My- Dimdc in Ui-Bairrche, and we are informed, that he was formerly in Glenn Uissen, before Comgan. s Again, we learn that veneration was given, on this
6
day, according to the Martyrology ofTallagh, to Diarmait, of Glinne hUisen.
This place is identical with the present Killeshin, about two miles west of Carlowtown,andintheQueen'sCounty. Ithasbeenstated,thatSt. Diar- maidsprungfromtheraceofCathaoirM6r,oftheLagenians. Hisfatheris named Sibrseus, the son of Dalian, son to Ere, son of Bracan, son to Fieg, son of Daire, surnamed Barrach, who was son to the celebrated Cathair the Great,? who had been monarch of Erinn. The Rev. John Francis Shearman, who with some change of spelling, very closely follows the foregoing genea- logy, gives Diarmaid the alternative name of Momedoc,8 and places him also
Moat of Killeshin, Queens Comity.
before St. Comgan, as Abbot of Glenuissin. We have already alluded to tins place, and to its historic associations, in more than one instance. * I* or a succession of ages, Killeshin had been regarded as a religious centre, and its history can be traced very fairly through the ninth, tenth and eleventh cen- turies, from various entries in our Annals, and which prove it to have been a
sun of Glenn Uissen. "—"Transac- tions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes. LL. D. , pp. cix. , ex.
5 See ibid. , p. cxvii.
6 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxviii.
' According to the Genealogic Sanctilogy
of Ireland, Dist. vii. , cap. i.
8 See " Loca Patriciana," No. ix. , No. 10.
The Genealogy of the Ui Bairrche, p. 180. In this Genealogical chart, the Rev. Mr. Shearman has one additional grade in the
of our saint.
9 See the First Volume of this work, at
January 27th, Art. viii. , and the Second
Volume, at February 27th, Art. i.
10 The accompanying sketch by the author,
and drawn on the spot, September, 1889, was taken from an opposite point of view to that presented in a previous illustration, given at the 27th of January. The present sketch represents the large moat in the fore- ground, and beyond the travelled road, the east gable of Killeshin old church in the dis- tance. This sketch has been transferred by William F. Wakeman to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
bright
pedigree
July 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 165
place of considerable ecclesiastical importance. A city or town appears to have grown around the church ; but, it is difficult now to determine the
monks' quarter, which, however, according to a prevailing Irish usage, was quite convenient to the church. Again, as in so many other instances we have found throughout Ireland, the large circular moat was in close proximity with
10
the religious establishment ;
yet, whether erected for purposes of defence,
or to serve a different end, we have not been able to determine, and an
examination of such an antiquarian problem must continue to exercise the
research and ingenuity of ecclesiastical and secular historical investigators.
It seems very probable, that the St. Diarmaid, commemorated in our Calendars
at this date, had been the original founder of a church and monastery
11
and that he presided over both as the first Abbot. " His period, how- ever, has eluded inquiry ; nor are the incidents of his incumbency known.
here,
Some writers think this saint flourish—ed as
as the sixth — and early century,
that he preceded St. Comgan^ who died before 570 in the
government of Gleann-Ussein monastery. ^ This is also the opinion of
Sirinus, as communicated to the Bollandists, who have notices ofDiermetiiis
of at the 8th of 16 the for St. Diarmaid's
Gleann-Ussein, July. Although day
feast has been assigned to the 8th of July, yet the year when it occurred does
not appear to have transpired. The present saint can hardly be identical
with that Diarmaid, Abbot of Gleann-Uissean, whose death is'recorded, at
the year 874 ;•» unless, indeed, we could imagine some interpolations in the
MartyrologyofTallagh,orintheFeilireofSt. ^Engus. Itisevident,more-
over, that the last-named Diarmaid had not been the first Abbot over Kille-
shin.
The fullest and most exact account of this locality and of its history
is that given in the very learned and valuable work of the Most Rev Michael
18
Comerford, at present Coadjutor Bishop of the diocese of Kildare and
1 ^ The earliest annalistic account of this we is at a. d. Leighlin. place, find,
843, when Aedhan of Gleann-Uisean died. * The existing ruins denote that class of structure, known as Irish Romanesque, with incised mouldings on
31
the west door,
vious oratory having been broken down in 1041 by Mac Moylnerao, when
14 See
417, 418.
l
ibid.
Portions of these are set forth in beauti-
Colgan's
(y), 2I
and these date probably to the eleventh century ; the pre-
11
Of late, the ruins have been repaired but hardly well restored, by the Irish Board of Public Works.
and he adds, that this saint must be distin- guished from Diermit of Inisclothran. See
12 We have
dition assigned the foundation of Killeshin to
M'Dermott-r-very significantly referring to Diarmaid.
13 The festival of this holy Abbot is refer- red to the 27th of February, at which date are some observations regarding him, in the Second Volume of this, work, Art. i. Think- ing him to have lived later than a Diarmaid, Abbot of Gleann-Uissean, whose death is set down in Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," at A. D. 874, vol. i. , pp. 520, 521 ; we have deemed that Comgan to have been his successor at no particular date, but possibly in the ninth century. Now, as both the Diarmaid and Comgan of our early Calendars, and mentioned in them, must have flourished before they had been written, both should be assigned to a still earlier date.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- ? Dr. Lanigan follows such a statement,
sect, and n.
xiv. , p. 76, 244, p. 78,
already
seen, that a local tra-
chap, x. , ibid.
niae," Februarii xxvii. Vita S. Comgani, pp.
"
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. ,
l6 "
These writers add : Utcumque fuerit,
certus est Comgani cultus, ut vide xxvn. Februarii,nonitahujusDiermitii: nisiidem sit cum eo, qui in nostris Sanctorum Hiber- n—orum Catalogis refertur II, et in. Augusti. "
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Julii viii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 533.
1? See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 520, 521.
l8
See "Collections relating to the Dio- ceses of Kildare and Leighlin. '' Third Series, Diocese of Leighlin, pp. 241 to 248. '
I9 Consecrated, New Year's Day, 1889, by Most Rev. Archbishop of Dublin, William J. Walsh, D. D. , in the cathedral of Carlow.
20
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 464, 465, and n.
ful engravings, in Miss Stokes' "Early Christian Art in Ireland," y. 187.
14
166 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 8.
he seems to have burnt the town in revenge of Fernamor. Afterwards, Gleann-
Uisean, with its yews, was burned, a. d. 1077, Dut the monastery appears to
have survived the many vicissitudes of those years. In the beginning of the
last about 40 feet of the eastern aa had been converted into a century, part
3
modern little church for Protestant services. 3 Under the head of Glenn
Uissen, Duald Mac Firbis enters Diarmuid, bishop of Glenn Uissen, at July
8th, as the date for his festival. 24
Article IV. —St. Summiva, Sunnifa, Sumniva, or Sunneva, an Irish Virgin, Patroness of Bergen, in Norway, and her Companions, Martyrs. Some proofs of Irish Christian influences on the northern coun- tries in Europe are shown from the account, that Summiva or Sunneva, who was born in Ireland, must have visited Norway at a later period. She was probably connected with the Norwegians by descent, or by alliance. In the
Norwegian Calendars, she is variedly called Sunnifa, Summiva, Sumniva,
SunivaandSunneva. ThemonkOddrrecordsher
3
been first published, and at this date. Molanus, Canisius,3 Ferrarius, and
the more recent Martyrologists, borrowed their notices of her, from the fore-
going accounts. Claude Castellan has her name in the General Index * to
his work, the Universal Martyrology. Her history is little known ; but, if we
are to credit the statement of Rev. S. Baring-Gould, there is not the smallest
foundation for this story, it being only a Scandinavian version of the Legend
of St. Ursula and the Eleven Thousand Virgins. s At the 8th of July, the
6
His name occurs, also, in the Martyrology
There he is
of Gleann Uissein, in Ui-Bairrche. If these entries be correct, he would seem
of 2* at the same date. Donegal,
as
Diarmaid, Bishop, to have united in his person the episcopal and abbatial functions.
legend.
Greven's additions to the Martyrology of Usuard, her name seems to have
Bollandists
have a few brief notices of this holy virgin and of her com-
panions. Thesewritersfound,onconsultingcertainnorthernmuniments,? that under the name of Suniva, herself and her companions had been formerly
8
of St. Sumniva, has " Sociorum," and not '' ''
Sociarum.
4 There he implies a want of certainty, for the introduction of Summiva among his
Martyrs.
5 See "Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. , July
8th, pp. 195 to 197.
6
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Julii viii. De S. Summiva Virg. et Martyre, cum Sociis vel Sociabus, in Norvegia, p. 649.
7 There is a Latin fragment of the Church
Office and Lections regarding these Virgins
and in " RerumDanica- Martyrs, Scriptores
rum," tomus vi. , pp. 3, 4, and 14 to 22.
8
It is distinguished as Missale Votivale. This was printed towards the close of the fifteenth or beginning of the sixteenth cen- tury.
» Some extracts from it are furnished, by
the Hollandists.
honoured in Sweden, with an ecclesiastical office. In an old Swedish
there is a Calendar prefixed, in which the name of St. Suniva occurs, at the 8th of July, and in it there is a Mass for her, with this title, De Sancta Suniva Officium. 9 Nor is it to be supposed, that Greven derived his state-
23 This portion is shown in the accompany-
ing engraving.
23 See "Collections relating to the Dio-
cese of Kildare and Leighlin," Third Series. Diocese of Leighlin. By the Rev. M. Comer-
ford, M. R. I. A. , p. 244. Annexed is a beau- tiful drawing of the west door of Killeshin
old church, by Rev. E. O'Leary, litho- graphed by Morison & Co. , Dublin.
2+ See " Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. 112, 113.
:ted by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
i£8, 189. — Article IV.
' of
In the Saga King
Olaf, the younger Olafs Saga Tryggvasonar, chap. 106-8. and 149. The writer flourished
in the twelfth century.
2" Thus :
Sumnivse virginis et sociorum
ejus martyrum : qui de Hibernia egressi, in Norbegia coronas martyrii assecuti sunt. "
J ,0 " Canisius, in alluding to the companions See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's Lives of
entered,
1 InHermann
Missal,
July 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 167
ment solely from this authority. The age and acts of St. Summiva and of her
companions do not appear to be known, with anything which approaches to certainty. However, a sort of tradition records, that she was a beautiful Scottish
virgin, and the daughter of a king who lived in Ireland, in the days of Earl Hako. With seven other pious virgins, she had been captured by the tyranni- cal and pagan Northmen, who invaded Ireland. By these pirates, they were taken as captives, and brought into Norway. According to the Legend, Sunnifa was endowed with wealth, beauty and great Christian piety ; but, a northern viking hearing of her charms and accomplishments became enamoured, resolving to go in quest of her. That viking landed on the coasts of Ireland, and he sought the king, who hesitated to accept his suit for the hand of Sunnifa. The tyrant thereupon harried the whole country, and he setflamestoeveryhouse. Atlast,tosavehernativeislandfromdevastation by the cruel suitor, the princess expressed her determination to leave Ireland. The Saga has it, that her brother Alban(? ) and a multitude of virgins joined. All sailed away eastwards, and trusting to the guidance of Divine Providence. TheycameashoreontheIslandofSelja,inNorway,andfindingit uninhabited, they settled in the caves, and lived upon fishes. However, the islet served as a pasture for cattle in summer. When the farmers on the mainland saw those people on that island, they appealed to Earl Hako to protect their cattle. Gathering some armed men, Earl Hako rowed to the island. The Christian maidensfledintothecavesonhisapproach. TheyprayedGodtopreserve them. Accordingly, the rock closed upon them, and they came forth no more alive. 10 In Norway, according to another account, St. Sunnifa and her companions were greatly distinguished for their innocence of life, for their love ofchastity, and, it is even said, for their miracles. It is related, likewise, that through their good example and holy conversation, some Norwegians
11
had been converted to Christ.
of Olaf Tryggvason, a farmer found a human head on the Island of Selja, and it was surrounded by a phosphoric light. This emitted an agreeable odour. He at once took it to the king, who submitted it to Bishop Sigurd. Both recognised the evidences of sanctity, and then they went together to the island. There, they discovered the cave filled with the bones I2 of the saintly refugees. How they found out, that those were Irish, that their leader was named Sunnifa, and her brother Alban, we are not informed. Two churches were then erected in Selja ; one of these was dedicated to St. Sun- nifa,andtheothertoSt. Alban. Variousmiraclesafterwardsconfirmedthe popularbelief,thattheywereglorioussaints. TheirdeathoccurredinNorway, where it is said they suffered martyrdom, but under what circumstances seems not to be known. However, St. Sunnifa and Alban are regarded as the proto-martyrs of Norway. In the first edition of Father Henry Fitzsimon's
the Saints," vol. vii. , July 8, pp. 195, 196.
to the
conveyed Bollandists through Father Stephen White, as found among the Manuscript collections
of the Irish Franciscans at Louvain.
"
of some shipwrecked foreign rovers, massa- cred in Earl Hako's reign. And the legend that grew up around them is—a distant echo
"
of the legend of St. Ursula. " Lives of the
Saints," vol. vii. , July 8, p. 197.
13 He cites Canisius as an authority, but
neither he nor Greven specifies the exact
number of companions.
I4 Acurious was that in Legend current,
the extreme parts of the north of Europe, and
among the Scritefings, seven men lay sleeping in a certain cave beside the ocean. Opinions
differed regarding them, some holding, these sleepers should awake and preach to that people before the end of the world. But, others said they were some of the eleven thousand virgins whose company separated,
11 Such was a statement
12
The bones discovered were probably those
The Rev. S. Baring-Gould remarks :
Their Legend states, that during the reign
had
rock. There, too, miracles were wrought.
See Pertz's " Monumenta Germanise Histo- rica," tomusix. , p. 302.
and some of these
been wrecked on that
1 68 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.