Besides, the
celebrated
voyage of St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
Timothy.
' Itseemsprettycertain,thathewastheMartyrofSirmium,^ in Pannonia, whose name occurs at this date, and who is commemorated in several ancient calendars ; while he is associated, likewise, with seven Virgins and Martyrs.
3
Article XIII. Reputed Festival of Caineoc, Virgin. In the Royal Irish Academy Calendar of Irish Saints,' at the 15th of May, we find the insertion of Caineoc,^ Virgin, of Berson ; but, we are unable to throw further light on this entry. 3 As we have already noticed, in the Franciscan copy of the Tallagh Martyrology, there is a Cainnech of Airecuil* mentioned,
at the same date,5 and this may be referable to the foregoing notice. In the published copy of the Martyrology of Donegal,^ her name is written simply as Cainneoc, without any further designation.
Article XIV. St. Chromanus, or Chronanus, Priest and Con- fessor, OF Mernia, Scotland. \Tenth Century. '] A festival to St.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 128, 129.
'^ After the entry of his name, in the table superadded to it, these words occur within brackets [Pe/ai^ius Jl/ariamts. ] See iiu'd. , pp. 456, 457. —
Artici-E XI. ' The reader is referred to notices of these saints, to be found at the 15th of March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
' " S. Muredaci 15. May, vcl 12. August. " —Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hil^ernice,'' XV. Martii. Acta SS. Dichulli, Munissce ct Neslugii, Fratruum, p. 609, n. 9.
Article xiii. —' See " Common Place Book F," formerly belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey,
Article xii. —
that copy, found in the " Leabiiar Breac only notes, i. e. , nomen disciplini—evidently discipuli should be read ; but, no further light is thrown on his identity. See " Trans- actions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. Ixxxvi.
^ She is said to have descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages,
^ It runs thus : Cdineoc. 615 . 1. beivfon no. 11. ti. 5.
* Tliere is evidently some mistake, in con- necting this locality, with two distinct n. imes of saints, at the present day.
* Edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves,
pp. 128, 129. — Thus: "15 Die. Article xiv. '
. Sanctus Chromanus presbitcr ct Confessor in Mernia Scotia; prouincia. "
'
s
May, Cainnechus de Arecul, for which the Tallagh Martyrology is quoted. See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Maii xv. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 440.
The Commentator on
The Bollandists notice, at the 15th of
' ^According to the old Hieronymian Martyrology, belonging to Epternac.
"
—
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
Chromanus, a Priest and Confessor, in Mernia, a province of Scotland, is found in David Camerarius' entries in his calendar,' at the 15th of May. ^ He is said to have been celebrated for his learning and miracles ; as also, to have been a great promoter of Ecclesiastical Rites and a strenuous defender of the Catholic celebration of Easter. 3 This is inconsistent, however, with the account, that he died, about the year 944. "* We cannot be sure, however, that he was an Irishman. His feast of Elevation has been referred, by Thomas Dempster, to the 8th of April. The Bollandistss note the foregoing particulars, among their pretermitted Festivals, at this date.
Article XV. Reputed Festival of St. Brenaind. At the 15th of May, a Feast for St. Brenaind—which we suppose intended for St. Brendan who is commemorated on the day following—wc find entered, in a Celtic Kalendar,' published by Bishop Forbes. ^
^I'Vteentf) JBap of i^fla^n
ARTICLE I. —ST. BRENDAN, BRANDON, OR BRENAINN, BISHOP AND PATRON OF ARDFERT, COUNTY OF KERRY, AND OF CLONFERT, COUNTY OF GALWAY.
[FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—MANUSCRIPT ACTS OF ST. BRENDAN—MATERIALS FOR HIS BIOGRAPHY —PREDICTIONS REGARDING HIM—HIS PLACE OF NATIVITY AND PARENTAGE—HIS EARLY TRAINING BY BISHOP ERG AND BY ST. ITA—HE VISITS THE GREAT SAINTS OF IRELAND—EDUCATION BY ST. FINIAN OF CLONARD—ST. BRENDAN WRITES A RULE DICTATED BY AN ANGEL—HE BEGINS TO FOUND CELLS AND MONASTERIES—HIS CONNEXION WITH BRANDON MOUNTAIN.
IT is now a generally accepted historic truism, that Irish civilization, especially during the earlier Christian ages, dawned far in advance of that prevailing in the rest of Europe. Taught by her first missionaries the priceless lessons and treasures of Divine Faith, soon followed the learning of Ireland's renowned schools, which in those early times furnished a store-house, from which the people of Europe drew their supply, when barbarians had disturbed their hopes of peace and repose. Arts and sciences, peculiar to her situation and opportunities, were here cultivated. Her insular position and fine mari- time estuaries invited the approach and departure of very large vessels —equal to any then afloat in other countries—and, at a very early period, in colonizing
^ See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of bes' " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 300.
Scottish Saints," p. 237.
3 According to Venerable Bede, he was one
of those, to whom the letter from the Church of Rome is addressed. See " Ilistoria Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. li. , cap. xix.
* As mentioned by Camerarius, at p. 144 ; but he gives no authorities. See Bishop For-
s See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Maii
xv. , p. 440.
Article xv. — ' The entry is " 15 Idus.
F. brenaind. "
= See " Kalendar of the Scottish Saints,"
p. 85. —Chapter —
Article i. i. ' For illus-
389
39°
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
distant countries, she had sufficient means of shipping. Thus, their resources of commerce and of navigation, not unknown to the early Irish, were soon turned to profitable and to useful aims ; while the intercourse, which was kept up between Ireland and the distant northern regions, spread even to the south of Europe, and especially to France and to Spain. The descent of the Milesians from the latter country was a reason for holding friendly relations, and for havingcommercialcommunicationwithher. WehaveproofsofIrishvoyagers reaching Iceland by sea, and from the Irish coast, ages before the occasional and, afterwards, continous inroads made by the Danish mariners and adven- turersoflatertimes. Thisevidencewilltendtoprove,thatampienauticalmeans
of knowledge were not wanting in Ireland, to venture on many a perilous course, and to brave the rigours of those distant Arctic seas. From the earliest Christian times, the schools of Ireland had assimilated and taught the geogra- phical and astronomical theories, promulgated by the Hebrew, Greek and Latin classical waiters ;' nor can it be disproved, that such knowledge had not been most probably drawn, from very remote periods of even pagan scholarship in our Island.
One of the most celebrated saints, in the early and mediaeval Christian times and traditions, was the illustrious subject of our present Memoir. It is to be regretted, however, although we have so many accounts left regarding him, that his Acts should have been so confused. Neitlier is their order of narrative and of incidents well observed ; nor is their chronology, as inferred by well-known names introduced, always reconcilable with dates found in our Annals. It is his renowned Trans-Atlantic voyage, that has made St. Brendan so very celebrated, and that has conferred on him a special epithet, " The Navigator. " Of this voyage, the saint himself appears to have left no written account ; but, it is probable, his traditional narrative had been greatly misunderstood, by those who had the statement from his own lips, and as it had been transmitted to succeeding generations, the real facts became still more distorted, until, at length, writers began to invest them with mar- vellous characteristics of fancy and of fiction. ^ This voyage of St. Brendan 3 maybe regarded, however, as theChristian Odyssey, which frequently charmed monastic circles, and excited their imaginations, while living in the cloisters fromhistime,andduringthemiddleages. ^ Especiallyduringtheeleventhcen- tury, from the Irish or Latin version, it came to be translated, through multiplied copies,intoEnglish,German,French,Flemish,SpanishandItalian. s Afterthe real history of the saints had become obscure in popular traditions, almost super- human qualities and acts had been attributed to tliose heroes of Christianity. This sprung from a natural feeling, and old world love in olden times thus paid its homage to the great agents, who civilized the human race. The "Acta" or "Vita," or as frequently called, the " Navigatio S. Brendani," was a Tract found, in every monastic and great public library, long before the invention of printing. After the ruin of so many public and private manuscript collec-
tration of these facts, the reader is referred to "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Pohte Literature and Antiquities, Series ii. , vol. ii. Paper xxxviii. , "On the Geor;raphy of Ros Ailithir. " Py Rev. Thomas Olden, B. A. , Read, Feb. 26th. 1S83.
pp. 219 to 252. The originnl Irish Tract is altributed to Mac Cosse, the Ferlegind or prxlector of a celebrated school, at Ross Carbcry, county of Cork.
'Indeed, it must be observed, that the ro- mance writers of Ireland were fond of intro- ducing our saints into their imaginative talcs.
See Eugene O'Curry " On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish," edited by W. K. Sullivan, Ph. D. , vol. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 89.
3 To it, Dante was indebted for many of his ideas, in the Divina Comedia.
* See Le Vicomte Hcrsart de la Villemar- que's " La Lcgende CcUique et la Pocsiedes Cloitres en Irlande, en Cambric, et en Pre- t. agne," sect, v. , p. lix.
5 See A. —F. Ozanam's " CF. uvrcs Com- pletes," tome v. Des Sources Poetiques de la Divine Comedie, sect, ii. , pp. 424, 425.
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 391
tions, it is not even a matter for surprise, that numerous copies of this saint's Acts are yet preserved in the country, which had the honour of giving him birth. The name of St. Brendan, or St. Brendanus as Latinized, is spelled differently. The Irish form of the name is Brandan. This corresponds, too,withtheoldEnglishform. Thesaint'shouseatKilmalchedarhasbeen always called by the people of the place, " Fothrach Braindain. " In old French, his name is found written St. Brandaines, and St. Brandons, or St. Brandans. We find it also written, Brennan and Brenoin. In the Church Offices,andinpublishedprintsgenerally,thesaintiscalledBrendan. Inthe old English verse and prose Lives, the spelling is Brandan. The local name in Irish is Brandon, as pronounced. He is called Broladre in Normandy, as also St. Brendan TAncien. ^ There is an Irish Life of St. Brendan in that copy of the Book of Lismore,7 preserved in the Royal Irish Academy. The. original Manu- scriptisinCork. ^ Atpresent,amongtheTrinityCollegeManuscripts,Dublin, we find some of the Brendan Codices. 9 In the Library of the Royal Irish Academy, the Acts of St. Brendan '° are numerous. Besides, there are various fragmentary stories relating to him," with copies of poems '^ and of works, heisassumedtohavecomposed. Severalofthesemaybeunauthenticand legendary; but, legend does not oftentimes invalidate obscure facts.
Besides, the celebrated voyage of St. Brendan seems to have been a subject, free for the exercise of composition, and ever fresh for the introduction of inventions and
romance. Tliere is a Manuscript Latin Life of St. Brendan, Ciuainfert, among the Franciscan Convent Archives, Dublin. '3 Among the Marsh Library Manuscripts, Dublin, in what is generally, but erroneously, called the " Codex Kilkenniensis," there is a "Vita S. Brendani. "^^ This has been lately pub- lished, by Most Rev. Dr. Moran, in his collection of St. Brendan's Acts
; while it contains many interesting records, relating to him, and to his con- temporaries. '5 In England, the University Libraries of Oxford and of Cam- bridge,'^ contain various copies of the "Vita S. Brendani. " Besides the Bodleian,'? the Balliol,'^ Lincoln,'9 and Trinity Colleges,^° at Oxford, we find,
MSS. contains a poem by St. Brendan, in praise of Aedh, at p. 14; as also a poem by St. Brendan, proclaiming a benediction on the mansion-house of Aedh, in 28 stanzas, p. 15. The Fifth vol. of these MSS. has a pro- phecy of 192 verses, by way of a dialogue, t>etween St. Senan of Iniscathy and St. Brendan, pp. 50 to 53.
'^ In " Vita; Sanctorum," ex Cod. Inisensi, pp. 50 to 95.
'» At fol. 57 'to 65.
'5 See " Acta Sancti Brendani," pp. I to 26.
'° Among the O'Longan Irish MSS. , vol.
vi. , there is the Life of St. Brendan, son of Cant. 275. Ff. 46—58 b. , veil, small folio,
^ See Les Petits Bollandistes, Vies des
Saints, tome v. , xvi^ Jour de Mai, n. 4, p.
557.
^ It commences withfol. 72 b.
* See Eugene O'Curry's " Lectures on the
Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish His- tory," Lect. xvi. , p. 340.
9 A MS. in Trinity College, Dublin, classed E, 3, 8, has a Vita S. Brendani Abba- tis, xvi. , Kal. Jun. There is also a Vita S. Brendani, but imperfect at the beginning, and, at the end, in the Trinity College, Dublin, Manuscript, classed E, 3, 11.
Finnlogh. It is to be regretted, this Life breaks off, at p. 169, and in the middle of an account, regarding this celebrated saint's navi- gation, pp. 150 to 169. A small 4to paper MS. (No. 9), of the Messrs. Hodges' and Smith's collection of Irish MSS. , belonging to the Royal Irish Academy, contains, with some poems on other saints, a Life of St. Brenain, son of Finloga, Bishop of Kerry and Clonfert.
'- The Third Tolume of the O'Longan folio, dble. cols. , xv. cent. ; MS. Bodl.
" The vi. vol. of the O'Longan MSS. , in
the Royal Irish Academy, contains stories of
St. Brendan, son of Finnlough, pp. 113, MS. Bodl. Rawl. 15. 485, f. 144, veil. 4to, n6. xiv. cent. ; MS. Bodl. Tanner 15. f. 75, veil.
'* Thus, among the MSS. , classed C. C. C.
xiv. cent ; C. C. C. Cant. 145. veil, small folio, xiv. cent.
'' Thus, in MS. Bodl. Laud, Misc. 44 (545), Ff. 27 b—117, vel. 4to, xv. cent. ; MS, Bodl. Laud. Misc. 773 (778), vel. 4to, xiv. cent. ; MS. Bodl. Laud. Misc. 237 (1013), Ff 229 b —244,veil,folio,xiii. cent. ; MS. Bodl. Laud, Misc. 315 (1055), Ff. 165 b—175 b. veil, 4to, xv. cent. ; MS. Bodl. Laud, Misc. 4IP, Ff. 40 b—68 b, vel. 4to, xii. cent. ; MS, Bodl. e Musreo, 3. f. 213 (3496) ; MS. Bodl.
Rawl. B. 505, p. 24, veil, folio, xiv. cent. :
Harl. io8,Ff 42—59 b. veil. 4to, xiv. cent. ;
MS. Harl. 3958. Ff. 103 b—121 b, veil, cent.
—; ;
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
among the Harleian,'' Cottonian,^^ and British Museum '3 collections, several other Codices. Oneof thelatter^'* is exceeding curious, and it has lately been printed. ^5 In addition to these, Lambeth,^^ York,^7 and Stowe,^^ have copies. Among the Ashmole ^9 and Arundel 3° RISS. are others. In the Library of St. Benedict's College, England, there is a Manuscript, which contains " Vita S.
Brandani et oratio ejusdem. "^' Nearly all the great public Libraries of Europe contain Codices, relating to the Life and Navigation of St. Brendan. Thus, in France, the National Library, at Paris, has several very fine copies. 3^ ThecityofChartrespossesseditscopy;33 sodidthatofLaon,34andofCam- brai,35 nor can we have any reasonable doubt, that before the French Revolution, many existed in the religious houses, and in the other archivist depositories, that are now lost or destroyed. At Mentz,36 at Augsburg, at Monte Cassino, at Leipzig, at Strasbourg, and in the Vatican Library, at Rome, were various copies of the Vita S. Brendani. 37 There are three different Lives of St. Brendan, Abbot, in the Burgundian Library, Bruxelles. 3S It may be observed, that there is an Irish Life of St. Brendan, of Clonfert, transcribed, among
Laud,Misc. io8(i486), Ff. 104—in,veil,
17. paper, large 4to, xv. cent.
•8 Among MS. Coll. Balliol, Oxon. 226,
Ff. 72—86. veil, folio, dble. cols. , xiii. cent. '9 Among MS. Coll. Lincoln, Oxon. 27, Ff. 186. b—205 b veil. , 4to, xi. and xii. cent. Versus Rhythmici de S. Brendani Vita Met- rica, fabulis pullulante anilibus.
Article XIII. Reputed Festival of Caineoc, Virgin. In the Royal Irish Academy Calendar of Irish Saints,' at the 15th of May, we find the insertion of Caineoc,^ Virgin, of Berson ; but, we are unable to throw further light on this entry. 3 As we have already noticed, in the Franciscan copy of the Tallagh Martyrology, there is a Cainnech of Airecuil* mentioned,
at the same date,5 and this may be referable to the foregoing notice. In the published copy of the Martyrology of Donegal,^ her name is written simply as Cainneoc, without any further designation.
Article XIV. St. Chromanus, or Chronanus, Priest and Con- fessor, OF Mernia, Scotland. \Tenth Century. '] A festival to St.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 128, 129.
'^ After the entry of his name, in the table superadded to it, these words occur within brackets [Pe/ai^ius Jl/ariamts. ] See iiu'd. , pp. 456, 457. —
Artici-E XI. ' The reader is referred to notices of these saints, to be found at the 15th of March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
' " S. Muredaci 15. May, vcl 12. August. " —Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hil^ernice,'' XV. Martii. Acta SS. Dichulli, Munissce ct Neslugii, Fratruum, p. 609, n. 9.
Article xiii. —' See " Common Place Book F," formerly belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey,
Article xii. —
that copy, found in the " Leabiiar Breac only notes, i. e. , nomen disciplini—evidently discipuli should be read ; but, no further light is thrown on his identity. See " Trans- actions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. Ixxxvi.
^ She is said to have descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages,
^ It runs thus : Cdineoc. 615 . 1. beivfon no. 11. ti. 5.
* Tliere is evidently some mistake, in con- necting this locality, with two distinct n. imes of saints, at the present day.
* Edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves,
pp. 128, 129. — Thus: "15 Die. Article xiv. '
. Sanctus Chromanus presbitcr ct Confessor in Mernia Scotia; prouincia. "
'
s
May, Cainnechus de Arecul, for which the Tallagh Martyrology is quoted. See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Maii xv. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 440.
The Commentator on
The Bollandists notice, at the 15th of
' ^According to the old Hieronymian Martyrology, belonging to Epternac.
"
—
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
Chromanus, a Priest and Confessor, in Mernia, a province of Scotland, is found in David Camerarius' entries in his calendar,' at the 15th of May. ^ He is said to have been celebrated for his learning and miracles ; as also, to have been a great promoter of Ecclesiastical Rites and a strenuous defender of the Catholic celebration of Easter. 3 This is inconsistent, however, with the account, that he died, about the year 944. "* We cannot be sure, however, that he was an Irishman. His feast of Elevation has been referred, by Thomas Dempster, to the 8th of April. The Bollandistss note the foregoing particulars, among their pretermitted Festivals, at this date.
Article XV. Reputed Festival of St. Brenaind. At the 15th of May, a Feast for St. Brenaind—which we suppose intended for St. Brendan who is commemorated on the day following—wc find entered, in a Celtic Kalendar,' published by Bishop Forbes. ^
^I'Vteentf) JBap of i^fla^n
ARTICLE I. —ST. BRENDAN, BRANDON, OR BRENAINN, BISHOP AND PATRON OF ARDFERT, COUNTY OF KERRY, AND OF CLONFERT, COUNTY OF GALWAY.
[FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—MANUSCRIPT ACTS OF ST. BRENDAN—MATERIALS FOR HIS BIOGRAPHY —PREDICTIONS REGARDING HIM—HIS PLACE OF NATIVITY AND PARENTAGE—HIS EARLY TRAINING BY BISHOP ERG AND BY ST. ITA—HE VISITS THE GREAT SAINTS OF IRELAND—EDUCATION BY ST. FINIAN OF CLONARD—ST. BRENDAN WRITES A RULE DICTATED BY AN ANGEL—HE BEGINS TO FOUND CELLS AND MONASTERIES—HIS CONNEXION WITH BRANDON MOUNTAIN.
IT is now a generally accepted historic truism, that Irish civilization, especially during the earlier Christian ages, dawned far in advance of that prevailing in the rest of Europe. Taught by her first missionaries the priceless lessons and treasures of Divine Faith, soon followed the learning of Ireland's renowned schools, which in those early times furnished a store-house, from which the people of Europe drew their supply, when barbarians had disturbed their hopes of peace and repose. Arts and sciences, peculiar to her situation and opportunities, were here cultivated. Her insular position and fine mari- time estuaries invited the approach and departure of very large vessels —equal to any then afloat in other countries—and, at a very early period, in colonizing
^ See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of bes' " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 300.
Scottish Saints," p. 237.
3 According to Venerable Bede, he was one
of those, to whom the letter from the Church of Rome is addressed. See " Ilistoria Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. li. , cap. xix.
* As mentioned by Camerarius, at p. 144 ; but he gives no authorities. See Bishop For-
s See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Maii
xv. , p. 440.
Article xv. — ' The entry is " 15 Idus.
F. brenaind. "
= See " Kalendar of the Scottish Saints,"
p. 85. —Chapter —
Article i. i. ' For illus-
389
39°
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
distant countries, she had sufficient means of shipping. Thus, their resources of commerce and of navigation, not unknown to the early Irish, were soon turned to profitable and to useful aims ; while the intercourse, which was kept up between Ireland and the distant northern regions, spread even to the south of Europe, and especially to France and to Spain. The descent of the Milesians from the latter country was a reason for holding friendly relations, and for havingcommercialcommunicationwithher. WehaveproofsofIrishvoyagers reaching Iceland by sea, and from the Irish coast, ages before the occasional and, afterwards, continous inroads made by the Danish mariners and adven- turersoflatertimes. Thisevidencewilltendtoprove,thatampienauticalmeans
of knowledge were not wanting in Ireland, to venture on many a perilous course, and to brave the rigours of those distant Arctic seas. From the earliest Christian times, the schools of Ireland had assimilated and taught the geogra- phical and astronomical theories, promulgated by the Hebrew, Greek and Latin classical waiters ;' nor can it be disproved, that such knowledge had not been most probably drawn, from very remote periods of even pagan scholarship in our Island.
One of the most celebrated saints, in the early and mediaeval Christian times and traditions, was the illustrious subject of our present Memoir. It is to be regretted, however, although we have so many accounts left regarding him, that his Acts should have been so confused. Neitlier is their order of narrative and of incidents well observed ; nor is their chronology, as inferred by well-known names introduced, always reconcilable with dates found in our Annals. It is his renowned Trans-Atlantic voyage, that has made St. Brendan so very celebrated, and that has conferred on him a special epithet, " The Navigator. " Of this voyage, the saint himself appears to have left no written account ; but, it is probable, his traditional narrative had been greatly misunderstood, by those who had the statement from his own lips, and as it had been transmitted to succeeding generations, the real facts became still more distorted, until, at length, writers began to invest them with mar- vellous characteristics of fancy and of fiction. ^ This voyage of St. Brendan 3 maybe regarded, however, as theChristian Odyssey, which frequently charmed monastic circles, and excited their imaginations, while living in the cloisters fromhistime,andduringthemiddleages. ^ Especiallyduringtheeleventhcen- tury, from the Irish or Latin version, it came to be translated, through multiplied copies,intoEnglish,German,French,Flemish,SpanishandItalian. s Afterthe real history of the saints had become obscure in popular traditions, almost super- human qualities and acts had been attributed to tliose heroes of Christianity. This sprung from a natural feeling, and old world love in olden times thus paid its homage to the great agents, who civilized the human race. The "Acta" or "Vita," or as frequently called, the " Navigatio S. Brendani," was a Tract found, in every monastic and great public library, long before the invention of printing. After the ruin of so many public and private manuscript collec-
tration of these facts, the reader is referred to "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Pohte Literature and Antiquities, Series ii. , vol. ii. Paper xxxviii. , "On the Geor;raphy of Ros Ailithir. " Py Rev. Thomas Olden, B. A. , Read, Feb. 26th. 1S83.
pp. 219 to 252. The originnl Irish Tract is altributed to Mac Cosse, the Ferlegind or prxlector of a celebrated school, at Ross Carbcry, county of Cork.
'Indeed, it must be observed, that the ro- mance writers of Ireland were fond of intro- ducing our saints into their imaginative talcs.
See Eugene O'Curry " On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish," edited by W. K. Sullivan, Ph. D. , vol. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 89.
3 To it, Dante was indebted for many of his ideas, in the Divina Comedia.
* See Le Vicomte Hcrsart de la Villemar- que's " La Lcgende CcUique et la Pocsiedes Cloitres en Irlande, en Cambric, et en Pre- t. agne," sect, v. , p. lix.
5 See A. —F. Ozanam's " CF. uvrcs Com- pletes," tome v. Des Sources Poetiques de la Divine Comedie, sect, ii. , pp. 424, 425.
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 391
tions, it is not even a matter for surprise, that numerous copies of this saint's Acts are yet preserved in the country, which had the honour of giving him birth. The name of St. Brendan, or St. Brendanus as Latinized, is spelled differently. The Irish form of the name is Brandan. This corresponds, too,withtheoldEnglishform. Thesaint'shouseatKilmalchedarhasbeen always called by the people of the place, " Fothrach Braindain. " In old French, his name is found written St. Brandaines, and St. Brandons, or St. Brandans. We find it also written, Brennan and Brenoin. In the Church Offices,andinpublishedprintsgenerally,thesaintiscalledBrendan. Inthe old English verse and prose Lives, the spelling is Brandan. The local name in Irish is Brandon, as pronounced. He is called Broladre in Normandy, as also St. Brendan TAncien. ^ There is an Irish Life of St. Brendan in that copy of the Book of Lismore,7 preserved in the Royal Irish Academy. The. original Manu- scriptisinCork. ^ Atpresent,amongtheTrinityCollegeManuscripts,Dublin, we find some of the Brendan Codices. 9 In the Library of the Royal Irish Academy, the Acts of St. Brendan '° are numerous. Besides, there are various fragmentary stories relating to him," with copies of poems '^ and of works, heisassumedtohavecomposed. Severalofthesemaybeunauthenticand legendary; but, legend does not oftentimes invalidate obscure facts.
Besides, the celebrated voyage of St. Brendan seems to have been a subject, free for the exercise of composition, and ever fresh for the introduction of inventions and
romance. Tliere is a Manuscript Latin Life of St. Brendan, Ciuainfert, among the Franciscan Convent Archives, Dublin. '3 Among the Marsh Library Manuscripts, Dublin, in what is generally, but erroneously, called the " Codex Kilkenniensis," there is a "Vita S. Brendani. "^^ This has been lately pub- lished, by Most Rev. Dr. Moran, in his collection of St. Brendan's Acts
; while it contains many interesting records, relating to him, and to his con- temporaries. '5 In England, the University Libraries of Oxford and of Cam- bridge,'^ contain various copies of the "Vita S. Brendani. " Besides the Bodleian,'? the Balliol,'^ Lincoln,'9 and Trinity Colleges,^° at Oxford, we find,
MSS. contains a poem by St. Brendan, in praise of Aedh, at p. 14; as also a poem by St. Brendan, proclaiming a benediction on the mansion-house of Aedh, in 28 stanzas, p. 15. The Fifth vol. of these MSS. has a pro- phecy of 192 verses, by way of a dialogue, t>etween St. Senan of Iniscathy and St. Brendan, pp. 50 to 53.
'^ In " Vita; Sanctorum," ex Cod. Inisensi, pp. 50 to 95.
'» At fol. 57 'to 65.
'5 See " Acta Sancti Brendani," pp. I to 26.
'° Among the O'Longan Irish MSS. , vol.
vi. , there is the Life of St. Brendan, son of Cant. 275. Ff. 46—58 b. , veil, small folio,
^ See Les Petits Bollandistes, Vies des
Saints, tome v. , xvi^ Jour de Mai, n. 4, p.
557.
^ It commences withfol. 72 b.
* See Eugene O'Curry's " Lectures on the
Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish His- tory," Lect. xvi. , p. 340.
9 A MS. in Trinity College, Dublin, classed E, 3, 8, has a Vita S. Brendani Abba- tis, xvi. , Kal. Jun. There is also a Vita S. Brendani, but imperfect at the beginning, and, at the end, in the Trinity College, Dublin, Manuscript, classed E, 3, 11.
Finnlogh. It is to be regretted, this Life breaks off, at p. 169, and in the middle of an account, regarding this celebrated saint's navi- gation, pp. 150 to 169. A small 4to paper MS. (No. 9), of the Messrs. Hodges' and Smith's collection of Irish MSS. , belonging to the Royal Irish Academy, contains, with some poems on other saints, a Life of St. Brenain, son of Finloga, Bishop of Kerry and Clonfert.
'- The Third Tolume of the O'Longan folio, dble. cols. , xv. cent. ; MS. Bodl.
" The vi. vol. of the O'Longan MSS. , in
the Royal Irish Academy, contains stories of
St. Brendan, son of Finnlough, pp. 113, MS. Bodl. Rawl. 15. 485, f. 144, veil. 4to, n6. xiv. cent. ; MS. Bodl. Tanner 15. f. 75, veil.
'* Thus, among the MSS. , classed C. C. C.
xiv. cent ; C. C. C. Cant. 145. veil, small folio, xiv. cent.
'' Thus, in MS. Bodl. Laud, Misc. 44 (545), Ff. 27 b—117, vel. 4to, xv. cent. ; MS, Bodl. Laud. Misc. 773 (778), vel. 4to, xiv. cent. ; MS. Bodl. Laud. Misc. 237 (1013), Ff 229 b —244,veil,folio,xiii. cent. ; MS. Bodl. Laud, Misc. 315 (1055), Ff. 165 b—175 b. veil, 4to, xv. cent. ; MS. Bodl. Laud, Misc. 4IP, Ff. 40 b—68 b, vel. 4to, xii. cent. ; MS, Bodl. e Musreo, 3. f. 213 (3496) ; MS. Bodl.
Rawl. B. 505, p. 24, veil, folio, xiv. cent. :
Harl. io8,Ff 42—59 b. veil. 4to, xiv. cent. ;
MS. Harl. 3958. Ff. 103 b—121 b, veil, cent.
—; ;
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
among the Harleian,'' Cottonian,^^ and British Museum '3 collections, several other Codices. Oneof thelatter^'* is exceeding curious, and it has lately been printed. ^5 In addition to these, Lambeth,^^ York,^7 and Stowe,^^ have copies. Among the Ashmole ^9 and Arundel 3° RISS. are others. In the Library of St. Benedict's College, England, there is a Manuscript, which contains " Vita S.
Brandani et oratio ejusdem. "^' Nearly all the great public Libraries of Europe contain Codices, relating to the Life and Navigation of St. Brendan. Thus, in France, the National Library, at Paris, has several very fine copies. 3^ ThecityofChartrespossesseditscopy;33 sodidthatofLaon,34andofCam- brai,35 nor can we have any reasonable doubt, that before the French Revolution, many existed in the religious houses, and in the other archivist depositories, that are now lost or destroyed. At Mentz,36 at Augsburg, at Monte Cassino, at Leipzig, at Strasbourg, and in the Vatican Library, at Rome, were various copies of the Vita S. Brendani. 37 There are three different Lives of St. Brendan, Abbot, in the Burgundian Library, Bruxelles. 3S It may be observed, that there is an Irish Life of St. Brendan, of Clonfert, transcribed, among
Laud,Misc. io8(i486), Ff. 104—in,veil,
17. paper, large 4to, xv. cent.
•8 Among MS. Coll. Balliol, Oxon. 226,
Ff. 72—86. veil, folio, dble. cols. , xiii. cent. '9 Among MS. Coll. Lincoln, Oxon. 27, Ff. 186. b—205 b veil. , 4to, xi. and xii. cent. Versus Rhythmici de S. Brendani Vita Met- rica, fabulis pullulante anilibus.
