Alban Butler's " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other
Principal
Saints," vol.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
307.
Edited by N.
E.
S.
A.
Hamilton.
^3 See Dempster's "Menologium Scoti-
cum," in Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 192. The Bollandists xxx.
remark, that Dempster—quotes the authority 3" See Trithemius, **De Viris Illustribus
not Ordinis
of Brunus and Sinclair which they had S. Benedicti," lib. iv. , cap. 147.
seen— for his notice of this saint. See 33 The inhabitants of our island, he usually "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii calls Scots. See " Historia Ecclesiastica
xiv.
Gentis Anglorum," lib. i. , cap. i. , lib. ii. ,
cap. iv. , lib. iii. , cap. iii. , xix. , xxiv. , lib.
iv. , xxvi. cap.
Among the pretermitted saints, p.
" Acta Sanctonim Hiber-
"5 See Godwin, "De Prsesulibus Angliae,"
742.
="* See
Colgan's
nice," xiv. Februarii, n. 8, p. 335.
34
Bede says, "Qui non multi post Epis-
lib.
"^ See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," xiv. Februarii. De S. Cellaco sive Kellaco, Abbate et Confessore, pp. 333, 334.
copatu relicto, reversus est ad insulam Hy,
ubi — &arcemScotihabuere plurimorumcaput
iv. , p. 363.
"
.
Caenobiorum. "
Historia Ecclesiastica
^"^ " See
Flores Historiarum," a. d. dclvi.
3° " See Bishop Forbes'
Scottish Saints," pp. 302, 454.
3' See Bede's "Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. xxi. , xxiv. ,
Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. xxi. 35 See his Life, at the 9th of June.
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 527
informs us, that although, by its natural and original position it belonged to Great Britain ; yet, the Picts, who had jurisdiction over it, transferred posses- sion to the Scottish or Irish monks. 3^ He also tells us, that these first occupants were St. Columkille37 and his disciples, who came over from Hibernia, a. d. 565, at a time, when Justinus Minor had succeeded Justinian, in the government of the Roman Empire. At this epoch, also, the ninth year of the reign of Bridius,3S son of Meilchon, over the Picts, had arrived ; and, this latter being converted to the true Faith, by Columba, bestowed on himtheislandknownasHy,whereontoerectamonastery. 39 Wearetold, that Cellach flourished about the year 645 ; but, Colgan does not undertake to pronounce regarding the exact year of his decease. Others state, that he flourished a. d. 657,^° 660,4^ or 666. 4» Dempster could not discover the
time when, or the place where, he died ; yet, he suspected, it must have been in Scotia, whither he retired. '^3 The day of his death is named, as the 14th
of this month, by foreign writers-'^'^ The Irish Calendarists, at this day, mentionnosaintbearingthename. However,itisoneoffrequentoccur- rence, in our Annals and Menologies. '^s Yet Dempster has it thus noted. -*^ There is a parish of Colace47 mentioned, in the Retours^^ of Aberdeen. 49 Whether or not, it had connexion with the present saint, we are unable to state. The English Martyrology has no mention of St. Coelath, at this date ; but, the Bollandists, in placing him among the pretermitted saints, s° promise to state more concerning him, at the 2nd of June, if they only discovered anything reliable, regarding his Acts and his cultus.
Article III. —St. Caomhan, Convan, Conan or Coman, Missionary
INTHEOrkneyIslands,Scotland. TheOrkneyarchipelago. FairIsle, and the Shetland archipelago, constitute the whole of the northern islands of Scotland. The Orkneys comprise the most southern group, and are geogra- phically divisible into the districts of South Isles, Mainland and North Isles. The district of South Isles includes the inhabited Islands of South Ronald- shay, Pentland Skerries, Swona, Burray, Hunda, Hoy, Flota, South Pharay,
and Graemsay. Ecclesiastically, it is distributed into the parish of South Ronaldshay, or into the united parishes of St. Mary and St. Peter, the united
parishes of Walls and Flota, and the united parishes of Hoy and Graemsay. The district of Mainland comprehends the inhabited islands of Pomona,
Cava, Lambholm, Copinshay, and Gairsay. Ecclesiastically, it is distributed into the parish of Orphir, the united parishes of Holm and Paplay, the united parishes of Deerness and St. Andrews, the parish of Kirkwall and St. Ola, the united parishes of Firth and Stenness, the parish of Stromness, the parish of Sandwick, the united parishes of Birsay and Harray, with the united parishes
s'^ These had spread the Gospel, through the province of the Northern Picts.
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 272, p. 160.
'*'* See the Bollandists, at p. 742.
^5 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber*
nise," xiv. Februarii, n. 8, p. 335.
^6See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
37 Abbas. "
et
By
Prsesbyter
Bede he is called,
"
38 He is called "rege potentissimo. " 39See"HistoriaEcclesiasticaGentisAn-
glorum," lib. iii. , cap. iv.
Scotorum," tomus i,, lib. iii. , num. 272, p. " Historia Ecclesiastica 160. Also his "Menologium Scoticum. "
4° See
Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 272, p. 160.
Dempster's
' Such is the opinion of Trithemius, " De Viris Illustribus Ordinis S. Benedicti," lib.
"
See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish
Saints," p. 192.
^7 " Parochia de Sanct Colace. "
'*^ Num. 453.
49 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
iv. , cap. 147.
4=^ See Bishop Forbes'
Kalendars of
43 See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis ruarii xiv. , p. 742.
Scottish Saints," p. 302.
Scottish Saints," p. 302.
so See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Feb-
528 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 14.
ofEvieandRendal. ThedistrictofNorthIslescomprisestheIslandsof Shapinshay, Wire, Enhallow, Rousay, Egilshay, Stronsay, Papa-Stronsay,
Holm of Midgarth, Eday, North Pharay, Sanday, North Ronaldshay, Westray, and Papa-Westray. Ecclesiastically, it is distributed into the
parish of Shapinshay, the united parishes of Rousay and Egilshay, the united parishes of Stronsay and Eday, the united parishes of Cross and
Burness, the parish of Lady, and the united parishes of Westray and
Papa-Westray. In 1861, the aggregate population of the Orkneys was over 30,000 inhabitants. ^ The inhabited Isles of Orkney are thus twenty-
eightinnumber. But,besides,these,therearelesserislets,calledHolmes, which are uninhabited, and which serve only for pasture. '^ The original and earliest known inhabitants of the Orkneys appear to have been Celts
"
out- ward," extreme or bordering," and, during the British period, this aptly designated the situation of those islands : if to this, we join, ynys^ enys or inis, the British, Cornish and Gaelic equivalents for " an island," it seems to afford the natural origin of the name Orkinis or Orkneys. 3 Another deri- vation has been traced from Orkin,^ a large marine animal, applied both to whales and seals. s The Welsh Triads mention Ore, as one of the three principal isles of Britain. ^ Cape Orcas is noticed by Diodorus Siculus, a. d. 57, as being an extremity of Britain. The Roman fleet of Agricola, a. d. 84, while sailing round the north coast of Scotland, must have surveyed them, even if a landing had not been effected. Tradition asserts the Orkneys to have been subdued by Agricola, yet, this is by no means historically certain. The Romans, following the early Celtic name. Latinized them Orcades, Orcadia, Orchades, Orchadia. About the middle of the second century,
Pomponius Mela states their number to be 30. Pliny says there were 40 of
these islands. Ptolomy brings them back to 30. Solinus, writing in 240, reduces them to three. He pronounced them to be uninhabited by men, and to be only the haunt of seals, of ores, and of sea-mews. It is probable, how- ever, he took into account solely the considerable and large southern islands. Towards the close of the third, or the beginning of the fourth, century, the ferocious sea-rovers of northern Europe seem to have infested the Orkneys ; and, in 366, the great Theodosius pursued their piratical fleets into the Orkney harbours. 7 It is said, Christianity was early introduced among the Orcadians. ThatancientIrishgeographerandmonk,Dicuil,whowrotein the year 825, relates, that Irish priests sailed for two days and nights, due northward from Ireland. Then they discovered some islands in the sea. He states, also, that in the Hethlandic, that is, the Shetland isles, there were Irish hermits, in actual residence there about one hundred years, prior to the time of his writing. ^ According to some accounts, the faith was planted in those Orkney Islands by St. Palladius,9 and by St. Sylvester, one of his fellow-labourers. Itissaid,PalladiusappointedSt. Sylvester^®tobethefirst
or Britons. Orch, in the British language is said to mean, what is """
Article hi. —' See the
Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. ii. , pp. 532, 539.
3 See Chalmers' "Caledonia," vol. i. , book ii. , chap, iv. , pp. 260, 261.
origin.
s Orkney, therefore, means the land of whales and seals, according to a writer in
the "
stands for the Welsh name of the — Orkneys.
7 Thus Claudian celebrates his victories:
= See Rev.
Alban Butler's " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other Principal Saints," vol. iii. , February xiv.
Maduerunt Saxone fusio
< This is said to be of Teutonic
Panegyris," II. 31, 32, 33.
^ See Ussher's *' De Primordiis Britanni-
carum Ecclesiarum," p. 729.
» His feast occurs, at the 6th of July,
'° He is said to have been venerated in
the Orkneys, on the 5 th of February.
^
Edinburgh Encyclopedia. "
In Davis' and Richards' dictionaries, it
"Imperial
"
Orcades ; incaluit Pictorum sanguine
Thule,
Scotorum cumulus flevit glacialis lerne. "
—" De Quarto Consulatu Honorii August!
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 529
pastoroverthisremotechargeinthechurch. " Itdoesnotseem,however, that the effort to spread Christianity was then very successful. Irish mis- sionaries are stated to have been in those islands, so early as the times of Columkille; yet, it can only be affirmed, with certainty, that about 570, while the latter great Apostle of Caledonia had been at the fortress of the Pictish King Bridei II. , one of the Orcadian chiefs held an interview with him. " Afterwards, St. Columba sent St. Cormac Ua Liathan,'3 an adventurous navigator,^4 to be apparently the first best known Apostle of the Orkneys. The intercourse between Norway, the Shetlands, Orkneys and Hebrides must have made these Irish discoveries and colonizers known to Norsemen, Other islands were uninhabited, save by great numbers of sheep, whence the name Far-Oer—Sheep Islands. Dicuil relates, that Irish hermits, settled on the islands of the North, occupied them, until they were discovered by the
Norse. Harald Harfagin, who, in 872, being then sole King of Norway, made an expedition against the western vikings, and drove them from their stations. Ke subdued Shetland, Orkney, the Hebrides, and Man. The conquest of these places boded destruction to the old religious settlers. The hermits were obliged to leave, when the Northmen thought fit to take posses- sion of those remote stations. It has been supposed, that those persons called Papse, whom the Scandinavians found in the Orkney Islands, when they arrived there in the ninth century, were Irish clergymen. 'S These spoke a different language, and were of an appearance and of manners, differing from those of the other insular inhabitants. Thus, they might have been considered, by the Scandinavians, as a distinct nation. Beside other indi- cations, it has been observed, that many places in the Orkneys were called Papay or Paplay, which, considering their retired and pleasant situation, and the venerable ruins some of them contain, seem to have been residences for
^^ There are two whole islands known a distinctive name. by
clergymen.
Thus Papay Stronsay, and Papay Westray, are remarkable for ruins. These too bear strong marks of having been clerical or monastic property. Very indefinite are the accounts we possess, regarding the present holy man, who is reputed as an Orkneyan missionary. In Colgan's great work,^7 there are various notices, respecting this saint, and drawn from several sources. The Bollandists, for want of reliable information, note Conwanus or Conranus amongthepretermittedsaints,atthisdate. '^ ThefirsteditionoftheEngHsh Martyrology has some entries, regarding this saint, which are withdrawn in the second. '9 Lesley treats about him,^° and Arnold Wion^^ is said to have noted his festival. Yet, neither Adam King, nor Dempster, mention him, at thisdate,intheirrespectiveKalendars. Atthe14thofFebruary,theRev. Alban Butler has a few short notices, regarding this holy bishop. ^^* Bishop Forbeshasanaccountofthiscelebratedprelate. ^3 TheEnglishMartyrology
"
See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Conani, vel Comani, pp. 335, 336. ^^ggg<<^ctaSanctorum,"tomusii. ,xiv.
Februarii, p. 741.
'9 See ibid.
='° See"Historia lib.
Fathers, Martyrs and other Saints," vol. ii. , February xiv.
Principal See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life
"
of St. lib. Columba,"
atthe
168
'3 See his Life, at the 2ist of June.
^4 T—hree times he sailed out on the At-
lantic but in vain—to discover a great western land.
.
^s Such is Pinkerton's ^^ "
how cautious we must be in re- ceiving such testimony, inasmuch as Wion has not a single notice of St. Convan or Conran, in his third book, nor, in the addi- tions to it, nor, in any other work of his.
2 M
ii. , cap. 42, pp. 167,
iv. ,
opinion.
See Barry's History of the Orkneys,"
observes,
p. 115.
^7 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," xiv.
Februarii. Vita S. Convani, seu verius Vol. II.
Scotise,"
reign of Donald, the fifty-third King of Scot-
land.
=^ According to the English Martyrology
and Camerarius, in his "Lignum Vitae," lib. iii. , among the additions. Yet, Colgan
530 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February14.
states, that he was born in Scotia, of noble parentage ; but, despising the vanities and attractions of this world, he retired from it to a monastery of Benedictines, in one of the Orcadian Islands, near Scotia. It need scarcely be observed, the whole of this account is misleading. Probably, this holy man came from Ireland and Iona. =4 St. Conran, Conranus, or Conrannius is venerated as a bishop and a confessor. ^5 He is said to have emulated the example of St. Palladius, of St. Seran, Serf, Sair, Serb, or Servan,^^ and of St. Kentigern,=7 and to have selected the Orkney Islands as a field for his labours. Intheseislandsformerlystoodagreatnumberofholymonasteries. ThechiefecclesiasticalstationwasatKirkwall. Thisplacewasthebishop's residence. ^^ Throughthetownsandvillagesthere,goingonfoot,hepreached the Faith. 29 During the day, this was his anxious work, and at night, he spent a considerable time in prayer and vigil, for the welfare of his flock. 3° He preached much, and devised various remedies for the spiritual welfare of souls, committed to his care. He watched, especially over the poor and orphans. It is said, that he retired to a monastery of Culdees, at Pomona,3^ andthoughttobeidenticalwithKirkwall. Atthisday,Kirkwallistheonly remarkable town, in these islands. s^ It is situated on the largest of them, which is thirty miles long. It was called Hrossey, or the " Isle of Horses," by the Norwegians. 33 After its annexation to the Scottish crown, it received thenameofPomona. 34 Foralongperiod,however,theKingsofDenmark andNorwayhaddirectdominionovertheOrkneys. 35 Thepeopleofthis grouphavehad,foralongperiod,agreatvenerationforhismemory. 36 St. Conran is thought to have been a bishop here in the seventh century. For the austerity of his life, zeal and eminent sanctity, his reputation was no less famous in those parts, so long as the Catholic religion flourished there, than were the names of St. Palladius and of St. Kentigern. Ferrarius states,37 that St. Conwan flourished, about a. d. 640, and that Hector Boetius32 and JohnLesley39treatregardinghim. However,Boetiusonlyreferstoacertain
"See "Lives of the Fathers, Mart5rrs
and other Principal Saints," vol. ii. , P^eb-
Orkney, p. 207.
3- in the parishes of Kirkwall and St.
Ola. See ibid. y pp. i to 12 lor a descrip- tion.
33 According to Professor P. A. Munch
of Christiana. See ** of the Proceedings
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. i. , p. 15.
^* This we are told originated in a mis- take,regardingapassagetobefoundinthe geographical work of Julius Solinus, who in
''
ruary xiv.
=3 See
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
311.
=^ It would be difficult to
whether he lived here during or after the time of St.
Columba.
=5 See Bishop Forbes' ** Kalendars of
ScottishSaints, p. 311.
'^^
Traditionally said to have preached in
the at an date. Orkneys, early
See notices
Thule " Ab Orcadibus says :
of him, at the 1st of July,
=7 See notices of this holy bishop, at the
13th of January, and at the 13th of Novem- ber,
mentioning
Thyle usque quinque dierum ac noctium navigatio est. Sed Thyle larga et diutina pomona copiosa est," cap, 22,
state,
35 See John Pinkerton's
See Rev. Alban Butler's Lives of land from the accession of the House of
'^ '*
History of Scot-
the Fathers, Martyrs and other Principal Saints," vol. ii. , February xiv.
=^9 See Camerarius, " De Statu Hominis veteris ac novse Ecclesice, et Infidelium Con- versione," lib, i. , pars ii. , cap, iii. , sect. 2, pp. 127, 128.
3°
John Lesley alludes to him, but incor- rectly, in his work, "De Origine Moribus et Rebus Gestis Scotorum," lib. iv. , pp.
151, 152, in his account of Donald or Done- vald, the fifty-third King of Scotland.
3' Now Mainland. See " The New Sta-
tistical Account of Scotland," vol. xv. , the fifty-third King of Scotland, p. 151.
Stuart to that of Mary," vol. i,, bookvii. , pp, 259 to 267.
35 See Camerarius, "De Statu Hominis
veteris ac novce Ecclesire, et Infidelium Con-
versione," lib. i,, pars ii. , cap. iii. , sect. 2, p. 128.
37 "
in Catalogus Generalis Sanctorum,"
at this date.
38 " Historic Scotorum," lib. ix. , fol.
182.
39 " De Origine, Moribus et Rebus Gestis
Scotorum," lib. iv. , at the reign of Donald,
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 531
Connanus, in Scotia, together with other holy men, named by him, and to whom Hilary, the bishop, then holding the Apostolic See, wrote'»° in reference to the usage of the Scottish or Irish Church, regarding the celebration of Easter. 4^ Yet, the most reliable versions of the Roman Epistle and of those
to whom
This is probably a mistake for Cronan quite a different person. Besides, none of those ecclesiastics, named in that epistle, are known to have lived in Scotia Minor or Albania, as all are found to have been historically recorded, and solely in connexion with Ireland. '3 Phillip Ferrarius, at the 14th of February,entersthefestivalofSt. Conuuanus,confessor,inScotia. However, he cites incorrectly the German Martyrology of Canisius, instead of the EnglishMartyrology. InArnoldWion'sadditionstohisMartyrology,among the saints, whose festivals were not known to him, he places Conuanus, Scotus, a monk of the Island Helluensis44—he probably meant Hiensis—who flourished in the year 640. 4s The English Martyrology relates,^^ that after St. Conuan had attained a good old age, his happy life ended on the 14th of February, about the year 640. We know not, on what authority, such a statementhasbeenfounded. -*? OurIrishCalendaristshavenotfailedtoinsert thefeastofthisholyman. ^s Wefindthesimpleentry,Comman,occursin theMartyrologyofTallagh,49atthe14thofFebruary. MarianusO'Gorman has also a record of Coeman for the same date. In the Martyrology of Donegal,5° we read, that Caomhans^ had a festival, celebrated on this day. The name is Latinized Pulcherius, in a table, appended to this Martyrology. s^ In English, it need scarcely be observed to the classical reader, that it has
"
beautiful. " If St. Conran had been bishop at Kirkwall, it was probably before the times, when the Norsemen had made theirdescentonOrkney. Thenoblecathedral,nowtobeseenatKirkwall, was built and was dedicated, there, under the invocation of St. Magnus,53 King of Norway. This is truly one of the architectural glories of the middle ages. S4 It claims attention, in the first instance, for although not the most ancient ecclesiastical monument in the Orkneys, it is certainly the most im- posing. ss It gives the traveller, likewise, an exalted idea, regarding the skill
*° See this epistle more fully explained, 4« At the 14th of February,
in the Life of St, Diman, Dimaus, or Dima, 47 It 1$ probably inferred from Lesley's Dubh, Bishop of Connor, at the 6th of account.
it had been
addressed,
have no of Conuuan or Connan. ^^
the specific signification of
January.
4' Regarding this very abstruse question,
the reader will find a learned and most lucid
explanation from the pen of Rev.
^3 See Dempster's "Menologium Scoti-
cum," in Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 192. The Bollandists xxx.
remark, that Dempster—quotes the authority 3" See Trithemius, **De Viris Illustribus
not Ordinis
of Brunus and Sinclair which they had S. Benedicti," lib. iv. , cap. 147.
seen— for his notice of this saint. See 33 The inhabitants of our island, he usually "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii calls Scots. See " Historia Ecclesiastica
xiv.
Gentis Anglorum," lib. i. , cap. i. , lib. ii. ,
cap. iv. , lib. iii. , cap. iii. , xix. , xxiv. , lib.
iv. , xxvi. cap.
Among the pretermitted saints, p.
" Acta Sanctonim Hiber-
"5 See Godwin, "De Prsesulibus Angliae,"
742.
="* See
Colgan's
nice," xiv. Februarii, n. 8, p. 335.
34
Bede says, "Qui non multi post Epis-
lib.
"^ See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," xiv. Februarii. De S. Cellaco sive Kellaco, Abbate et Confessore, pp. 333, 334.
copatu relicto, reversus est ad insulam Hy,
ubi — &arcemScotihabuere plurimorumcaput
iv. , p. 363.
"
.
Caenobiorum. "
Historia Ecclesiastica
^"^ " See
Flores Historiarum," a. d. dclvi.
3° " See Bishop Forbes'
Scottish Saints," pp. 302, 454.
3' See Bede's "Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. xxi. , xxiv. ,
Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. xxi. 35 See his Life, at the 9th of June.
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 527
informs us, that although, by its natural and original position it belonged to Great Britain ; yet, the Picts, who had jurisdiction over it, transferred posses- sion to the Scottish or Irish monks. 3^ He also tells us, that these first occupants were St. Columkille37 and his disciples, who came over from Hibernia, a. d. 565, at a time, when Justinus Minor had succeeded Justinian, in the government of the Roman Empire. At this epoch, also, the ninth year of the reign of Bridius,3S son of Meilchon, over the Picts, had arrived ; and, this latter being converted to the true Faith, by Columba, bestowed on himtheislandknownasHy,whereontoerectamonastery. 39 Wearetold, that Cellach flourished about the year 645 ; but, Colgan does not undertake to pronounce regarding the exact year of his decease. Others state, that he flourished a. d. 657,^° 660,4^ or 666. 4» Dempster could not discover the
time when, or the place where, he died ; yet, he suspected, it must have been in Scotia, whither he retired. '^3 The day of his death is named, as the 14th
of this month, by foreign writers-'^'^ The Irish Calendarists, at this day, mentionnosaintbearingthename. However,itisoneoffrequentoccur- rence, in our Annals and Menologies. '^s Yet Dempster has it thus noted. -*^ There is a parish of Colace47 mentioned, in the Retours^^ of Aberdeen. 49 Whether or not, it had connexion with the present saint, we are unable to state. The English Martyrology has no mention of St. Coelath, at this date ; but, the Bollandists, in placing him among the pretermitted saints, s° promise to state more concerning him, at the 2nd of June, if they only discovered anything reliable, regarding his Acts and his cultus.
Article III. —St. Caomhan, Convan, Conan or Coman, Missionary
INTHEOrkneyIslands,Scotland. TheOrkneyarchipelago. FairIsle, and the Shetland archipelago, constitute the whole of the northern islands of Scotland. The Orkneys comprise the most southern group, and are geogra- phically divisible into the districts of South Isles, Mainland and North Isles. The district of South Isles includes the inhabited Islands of South Ronald- shay, Pentland Skerries, Swona, Burray, Hunda, Hoy, Flota, South Pharay,
and Graemsay. Ecclesiastically, it is distributed into the parish of South Ronaldshay, or into the united parishes of St. Mary and St. Peter, the united
parishes of Walls and Flota, and the united parishes of Hoy and Graemsay. The district of Mainland comprehends the inhabited islands of Pomona,
Cava, Lambholm, Copinshay, and Gairsay. Ecclesiastically, it is distributed into the parish of Orphir, the united parishes of Holm and Paplay, the united parishes of Deerness and St. Andrews, the parish of Kirkwall and St. Ola, the united parishes of Firth and Stenness, the parish of Stromness, the parish of Sandwick, the united parishes of Birsay and Harray, with the united parishes
s'^ These had spread the Gospel, through the province of the Northern Picts.
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 272, p. 160.
'*'* See the Bollandists, at p. 742.
^5 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber*
nise," xiv. Februarii, n. 8, p. 335.
^6See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
37 Abbas. "
et
By
Prsesbyter
Bede he is called,
"
38 He is called "rege potentissimo. " 39See"HistoriaEcclesiasticaGentisAn-
glorum," lib. iii. , cap. iv.
Scotorum," tomus i,, lib. iii. , num. 272, p. " Historia Ecclesiastica 160. Also his "Menologium Scoticum. "
4° See
Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 272, p. 160.
Dempster's
' Such is the opinion of Trithemius, " De Viris Illustribus Ordinis S. Benedicti," lib.
"
See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish
Saints," p. 192.
^7 " Parochia de Sanct Colace. "
'*^ Num. 453.
49 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
iv. , cap. 147.
4=^ See Bishop Forbes'
Kalendars of
43 See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis ruarii xiv. , p. 742.
Scottish Saints," p. 302.
Scottish Saints," p. 302.
so See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Feb-
528 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 14.
ofEvieandRendal. ThedistrictofNorthIslescomprisestheIslandsof Shapinshay, Wire, Enhallow, Rousay, Egilshay, Stronsay, Papa-Stronsay,
Holm of Midgarth, Eday, North Pharay, Sanday, North Ronaldshay, Westray, and Papa-Westray. Ecclesiastically, it is distributed into the
parish of Shapinshay, the united parishes of Rousay and Egilshay, the united parishes of Stronsay and Eday, the united parishes of Cross and
Burness, the parish of Lady, and the united parishes of Westray and
Papa-Westray. In 1861, the aggregate population of the Orkneys was over 30,000 inhabitants. ^ The inhabited Isles of Orkney are thus twenty-
eightinnumber. But,besides,these,therearelesserislets,calledHolmes, which are uninhabited, and which serve only for pasture. '^ The original and earliest known inhabitants of the Orkneys appear to have been Celts
"
out- ward," extreme or bordering," and, during the British period, this aptly designated the situation of those islands : if to this, we join, ynys^ enys or inis, the British, Cornish and Gaelic equivalents for " an island," it seems to afford the natural origin of the name Orkinis or Orkneys. 3 Another deri- vation has been traced from Orkin,^ a large marine animal, applied both to whales and seals. s The Welsh Triads mention Ore, as one of the three principal isles of Britain. ^ Cape Orcas is noticed by Diodorus Siculus, a. d. 57, as being an extremity of Britain. The Roman fleet of Agricola, a. d. 84, while sailing round the north coast of Scotland, must have surveyed them, even if a landing had not been effected. Tradition asserts the Orkneys to have been subdued by Agricola, yet, this is by no means historically certain. The Romans, following the early Celtic name. Latinized them Orcades, Orcadia, Orchades, Orchadia. About the middle of the second century,
Pomponius Mela states their number to be 30. Pliny says there were 40 of
these islands. Ptolomy brings them back to 30. Solinus, writing in 240, reduces them to three. He pronounced them to be uninhabited by men, and to be only the haunt of seals, of ores, and of sea-mews. It is probable, how- ever, he took into account solely the considerable and large southern islands. Towards the close of the third, or the beginning of the fourth, century, the ferocious sea-rovers of northern Europe seem to have infested the Orkneys ; and, in 366, the great Theodosius pursued their piratical fleets into the Orkney harbours. 7 It is said, Christianity was early introduced among the Orcadians. ThatancientIrishgeographerandmonk,Dicuil,whowrotein the year 825, relates, that Irish priests sailed for two days and nights, due northward from Ireland. Then they discovered some islands in the sea. He states, also, that in the Hethlandic, that is, the Shetland isles, there were Irish hermits, in actual residence there about one hundred years, prior to the time of his writing. ^ According to some accounts, the faith was planted in those Orkney Islands by St. Palladius,9 and by St. Sylvester, one of his fellow-labourers. Itissaid,PalladiusappointedSt. Sylvester^®tobethefirst
or Britons. Orch, in the British language is said to mean, what is """
Article hi. —' See the
Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. ii. , pp. 532, 539.
3 See Chalmers' "Caledonia," vol. i. , book ii. , chap, iv. , pp. 260, 261.
origin.
s Orkney, therefore, means the land of whales and seals, according to a writer in
the "
stands for the Welsh name of the — Orkneys.
7 Thus Claudian celebrates his victories:
= See Rev.
Alban Butler's " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other Principal Saints," vol. iii. , February xiv.
Maduerunt Saxone fusio
< This is said to be of Teutonic
Panegyris," II. 31, 32, 33.
^ See Ussher's *' De Primordiis Britanni-
carum Ecclesiarum," p. 729.
» His feast occurs, at the 6th of July,
'° He is said to have been venerated in
the Orkneys, on the 5 th of February.
^
Edinburgh Encyclopedia. "
In Davis' and Richards' dictionaries, it
"Imperial
"
Orcades ; incaluit Pictorum sanguine
Thule,
Scotorum cumulus flevit glacialis lerne. "
—" De Quarto Consulatu Honorii August!
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 529
pastoroverthisremotechargeinthechurch. " Itdoesnotseem,however, that the effort to spread Christianity was then very successful. Irish mis- sionaries are stated to have been in those islands, so early as the times of Columkille; yet, it can only be affirmed, with certainty, that about 570, while the latter great Apostle of Caledonia had been at the fortress of the Pictish King Bridei II. , one of the Orcadian chiefs held an interview with him. " Afterwards, St. Columba sent St. Cormac Ua Liathan,'3 an adventurous navigator,^4 to be apparently the first best known Apostle of the Orkneys. The intercourse between Norway, the Shetlands, Orkneys and Hebrides must have made these Irish discoveries and colonizers known to Norsemen, Other islands were uninhabited, save by great numbers of sheep, whence the name Far-Oer—Sheep Islands. Dicuil relates, that Irish hermits, settled on the islands of the North, occupied them, until they were discovered by the
Norse. Harald Harfagin, who, in 872, being then sole King of Norway, made an expedition against the western vikings, and drove them from their stations. Ke subdued Shetland, Orkney, the Hebrides, and Man. The conquest of these places boded destruction to the old religious settlers. The hermits were obliged to leave, when the Northmen thought fit to take posses- sion of those remote stations. It has been supposed, that those persons called Papse, whom the Scandinavians found in the Orkney Islands, when they arrived there in the ninth century, were Irish clergymen. 'S These spoke a different language, and were of an appearance and of manners, differing from those of the other insular inhabitants. Thus, they might have been considered, by the Scandinavians, as a distinct nation. Beside other indi- cations, it has been observed, that many places in the Orkneys were called Papay or Paplay, which, considering their retired and pleasant situation, and the venerable ruins some of them contain, seem to have been residences for
^^ There are two whole islands known a distinctive name. by
clergymen.
Thus Papay Stronsay, and Papay Westray, are remarkable for ruins. These too bear strong marks of having been clerical or monastic property. Very indefinite are the accounts we possess, regarding the present holy man, who is reputed as an Orkneyan missionary. In Colgan's great work,^7 there are various notices, respecting this saint, and drawn from several sources. The Bollandists, for want of reliable information, note Conwanus or Conranus amongthepretermittedsaints,atthisdate. '^ ThefirsteditionoftheEngHsh Martyrology has some entries, regarding this saint, which are withdrawn in the second. '9 Lesley treats about him,^° and Arnold Wion^^ is said to have noted his festival. Yet, neither Adam King, nor Dempster, mention him, at thisdate,intheirrespectiveKalendars. Atthe14thofFebruary,theRev. Alban Butler has a few short notices, regarding this holy bishop. ^^* Bishop Forbeshasanaccountofthiscelebratedprelate. ^3 TheEnglishMartyrology
"
See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
Conani, vel Comani, pp. 335, 336. ^^ggg<<^ctaSanctorum,"tomusii. ,xiv.
Februarii, p. 741.
'9 See ibid.
='° See"Historia lib.
Fathers, Martyrs and other Saints," vol. ii. , February xiv.
Principal See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life
"
of St. lib. Columba,"
atthe
168
'3 See his Life, at the 2ist of June.
^4 T—hree times he sailed out on the At-
lantic but in vain—to discover a great western land.
.
^s Such is Pinkerton's ^^ "
how cautious we must be in re- ceiving such testimony, inasmuch as Wion has not a single notice of St. Convan or Conran, in his third book, nor, in the addi- tions to it, nor, in any other work of his.
2 M
ii. , cap. 42, pp. 167,
iv. ,
opinion.
See Barry's History of the Orkneys,"
observes,
p. 115.
^7 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," xiv.
Februarii. Vita S. Convani, seu verius Vol. II.
Scotise,"
reign of Donald, the fifty-third King of Scot-
land.
=^ According to the English Martyrology
and Camerarius, in his "Lignum Vitae," lib. iii. , among the additions. Yet, Colgan
530 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February14.
states, that he was born in Scotia, of noble parentage ; but, despising the vanities and attractions of this world, he retired from it to a monastery of Benedictines, in one of the Orcadian Islands, near Scotia. It need scarcely be observed, the whole of this account is misleading. Probably, this holy man came from Ireland and Iona. =4 St. Conran, Conranus, or Conrannius is venerated as a bishop and a confessor. ^5 He is said to have emulated the example of St. Palladius, of St. Seran, Serf, Sair, Serb, or Servan,^^ and of St. Kentigern,=7 and to have selected the Orkney Islands as a field for his labours. Intheseislandsformerlystoodagreatnumberofholymonasteries. ThechiefecclesiasticalstationwasatKirkwall. Thisplacewasthebishop's residence. ^^ Throughthetownsandvillagesthere,goingonfoot,hepreached the Faith. 29 During the day, this was his anxious work, and at night, he spent a considerable time in prayer and vigil, for the welfare of his flock. 3° He preached much, and devised various remedies for the spiritual welfare of souls, committed to his care. He watched, especially over the poor and orphans. It is said, that he retired to a monastery of Culdees, at Pomona,3^ andthoughttobeidenticalwithKirkwall. Atthisday,Kirkwallistheonly remarkable town, in these islands. s^ It is situated on the largest of them, which is thirty miles long. It was called Hrossey, or the " Isle of Horses," by the Norwegians. 33 After its annexation to the Scottish crown, it received thenameofPomona. 34 Foralongperiod,however,theKingsofDenmark andNorwayhaddirectdominionovertheOrkneys. 35 Thepeopleofthis grouphavehad,foralongperiod,agreatvenerationforhismemory. 36 St. Conran is thought to have been a bishop here in the seventh century. For the austerity of his life, zeal and eminent sanctity, his reputation was no less famous in those parts, so long as the Catholic religion flourished there, than were the names of St. Palladius and of St. Kentigern. Ferrarius states,37 that St. Conwan flourished, about a. d. 640, and that Hector Boetius32 and JohnLesley39treatregardinghim. However,Boetiusonlyreferstoacertain
"See "Lives of the Fathers, Mart5rrs
and other Principal Saints," vol. ii. , P^eb-
Orkney, p. 207.
3- in the parishes of Kirkwall and St.
Ola. See ibid. y pp. i to 12 lor a descrip- tion.
33 According to Professor P. A. Munch
of Christiana. See ** of the Proceedings
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. i. , p. 15.
^* This we are told originated in a mis- take,regardingapassagetobefoundinthe geographical work of Julius Solinus, who in
''
ruary xiv.
=3 See
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
311.
=^ It would be difficult to
whether he lived here during or after the time of St.
Columba.
=5 See Bishop Forbes' ** Kalendars of
ScottishSaints, p. 311.
'^^
Traditionally said to have preached in
the at an date. Orkneys, early
See notices
Thule " Ab Orcadibus says :
of him, at the 1st of July,
=7 See notices of this holy bishop, at the
13th of January, and at the 13th of Novem- ber,
mentioning
Thyle usque quinque dierum ac noctium navigatio est. Sed Thyle larga et diutina pomona copiosa est," cap, 22,
state,
35 See John Pinkerton's
See Rev. Alban Butler's Lives of land from the accession of the House of
'^ '*
History of Scot-
the Fathers, Martyrs and other Principal Saints," vol. ii. , February xiv.
=^9 See Camerarius, " De Statu Hominis veteris ac novse Ecclesice, et Infidelium Con- versione," lib, i. , pars ii. , cap, iii. , sect. 2, pp. 127, 128.
3°
John Lesley alludes to him, but incor- rectly, in his work, "De Origine Moribus et Rebus Gestis Scotorum," lib. iv. , pp.
151, 152, in his account of Donald or Done- vald, the fifty-third King of Scotland.
3' Now Mainland. See " The New Sta-
tistical Account of Scotland," vol. xv. , the fifty-third King of Scotland, p. 151.
Stuart to that of Mary," vol. i,, bookvii. , pp, 259 to 267.
35 See Camerarius, "De Statu Hominis
veteris ac novce Ecclesire, et Infidelium Con-
versione," lib. i,, pars ii. , cap. iii. , sect. 2, p. 128.
37 "
in Catalogus Generalis Sanctorum,"
at this date.
38 " Historic Scotorum," lib. ix. , fol.
182.
39 " De Origine, Moribus et Rebus Gestis
Scotorum," lib. iv. , at the reign of Donald,
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 531
Connanus, in Scotia, together with other holy men, named by him, and to whom Hilary, the bishop, then holding the Apostolic See, wrote'»° in reference to the usage of the Scottish or Irish Church, regarding the celebration of Easter. 4^ Yet, the most reliable versions of the Roman Epistle and of those
to whom
This is probably a mistake for Cronan quite a different person. Besides, none of those ecclesiastics, named in that epistle, are known to have lived in Scotia Minor or Albania, as all are found to have been historically recorded, and solely in connexion with Ireland. '3 Phillip Ferrarius, at the 14th of February,entersthefestivalofSt. Conuuanus,confessor,inScotia. However, he cites incorrectly the German Martyrology of Canisius, instead of the EnglishMartyrology. InArnoldWion'sadditionstohisMartyrology,among the saints, whose festivals were not known to him, he places Conuanus, Scotus, a monk of the Island Helluensis44—he probably meant Hiensis—who flourished in the year 640. 4s The English Martyrology relates,^^ that after St. Conuan had attained a good old age, his happy life ended on the 14th of February, about the year 640. We know not, on what authority, such a statementhasbeenfounded. -*? OurIrishCalendaristshavenotfailedtoinsert thefeastofthisholyman. ^s Wefindthesimpleentry,Comman,occursin theMartyrologyofTallagh,49atthe14thofFebruary. MarianusO'Gorman has also a record of Coeman for the same date. In the Martyrology of Donegal,5° we read, that Caomhans^ had a festival, celebrated on this day. The name is Latinized Pulcherius, in a table, appended to this Martyrology. s^ In English, it need scarcely be observed to the classical reader, that it has
"
beautiful. " If St. Conran had been bishop at Kirkwall, it was probably before the times, when the Norsemen had made theirdescentonOrkney. Thenoblecathedral,nowtobeseenatKirkwall, was built and was dedicated, there, under the invocation of St. Magnus,53 King of Norway. This is truly one of the architectural glories of the middle ages. S4 It claims attention, in the first instance, for although not the most ancient ecclesiastical monument in the Orkneys, it is certainly the most im- posing. ss It gives the traveller, likewise, an exalted idea, regarding the skill
*° See this epistle more fully explained, 4« At the 14th of February,
in the Life of St, Diman, Dimaus, or Dima, 47 It 1$ probably inferred from Lesley's Dubh, Bishop of Connor, at the 6th of account.
it had been
addressed,
have no of Conuuan or Connan. ^^
the specific signification of
January.
4' Regarding this very abstruse question,
the reader will find a learned and most lucid
explanation from the pen of Rev.
