"
Where this religious institute was has not
been stated, but it seems to have been in some part of Ireland.
Where this religious institute was has not
been stated, but it seems to have been in some part of Ireland.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
Cathuberis, an abbess.
She is said to have been the first of all the Irish ladies who took the veil from St.
Patrick.
3 She had a nunnery at a place denominated Cruim Duchan,4 where many holy virgins were subject to her rule.
To her charge, St, Patrick commended Cynnia, a holy virgin, s In a subsequent passage of his work, Jocelyn calls Cathuberis by the name of Ethemoria, and she is represented as having been present with St.
Brigid and St.
Patrick, at a place near Downpatrick, shortly before the apostle's death.
She appears to have survived him.
Colgan thinks the Endambria or Edamaria, commemorated in our Calendars, on this day, may be the holy
Fitzsimon's " Sanctorum Catalogus aliquorum
indicated. ^ In
Ibemiae," Cathuberis, Abbatissa, is specially noticed, but no date has been assigned for her festival? In the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, this virgin's name is written Cetamaria,^ of Drom-Dubhain. Again we find her called
Henry
Art. VII. —'A copy, referred to the time, if not to the pen, of St. Willibrord, is preserved at Eptemac. This may have been taken from Ireland in the seventh century, when Willibrord left it to under- take his mission to the Prisons.
* The exact place and time of her death are not yet determined.
3 Likewise called the "transitus," or
Passage.
< This has been a very ancient feast in the
Church, although the date of its institution has not been discovered.
* See an admirable article on " The Feast of the Assumption," in the "Catholic Cabinet and Chronicle of Religious Intel-
ligence," vol. i. , n. 4, pp. 218 to 225.
^ Art. VIII. —'Edited by Drs. Todd and
virgin
s Among these was St. Epiphanius.
Reeves, pp. 20, 21.
' Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiii.
In the Franciscan copy, we find at this date
the entry Ae^AmmAifv, i. e. -Ae'OA.
3 See "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita
S. Patricii, cap, Ixxix. , p. 83. Again, he seems to confound het with an Ethembria.
See ibid. , cap. clxxxviii. , p. 107.
'*This place cannot be identified, under
such a form, which from the sequel appears to be incorrect.
s See her acts at the 1st of February,
* See ibid. , n. 83, p. 1X2, and n. 181, p. 116.
^ See O'Sullevan Beare's " Historise Ca- tholicae Ibernise Compendium," tomus i,, lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 53.
^See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars iii. , cap. vii. , p. 150.
326
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 19,
Cectumbria and Cectamaria. Under these forms, the name does not occur in our calendars ; but it has been conjectured, that errors may have crept into the old codices,^ which have served to disguise or distort her real appellation. Elsewhere Colgan identifies Drum-Dubhain with a Church, near Clogher," where the remains of seven holy bishops reposed.
Biwteentft J3ap of 3ainiarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. BLAITMAIC OR BLATHMAC, OF lONA, MARTYR. [EIGHTH AND NINTH CENTURIES. '^
individuals are heroic in action : others in patient suffering. This
noble saint, whose memory is held in honour on the 19th day of SOME
January, justly deserves the meed of praise for his fortitude under both
aspects. Blaitmaic's biography has been elegantly composed, in Latin hexa- meter verses, by Walafridus or Galafridas Strabo,' a learned Benedictine monk, who died a. d. 847. This celebrated writer was an accomplished mediaeval poet. " His greatly admired composition was written at the insti- gation of a venerable superior, Felix, and it appeared, most probably, some short time after the tragic but glorious death of the noble subject, suggesting Strabo's fine poem. 3 We are unable to state, on whose authority events associated with the life of Blaitmaic depend, as they are metrically narrated by Strabo ; but, it is probable, they had been taken from some relation given by monks connected with lona monastery. • These informants, too, might have had a personal knowledge concerning the martyred Christian hero, and even of the circumstances attending his death. His interesting acts have been frequently \vritten, in various forms, as well in proses as in verse. ^
St. Blaitmaic or Brah Mac, which name, according to Strabo and Bol-
"
landus, means the beautiful son,"7 seems to have been gifted with singular
graces, even from his very infancy. ^ 9 See ibid. , n. 83, p. 112.
This child, the delight of his parents, notwithstanding quite incorrect.
"See "Acta Sanctorum
*
Benedict! " occurs the life of St. Blaithmaic,
Februarii.
12, p. 235. Art. I.
Hibernise," i. Vita S. Cinnise sive Kinnise, n,
'
— He was a monk of Fulda,
In the "Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Martyr, with companions, in Latin hexa-
afterwards a dean at St. Gall, then he be- came abbot at Richenaw or Ringau, near Lake Constance. All of the foregoing re- ligious houses were founded by holy Irish- men, who were missionaries on the continent of Europe.
442. Likewise, in the great BoUandist collection, " Acta Sanctorum," Januarii, tomus ii. , pp.
'See Bishop Challoner's Sancta," part i. , p. 67.
"Britannia
babilis illo
meritoque pro-
Patremqui Deum quaesivit
sec. ii.
3 In the
Cursus Completus Patrilogiae,"
"
dignus tipotentem
erat,
the works of Walafridus Strabo will be "
Elegit, pulchroque
found printed. The second tome of these — amore. "
works contain
Strabo, Vita S. Blaitmaici,
—s the tract in
1043101046. See tomus cxiii.
The life of Blaithmaic is given by
Pinkerton in his " Vitse Antiquse Sancto- parte ii. , p. 201, as also in Messingham's
question, pp.
rum," p. 459.
sin Butler's "Lives of the Saints," we
find at January the 19th some notices of St. Blaithmaic, abbot. These are brief, and
* " Lectiones" of Cani- In the Antiquas
meter verse, tomus iv. , to pp. 439
236 to 238.
'"Cujus honorandum nomen sermone
'*
Latino,
Pulcher natus adest :
" Nomine
cunc-
sius, tomus vi. , and "nova editio," tomus ii. ,
"
Florilegium Insulas Sanctorum," p. 399, such particulars are stated, in the metrical acts of this saint, by Strabo.
January 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 327
was of royal extraction and of noble birth. ? He was bom in Ireland, most
probably about, or after, the middle of the eighth century. "* St. Blaithmaic was prospective heir to his father's possessions;" the ornament and hope of
his family and country. At an early age, he was distinguished for almost every virtue and merit. He is described as being of sound judgment,
prudent, a great lover of holy purity, and humble, notwithstanding his exalted birth. " The innate nobiUty of his soul surpassed that of his race. 's
Accomplishments were not wanting, to add a royal grace to his character : sober and circumspect, he was pleasing in mien and agreeable in disposition. Although remaining in the world, he was not one of this world's votaries. '4
He had resolved upon devoting himself wholly to reHgious services, but kept this secret locked up within his own breast, until such time as he could most
conveniently put his resolution into practice. Without his father's knowledge, Blaitmaic withdrew privately to a monastery, where he practised all exercises of a monastic life, until his retreat was discovered. Hereupon, the fond parent, who loved his son according to the instinct of worldlings, repaired to this monastery, and he brought a band of friends and acquaintances, whose exertions and entreaties, it had been supposed, must have exercised great influence in changing Blaitmaic's purpose. Besides the chiefs and people, a bishop and several abbots united their persuasions with those of his father, to induce the saint to resume his former rank. But the pious prince resisted all these solicitations, and persevered in his happy course of life. '^
He looked upon himself as the servant to all religious in the monastery,
although esteemed beyond expression by his fellow-cenobites. He was dis-
tinguished by religious silence, and by the observance of monastic discipline ;
by attentive study of the Sacred Scriptures and books of ecclesiastical
science he edified all with his conduct and conversation. In due time he ;
was made superior of the religious community ;'^ and this band of religious he governed more by example than by precept. Christ Jesus was the sole object of his praise and glory, as of his discourse and allusions. Peace was hisshield,prayerswerehiscoatofmail; patiencewashisfieldforvictory, and the Word of God his sword : mildness characterized his conduct towards the monks ; he became all things to all of them, that he might gain all to
Christ. Hewaseverhopefulandloving; practisingeveryvirtueandavoiding every imperfection ; and ever referring his actions to the great Author of our
9 Without
the date of his — giving festival,
"
Hibemise. " The Annals of Clonmacnoise
ConviBus thus refers to this saint:
S.
and of Seuat at A. D. mac-Magnus,
concur.
823,
Blaithmac, princeps, hseres regni, et incly-
tus martyr, in insula Eo. " See O'SulIevan "
'3 The Martyrologies of Tallagh and of Marianus O'Gorman, as also St. . fEngus' commentator on the Felire, represent him
Beare's Histpriae Catholicae Ibernise Com- pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. x. , p. 48. "Henry Fitzsimon, citing "Antique
—"
as the son of Flann. See Colgan's Acta
Lectiones,"tom. vi. ,p. 575,states,th—atSt. SanctorumHibernise,"xix. Januarii,n. 2,
p. 129. — 'The poem of Strabo states:
"Tractabat laicus, quod clericusefficiebat. " —'* Vita S. Blaitmaici. "
'S See Mabillon's " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xxvi. , sec, xxvil. ,
Blaithmac lived about tlie year 912.
See ibid. , cap. xii. , p. 52. This date is later, however, than has been allowed by other writers, and long after the period when Strabo, the biographer of St. Blaithmaic,
died.
" " In the Irish annals and calendars his
pp. 309, 310. '*This is stated
"
nitore,
" Agmina multorum rexit veneranda vi-
rorum. "
—" Vita S. Blaitmaici.
"
Where this religious institute was has not
been stated, but it seems to have been in some part of Ireland.
father is called Flaun
;
but it is not stated
—
what he had. principality
Colgan conjee- tures that he was one of the southern Neills,
princes of Meath, because the names Flaun and Blaithmaic were rather common in that family. "—Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, vol. iii. , chap, xx. , sec. xi. , n.
121, p. 255.
"Hugh Menard calls him "filium Regis
Strabo:
Sicque vigens doctrinarum, morumque
by
328 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 19,
being. Thus his 'example brightened as a beacon, before the eyes of his
disciples; andtheselatterprogressedtowardsperfection,underthedirecting
zeal of their saintly superior.
Our saint burned with a desire of martyrdom ; and to attain this object,
he had often attempted to visit strange lands, but had been prevented by his people. On a certain occasion, Blaitmaic thought to effect his retreat under
cover of night, and through a secret path. He was accompanied by a small band of disciples, but the fugitives were arrested and brought back. How- ever, his wishes were at length gratified, for he contrived to escape from his
"
sacred isle" of
Before the northern pirates, with their fleet, had reached the shores ot Columba's—sacred isle, Blaitmaic called the monks together, addressing them
:
as follows " My friends, consider well the choice which is now left you.
If you wish to endure martyrdom for the name of Christ, and fear it not, let such as will remain with me arm themselves with becoming courage. But those who are weak in resolution, let them fly, that they may avoid impending dangers, and nerve themselves for more fortunate issues. The near trial of certain death awaits us. Invincible faith, which looks to a future life, will shield the brave soldier of Christ, and the cautious security of flight will preservethelesscourageous. "^^ Thesewordswerereceivedbythereligious with resolutions suited to the confidence or timidity of each individual. Some resolved to brave the invaders' fury, together with their holy companion. Some betook themselves to places ofconcealment, until this hostile storm hadpassed. '3
On the morning of January the 19th, a. d. 823,^4 824, or 825,^5
native country. ^7 Blaitmaic directed his course to lona, the
Columba. ^^ The Danish ravages had been frequently directed against the shrines and altars of unprotected religious, that peopled this known island. But, in a knowledge of this fact, Blaitmaic grounded his hopes for securing tohimselfthepalmofmartyrdom. HehadbeengiftedfromonHighwith a spirit of prophecy. Hence, before a hostile irruption, which took place after the commencement of the ninth century, Blaitmaic predicted to his companions, in lona monastery, a storm, which was about to burst upon them. '9 This seems to have occurred during the incumbency of Diarmait,^° the twentieth abbot in succession^' to the great St. Columkille.
'' The year in which he departed from Ireland does not appear to have been re-
•corded. '3Thepoemstates:—
/'Insula Pictorum qusedam monstratur in oris
Fluctivago suspensa salo cognominis Eo,
Than o'er the ocean's flood of snow their
snoring galleys tread. "
"o See Dr. Reeves' edition of Adamnan's
"LifeofSt. Columba. " AdditionalNotes, o, pp. 388 to 390.
Qua
requiescit
Bishop Sancta," part i. , p. 68.
sanctus Domini lumba:
came Co-
== See
Hanc petiit voto patiendi stygmati Christi. "
—"Vita S. Blaitmaici. "
'9 Applicable to such a prophecy are the
following spirited lines, from Motherwell, in his magnificent poem, which is so well known as *' The Battle of —
who is a much safer guide in dates and particulars, regard-
Flag Sigurd": "The eagle hearts of all the North have
torians than our own Colgan,
left their stormy strand ;
The warriors of the world are forth to
choose another land
Again, their long keels sheer the wave,
their broad sheets court the breeze ; Again, the reckless and the brave ride
lords of weltering seas.
Nor swifter from the well-bent bow can
feathered shaft be sped,
ing Irish ecclesiastical historyand biography. ==• According to Dr. O'Donovan's " An-
nals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , p. 436. =s ! „ extracts from the "Annals of Ulster," given by the Rev. James Johnstone, the
!
21
and continued after a. d. 831.
Challoner's "Britannia
='3Mabillon, in his ''Annales Ordinis S.
Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xxvi. , sec. xxvii. , a. d. 793, mistakes when he assigns the martyrdom of our saint to that year. — See pp, 309, 310. Yet he is more generally followed as an authority by Continental his-
jjjg ^jjjg ^(. Jqjjj^ commenced A. D. 815,
following entry occurs
:
— Blachan " 824.
McFlan murdered in I
— Colm—
kil, by the
Gals. "—" AntiquitatesCelto-Normannicae," p. 63.
January 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 3^9
St. Blaitmaic, robed in vestments of his order, had been engaged in celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of Mass. '"^ Whilst he offered up the Immaculate Host, he stood as a self-immolated victim, prepared for sacrifice. The band of his faithfial religious, anticipating a coronal of martyrdom, knelt around : with tears and prayers they besought mercy and grace, before the throne of God. This truly must have been a sublime spectacle, and one never yet surpassed in the records of human heroism. Whilst engaged in these services, the loud shout of their destroyers was thundering without the church. ^7 The Pagan and pirate Danes^^ rushed in through its open doors, threatening death to the religious ; and, almost immediately aftenvards, these barbarous threats were put in execution. The monks, expecting this irruption, had the pre- caution to remove a rich shrine, containing St. Columba's relics, firom its usual place. They buried it under ground, so that it might thus escape the profanation of those savage invaders. That rich prize was what the Danes chiefly sought. They urged Blaitmaic to show them the place of its conceal- ment. ^? But our saint, who knew not the particular place where it was buried, with unbending constancy of mind, opposed himself to this armed
band.
Although
unarmed he himself, put
forth some futile efforts of— strength
to stay the ravages ©f his enemies.
He cried out, at the same time
" :
I am
entirely ignorant regarding those treasures you seek for, and where they are
buried. But, even had I a knowledge of all this, my lips should yet be closed. Draw your swords, barbarians, take my chalice, and murder me.
Gracious God, I humbly resign myself to Thee. " The barbarians immediately hewed him into pieces with their swords : and with more diabolical rage,
because they were disappointed in their expectations for obtaining spoil. 3° At this time the Abbot Diarmait was probably absent from lona, and the
holy martyred priest, it would seem, worthily represented the superior's authority among the religious. The body of Blaitmaic was buried in the
place where his glorious crown of martyrdom had been obtained, according to his biographer, Strabo ; and many miracles were afterwards wrought, in favour of several persons, through the merits and intercession of this great soldier of Christ. He appears to have had a double festival : one on this day,3' and another on the 24th of July. 3^ We have not been able to discover whether our saint ever enjoyed any superior dignity at lona ; but it would seem, from the preceding narrative, that he exercised considerable influence,
"*
Dr. Reeves has this martyrdom recorded at A. D. 825. —See his Adamnan's "Life of St. Columba. " Additional Notes, O, p. 389.
cession by the Culdees of Dunkeld, in Scot- land, among the list of holy martyrs we
"
find the invocation,
socii ejus Monachi crudeliter a Danis infi-
"
In Whittier's "Poetical Works," this delibus interfecti, and the response, "Orate
^——
situation is thus correctly, although pro Bishop
tuitously, described
"lona's sable-stoled Culdee
Hashearditsoundingo'er. thesea, And swept with hoary beard and hair
dars of Scottish Saints. "
Appendix
to Pre-
—His altar's foot in trembling prayer,"
face, p. Iviii.
3ixhissaintis veneratedabroadonthe
19th of January.
^ In the Martyrologies of Donegal and ol
was entered in the Martyrology of Tamlacht, and that he died for the faith at lona, on the 19th of July, 823 : he must have intended
" Poems. " The Legendary
Norsemen, p.
his feast is set down on the of 24th
:
67.
^^ See Father Stephen White's " Apologia
pro Hibernia," cap. iii. , p. 23, and cap. v. , p. 59.
*°
Tallagh
July. This latter, perhaps, was some trans- lation of his relics. The late Professor O'Curry appears to have made a mistake whenhestatesthatBlaithmac,sonofFlann,
"
for- nobis. " See Forbes' Kalen-
It seems to have eluded their search, for
in A. D. 829 the Abbot Diarmait brought the
relics of St. Columkille to the mainland
ofScotland,andA. D. 831heremovedthem towriteJanuary,orthe24thofJuly. —See
"
to Ireland. Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of
3° In the old Litany, sung in solemn pro- Ancient Irish History," Lect. xvii,, p. 362.
S. Blaithmach et
330 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 19.
over the minds of his brethren, on that island. We are told that in the Irish language this saint is called Blathmhac. 33 The first syllable of this compound
name has an equivocal signification.
Blath, when pronounced long, has the
" beautiful
literal " a meaning,
and the
metaphorical signification,
flovver,"34
when pronounced short, it is rendered into the English words,
;" honour" or "fame. " ThewordMhacis "son. "35 wasthisheroicman
Anglicized Truly
named. For not alone was he the son and heir apparent to his father's
temporal possessions, but he became one of God's glorified children, secured in the enjoyment of a heavenly inheritance. He plucked the flower of
martyrdom with unbending constancy, and he blooms with distinguished
tend to tarnish or destroy.
Article II. —St. Fachtna, Bishop of Nuacongbhail. The writer ot a pleasing volume, which has lately appeared, invests the cloistered life with peculiar interest, and exhibits the social blessings dispensed by religious
houses, when they stood as bulwarks for the people, against the tyranny of rude barons and rapacious kings. ' These remarks have a general reference to other lands besides our own : but they bear even an application to the disappearance of such houses in our island. Fachtua, Bishop of Uachong- bhail, has Reidbaircend appended in the published Martyrology of Tallagh. ' This bishop is mentioned as having had a festival at the 19th of January. In the unpublished copy of this calendar, we find a list of twenty-eight foreign saints preceding the entry of his name, which is the first among our native saints there recorded. 3 Under the head of Ua Congbhail, Duald Mac Firbis enters Fachtna, a bishop, from this place,* by which we must probably under- stand, he presided there in that capacity. s Some difficulty must be found in the attempt to identity his locality, or the time when he lived. In the Martyr- ology of Donegal,^ we find entered, on this day, Fachtna, bishop, of Nua- chongbhail. Cuimin of Coindeire speaks of a certain Fachtua ; but he does not name him from any church, and he gives that saint no particular title or distinctiveness. Yet, whoever he was, Cuimin says, that he used to instruct all with lights, and that he never said a word but what was pleasing to God. Were the name of his place to stand for one single spot in Ireland, it might be the easier identified. The position of one Nuachongbhail is described as being on the banks of the Boyne, ten miles from Drogheda, and five from Trim. The Book of Nuachongbhail is numbered among the lost Books or AnnalsofAncientIreland. ? LongbeforetheEnglishinvasion,amonasterywas
"asthe
thetreesofthewoods. "3^ His deserves to be honoured in the Church, since he achieved a distinguished re- putation. This is one, likewise, which no concurrence of events can ever
brilliancy,
apple-tree among
memory
33 This name, which is a common derived from bl^c, Jlos, and mAC, Jilius, may be Latinized Florigenus or Florentius. The Index of the Calendar of
re-
'
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiii.
3 This entry reads tTACcn^i ep on UAdiOMg
bAii\etTo.
Proceedings
Academy," Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. 132, 133.
s William M. Hennessy adds, in a note, "supposed by some to be Navan, county Meath. "
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 20, 21.
7 See Professor Eugene O'Curr/s "Lee-
tures on the Manuscript Materials of Irish
History," Lect. i. , p. 13; Lect. ii. , p. 44. If these books be recovered, much light will be thrown on our history.
Donegal presents it by Florigenius and Florus, as it does blAcVi by Flora. — See Rev. William
bAil i\ei-o * See "
of the Irish Royal
Reeves'
"
Adamnan's Life of St. Columba,"
n- (y). P- 389-
3* See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 280.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Canticle of Canticles, ii. , 3.
Fitzsimon's " Sanctorum Catalogus aliquorum
indicated. ^ In
Ibemiae," Cathuberis, Abbatissa, is specially noticed, but no date has been assigned for her festival? In the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, this virgin's name is written Cetamaria,^ of Drom-Dubhain. Again we find her called
Henry
Art. VII. —'A copy, referred to the time, if not to the pen, of St. Willibrord, is preserved at Eptemac. This may have been taken from Ireland in the seventh century, when Willibrord left it to under- take his mission to the Prisons.
* The exact place and time of her death are not yet determined.
3 Likewise called the "transitus," or
Passage.
< This has been a very ancient feast in the
Church, although the date of its institution has not been discovered.
* See an admirable article on " The Feast of the Assumption," in the "Catholic Cabinet and Chronicle of Religious Intel-
ligence," vol. i. , n. 4, pp. 218 to 225.
^ Art. VIII. —'Edited by Drs. Todd and
virgin
s Among these was St. Epiphanius.
Reeves, pp. 20, 21.
' Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiii.
In the Franciscan copy, we find at this date
the entry Ae^AmmAifv, i. e. -Ae'OA.
3 See "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita
S. Patricii, cap, Ixxix. , p. 83. Again, he seems to confound het with an Ethembria.
See ibid. , cap. clxxxviii. , p. 107.
'*This place cannot be identified, under
such a form, which from the sequel appears to be incorrect.
s See her acts at the 1st of February,
* See ibid. , n. 83, p. 1X2, and n. 181, p. 116.
^ See O'Sullevan Beare's " Historise Ca- tholicae Ibernise Compendium," tomus i,, lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 53.
^See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars iii. , cap. vii. , p. 150.
326
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 19,
Cectumbria and Cectamaria. Under these forms, the name does not occur in our calendars ; but it has been conjectured, that errors may have crept into the old codices,^ which have served to disguise or distort her real appellation. Elsewhere Colgan identifies Drum-Dubhain with a Church, near Clogher," where the remains of seven holy bishops reposed.
Biwteentft J3ap of 3ainiarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. BLAITMAIC OR BLATHMAC, OF lONA, MARTYR. [EIGHTH AND NINTH CENTURIES. '^
individuals are heroic in action : others in patient suffering. This
noble saint, whose memory is held in honour on the 19th day of SOME
January, justly deserves the meed of praise for his fortitude under both
aspects. Blaitmaic's biography has been elegantly composed, in Latin hexa- meter verses, by Walafridus or Galafridas Strabo,' a learned Benedictine monk, who died a. d. 847. This celebrated writer was an accomplished mediaeval poet. " His greatly admired composition was written at the insti- gation of a venerable superior, Felix, and it appeared, most probably, some short time after the tragic but glorious death of the noble subject, suggesting Strabo's fine poem. 3 We are unable to state, on whose authority events associated with the life of Blaitmaic depend, as they are metrically narrated by Strabo ; but, it is probable, they had been taken from some relation given by monks connected with lona monastery. • These informants, too, might have had a personal knowledge concerning the martyred Christian hero, and even of the circumstances attending his death. His interesting acts have been frequently \vritten, in various forms, as well in proses as in verse. ^
St. Blaitmaic or Brah Mac, which name, according to Strabo and Bol-
"
landus, means the beautiful son,"7 seems to have been gifted with singular
graces, even from his very infancy. ^ 9 See ibid. , n. 83, p. 112.
This child, the delight of his parents, notwithstanding quite incorrect.
"See "Acta Sanctorum
*
Benedict! " occurs the life of St. Blaithmaic,
Februarii.
12, p. 235. Art. I.
Hibernise," i. Vita S. Cinnise sive Kinnise, n,
'
— He was a monk of Fulda,
In the "Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Martyr, with companions, in Latin hexa-
afterwards a dean at St. Gall, then he be- came abbot at Richenaw or Ringau, near Lake Constance. All of the foregoing re- ligious houses were founded by holy Irish- men, who were missionaries on the continent of Europe.
442. Likewise, in the great BoUandist collection, " Acta Sanctorum," Januarii, tomus ii. , pp.
'See Bishop Challoner's Sancta," part i. , p. 67.
"Britannia
babilis illo
meritoque pro-
Patremqui Deum quaesivit
sec. ii.
3 In the
Cursus Completus Patrilogiae,"
"
dignus tipotentem
erat,
the works of Walafridus Strabo will be "
Elegit, pulchroque
found printed. The second tome of these — amore. "
works contain
Strabo, Vita S. Blaitmaici,
—s the tract in
1043101046. See tomus cxiii.
The life of Blaithmaic is given by
Pinkerton in his " Vitse Antiquse Sancto- parte ii. , p. 201, as also in Messingham's
question, pp.
rum," p. 459.
sin Butler's "Lives of the Saints," we
find at January the 19th some notices of St. Blaithmaic, abbot. These are brief, and
* " Lectiones" of Cani- In the Antiquas
meter verse, tomus iv. , to pp. 439
236 to 238.
'"Cujus honorandum nomen sermone
'*
Latino,
Pulcher natus adest :
" Nomine
cunc-
sius, tomus vi. , and "nova editio," tomus ii. ,
"
Florilegium Insulas Sanctorum," p. 399, such particulars are stated, in the metrical acts of this saint, by Strabo.
January 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 327
was of royal extraction and of noble birth. ? He was bom in Ireland, most
probably about, or after, the middle of the eighth century. "* St. Blaithmaic was prospective heir to his father's possessions;" the ornament and hope of
his family and country. At an early age, he was distinguished for almost every virtue and merit. He is described as being of sound judgment,
prudent, a great lover of holy purity, and humble, notwithstanding his exalted birth. " The innate nobiUty of his soul surpassed that of his race. 's
Accomplishments were not wanting, to add a royal grace to his character : sober and circumspect, he was pleasing in mien and agreeable in disposition. Although remaining in the world, he was not one of this world's votaries. '4
He had resolved upon devoting himself wholly to reHgious services, but kept this secret locked up within his own breast, until such time as he could most
conveniently put his resolution into practice. Without his father's knowledge, Blaitmaic withdrew privately to a monastery, where he practised all exercises of a monastic life, until his retreat was discovered. Hereupon, the fond parent, who loved his son according to the instinct of worldlings, repaired to this monastery, and he brought a band of friends and acquaintances, whose exertions and entreaties, it had been supposed, must have exercised great influence in changing Blaitmaic's purpose. Besides the chiefs and people, a bishop and several abbots united their persuasions with those of his father, to induce the saint to resume his former rank. But the pious prince resisted all these solicitations, and persevered in his happy course of life. '^
He looked upon himself as the servant to all religious in the monastery,
although esteemed beyond expression by his fellow-cenobites. He was dis-
tinguished by religious silence, and by the observance of monastic discipline ;
by attentive study of the Sacred Scriptures and books of ecclesiastical
science he edified all with his conduct and conversation. In due time he ;
was made superior of the religious community ;'^ and this band of religious he governed more by example than by precept. Christ Jesus was the sole object of his praise and glory, as of his discourse and allusions. Peace was hisshield,prayerswerehiscoatofmail; patiencewashisfieldforvictory, and the Word of God his sword : mildness characterized his conduct towards the monks ; he became all things to all of them, that he might gain all to
Christ. Hewaseverhopefulandloving; practisingeveryvirtueandavoiding every imperfection ; and ever referring his actions to the great Author of our
9 Without
the date of his — giving festival,
"
Hibemise. " The Annals of Clonmacnoise
ConviBus thus refers to this saint:
S.
and of Seuat at A. D. mac-Magnus,
concur.
823,
Blaithmac, princeps, hseres regni, et incly-
tus martyr, in insula Eo. " See O'SulIevan "
'3 The Martyrologies of Tallagh and of Marianus O'Gorman, as also St. . fEngus' commentator on the Felire, represent him
Beare's Histpriae Catholicae Ibernise Com- pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. x. , p. 48. "Henry Fitzsimon, citing "Antique
—"
as the son of Flann. See Colgan's Acta
Lectiones,"tom. vi. ,p. 575,states,th—atSt. SanctorumHibernise,"xix. Januarii,n. 2,
p. 129. — 'The poem of Strabo states:
"Tractabat laicus, quod clericusefficiebat. " —'* Vita S. Blaitmaici. "
'S See Mabillon's " Annales Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xxvi. , sec, xxvil. ,
Blaithmac lived about tlie year 912.
See ibid. , cap. xii. , p. 52. This date is later, however, than has been allowed by other writers, and long after the period when Strabo, the biographer of St. Blaithmaic,
died.
" " In the Irish annals and calendars his
pp. 309, 310. '*This is stated
"
nitore,
" Agmina multorum rexit veneranda vi-
rorum. "
—" Vita S. Blaitmaici.
"
Where this religious institute was has not
been stated, but it seems to have been in some part of Ireland.
father is called Flaun
;
but it is not stated
—
what he had. principality
Colgan conjee- tures that he was one of the southern Neills,
princes of Meath, because the names Flaun and Blaithmaic were rather common in that family. "—Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, vol. iii. , chap, xx. , sec. xi. , n.
121, p. 255.
"Hugh Menard calls him "filium Regis
Strabo:
Sicque vigens doctrinarum, morumque
by
328 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 19,
being. Thus his 'example brightened as a beacon, before the eyes of his
disciples; andtheselatterprogressedtowardsperfection,underthedirecting
zeal of their saintly superior.
Our saint burned with a desire of martyrdom ; and to attain this object,
he had often attempted to visit strange lands, but had been prevented by his people. On a certain occasion, Blaitmaic thought to effect his retreat under
cover of night, and through a secret path. He was accompanied by a small band of disciples, but the fugitives were arrested and brought back. How- ever, his wishes were at length gratified, for he contrived to escape from his
"
sacred isle" of
Before the northern pirates, with their fleet, had reached the shores ot Columba's—sacred isle, Blaitmaic called the monks together, addressing them
:
as follows " My friends, consider well the choice which is now left you.
If you wish to endure martyrdom for the name of Christ, and fear it not, let such as will remain with me arm themselves with becoming courage. But those who are weak in resolution, let them fly, that they may avoid impending dangers, and nerve themselves for more fortunate issues. The near trial of certain death awaits us. Invincible faith, which looks to a future life, will shield the brave soldier of Christ, and the cautious security of flight will preservethelesscourageous. "^^ Thesewordswerereceivedbythereligious with resolutions suited to the confidence or timidity of each individual. Some resolved to brave the invaders' fury, together with their holy companion. Some betook themselves to places ofconcealment, until this hostile storm hadpassed. '3
On the morning of January the 19th, a. d. 823,^4 824, or 825,^5
native country. ^7 Blaitmaic directed his course to lona, the
Columba. ^^ The Danish ravages had been frequently directed against the shrines and altars of unprotected religious, that peopled this known island. But, in a knowledge of this fact, Blaitmaic grounded his hopes for securing tohimselfthepalmofmartyrdom. HehadbeengiftedfromonHighwith a spirit of prophecy. Hence, before a hostile irruption, which took place after the commencement of the ninth century, Blaitmaic predicted to his companions, in lona monastery, a storm, which was about to burst upon them. '9 This seems to have occurred during the incumbency of Diarmait,^° the twentieth abbot in succession^' to the great St. Columkille.
'' The year in which he departed from Ireland does not appear to have been re-
•corded. '3Thepoemstates:—
/'Insula Pictorum qusedam monstratur in oris
Fluctivago suspensa salo cognominis Eo,
Than o'er the ocean's flood of snow their
snoring galleys tread. "
"o See Dr. Reeves' edition of Adamnan's
"LifeofSt. Columba. " AdditionalNotes, o, pp. 388 to 390.
Qua
requiescit
Bishop Sancta," part i. , p. 68.
sanctus Domini lumba:
came Co-
== See
Hanc petiit voto patiendi stygmati Christi. "
—"Vita S. Blaitmaici. "
'9 Applicable to such a prophecy are the
following spirited lines, from Motherwell, in his magnificent poem, which is so well known as *' The Battle of —
who is a much safer guide in dates and particulars, regard-
Flag Sigurd": "The eagle hearts of all the North have
torians than our own Colgan,
left their stormy strand ;
The warriors of the world are forth to
choose another land
Again, their long keels sheer the wave,
their broad sheets court the breeze ; Again, the reckless and the brave ride
lords of weltering seas.
Nor swifter from the well-bent bow can
feathered shaft be sped,
ing Irish ecclesiastical historyand biography. ==• According to Dr. O'Donovan's " An-
nals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , p. 436. =s ! „ extracts from the "Annals of Ulster," given by the Rev. James Johnstone, the
!
21
and continued after a. d. 831.
Challoner's "Britannia
='3Mabillon, in his ''Annales Ordinis S.
Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xxvi. , sec. xxvii. , a. d. 793, mistakes when he assigns the martyrdom of our saint to that year. — See pp, 309, 310. Yet he is more generally followed as an authority by Continental his-
jjjg ^jjjg ^(. Jqjjj^ commenced A. D. 815,
following entry occurs
:
— Blachan " 824.
McFlan murdered in I
— Colm—
kil, by the
Gals. "—" AntiquitatesCelto-Normannicae," p. 63.
January 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 3^9
St. Blaitmaic, robed in vestments of his order, had been engaged in celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of Mass. '"^ Whilst he offered up the Immaculate Host, he stood as a self-immolated victim, prepared for sacrifice. The band of his faithfial religious, anticipating a coronal of martyrdom, knelt around : with tears and prayers they besought mercy and grace, before the throne of God. This truly must have been a sublime spectacle, and one never yet surpassed in the records of human heroism. Whilst engaged in these services, the loud shout of their destroyers was thundering without the church. ^7 The Pagan and pirate Danes^^ rushed in through its open doors, threatening death to the religious ; and, almost immediately aftenvards, these barbarous threats were put in execution. The monks, expecting this irruption, had the pre- caution to remove a rich shrine, containing St. Columba's relics, firom its usual place. They buried it under ground, so that it might thus escape the profanation of those savage invaders. That rich prize was what the Danes chiefly sought. They urged Blaitmaic to show them the place of its conceal- ment. ^? But our saint, who knew not the particular place where it was buried, with unbending constancy of mind, opposed himself to this armed
band.
Although
unarmed he himself, put
forth some futile efforts of— strength
to stay the ravages ©f his enemies.
He cried out, at the same time
" :
I am
entirely ignorant regarding those treasures you seek for, and where they are
buried. But, even had I a knowledge of all this, my lips should yet be closed. Draw your swords, barbarians, take my chalice, and murder me.
Gracious God, I humbly resign myself to Thee. " The barbarians immediately hewed him into pieces with their swords : and with more diabolical rage,
because they were disappointed in their expectations for obtaining spoil. 3° At this time the Abbot Diarmait was probably absent from lona, and the
holy martyred priest, it would seem, worthily represented the superior's authority among the religious. The body of Blaitmaic was buried in the
place where his glorious crown of martyrdom had been obtained, according to his biographer, Strabo ; and many miracles were afterwards wrought, in favour of several persons, through the merits and intercession of this great soldier of Christ. He appears to have had a double festival : one on this day,3' and another on the 24th of July. 3^ We have not been able to discover whether our saint ever enjoyed any superior dignity at lona ; but it would seem, from the preceding narrative, that he exercised considerable influence,
"*
Dr. Reeves has this martyrdom recorded at A. D. 825. —See his Adamnan's "Life of St. Columba. " Additional Notes, O, p. 389.
cession by the Culdees of Dunkeld, in Scot- land, among the list of holy martyrs we
"
find the invocation,
socii ejus Monachi crudeliter a Danis infi-
"
In Whittier's "Poetical Works," this delibus interfecti, and the response, "Orate
^——
situation is thus correctly, although pro Bishop
tuitously, described
"lona's sable-stoled Culdee
Hashearditsoundingo'er. thesea, And swept with hoary beard and hair
dars of Scottish Saints. "
Appendix
to Pre-
—His altar's foot in trembling prayer,"
face, p. Iviii.
3ixhissaintis veneratedabroadonthe
19th of January.
^ In the Martyrologies of Donegal and ol
was entered in the Martyrology of Tamlacht, and that he died for the faith at lona, on the 19th of July, 823 : he must have intended
" Poems. " The Legendary
Norsemen, p.
his feast is set down on the of 24th
:
67.
^^ See Father Stephen White's " Apologia
pro Hibernia," cap. iii. , p. 23, and cap. v. , p. 59.
*°
Tallagh
July. This latter, perhaps, was some trans- lation of his relics. The late Professor O'Curry appears to have made a mistake whenhestatesthatBlaithmac,sonofFlann,
"
for- nobis. " See Forbes' Kalen-
It seems to have eluded their search, for
in A. D. 829 the Abbot Diarmait brought the
relics of St. Columkille to the mainland
ofScotland,andA. D. 831heremovedthem towriteJanuary,orthe24thofJuly. —See
"
to Ireland. Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of
3° In the old Litany, sung in solemn pro- Ancient Irish History," Lect. xvii,, p. 362.
S. Blaithmach et
330 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 19.
over the minds of his brethren, on that island. We are told that in the Irish language this saint is called Blathmhac. 33 The first syllable of this compound
name has an equivocal signification.
Blath, when pronounced long, has the
" beautiful
literal " a meaning,
and the
metaphorical signification,
flovver,"34
when pronounced short, it is rendered into the English words,
;" honour" or "fame. " ThewordMhacis "son. "35 wasthisheroicman
Anglicized Truly
named. For not alone was he the son and heir apparent to his father's
temporal possessions, but he became one of God's glorified children, secured in the enjoyment of a heavenly inheritance. He plucked the flower of
martyrdom with unbending constancy, and he blooms with distinguished
tend to tarnish or destroy.
Article II. —St. Fachtna, Bishop of Nuacongbhail. The writer ot a pleasing volume, which has lately appeared, invests the cloistered life with peculiar interest, and exhibits the social blessings dispensed by religious
houses, when they stood as bulwarks for the people, against the tyranny of rude barons and rapacious kings. ' These remarks have a general reference to other lands besides our own : but they bear even an application to the disappearance of such houses in our island. Fachtua, Bishop of Uachong- bhail, has Reidbaircend appended in the published Martyrology of Tallagh. ' This bishop is mentioned as having had a festival at the 19th of January. In the unpublished copy of this calendar, we find a list of twenty-eight foreign saints preceding the entry of his name, which is the first among our native saints there recorded. 3 Under the head of Ua Congbhail, Duald Mac Firbis enters Fachtna, a bishop, from this place,* by which we must probably under- stand, he presided there in that capacity. s Some difficulty must be found in the attempt to identity his locality, or the time when he lived. In the Martyr- ology of Donegal,^ we find entered, on this day, Fachtna, bishop, of Nua- chongbhail. Cuimin of Coindeire speaks of a certain Fachtua ; but he does not name him from any church, and he gives that saint no particular title or distinctiveness. Yet, whoever he was, Cuimin says, that he used to instruct all with lights, and that he never said a word but what was pleasing to God. Were the name of his place to stand for one single spot in Ireland, it might be the easier identified. The position of one Nuachongbhail is described as being on the banks of the Boyne, ten miles from Drogheda, and five from Trim. The Book of Nuachongbhail is numbered among the lost Books or AnnalsofAncientIreland. ? LongbeforetheEnglishinvasion,amonasterywas
"asthe
thetreesofthewoods. "3^ His deserves to be honoured in the Church, since he achieved a distinguished re- putation. This is one, likewise, which no concurrence of events can ever
brilliancy,
apple-tree among
memory
33 This name, which is a common derived from bl^c, Jlos, and mAC, Jilius, may be Latinized Florigenus or Florentius. The Index of the Calendar of
re-
'
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiii.
3 This entry reads tTACcn^i ep on UAdiOMg
bAii\etTo.
Proceedings
Academy," Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. 132, 133.
s William M. Hennessy adds, in a note, "supposed by some to be Navan, county Meath. "
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 20, 21.
7 See Professor Eugene O'Curr/s "Lee-
tures on the Manuscript Materials of Irish
History," Lect. i. , p. 13; Lect. ii. , p. 44. If these books be recovered, much light will be thrown on our history.
Donegal presents it by Florigenius and Florus, as it does blAcVi by Flora. — See Rev. William
bAil i\ei-o * See "
of the Irish Royal
Reeves'
"
Adamnan's Life of St. Columba,"
n- (y). P- 389-
3* See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 280.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Canticle of Canticles, ii. , 3.
