" Diarmaid went out, and he saw the whole village on
occasion,
great mountain ridge of steeps, * w—hich divides Pertshire from Argyle and ter- minating in the Grampian Hills he came to a small village, situate in a barren plain.
occasion,
great mountain ridge of steeps, * w—hich divides Pertshire from Argyle and ter- minating in the Grampian Hills he came to a small village, situate in a barren plain.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
, Art.
ii.
48 He had probably come from Iona, or from the mainland of Scotland, where he exercised ecclesiastical rule over the Scots or Picts.
49 In demonstration of the
presbyter, Findchan could not ordain or consecrate priests or bishops, Father Innes draws his conclusion, from the circumstances
"
of this case :
ceive that Findchan, with all his qualities of priest, of founder, and of superior of a
Columbite monastery, and, by consequence, that any other Abbot, Superior, or Priest of Ycolm-kill, or all of them together, desti- tuted of the episcopal character, ever so much as claimed or pretended any right or power
which virtue in the requires proved
Deacon, Priest, and Bishop, 1 Tim. , iii. , 2, 6, 10, Tit. i. , 6, 7. The early canons excluded from holy orders all those who lost their
it see,ms not possible to con-
to ordain a priest, mu—ch less to ordain or "
consecrate a bishop. " Civil and Ecclesi- astical History of Scotland," book ii. , sect.
fact,
that as
Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib iii. , cap. iv. ,
p. 169.
51 Fromthe it the narrative, appears, bishop
doubted, at least, that his act might be criminal and sacrilegious. To be assured, or to have his conscience more at ease, he de- sired that, at the same time, Findchan might
:
444
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
with a
spear,
he shall fall from a tree into the water and be drowned. "57
King
Diarmaid's death happened before this time. 53 The saint's prophecy was ful-
filled, regarding both, for the priest Findchan's right hand festered from a blow,
and it was buried in an island, called Amnion,59 while Findchan himself sur-
vived for But, Aedh Dubh, a many years,
priest only
in his former excesses, and being treacherously wounded with a spear, fell from
62 6 6
a 61 into a lake, and he was drowned. * The Annals of Ulster * refer
raft,
this event, to a. d.
the Four Masters 6? waskilled,ina 6?
those of Tighernach 65 to a. d.
66 while those of
" After Diarmid, the son of Fergus Cearrbhal, had been twenty years King of Ireland, he was killed, hy Aedh Dubh, son of Suibhne, King of Dala- radia. His head was taken to Clonmac- noise to be buried there, and his body to
Connor. "
59 This place has not been identified.
iEmonia, the old name of Inchcolm, will not answer ; for, that island is at the east side of Scotland. The place where St. Mac Nissi's hand was buried was called Cora- Lnmha, i,e. , "tumulus manus. " See Col-
ters," at A. d. 558 :
1
587,
place 592.
588,
" Trias Vita Thaumaturga," Septima
seven He was killed in a years.
gan's
S. Patricii, pars ii. , cap. cxxix. , p. 146.
(reigned)
ship by the Cruithneans," according to the Genealogical Manuscripts, p. 595.
60 His ordination, however, was valid. He was a priest only in name, because he wanted the virtue becoming his character.
61
Colgandesignatesit, amast.
62 The "aque stagnea," which received
him, was most probably Lough Neagh, within two miles of which was his regal abode of Rathmore.
63 Instances of penal drowning, among the Picts of Scotland, occur, in the "Annals of Ulster," at A. D. 733, and 738. Chalmers concludes, that this was a mode of punish- ment, common among the Picts. See his " Caledonia," vol. i. , book ii. , chap, i. , n. m, p. 211.
Araidhe, who slew Diarmalt, son of Cer- bhall. "
66 This is said to be the t ne date.
it at a. d.
He
reigned
seven 08 and he years,
theCruithneans. ? Suchindeedwasthe end tragic
ship, by longduetohim,whomurderedtheKingofall Ireland. 7I
The Cenel Cairbre, who gave name to a territory, now the barony of Car- bury in the north of Sligo, were descended from Cairbre, son of Niall, and theywereatribeoftheNorthernHyNeill. ^Enghus,surnamedBronbachal,72
utter improbability of that story, which re- presents St. Columba himself, as inciting his own kinsmen to an unjust war, against Diar- mid, on account of the king's decision, in the fabulous contest with St. Finnian. See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xi. , sect, xiv. , n. 169, p. 169.
=8 Diarmid Mac Cearrbhal's death is thus recorded, in the " Annals of the Four Mas-
67 "
Thus, at A. c. 592, Aedh Dubh, son
70 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Tertia S. Columbse, cap. ix. , p. 333 ; QuartaVitaS. Columbae,lib. i. , cap. xxxvi. , p. 346, and n. 79, p. 379 ; Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. ii. , cap. xcvii. , p. 427.
71 His death is thus recorded by Tiger- nach, A. c. 565, TJiAjvmAic itiac CepbAitL teeisusest, HaicIi bich a nungbinelA h-Aeo ttUub niAC Smbne <Mj\. . vohe f»i UlA-oh : ocur a cetro co cLuaui ocur no A'onAchcA co- LvMiio a Conepe ; cut stucessentut dtiofili'x 1111c eApcA . 1. ^Tepjuj' ocur OomhnALl. See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii. , p. 149. It is thus translated " Diar-
:
mait, son of Cerbhall, was slain at Rath- 6s Thus, at a. c 588, Sum AeuliA t>uibh beg in Magh-Line, by Aedh Dubh, rrnc SuibhiiA. An. M'ohe qui t)omAnbh "OAop- son of Suibhe Araidhe, King of Uladh ;and uiAit> uiac Cepbulll. Thus translated: "The his head was conveyed to Cluain (mic ttois), mortal wound of Aedh Dubh, ton of Suibhne and his body was buried at Connor. To
** Thus, at A. c. 587, Jngulatio 4e-oliA Nigri true Smbhne 1 Unrig [in navi].
in name,60
of Suibhne, King of Ulidia, was slain by
Fiachna, son of Baedan. "— "AnnalsoftheFourMasters,"vol. i. , p. 217.
68 follows : —
This is stated, in some Irish lines, as
&ox>\\ Oubh mAcrAipbr-ecAch Suibue;
SeAchc mbliAOUA AbL<vo
Sbocc Af. m CruncneA'o mA cneccoro;
5AnbUncmeAc n-eocAibe.
"Aedh Dubh, son of mild judging
Suibhne,
Seven years was his fame on this
earth
The marks of Cruithnean weapons
in his wounds :
Fierce and active in deeds was he. "
' 9 In a catalogue of the Kings of Ulaah, copied by Mac Firbis from the Book of Saul, we meet with <\ot>h "Oubhmac Sinbne un, bliAwtA, a mAfibAT) 1 luing La Crunc- necuib. " Aodh Uubh, son of Suibhne,
whom succeeded the two sons of Mac Erca namely, Fergus and Domhnall. "
71 The epithet bpon-bAcholl, which
indulging again
Dr. O'Donovan's
&\\
bic ce
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 445
the regulus of Cinel Cairpre,? 3 and his two brothers, were driven from their own
country. Colgan was unable to identify this yEnghus, and he proposes to read " Filius Colmani," in the title, so as to make him the son of Colman Mor. "-*
who was slain in 620, according to the Annals of Ulster. However, this is a mistake, as proved by the sequel. 75 That petty king was descended from
Tuathal
Maolgarbh,?
6 who was King of Ireland," from a. d. to
533 534.
View of the Grampian Mountains, from near Perth.
These came as exiles to the saint, who was then in his pilgrimage at Iona. Columba blessed ^Engus Bronbachal, and then uttered these prophetic words :
O'Connor interprets, "baculi dolorosi" seems to have reference to the "pilgrim's staff. " Bysupplyingtheword"filii"before"Com- mani," in the title, we have the exact lineage given by Mac Firbis.
73 In their territory, the battle of Cool-
was drevny fought.
74 In this
O'Donovan, in a note on the " Annals of the Four Masters," at a. d. 616. See vol. i. , n. (e), pp. 240, 241.
"Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 13, p. 41.
79SeeColgan's learnedconjecturesabout this name, in " Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Columbse, lib. i. , cap. xiii. , n. 52, P- 376.
80 The Annals of Ulster relate, at A. c.
opinion,
by 648,
—"
he is followed
"
Mors Bron bachlae Aengusa Regis
75 The death of Colman Morwasa "jugu-
latio," according to the Annales Ultonien-
ses, at A. D. 620 ; whereas the subject of the recorded in the text ; while the date 648,
"
76 He was son to Cormac Caoch, accoid-
ing to the Genealogies of Mac Firbis, yet in
reckoning even from the latest period of our saint's life, allows ample time for the subject of the prediction to have become a " senex. "
82 The of statement, in three in- harmony
dependent records, is a remarkable attesta- tion of their accuracy.
present narrative died,
placida morte. "
at
77 He had two sons, viz. :
Manuscript,
Coman or Coeman, father of Aedh, father
of the Aongus Bronbachall,
83 Between Drum Britain and
p. 167.
Garban and
of
78 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's vernacular name Drum-Bretain, at an early
ClannCairbre.
religious
Dumbarton, thereisastrikingsimilarityofname. The
Cenuil Coirpri. " Dr. O'Conor's Rerum
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. , p. 50.
81 The word, " mors," in the cited passage
from the Annals, as opposed to "occisio," or "jugulatio" indicates the natural death
446
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 9.
"
This youth, surviving the death of his other brother, shall reign a long time in his country; and, his enemies shall fall before him, nor shall he ever be delivered into the hands of his enemies, but he shall die an old man, in tran-
8
All of which was fully accomplished, For we read, that yEngus, surnamed Bron-
quil death among his friends. "? according to the saint's words.
bachal, Annals.
year 648,
7 ? lived on to the
82
80 when his death 81 is recorded in our
We find from various passages in his Acts, that Columba frequently journeyed on the mainland in Albyn. As the saint was travelling, on —a cer- tain over Druim 83 also called Britannae Dorsum8* that
88
Afteralittlesleep,heawoketheattendants,thesamenight. Hesaidtothem:
"Go, go, at once, and bring thither quickly the boat 89 you left over the
water,9° and put it in a house near us. " They did as they were ordered. When
they were again asleep, the saint called Diarmaid, in a short time, and said
to him " Stand outside the door, and see what has happened the village, in :
which you left your boat.
" Diarmaid went out, and he saw the whole village on
occasion,
great mountain ridge of steeps, * w—hich divides Pertshire from Argyle and ter- minating in the Grampian Hills he came to a small village, situate in a barren plain. The Dorsum Britannicum was the great boundary line between —the Picts and the Scots. He rested there, o—n the marshy banks of the river 8G
Bretain, 8
87
characterized as Stagnum Loch-Diae where it flows into the lake.
He told the saint what had occurred. Then, Columba mentioned to
fire.
his brethren the name of a furious persecutor, who had burnt the houses that
date, passed into the form Drum-Alban, parent than real. It is noted as
which was in use until the thirteenth century.
84 See Adamnan's Vita S. Columbae, lib.
i. , cap. 34, lib. ii. , cap. 31, 42, 46, and lib. iii. , cap. 14. We find it alluded to by Irish writers, as "Dorsum Britannia? . " SeeTigher-
"Bellum Montis Carno," in the "An- nales Cambriae," at A. D. 728. Rev. John Williams ab Ithel's edition, p. 9. Again,
" Pan vu vrwydyr ym mynyd Cam," thus "
Brut,
at a. d. Rev. Dr. Conor's " Rerum 717.
translatedintoEnglish, —whentherewasa
y Tywy- sogion," a. d. 728. This is supposed to be the pass of the Grampians, in the west of Kincardineshire, called Cairn-o-mont. It is 85 Tliis range forms the backbone of also the Mons Mound ot Giialdus Cambren-
nach,
Hibemicarum Scriptores," tornusii. , p. 228. Also, Annales Ultonienses, at A. D. 716. See
ibid. , tomus iv. , p. 74-
Scotland, and from its sides the eastern and western waters respectively flow. The ac- companying illustration presents a distant view of the"Grampian Hills from near Perth. It was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it has been engraved by Mrs. Mdlard.
sis, and ihe Momoth of the "Annales Ulto-
nienses," at A. D. 781. Glendye, through which flows the River Dye, is near it ; but,
unfortunately for the present identification, there is no lake at that part of it.
"
86 The name, which is omitted in this ""
with hide, was easily carried, like an Indian birch-bark canoe.
" 90 saint, as Stagnum Loch Diae. "
87 In the Annals of Ulster, at A. C 728, we
88 Chalmers deals with the name as a fami- liar one, and he describes the encounter, as the "battle of Moncur in the Carse of Cow- rie. "—" Caledonia," vol. i. , book ii. , chap, i. , p. 21 1. There is no lake at Moncur, however, and the similarity of both names is more ap-
place, is supplied in the capitulationes or heads of chapters, in Adamnan's Life of our
" Bellum Monitcarno juxta stagnum
The river seems to have been an incon- siderable one, and the messenger crossed it on foot to get the boat unless, we inter-
read
Loegdae inter hostem Nechtain et exercitum
Aengusa, et exactores Nechtain cecide- ing having crossed. "
runt, hoc est Bisceot mac Moneit, et Alius 91 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's ejus, et Finguine mac Drostrain, Ferot mac "Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 34, p. Finnguine et alii multi. Familia Aengusia 64, on. (a, b, c).
triumphavit. "—Rev. Dr. O'Conor's "Rerum
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. , Pars
Prima, p. 84.
:
;
battle on Cam mountain. " "
89 It is called
and it means a
being, made of wicker-work, and covered
'•
naviculam," by Adamnan, currach. " This sort of boat,
pret the word ultra, in Adamnan, as mean- "
92 Otherwise distinguished as Britannicum Dorsum.
endeavours to him with identify
93
one of the saints so called in our Irish
Calendars ; but, he is obliged to conjecture
simply, that he may have been one of the four venerated on the 19th of September, or on the 1st of October, or on the 7th or 9th of November, whose period or place is not
Colgan
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
447
Drum
named Fintan,°3 son of Aidus,04 was seized with a sudden distemper and reduced to the last extremity. His fellow-travellers were much afflicted, on account of the youth's illness, and earnestly besought the saint to pray for him. Yieldingatoncetotheirentreaties,Columbaraisedhisholyhandsto heaven in earnest prayer, and he blessed the sick person. He added, "This youth, for whom you are praying, shall enjoy a long life ; he shall survive all who are here present, and he shall die after living to a great age. " This pro- phecywasfulfilled,ineveryparticular; for,thatsameyouthlivedtofound the monastery of Kailli-an-inde,0S and he lived to a very considerable age. It is thought to be probable, that having joined the fraternity of Hy in early life, his history and place may belong to the North British Churchy6 There was a burial-ground at a place called Cally,°7 in Perthshire, and there, it is
night.
01 While the saint was
making
a
journey through
Albany
2 a
youth
8 the of Kalli-an-inde had been situated. monastery
thought,?
On another occasion, also, when the holy man was remaining for some
days in the province of the Picts, he was obliged to cross the river Ness,00 and having reached the bank, he saw some of the inhabitants engaged at the interment of an unfortunate man, who, according to the account of those burying him, was a short time before seized, as he was swimming, and bitten most severely by a monster, 100 that lived in the water. His body had been taken out with a drag, by those who came to his assistance in a boat. 101 However, it was too late to save him. On hearing this, so far from being dismayed, the holy Abbot directed one of his companions to swim across and bring over the boat I02 that was at the opposite bank. IC,3 Hearing the com- mand of the saint, Lugneus Mocumin I0* obeyed without the least delay, and having taken off his clothes, except a tunic, he plunged into the water. But the monster, which so far from being satiated was made more ravenous by what had previously occurred, lay at the bottom. Feeling the water dis-
named. See " Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quarta S. Columbse, lib. ii. , cap. xxxi. , p. 357, and n. 27, p. 384.
94 Colgan finds a St. Fintan, son of Aidus, venerated at the 4th of October; but, besides
him to have lived
of St. Columba. See ibid. , n. 27, p. 384.
95 The exact situation of Kailli-an-inde is not known. Colgan supposes it to be in Ireland, and he makes the name to corre- spond with Kill-aibhne, in the diocese of Clonfert. See ibid.
Peiste. This is supposed to be the abode of
a demoniacal serpent, which infested that
jiver and its neighbourhood.
I01 Ad airman has " in alno. " We find in
"
his being of Drum-noed, his genealogy Georgics, lib. i. , 1. 136, andlib. ii. , 1. 451.
proves
long
age
byAdam-
" Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 31, and n. (d), p. 144.
A
pp. 3S7i 359-
98 By William F. Skene.
99 Between Loch Ness and the sea.
100 The belief that certain rivers and lakes
were haunted by serpents of a demoniacal
and terrible character was current among
the Irish at a very remote period. It still
prevails in many parts of Ireland. We find
various illustrations of this belief, in the Acts
of Irish Saints. In the of many parish
Banagher, county of Londonderry, there is a river, in which is a spot called Lig-na-
I03 In O'Donnell's or Quinta Vita S. Co-
lumbse, we read " Equum in adversa ripa
after the
I02 It is called " cauballum "
nan. Caupuhts, or caupohis, occurs in Aulus Gellius, in the sense of a boat, and it
is explained in Isidore's Glossary by lembus or cymba. It is akin to the word coble, which is commonly used in the sense of a little flat- bottomed boat. See Sir Walter Scott's
96 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Antiquary," chap. xxxi.
97 In the
named from St. Fink, was there. See " Old
Statistical Survey of Scotland," vol. xix. , 423. Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
parish
of
Bendothy.
chapel,
stantem — et alii socii adducat, quoipse vecti,
Virgil
alnus cavata," meaning a boat. See
fluvium transirent. "
Lib. ii. , cap. lxxiv. , p.
From the resemblance of the word caupal-
htm to the Irish caput, "ahorse," Colgan was led to suppose, that this animal was de- noted by it. See ibid. , Quarta Vita S. Co- lumbse, lib. ii. , cap. xxvii. , n. 26, p. 383. The transcriber, who wrote Codex D, seems to have entertained the same idea. He reads caballum for canpallum.
I04 In O'Donnell's Life of St. Columba,
we have his name written " Macua Lugneus
Cumine," lib. ii. , cap. lxxiv. , p. 423. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
448 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
turbed above by the man swimming, that monster suddenly rose to the sur- face, and giving an awful roar, it darted after Lugneus, with its mouth wide open, as he swam in the middle of the stream. Observing this, while all the rest, brethren as well as strangers, were stupefied with terror, the saint raised hisholyhand,andthenformedthesavingsignofthecrossintheair. 10* Having invoked the name of God, Columba commanded the ferocious monster, saying : " Go no further, nor dare to touch the man ; go back instantly. " At the voice of the saint, that monster was terrified, and fled back, more quickly than if it had been pulled with ropes, though it had just got so near to Lugneus, there was not more than the of a
100 between them.
that the monster had gone back, and that their comrade Lugneus returned to them in the boat 10? safe and sound, the brethren were struck with admira- tion and glorified God in his holy servant. And even the barbarous pagans, forced by this splendid miracle which they themselves had witnessed, magni- fied the God of the Christians. '08 The saint, being in Pictland, heard from general report regarding a pagan fountain, which the foolish people, blinded by the enemy of mankind, held in great veneration. 100 Whosoever tasted the water or even washed their hands or feet in it, by a sort of diabolical enchant-
length
spear-staff
Seeing
ment—God so permitting it—became blind, leprous, or weak with some in-
firmity. Intimidatedbysuchresults,thepaganspaidasortofdeprecatorywor- ship to that fountain. St. Columkille came towards it one day. The magicians, whom he hal often confounded and overcome in argument, were very much rejoiced, hoping that he should receive some mischance, owing to his proximity withthisnoxiouswater. InvokingthenameofChrist,however,ourholyAbbot therein washed his hands and feet, and then, after blessing the water, he drank
110
that which is more admirable must be recorded.
48 He had probably come from Iona, or from the mainland of Scotland, where he exercised ecclesiastical rule over the Scots or Picts.
49 In demonstration of the
presbyter, Findchan could not ordain or consecrate priests or bishops, Father Innes draws his conclusion, from the circumstances
"
of this case :
ceive that Findchan, with all his qualities of priest, of founder, and of superior of a
Columbite monastery, and, by consequence, that any other Abbot, Superior, or Priest of Ycolm-kill, or all of them together, desti- tuted of the episcopal character, ever so much as claimed or pretended any right or power
which virtue in the requires proved
Deacon, Priest, and Bishop, 1 Tim. , iii. , 2, 6, 10, Tit. i. , 6, 7. The early canons excluded from holy orders all those who lost their
it see,ms not possible to con-
to ordain a priest, mu—ch less to ordain or "
consecrate a bishop. " Civil and Ecclesi- astical History of Scotland," book ii. , sect.
fact,
that as
Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib iii. , cap. iv. ,
p. 169.
51 Fromthe it the narrative, appears, bishop
doubted, at least, that his act might be criminal and sacrilegious. To be assured, or to have his conscience more at ease, he de- sired that, at the same time, Findchan might
:
444
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
with a
spear,
he shall fall from a tree into the water and be drowned. "57
King
Diarmaid's death happened before this time. 53 The saint's prophecy was ful-
filled, regarding both, for the priest Findchan's right hand festered from a blow,
and it was buried in an island, called Amnion,59 while Findchan himself sur-
vived for But, Aedh Dubh, a many years,
priest only
in his former excesses, and being treacherously wounded with a spear, fell from
62 6 6
a 61 into a lake, and he was drowned. * The Annals of Ulster * refer
raft,
this event, to a. d.
the Four Masters 6? waskilled,ina 6?
those of Tighernach 65 to a. d.
66 while those of
" After Diarmid, the son of Fergus Cearrbhal, had been twenty years King of Ireland, he was killed, hy Aedh Dubh, son of Suibhne, King of Dala- radia. His head was taken to Clonmac- noise to be buried there, and his body to
Connor. "
59 This place has not been identified.
iEmonia, the old name of Inchcolm, will not answer ; for, that island is at the east side of Scotland. The place where St. Mac Nissi's hand was buried was called Cora- Lnmha, i,e. , "tumulus manus. " See Col-
ters," at A. d. 558 :
1
587,
place 592.
588,
" Trias Vita Thaumaturga," Septima
seven He was killed in a years.
gan's
S. Patricii, pars ii. , cap. cxxix. , p. 146.
(reigned)
ship by the Cruithneans," according to the Genealogical Manuscripts, p. 595.
60 His ordination, however, was valid. He was a priest only in name, because he wanted the virtue becoming his character.
61
Colgandesignatesit, amast.
62 The "aque stagnea," which received
him, was most probably Lough Neagh, within two miles of which was his regal abode of Rathmore.
63 Instances of penal drowning, among the Picts of Scotland, occur, in the "Annals of Ulster," at A. D. 733, and 738. Chalmers concludes, that this was a mode of punish- ment, common among the Picts. See his " Caledonia," vol. i. , book ii. , chap, i. , n. m, p. 211.
Araidhe, who slew Diarmalt, son of Cer- bhall. "
66 This is said to be the t ne date.
it at a. d.
He
reigned
seven 08 and he years,
theCruithneans. ? Suchindeedwasthe end tragic
ship, by longduetohim,whomurderedtheKingofall Ireland. 7I
The Cenel Cairbre, who gave name to a territory, now the barony of Car- bury in the north of Sligo, were descended from Cairbre, son of Niall, and theywereatribeoftheNorthernHyNeill. ^Enghus,surnamedBronbachal,72
utter improbability of that story, which re- presents St. Columba himself, as inciting his own kinsmen to an unjust war, against Diar- mid, on account of the king's decision, in the fabulous contest with St. Finnian. See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xi. , sect, xiv. , n. 169, p. 169.
=8 Diarmid Mac Cearrbhal's death is thus recorded, in the " Annals of the Four Mas-
67 "
Thus, at A. c. 592, Aedh Dubh, son
70 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Tertia S. Columbse, cap. ix. , p. 333 ; QuartaVitaS. Columbae,lib. i. , cap. xxxvi. , p. 346, and n. 79, p. 379 ; Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. ii. , cap. xcvii. , p. 427.
71 His death is thus recorded by Tiger- nach, A. c. 565, TJiAjvmAic itiac CepbAitL teeisusest, HaicIi bich a nungbinelA h-Aeo ttUub niAC Smbne <Mj\. . vohe f»i UlA-oh : ocur a cetro co cLuaui ocur no A'onAchcA co- LvMiio a Conepe ; cut stucessentut dtiofili'x 1111c eApcA . 1. ^Tepjuj' ocur OomhnALl. See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii. , p. 149. It is thus translated " Diar-
:
mait, son of Cerbhall, was slain at Rath- 6s Thus, at a. c 588, Sum AeuliA t>uibh beg in Magh-Line, by Aedh Dubh, rrnc SuibhiiA. An. M'ohe qui t)omAnbh "OAop- son of Suibhe Araidhe, King of Uladh ;and uiAit> uiac Cepbulll. Thus translated: "The his head was conveyed to Cluain (mic ttois), mortal wound of Aedh Dubh, ton of Suibhne and his body was buried at Connor. To
** Thus, at A. c. 587, Jngulatio 4e-oliA Nigri true Smbhne 1 Unrig [in navi].
in name,60
of Suibhne, King of Ulidia, was slain by
Fiachna, son of Baedan. "— "AnnalsoftheFourMasters,"vol. i. , p. 217.
68 follows : —
This is stated, in some Irish lines, as
&ox>\\ Oubh mAcrAipbr-ecAch Suibue;
SeAchc mbliAOUA AbL<vo
Sbocc Af. m CruncneA'o mA cneccoro;
5AnbUncmeAc n-eocAibe.
"Aedh Dubh, son of mild judging
Suibhne,
Seven years was his fame on this
earth
The marks of Cruithnean weapons
in his wounds :
Fierce and active in deeds was he. "
' 9 In a catalogue of the Kings of Ulaah, copied by Mac Firbis from the Book of Saul, we meet with <\ot>h "Oubhmac Sinbne un, bliAwtA, a mAfibAT) 1 luing La Crunc- necuib. " Aodh Uubh, son of Suibhne,
whom succeeded the two sons of Mac Erca namely, Fergus and Domhnall. "
71 The epithet bpon-bAcholl, which
indulging again
Dr. O'Donovan's
&\\
bic ce
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 445
the regulus of Cinel Cairpre,? 3 and his two brothers, were driven from their own
country. Colgan was unable to identify this yEnghus, and he proposes to read " Filius Colmani," in the title, so as to make him the son of Colman Mor. "-*
who was slain in 620, according to the Annals of Ulster. However, this is a mistake, as proved by the sequel. 75 That petty king was descended from
Tuathal
Maolgarbh,?
6 who was King of Ireland," from a. d. to
533 534.
View of the Grampian Mountains, from near Perth.
These came as exiles to the saint, who was then in his pilgrimage at Iona. Columba blessed ^Engus Bronbachal, and then uttered these prophetic words :
O'Connor interprets, "baculi dolorosi" seems to have reference to the "pilgrim's staff. " Bysupplyingtheword"filii"before"Com- mani," in the title, we have the exact lineage given by Mac Firbis.
73 In their territory, the battle of Cool-
was drevny fought.
74 In this
O'Donovan, in a note on the " Annals of the Four Masters," at a. d. 616. See vol. i. , n. (e), pp. 240, 241.
"Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 13, p. 41.
79SeeColgan's learnedconjecturesabout this name, in " Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Columbse, lib. i. , cap. xiii. , n. 52, P- 376.
80 The Annals of Ulster relate, at A. c.
opinion,
by 648,
—"
he is followed
"
Mors Bron bachlae Aengusa Regis
75 The death of Colman Morwasa "jugu-
latio," according to the Annales Ultonien-
ses, at A. D. 620 ; whereas the subject of the recorded in the text ; while the date 648,
"
76 He was son to Cormac Caoch, accoid-
ing to the Genealogies of Mac Firbis, yet in
reckoning even from the latest period of our saint's life, allows ample time for the subject of the prediction to have become a " senex. "
82 The of statement, in three in- harmony
dependent records, is a remarkable attesta- tion of their accuracy.
present narrative died,
placida morte. "
at
77 He had two sons, viz. :
Manuscript,
Coman or Coeman, father of Aedh, father
of the Aongus Bronbachall,
83 Between Drum Britain and
p. 167.
Garban and
of
78 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's vernacular name Drum-Bretain, at an early
ClannCairbre.
religious
Dumbarton, thereisastrikingsimilarityofname. The
Cenuil Coirpri. " Dr. O'Conor's Rerum
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. , p. 50.
81 The word, " mors," in the cited passage
from the Annals, as opposed to "occisio," or "jugulatio" indicates the natural death
446
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 9.
"
This youth, surviving the death of his other brother, shall reign a long time in his country; and, his enemies shall fall before him, nor shall he ever be delivered into the hands of his enemies, but he shall die an old man, in tran-
8
All of which was fully accomplished, For we read, that yEngus, surnamed Bron-
quil death among his friends. "? according to the saint's words.
bachal, Annals.
year 648,
7 ? lived on to the
82
80 when his death 81 is recorded in our
We find from various passages in his Acts, that Columba frequently journeyed on the mainland in Albyn. As the saint was travelling, on —a cer- tain over Druim 83 also called Britannae Dorsum8* that
88
Afteralittlesleep,heawoketheattendants,thesamenight. Hesaidtothem:
"Go, go, at once, and bring thither quickly the boat 89 you left over the
water,9° and put it in a house near us. " They did as they were ordered. When
they were again asleep, the saint called Diarmaid, in a short time, and said
to him " Stand outside the door, and see what has happened the village, in :
which you left your boat.
" Diarmaid went out, and he saw the whole village on
occasion,
great mountain ridge of steeps, * w—hich divides Pertshire from Argyle and ter- minating in the Grampian Hills he came to a small village, situate in a barren plain. The Dorsum Britannicum was the great boundary line between —the Picts and the Scots. He rested there, o—n the marshy banks of the river 8G
Bretain, 8
87
characterized as Stagnum Loch-Diae where it flows into the lake.
He told the saint what had occurred. Then, Columba mentioned to
fire.
his brethren the name of a furious persecutor, who had burnt the houses that
date, passed into the form Drum-Alban, parent than real. It is noted as
which was in use until the thirteenth century.
84 See Adamnan's Vita S. Columbae, lib.
i. , cap. 34, lib. ii. , cap. 31, 42, 46, and lib. iii. , cap. 14. We find it alluded to by Irish writers, as "Dorsum Britannia? . " SeeTigher-
"Bellum Montis Carno," in the "An- nales Cambriae," at A. D. 728. Rev. John Williams ab Ithel's edition, p. 9. Again,
" Pan vu vrwydyr ym mynyd Cam," thus "
Brut,
at a. d. Rev. Dr. Conor's " Rerum 717.
translatedintoEnglish, —whentherewasa
y Tywy- sogion," a. d. 728. This is supposed to be the pass of the Grampians, in the west of Kincardineshire, called Cairn-o-mont. It is 85 Tliis range forms the backbone of also the Mons Mound ot Giialdus Cambren-
nach,
Hibemicarum Scriptores," tornusii. , p. 228. Also, Annales Ultonienses, at A. D. 716. See
ibid. , tomus iv. , p. 74-
Scotland, and from its sides the eastern and western waters respectively flow. The ac- companying illustration presents a distant view of the"Grampian Hills from near Perth. It was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it has been engraved by Mrs. Mdlard.
sis, and ihe Momoth of the "Annales Ulto-
nienses," at A. D. 781. Glendye, through which flows the River Dye, is near it ; but,
unfortunately for the present identification, there is no lake at that part of it.
"
86 The name, which is omitted in this ""
with hide, was easily carried, like an Indian birch-bark canoe.
" 90 saint, as Stagnum Loch Diae. "
87 In the Annals of Ulster, at A. C 728, we
88 Chalmers deals with the name as a fami- liar one, and he describes the encounter, as the "battle of Moncur in the Carse of Cow- rie. "—" Caledonia," vol. i. , book ii. , chap, i. , p. 21 1. There is no lake at Moncur, however, and the similarity of both names is more ap-
place, is supplied in the capitulationes or heads of chapters, in Adamnan's Life of our
" Bellum Monitcarno juxta stagnum
The river seems to have been an incon- siderable one, and the messenger crossed it on foot to get the boat unless, we inter-
read
Loegdae inter hostem Nechtain et exercitum
Aengusa, et exactores Nechtain cecide- ing having crossed. "
runt, hoc est Bisceot mac Moneit, et Alius 91 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's ejus, et Finguine mac Drostrain, Ferot mac "Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 34, p. Finnguine et alii multi. Familia Aengusia 64, on. (a, b, c).
triumphavit. "—Rev. Dr. O'Conor's "Rerum
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. , Pars
Prima, p. 84.
:
;
battle on Cam mountain. " "
89 It is called
and it means a
being, made of wicker-work, and covered
'•
naviculam," by Adamnan, currach. " This sort of boat,
pret the word ultra, in Adamnan, as mean- "
92 Otherwise distinguished as Britannicum Dorsum.
endeavours to him with identify
93
one of the saints so called in our Irish
Calendars ; but, he is obliged to conjecture
simply, that he may have been one of the four venerated on the 19th of September, or on the 1st of October, or on the 7th or 9th of November, whose period or place is not
Colgan
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
447
Drum
named Fintan,°3 son of Aidus,04 was seized with a sudden distemper and reduced to the last extremity. His fellow-travellers were much afflicted, on account of the youth's illness, and earnestly besought the saint to pray for him. Yieldingatoncetotheirentreaties,Columbaraisedhisholyhandsto heaven in earnest prayer, and he blessed the sick person. He added, "This youth, for whom you are praying, shall enjoy a long life ; he shall survive all who are here present, and he shall die after living to a great age. " This pro- phecywasfulfilled,ineveryparticular; for,thatsameyouthlivedtofound the monastery of Kailli-an-inde,0S and he lived to a very considerable age. It is thought to be probable, that having joined the fraternity of Hy in early life, his history and place may belong to the North British Churchy6 There was a burial-ground at a place called Cally,°7 in Perthshire, and there, it is
night.
01 While the saint was
making
a
journey through
Albany
2 a
youth
8 the of Kalli-an-inde had been situated. monastery
thought,?
On another occasion, also, when the holy man was remaining for some
days in the province of the Picts, he was obliged to cross the river Ness,00 and having reached the bank, he saw some of the inhabitants engaged at the interment of an unfortunate man, who, according to the account of those burying him, was a short time before seized, as he was swimming, and bitten most severely by a monster, 100 that lived in the water. His body had been taken out with a drag, by those who came to his assistance in a boat. 101 However, it was too late to save him. On hearing this, so far from being dismayed, the holy Abbot directed one of his companions to swim across and bring over the boat I02 that was at the opposite bank. IC,3 Hearing the com- mand of the saint, Lugneus Mocumin I0* obeyed without the least delay, and having taken off his clothes, except a tunic, he plunged into the water. But the monster, which so far from being satiated was made more ravenous by what had previously occurred, lay at the bottom. Feeling the water dis-
named. See " Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quarta S. Columbse, lib. ii. , cap. xxxi. , p. 357, and n. 27, p. 384.
94 Colgan finds a St. Fintan, son of Aidus, venerated at the 4th of October; but, besides
him to have lived
of St. Columba. See ibid. , n. 27, p. 384.
95 The exact situation of Kailli-an-inde is not known. Colgan supposes it to be in Ireland, and he makes the name to corre- spond with Kill-aibhne, in the diocese of Clonfert. See ibid.
Peiste. This is supposed to be the abode of
a demoniacal serpent, which infested that
jiver and its neighbourhood.
I01 Ad airman has " in alno. " We find in
"
his being of Drum-noed, his genealogy Georgics, lib. i. , 1. 136, andlib. ii. , 1. 451.
proves
long
age
byAdam-
" Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 31, and n. (d), p. 144.
A
pp. 3S7i 359-
98 By William F. Skene.
99 Between Loch Ness and the sea.
100 The belief that certain rivers and lakes
were haunted by serpents of a demoniacal
and terrible character was current among
the Irish at a very remote period. It still
prevails in many parts of Ireland. We find
various illustrations of this belief, in the Acts
of Irish Saints. In the of many parish
Banagher, county of Londonderry, there is a river, in which is a spot called Lig-na-
I03 In O'Donnell's or Quinta Vita S. Co-
lumbse, we read " Equum in adversa ripa
after the
I02 It is called " cauballum "
nan. Caupuhts, or caupohis, occurs in Aulus Gellius, in the sense of a boat, and it
is explained in Isidore's Glossary by lembus or cymba. It is akin to the word coble, which is commonly used in the sense of a little flat- bottomed boat. See Sir Walter Scott's
96 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Antiquary," chap. xxxi.
97 In the
named from St. Fink, was there. See " Old
Statistical Survey of Scotland," vol. xix. , 423. Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
parish
of
Bendothy.
chapel,
stantem — et alii socii adducat, quoipse vecti,
Virgil
alnus cavata," meaning a boat. See
fluvium transirent. "
Lib. ii. , cap. lxxiv. , p.
From the resemblance of the word caupal-
htm to the Irish caput, "ahorse," Colgan was led to suppose, that this animal was de- noted by it. See ibid. , Quarta Vita S. Co- lumbse, lib. ii. , cap. xxvii. , n. 26, p. 383. The transcriber, who wrote Codex D, seems to have entertained the same idea. He reads caballum for canpallum.
I04 In O'Donnell's Life of St. Columba,
we have his name written " Macua Lugneus
Cumine," lib. ii. , cap. lxxiv. , p. 423. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
448 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
turbed above by the man swimming, that monster suddenly rose to the sur- face, and giving an awful roar, it darted after Lugneus, with its mouth wide open, as he swam in the middle of the stream. Observing this, while all the rest, brethren as well as strangers, were stupefied with terror, the saint raised hisholyhand,andthenformedthesavingsignofthecrossintheair. 10* Having invoked the name of God, Columba commanded the ferocious monster, saying : " Go no further, nor dare to touch the man ; go back instantly. " At the voice of the saint, that monster was terrified, and fled back, more quickly than if it had been pulled with ropes, though it had just got so near to Lugneus, there was not more than the of a
100 between them.
that the monster had gone back, and that their comrade Lugneus returned to them in the boat 10? safe and sound, the brethren were struck with admira- tion and glorified God in his holy servant. And even the barbarous pagans, forced by this splendid miracle which they themselves had witnessed, magni- fied the God of the Christians. '08 The saint, being in Pictland, heard from general report regarding a pagan fountain, which the foolish people, blinded by the enemy of mankind, held in great veneration. 100 Whosoever tasted the water or even washed their hands or feet in it, by a sort of diabolical enchant-
length
spear-staff
Seeing
ment—God so permitting it—became blind, leprous, or weak with some in-
firmity. Intimidatedbysuchresults,thepaganspaidasortofdeprecatorywor- ship to that fountain. St. Columkille came towards it one day. The magicians, whom he hal often confounded and overcome in argument, were very much rejoiced, hoping that he should receive some mischance, owing to his proximity withthisnoxiouswater. InvokingthenameofChrist,however,ourholyAbbot therein washed his hands and feet, and then, after blessing the water, he drank
110
that which is more admirable must be recorded.
