It is related, 35 that Mailcu, son of the king, came with his Drui to contend against Columcille and to sustain paganism 3<5 the saint's while the
; but, they perished through words,
name of God and of Columcille was magnified owing to that miracle.
; but, they perished through words,
name of God and of Columcille was magnified owing to that miracle.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
[June 9.
cherished throughout Alban, at the time of St. Columba's arrival. Among the North Britons or Caledonians, they were still regarded as Doctors or Wise Men. 8 That the Picts were fierce and formidable foes of the Romans, we know from the statements of the classical writers, in the first century of theChristianera; norhadcivilizationmuchadvancedintheirnation,about the middle of the sixth century.
Taking with him some assistants, Columba undertook his dangerous b—ut wished-for task to convert the Northern Picts. Bruide Mac Maelchon 9 otherwise known as Brudeus IO or Bridius "—began to reign over both divi- sions of the Picts " and their territory, in the year 554. I3 It is difficult to fix with accuracy the exact date for this visit of St. Columba. According to some,
x
it has been assigned to a. d. 563, * which was that of his first landing in Scot-
land ; while others suppose, that it must have been at a later period, and
after the holy missionary had well established his foundation at Iona. One
account *s places this event in the eighth year of King Brude's reign, but the
Venerable Bede's be 16 to show that it was rather in the authority may quoted,
ninth of his accession to the sovereignty. This king had waged a fierce war against the Dalaradians settled in Scotland, until their King Gabhran was
defeated and slain, in the xi year 557,
or56o,
lS to other accounts. according
The southern Picts had already partially embraced Christianity, owing to the 1
preaching and missionary labours of St. Ninian. ? But now, with a fearless and apostolic spirit, Columba determined to visit northern Pictland and to
seek the stronghold of paganism. There, too, he expected to confront and to prevail over its ministers. To effect his object, a weary and a perilous journey lay before him. Its direction from the west towards the north-east of Scotland is very nearly defined, most probably, by the lines of the modern Caledonian canal, the usual route of tourists in quest of the most rugged and sublime highland scenery. We cannot describe the exact course of his apos- tolic wanderings; neither can we explain in detail those difficulties, with
in earlier compositions. Even in Christian Adamnan in his " Life of St. Columba,"
times, this term is found strangely applied. In an ancient hymn ascribed to St—. Columba
:
we find the following sentiment cap.
1p e mo •onai Crofc mac TJe.
" Christ the Son of God is my Druid. "
—See " Miscellany of the Irish Archasologi- cal Society," vol. i. , p. 6.
i However, the Magi superstitions and their vestiges of sorcery and divination con- tinued among the Irish, after the establish- ment of Christianity, and probably down to the eighth century, as Colgan states, in "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," Januarii xx. VitaS.
of St. Columba," n. (a), pp. 150,151. '3ThatoftheIrishversionofNennius.
l6 He states " nono anno —
Molaggaa
seuMolaci,n.
15.
p. 149. 8"
In the Irish Manuscript of St. Paul's
Epistle, at Wurtzburgh, the gloss on Jannes and Jambres at 2 Tim. iii. , 8, is, tja -crunch
See i. ,
p. 278.
9 Thus is his name written in the teAbhap
b^eAchtiAch Annfo py, edited by Rev. Dr. James Henthorn Todd and Hon. Algernon
Herbert, pp. 162, 163.
10 This is the name given to him by
" duo druidae AegepcAcoi, . /Egyptiaci. "
Zeuss, " Grammatica Celtica," tomus
nienses, p. 21.
I8 "
lib. i. , cap. 37, and by Prince O'Donnell. ""
See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga, Quinta
Vita S. Columba;, lib. ii. , lxxvi. ,
p. 423. By Venerable Bede he is styled Bridius, son of Meilochon. See " Historia Ecclesi- astica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 4,
p. 169.
" See E. William Robertson's " Scot-
land under her early Kings," vol. i. , chap, i. , p. 7.
li Others state he began to reign about A. D. 556. See Father Thomas Innes' " Civil and Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," bookii. , p. 132.
*4 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life
11
regni ejus. " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum,"
lib. iii. , cap. 4, p. 169.
1 See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernica-
rum tomus iv. Annates Ulto- Scriptores,"
See William F. Skene's Celtic Scot-
land : a History of Ancient Alban," vol. ii. ,
book ii. , chap, iii. , p. 122.
,9 See Rev. Thomas Innes' "Civil and
Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," book ii. , sect, xlii. , p. 192.
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 385
whichhehadtocontend,orthemeansbywhichtheywereovercome. How- ever, about two years after his arrival in Scotland, Columba appears to have
20
crossed the great mountain barrier of Drumalban, a. d. 565,
this important mission. It seems most probable, that St. Colamba and his missionary attendants embarked in a boat, which first entered that romantic stretch of water, now known as Loch Linne, which opens from the Frith of Lorn with the Sound of Mull, and which extends about twenty-two miles north- north-eastward, with an average width of about five miles. At its entrance is the long and large Islandof Lismore, while Shunna and several lesser Islands stud its surface. At the north-east end, it forks into Loch Eil 21 and Loch Leven. However, the missionaries must have travelled by Loch Eil onwards to the River Lochy, which enters it from the head of Loch Lochy. The whole surface ofthecountryonlandwasthencoveredwithdenseforests. 22 Thesaintandhis
View of Loch Ness. Castle Urquhart in the Foreground.
companions were the first Christian missionaries, who probably ever
appeared, in that wild country, which abounded, notwithstanding, in the most
romantic and attractive scenery.
The naturally intrepid and restless character of Columba s disposition,
and his elevated hopes to accomplish great good for the Church, sustained
The saint must have
him in the steady prosecution of this holy enterprise.
trusted, for his safety and support on the way, to the spontaneous charity of a fierce and a savage people, who were deeply prejudiced against his profession and teaching. To reach his destination, he and his companions must journey still further than Loch Lochy, in the very h eart of the Highlands. Thence their
20 See William F. Skene's " Celtic Scot-
land : a History of Ancient Alban," vol. ii. ,
book ii. , chap, hi. , p. 105.
21 This is the first of the great chain of
lakes and passes, known collectively as the Great Glen, through which the traveller has to make his way to Inverness. See Murray's
Vol. VI. —No. 7.
" Handbook for Travellers in Scotland,"
Route 36, p. 211.
22 For the extent and names of these
forests, at a much later period, see Patrick Fraser Tytier's learned " History of Scot- land," vol. ii. , chap, iii. , sect. I, pp. 166 to 169.
IB
to prosecute
386 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9,
course was by Loch Ness, which is about twenty-four miles in length, having an average width of one mile to one mile and a quarter in breadth ; and in most parts, along the middle course, having a depth of from 630 to 960 feet, while near its banks, it has in some places a depth of 270 feet. It is closely flankedbyprecipitoushillsandloftymountains; whiletheirsidesarescored
2 bydeepravines,andromanticwaterfalls,^ presentingfromthecentreofthe
2 * When Columba and his companions descended its course in their boat, Loch Ness was desolate looking and almost in a state of nature ; and they must have greatly admired the vary- ing and beautiful features of those scenes, although not unfamiliar with such landscape attractions in their native land of Tyrconnell. The royal fortress was situated in the far and near the shores of the River 2 * where
Loch successive views of
extraordinary sublimity.
North, Ness,
it to flow into the sea 6 to some accounts, near the begins f but,according
north-east end of Loch Ness. Others deem it to have been differently placed. That fortification was, very probably, about two miles to the south-west of Inverness. It is said to have been pitched on the summit of a lofty eminence, now called Craigh Phadrick. 2 ? There, the ruins of an ancient vitrified Fort 28 are still to be seen ; and, it is supposed to have been once the royal resi-
dence. There is an oval 2? at the level circumvallation,
on the
and this was formerly enclosed by ramparts, which are now overgrown with grass and vegetable matter. 3° The summit is 435 feet ab—ove the sea-level,
commands a most —beautiful and extensive
on the top permits over a large tract ofRosshire to the north, Inver-
and it
1
tion 3
ness on the east, Beauly on the west, and Loch Ness on the south. A more
probable site, however,
has been
2 — as
about a mile south-
pointed out,3 being
—Inverness on a
ditches called Torvean. The Caledonian canal has been carried along its base, and the summit formed apparently an ancient hill fort. 33 Notwith- standing, tradition places the oldest castle near Inverness on an eminence
west of
23 Oneoftheseiscelebratedinsomelines, written with a pencil by the Scottish poet
and
passesthetownofInverness,whichderives its name from its situation at the mouth of the river, and it falls into the
Frith of
2? An interesting description of this hill is given, with a sketch and section, in an "Ac- count of some remarkable ancient Ruins in the Highlands," by John Williams, at p. 31. Edinburgh, 1777.
torians and antiquaries, as being peculiar to the old Picts ; andthey are so called, because their parts have been solidified by the action of fire, the stones within them presenting such an appearance.
^ It is about 240 yards in circumference, while it is now very much reduced in height
and regularity.
Robert Burns, while — standing by
the Fall of
afterwards, Moray.
Fyers, near Loch Ness
:
"
Among the heathy hills and ragged woods
The roaring Fyers pours his mossy floods;
Till full he dashes on the rocky mounds,
Where, through a shapeless breach, his stream resounds. "
24 The ancient remains of castles along its banks lend additional historic interest to this magnificent stretch of water. One of these, and remarkable for it—s traditional associa-
—called from the tions, Castle Urquhart so
it is nowaroman- familytowhom belonged
3°
old Fort, in the memoir on Inverness
gravelly ridge
encircled with
partially ramparts
tically situated ruin, towering on its nearly
insulated rocky base over the waters of Loch
Ness. Its illustration in the text was drawn
on the wood, and looking northwards, by mentation for the hill-fort of the Pictish William F. Wakeman ; it was engraved by
Mrs. Millard.
35 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"
Life
Kings, and as the sides of this eminence are densely planted, its ascent is rendered difficult,
32 See William F. Skene's "Celtic Scot- land : a History of Ancient Alban," vol. ii. book ii. , chap, iii. , n. 39, p. 106.
of St. Columba," lib. ii. ,
26 It leaves the Loch at Bona Ferry, and
cap. 35, n. (6), p. 151. running north-eastward for six miles, it
space
summit,
where a prospect planta-
* These are regarded by the Scottish his-
There is a brief account of this curious
"
Parish, Old Statistical Survey of Scotland,"
in the
vol. ix. , pp. 610 to 634.
3I This is an ill-judged species of orna-
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 387
eastwards called the Crown, on the other side of the river. 34 King Brude was there a powerful ruler, and dwelt in his chief fortress of the Pictish kingdom. Thither the holy band of missionaries directed their steps.
It is related, 35 that Mailcu, son of the king, came with his Drui to contend against Columcille and to sustain paganism 3<5 the saint's while the
; but, they perished through words,
name of God and of Columcille was magnified owing to that miracle. 3 ? The saint now came for the first time to King Brude's court. Being filled with pride 38 and arrogance, this monarch caused the gates of his palace to be shut against the visitor, and he gave orders, that they should not be opened. It is said, Columba was accompanied, on this occasion, by the holy Abbots, St. Comgall 39 and St. Canice,4° who were participators in this work. Our saint, however, advancing with his companions, made the sign of the cross on those gates ; and, then pushing the door with his hand, it immediately flew open.
The bolts even were suddenly driven back, and with great force. The saint
and his holy family then passed into the royal fortress. Brude, the king, and his council and chiefs, were struck with terror. Doubtless, recognising in this the effects of Divine power, they went forward to meet Columba. A great change—the work ofthe Most High—was wrought in their souls. It gave earnestoffuturevictoriestoColumba. Hewaswelcomed,inthemostkindand respectful manner, and ever after, he was treated with every mark of attention. Moreover, his mission was magnified and his character was exalted, in the estimation of all those, who inhabited the northern regions. It is probable, that the king's conversion took place, not long after that miracle. Brude's
1
baptism, by St. Columba, is even assigned to the eighth year of his reign,*
2
and this account is not devoid of probable confirmation. *
A certain named Druid,
43 held a Scottish woman as a 4* slave,
Broichan,
and St. Columba approached him to intercede for her liberation. That Magus
was a tutor of King Brude, and he seems to have lived in the royal castle.
But, he obstinately refused her emancipation. Then St. Columba said, in
the " Know therefore, Broichan, that if refuse to liber- king's presence : you
ate this captive at my request, you shall soon die, and that before I leave this province. " Columba then left the royal castle, and proceeding towards the
33 Here, a massive silver chain was found, ming's "Collectanea Sacra," Vita S. Com- in the year 1808. See "New Statistical galli, cap. 44, p. 311. This holy Abbot is
Account of Scotland," vol. xiv. , p. 14.
34 The only time Adamnan notices St. Columba going by land, instead of sailing down Loch Ness, is when he went on the north side of the lake, and then he appears See Vita S.
said to have founded the Abbey of Bangor at, or a little after, the middle of the sixth
century.
4° His festival is assigned to the nth of
October. A similar story is told regarding him. See ibid.
4I The Pictish Chronicle states: "In
octavo anno — est Sancto regni ejus baptisatus
of the
a Columba. " "Chronicles Picts,
Chronicles of the Scots, and other early Memorials of Scottish History," edited by William F. Skene, p. 7.
*3 Itis stated, in the Vita S. Comgalli, cap.
— after his foundation 44, that the seventh year
to have crossed the river.
Columbae,
lib. ii. ,
cap. 58,
and lib.
iii. ,
cap. 15.
35 In an Irish Life of St. Columba, which
belongs to the Advocate's Library, Edin-
burgh.
36 This incident is contained, only in the
Manuscript quoted.
3? land
:
F.
of Ancient Alban," vol.
book ibid.
chap,
iii. ,
pp.
107, 108, and n.
44,
See William
Skene's "Celtic Scot- ii. ,
a ii. ,
of
—he visited Britain. visit to a. d. 565.
a. d. assigned to 559
This should bring his
History
Bangor monastery
38 Adamnan says of him, that he was " fastu elatus regio. "
3J His feast occurs, at the loth of May. There his Life is given in the Fifih Volume of this work, Art. i. There is an account of St. Comgall signing the doors of King Bridseus with a sign of the Holy Cross, and of their falling broken to the earth, in Flem-
« This is a British name, and it is found in the Life of St. Nennoca applied to a king, belonging to the race of Gurthiem. See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii iv. , pp. 408, 409.
44 — that she had been made It would seem,
in some war with the Gaelic colonists of the south.
a captive
probably
388 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [J une 9.
"
he to his " for it, God will effect the cure of sick
River Ness, he took therefrom a white stone.
Bless this white stone," said
companions, through persons among those Gentile people. "
wards " Now Broichan is added,
many Saying these words, he soon after-
smitten, since the of the Angel
grievously
Lord sent from Heaven hath broken into many pieces that glass he was about to drink from, while himself is left panting, as if giving forth his last sighs before death. In this place, let us wait a little while, and expect two messengers from the king, and shortly to be sent, that we may hasten to assist Broichan dying, for now placed in great danger he is prepared to liber- ate the bond-woman. " When Columba had finished speaking, two knights had been sent by the king, and these informed the saint and his companions, how the words he spoke had been miraculously fulfilled. They added : " The king and his familiars have sent us to you, that you come and assist his tutor Broichan, who is now dying. " Whereupon, the saint, hearing these words of the messengers, sent two of his companions to the king, with that
"
If in the first place, Broichan will liberate his slave, then let this stone be dipped in water of which he shall drink, and then be restored to health ; but, if he refuse her liberty, he shall immediately die. " Then, the two messengers, obeying the orders of our saint, went to the royal court, and repeated his words to the king. This message being communicated to him and to Broichan, both were in great fear. How- ever, the slave was set at liberty. Immediately, the stone was placed in water,
butitcouldnotbesubmerged. Thatstone,contrarytotheordinarylawof nature,floatedlikeanappleoranut,whenplacedinthewater. Ofthelatter, Broichan drank, and he was rescued from death, while his former health re- turned. That white stone was kept, afterwards, among the king's treasures ; and, in like manner, when placed in the water, from which sick persons drank, their illness was miraculously removed. Another very wonderful circumstance relating to the stone was, that when the Almighty had decreed the death of persons in extremity, the stone could not be found among the king's trea- sures. Nay more, when King Brude's own death occurred, and while he was in agony, the miraculous stone could not be found in that treasury, to which it had been consigned. 45 The chief among the Magi seems to have been Broichan,46 and those who were his companions exerted themselves to pre- vent the missionaries from preaching to the people. One evening, while the saint and a few of his brethren were celebrating Vespers near the royal resi- dence or castle, some of those Magi coming near them did all they could to hinder them being heard by the inhabitants. But, all their efforts were fruit- less. On seeing this, the saint began the forty-fourth psalm,4? according to the order in the Septuagint and Latin versions of the Holy Scriptures. 48 St. Columba raised his voice, and the sound became loud like thunder, so that the king and people listened to him in silent amazement. 4? After the fore-
" :
white stone, which he had blessed. He said,
going events, Broichan one day accosted the holy man saying
45 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Colunibse, lib. ii. , cap. xxxiii. , xxxiv. , xxxv. , pp. 357, 358. Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. ii. , cap. lxxvi. , lxxvii. , lxxviii. , pp. 423, 424.
Hebrew and the authorized English Protes- Psalms, vol. i. , p. 158.
Tell me
46 We are informed, that there is a Castle
Broichin, in the Island of Raasay, near
Skye. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's similarity of thought and expression in both "Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 33, n.
(a). It is not pretended, however, that it
had connexion with the present Broichan.
alphabet. See this last argument ably stated, v This is the 45th, according to the in Henstenberg's Commentaries on the
tantversionoftheBible. ThattheCatholic Church division is correct can hardly be doubted; for,itissupportedbytheautho- rity of the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate. It is also shown by the —omission of the usual title to the loth psalm
in the authorized version—by the striking
parts,andfromthepeculiarstructureindicated by the successive letters of the Hebrew
if as separated
June 9. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
389
Columbawhatdayyouproposesailinghence? " "Thethirddayfromthis,"
" God and life
it. " " That
the
returned Broichan, " for I shall be able to raise a contrary wind, and to bring a thick darkness over your course. " However, Columba said : "The Omni- potence of God doth rule all things, and in his name and through his guidance areallmovements. " Accordingtohiswordandproposal,onthatthirdday, Columba with a great crowd following came to the long Loch of the River Ness. TheMagibegantorejoice,whentheysawagreatdarknesscoming, and a storm raging in a point directly opposed to his course. However, Columba went on board his vessel and raised his heart to the Almighty in prayer. The sailors still hesitated, while he ordered the sails to be set against the tempest. Waving an adieu to the multitude of spectators on shore, when returning from the country of the Picts, where he had been for some time, he thus confounded the Druids, by hoisting his sail, when the wind was against him, and by making as rapid a voyage, as if the gale had been favourable. Soon, indeed, the winds changed, and they fell off to light breezes, which bore him pleasantly along his course, while the ship, in which he then happened to be, came safely to anchor, after the storm had ceased.
replied
saint,
permitting
you
cannot
do,"
ThePictshebroughtovertothefaithbywordandexample. 50 Itisvery
probable, that he did not then remain, until the conversion of their whole
nation was completed. It will be easily admitted, however, that a church existed, from an early time of Columba's mission, at the king's residence. It cannot be doubted, that the holy man's exertions were attended with great success, and that he erected some churches and religious houses in that country, even during the time of his first preaching there. We find, indeed, that he visited those parts more than once. It appears, also, that there were Magi and Pagans still remaining, in the times of some of his later excursions through the Pictish territories. We may be assured, that he left spiritual in- structors to provide for the religious wants of the new converts there, and to propagate the Christian faith, during the times of his occasional absence. 51 Who they were is very imperfectly recorded ; so that, although two or three of them may be guessed at, an exact account is not to be expected of their names and acts. In the same obscurity is involved the history of the churches and ecclesiastical institutions first established, in these newly-converted pro- vinces. Itmusthavebeenonthisoccasion,andsoonaftertheconversionof King Brude, that St. Columba visited the north-eastern region of Scotland, he and his followers making their first appearance at Aberdour, or the Mouth of the Dour, a small stream or burn. There is a picturesque bay, at the place, about midway between Fraserburgh and Banff, in from the rocky coast of the Moray Firth. On a platform overlooking an expansion of the ravine there, and locally called " the den," about a hundred yards from the mouth of that stream,standtheruinsoftheoldParishChurchofAberdour. Thechurch had been there from time immemorial ; probably, ever since there were Chris- tian churches in that part of the country. 52 According to the Celtic legend
contained in the Book of " Columcille and Deer,
son of
his pupil, came from Hi, as God had shown to them, unto Abbordoboir, and Bede the Pict was mormaer of Buchan before them, and it was he that gave themthattowninfreedomforeverfrommormaerandtoisech. "" Fromthis
** St. Adamnan follows the order of the Latin Church, for he quotes the words of the 33rd psalm by that name, in his Third Book, cap. 23.
« See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 37, pp. 73, 74.
Drostan,
s° See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. iv. , pp. i68, 169.
SI See Father Thomas Innes' "Civil and
Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," book ii. , sect, xliii. , p. 193.
Cosgrack,
3QO LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
they proceeded inland, and established the important missionary centre of Deer, on the banks of the Ugie. But, it is extremely probable, that they remained some time at Aberdour, 5 * taking advantage of the friendly disposi- tion of the mormaer, and establishing a monastery or missionary centre among the numerous population, which there is reason to believe then clustered round the bay. 55
It is said, that St. Columba penetrated even into the Orkney Islands, and that he formed cells in them. For this statement, however, there is no evidence to be found in his ancient Acts.
cherished throughout Alban, at the time of St. Columba's arrival. Among the North Britons or Caledonians, they were still regarded as Doctors or Wise Men. 8 That the Picts were fierce and formidable foes of the Romans, we know from the statements of the classical writers, in the first century of theChristianera; norhadcivilizationmuchadvancedintheirnation,about the middle of the sixth century.
Taking with him some assistants, Columba undertook his dangerous b—ut wished-for task to convert the Northern Picts. Bruide Mac Maelchon 9 otherwise known as Brudeus IO or Bridius "—began to reign over both divi- sions of the Picts " and their territory, in the year 554. I3 It is difficult to fix with accuracy the exact date for this visit of St. Columba. According to some,
x
it has been assigned to a. d. 563, * which was that of his first landing in Scot-
land ; while others suppose, that it must have been at a later period, and
after the holy missionary had well established his foundation at Iona. One
account *s places this event in the eighth year of King Brude's reign, but the
Venerable Bede's be 16 to show that it was rather in the authority may quoted,
ninth of his accession to the sovereignty. This king had waged a fierce war against the Dalaradians settled in Scotland, until their King Gabhran was
defeated and slain, in the xi year 557,
or56o,
lS to other accounts. according
The southern Picts had already partially embraced Christianity, owing to the 1
preaching and missionary labours of St. Ninian. ? But now, with a fearless and apostolic spirit, Columba determined to visit northern Pictland and to
seek the stronghold of paganism. There, too, he expected to confront and to prevail over its ministers. To effect his object, a weary and a perilous journey lay before him. Its direction from the west towards the north-east of Scotland is very nearly defined, most probably, by the lines of the modern Caledonian canal, the usual route of tourists in quest of the most rugged and sublime highland scenery. We cannot describe the exact course of his apos- tolic wanderings; neither can we explain in detail those difficulties, with
in earlier compositions. Even in Christian Adamnan in his " Life of St. Columba,"
times, this term is found strangely applied. In an ancient hymn ascribed to St—. Columba
:
we find the following sentiment cap.
1p e mo •onai Crofc mac TJe.
" Christ the Son of God is my Druid. "
—See " Miscellany of the Irish Archasologi- cal Society," vol. i. , p. 6.
i However, the Magi superstitions and their vestiges of sorcery and divination con- tinued among the Irish, after the establish- ment of Christianity, and probably down to the eighth century, as Colgan states, in "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," Januarii xx. VitaS.
of St. Columba," n. (a), pp. 150,151. '3ThatoftheIrishversionofNennius.
l6 He states " nono anno —
Molaggaa
seuMolaci,n.
15.
p. 149. 8"
In the Irish Manuscript of St. Paul's
Epistle, at Wurtzburgh, the gloss on Jannes and Jambres at 2 Tim. iii. , 8, is, tja -crunch
See i. ,
p. 278.
9 Thus is his name written in the teAbhap
b^eAchtiAch Annfo py, edited by Rev. Dr. James Henthorn Todd and Hon. Algernon
Herbert, pp. 162, 163.
10 This is the name given to him by
" duo druidae AegepcAcoi, . /Egyptiaci. "
Zeuss, " Grammatica Celtica," tomus
nienses, p. 21.
I8 "
lib. i. , cap. 37, and by Prince O'Donnell. ""
See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga, Quinta
Vita S. Columba;, lib. ii. , lxxvi. ,
p. 423. By Venerable Bede he is styled Bridius, son of Meilochon. See " Historia Ecclesi- astica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 4,
p. 169.
" See E. William Robertson's " Scot-
land under her early Kings," vol. i. , chap, i. , p. 7.
li Others state he began to reign about A. D. 556. See Father Thomas Innes' " Civil and Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," bookii. , p. 132.
*4 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life
11
regni ejus. " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum,"
lib. iii. , cap. 4, p. 169.
1 See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernica-
rum tomus iv. Annates Ulto- Scriptores,"
See William F. Skene's Celtic Scot-
land : a History of Ancient Alban," vol. ii. ,
book ii. , chap, iii. , p. 122.
,9 See Rev. Thomas Innes' "Civil and
Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," book ii. , sect, xlii. , p. 192.
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 385
whichhehadtocontend,orthemeansbywhichtheywereovercome. How- ever, about two years after his arrival in Scotland, Columba appears to have
20
crossed the great mountain barrier of Drumalban, a. d. 565,
this important mission. It seems most probable, that St. Colamba and his missionary attendants embarked in a boat, which first entered that romantic stretch of water, now known as Loch Linne, which opens from the Frith of Lorn with the Sound of Mull, and which extends about twenty-two miles north- north-eastward, with an average width of about five miles. At its entrance is the long and large Islandof Lismore, while Shunna and several lesser Islands stud its surface. At the north-east end, it forks into Loch Eil 21 and Loch Leven. However, the missionaries must have travelled by Loch Eil onwards to the River Lochy, which enters it from the head of Loch Lochy. The whole surface ofthecountryonlandwasthencoveredwithdenseforests. 22 Thesaintandhis
View of Loch Ness. Castle Urquhart in the Foreground.
companions were the first Christian missionaries, who probably ever
appeared, in that wild country, which abounded, notwithstanding, in the most
romantic and attractive scenery.
The naturally intrepid and restless character of Columba s disposition,
and his elevated hopes to accomplish great good for the Church, sustained
The saint must have
him in the steady prosecution of this holy enterprise.
trusted, for his safety and support on the way, to the spontaneous charity of a fierce and a savage people, who were deeply prejudiced against his profession and teaching. To reach his destination, he and his companions must journey still further than Loch Lochy, in the very h eart of the Highlands. Thence their
20 See William F. Skene's " Celtic Scot-
land : a History of Ancient Alban," vol. ii. ,
book ii. , chap, hi. , p. 105.
21 This is the first of the great chain of
lakes and passes, known collectively as the Great Glen, through which the traveller has to make his way to Inverness. See Murray's
Vol. VI. —No. 7.
" Handbook for Travellers in Scotland,"
Route 36, p. 211.
22 For the extent and names of these
forests, at a much later period, see Patrick Fraser Tytier's learned " History of Scot- land," vol. ii. , chap, iii. , sect. I, pp. 166 to 169.
IB
to prosecute
386 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9,
course was by Loch Ness, which is about twenty-four miles in length, having an average width of one mile to one mile and a quarter in breadth ; and in most parts, along the middle course, having a depth of from 630 to 960 feet, while near its banks, it has in some places a depth of 270 feet. It is closely flankedbyprecipitoushillsandloftymountains; whiletheirsidesarescored
2 bydeepravines,andromanticwaterfalls,^ presentingfromthecentreofthe
2 * When Columba and his companions descended its course in their boat, Loch Ness was desolate looking and almost in a state of nature ; and they must have greatly admired the vary- ing and beautiful features of those scenes, although not unfamiliar with such landscape attractions in their native land of Tyrconnell. The royal fortress was situated in the far and near the shores of the River 2 * where
Loch successive views of
extraordinary sublimity.
North, Ness,
it to flow into the sea 6 to some accounts, near the begins f but,according
north-east end of Loch Ness. Others deem it to have been differently placed. That fortification was, very probably, about two miles to the south-west of Inverness. It is said to have been pitched on the summit of a lofty eminence, now called Craigh Phadrick. 2 ? There, the ruins of an ancient vitrified Fort 28 are still to be seen ; and, it is supposed to have been once the royal resi-
dence. There is an oval 2? at the level circumvallation,
on the
and this was formerly enclosed by ramparts, which are now overgrown with grass and vegetable matter. 3° The summit is 435 feet ab—ove the sea-level,
commands a most —beautiful and extensive
on the top permits over a large tract ofRosshire to the north, Inver-
and it
1
tion 3
ness on the east, Beauly on the west, and Loch Ness on the south. A more
probable site, however,
has been
2 — as
about a mile south-
pointed out,3 being
—Inverness on a
ditches called Torvean. The Caledonian canal has been carried along its base, and the summit formed apparently an ancient hill fort. 33 Notwith- standing, tradition places the oldest castle near Inverness on an eminence
west of
23 Oneoftheseiscelebratedinsomelines, written with a pencil by the Scottish poet
and
passesthetownofInverness,whichderives its name from its situation at the mouth of the river, and it falls into the
Frith of
2? An interesting description of this hill is given, with a sketch and section, in an "Ac- count of some remarkable ancient Ruins in the Highlands," by John Williams, at p. 31. Edinburgh, 1777.
torians and antiquaries, as being peculiar to the old Picts ; andthey are so called, because their parts have been solidified by the action of fire, the stones within them presenting such an appearance.
^ It is about 240 yards in circumference, while it is now very much reduced in height
and regularity.
Robert Burns, while — standing by
the Fall of
afterwards, Moray.
Fyers, near Loch Ness
:
"
Among the heathy hills and ragged woods
The roaring Fyers pours his mossy floods;
Till full he dashes on the rocky mounds,
Where, through a shapeless breach, his stream resounds. "
24 The ancient remains of castles along its banks lend additional historic interest to this magnificent stretch of water. One of these, and remarkable for it—s traditional associa-
—called from the tions, Castle Urquhart so
it is nowaroman- familytowhom belonged
3°
old Fort, in the memoir on Inverness
gravelly ridge
encircled with
partially ramparts
tically situated ruin, towering on its nearly
insulated rocky base over the waters of Loch
Ness. Its illustration in the text was drawn
on the wood, and looking northwards, by mentation for the hill-fort of the Pictish William F. Wakeman ; it was engraved by
Mrs. Millard.
35 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"
Life
Kings, and as the sides of this eminence are densely planted, its ascent is rendered difficult,
32 See William F. Skene's "Celtic Scot- land : a History of Ancient Alban," vol. ii. book ii. , chap, iii. , n. 39, p. 106.
of St. Columba," lib. ii. ,
26 It leaves the Loch at Bona Ferry, and
cap. 35, n. (6), p. 151. running north-eastward for six miles, it
space
summit,
where a prospect planta-
* These are regarded by the Scottish his-
There is a brief account of this curious
"
Parish, Old Statistical Survey of Scotland,"
in the
vol. ix. , pp. 610 to 634.
3I This is an ill-judged species of orna-
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 387
eastwards called the Crown, on the other side of the river. 34 King Brude was there a powerful ruler, and dwelt in his chief fortress of the Pictish kingdom. Thither the holy band of missionaries directed their steps.
It is related, 35 that Mailcu, son of the king, came with his Drui to contend against Columcille and to sustain paganism 3<5 the saint's while the
; but, they perished through words,
name of God and of Columcille was magnified owing to that miracle. 3 ? The saint now came for the first time to King Brude's court. Being filled with pride 38 and arrogance, this monarch caused the gates of his palace to be shut against the visitor, and he gave orders, that they should not be opened. It is said, Columba was accompanied, on this occasion, by the holy Abbots, St. Comgall 39 and St. Canice,4° who were participators in this work. Our saint, however, advancing with his companions, made the sign of the cross on those gates ; and, then pushing the door with his hand, it immediately flew open.
The bolts even were suddenly driven back, and with great force. The saint
and his holy family then passed into the royal fortress. Brude, the king, and his council and chiefs, were struck with terror. Doubtless, recognising in this the effects of Divine power, they went forward to meet Columba. A great change—the work ofthe Most High—was wrought in their souls. It gave earnestoffuturevictoriestoColumba. Hewaswelcomed,inthemostkindand respectful manner, and ever after, he was treated with every mark of attention. Moreover, his mission was magnified and his character was exalted, in the estimation of all those, who inhabited the northern regions. It is probable, that the king's conversion took place, not long after that miracle. Brude's
1
baptism, by St. Columba, is even assigned to the eighth year of his reign,*
2
and this account is not devoid of probable confirmation. *
A certain named Druid,
43 held a Scottish woman as a 4* slave,
Broichan,
and St. Columba approached him to intercede for her liberation. That Magus
was a tutor of King Brude, and he seems to have lived in the royal castle.
But, he obstinately refused her emancipation. Then St. Columba said, in
the " Know therefore, Broichan, that if refuse to liber- king's presence : you
ate this captive at my request, you shall soon die, and that before I leave this province. " Columba then left the royal castle, and proceeding towards the
33 Here, a massive silver chain was found, ming's "Collectanea Sacra," Vita S. Com- in the year 1808. See "New Statistical galli, cap. 44, p. 311. This holy Abbot is
Account of Scotland," vol. xiv. , p. 14.
34 The only time Adamnan notices St. Columba going by land, instead of sailing down Loch Ness, is when he went on the north side of the lake, and then he appears See Vita S.
said to have founded the Abbey of Bangor at, or a little after, the middle of the sixth
century.
4° His festival is assigned to the nth of
October. A similar story is told regarding him. See ibid.
4I The Pictish Chronicle states: "In
octavo anno — est Sancto regni ejus baptisatus
of the
a Columba. " "Chronicles Picts,
Chronicles of the Scots, and other early Memorials of Scottish History," edited by William F. Skene, p. 7.
*3 Itis stated, in the Vita S. Comgalli, cap.
— after his foundation 44, that the seventh year
to have crossed the river.
Columbae,
lib. ii. ,
cap. 58,
and lib.
iii. ,
cap. 15.
35 In an Irish Life of St. Columba, which
belongs to the Advocate's Library, Edin-
burgh.
36 This incident is contained, only in the
Manuscript quoted.
3? land
:
F.
of Ancient Alban," vol.
book ibid.
chap,
iii. ,
pp.
107, 108, and n.
44,
See William
Skene's "Celtic Scot- ii. ,
a ii. ,
of
—he visited Britain. visit to a. d. 565.
a. d. assigned to 559
This should bring his
History
Bangor monastery
38 Adamnan says of him, that he was " fastu elatus regio. "
3J His feast occurs, at the loth of May. There his Life is given in the Fifih Volume of this work, Art. i. There is an account of St. Comgall signing the doors of King Bridseus with a sign of the Holy Cross, and of their falling broken to the earth, in Flem-
« This is a British name, and it is found in the Life of St. Nennoca applied to a king, belonging to the race of Gurthiem. See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii iv. , pp. 408, 409.
44 — that she had been made It would seem,
in some war with the Gaelic colonists of the south.
a captive
probably
388 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [J une 9.
"
he to his " for it, God will effect the cure of sick
River Ness, he took therefrom a white stone.
Bless this white stone," said
companions, through persons among those Gentile people. "
wards " Now Broichan is added,
many Saying these words, he soon after-
smitten, since the of the Angel
grievously
Lord sent from Heaven hath broken into many pieces that glass he was about to drink from, while himself is left panting, as if giving forth his last sighs before death. In this place, let us wait a little while, and expect two messengers from the king, and shortly to be sent, that we may hasten to assist Broichan dying, for now placed in great danger he is prepared to liber- ate the bond-woman. " When Columba had finished speaking, two knights had been sent by the king, and these informed the saint and his companions, how the words he spoke had been miraculously fulfilled. They added : " The king and his familiars have sent us to you, that you come and assist his tutor Broichan, who is now dying. " Whereupon, the saint, hearing these words of the messengers, sent two of his companions to the king, with that
"
If in the first place, Broichan will liberate his slave, then let this stone be dipped in water of which he shall drink, and then be restored to health ; but, if he refuse her liberty, he shall immediately die. " Then, the two messengers, obeying the orders of our saint, went to the royal court, and repeated his words to the king. This message being communicated to him and to Broichan, both were in great fear. How- ever, the slave was set at liberty. Immediately, the stone was placed in water,
butitcouldnotbesubmerged. Thatstone,contrarytotheordinarylawof nature,floatedlikeanappleoranut,whenplacedinthewater. Ofthelatter, Broichan drank, and he was rescued from death, while his former health re- turned. That white stone was kept, afterwards, among the king's treasures ; and, in like manner, when placed in the water, from which sick persons drank, their illness was miraculously removed. Another very wonderful circumstance relating to the stone was, that when the Almighty had decreed the death of persons in extremity, the stone could not be found among the king's trea- sures. Nay more, when King Brude's own death occurred, and while he was in agony, the miraculous stone could not be found in that treasury, to which it had been consigned. 45 The chief among the Magi seems to have been Broichan,46 and those who were his companions exerted themselves to pre- vent the missionaries from preaching to the people. One evening, while the saint and a few of his brethren were celebrating Vespers near the royal resi- dence or castle, some of those Magi coming near them did all they could to hinder them being heard by the inhabitants. But, all their efforts were fruit- less. On seeing this, the saint began the forty-fourth psalm,4? according to the order in the Septuagint and Latin versions of the Holy Scriptures. 48 St. Columba raised his voice, and the sound became loud like thunder, so that the king and people listened to him in silent amazement. 4? After the fore-
" :
white stone, which he had blessed. He said,
going events, Broichan one day accosted the holy man saying
45 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Colunibse, lib. ii. , cap. xxxiii. , xxxiv. , xxxv. , pp. 357, 358. Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. ii. , cap. lxxvi. , lxxvii. , lxxviii. , pp. 423, 424.
Hebrew and the authorized English Protes- Psalms, vol. i. , p. 158.
Tell me
46 We are informed, that there is a Castle
Broichin, in the Island of Raasay, near
Skye. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's similarity of thought and expression in both "Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 33, n.
(a). It is not pretended, however, that it
had connexion with the present Broichan.
alphabet. See this last argument ably stated, v This is the 45th, according to the in Henstenberg's Commentaries on the
tantversionoftheBible. ThattheCatholic Church division is correct can hardly be doubted; for,itissupportedbytheautho- rity of the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate. It is also shown by the —omission of the usual title to the loth psalm
in the authorized version—by the striking
parts,andfromthepeculiarstructureindicated by the successive letters of the Hebrew
if as separated
June 9. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
389
Columbawhatdayyouproposesailinghence? " "Thethirddayfromthis,"
" God and life
it. " " That
the
returned Broichan, " for I shall be able to raise a contrary wind, and to bring a thick darkness over your course. " However, Columba said : "The Omni- potence of God doth rule all things, and in his name and through his guidance areallmovements. " Accordingtohiswordandproposal,onthatthirdday, Columba with a great crowd following came to the long Loch of the River Ness. TheMagibegantorejoice,whentheysawagreatdarknesscoming, and a storm raging in a point directly opposed to his course. However, Columba went on board his vessel and raised his heart to the Almighty in prayer. The sailors still hesitated, while he ordered the sails to be set against the tempest. Waving an adieu to the multitude of spectators on shore, when returning from the country of the Picts, where he had been for some time, he thus confounded the Druids, by hoisting his sail, when the wind was against him, and by making as rapid a voyage, as if the gale had been favourable. Soon, indeed, the winds changed, and they fell off to light breezes, which bore him pleasantly along his course, while the ship, in which he then happened to be, came safely to anchor, after the storm had ceased.
replied
saint,
permitting
you
cannot
do,"
ThePictshebroughtovertothefaithbywordandexample. 50 Itisvery
probable, that he did not then remain, until the conversion of their whole
nation was completed. It will be easily admitted, however, that a church existed, from an early time of Columba's mission, at the king's residence. It cannot be doubted, that the holy man's exertions were attended with great success, and that he erected some churches and religious houses in that country, even during the time of his first preaching there. We find, indeed, that he visited those parts more than once. It appears, also, that there were Magi and Pagans still remaining, in the times of some of his later excursions through the Pictish territories. We may be assured, that he left spiritual in- structors to provide for the religious wants of the new converts there, and to propagate the Christian faith, during the times of his occasional absence. 51 Who they were is very imperfectly recorded ; so that, although two or three of them may be guessed at, an exact account is not to be expected of their names and acts. In the same obscurity is involved the history of the churches and ecclesiastical institutions first established, in these newly-converted pro- vinces. Itmusthavebeenonthisoccasion,andsoonaftertheconversionof King Brude, that St. Columba visited the north-eastern region of Scotland, he and his followers making their first appearance at Aberdour, or the Mouth of the Dour, a small stream or burn. There is a picturesque bay, at the place, about midway between Fraserburgh and Banff, in from the rocky coast of the Moray Firth. On a platform overlooking an expansion of the ravine there, and locally called " the den," about a hundred yards from the mouth of that stream,standtheruinsoftheoldParishChurchofAberdour. Thechurch had been there from time immemorial ; probably, ever since there were Chris- tian churches in that part of the country. 52 According to the Celtic legend
contained in the Book of " Columcille and Deer,
son of
his pupil, came from Hi, as God had shown to them, unto Abbordoboir, and Bede the Pict was mormaer of Buchan before them, and it was he that gave themthattowninfreedomforeverfrommormaerandtoisech. "" Fromthis
** St. Adamnan follows the order of the Latin Church, for he quotes the words of the 33rd psalm by that name, in his Third Book, cap. 23.
« See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 37, pp. 73, 74.
Drostan,
s° See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. iv. , pp. i68, 169.
SI See Father Thomas Innes' "Civil and
Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," book ii. , sect, xliii. , p. 193.
Cosgrack,
3QO LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
they proceeded inland, and established the important missionary centre of Deer, on the banks of the Ugie. But, it is extremely probable, that they remained some time at Aberdour, 5 * taking advantage of the friendly disposi- tion of the mormaer, and establishing a monastery or missionary centre among the numerous population, which there is reason to believe then clustered round the bay. 55
It is said, that St. Columba penetrated even into the Orkney Islands, and that he formed cells in them. For this statement, however, there is no evidence to be found in his ancient Acts.
