NINIAN's
NAME—LIVES
OF ST.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
Allcecus,3 the brother of St.
Gildas the Wise.
*
Colgan makes him the brother to five other holy brothers, who were natives of Ireland. 5 It seems probable enough, that the present saint may be iden- tical with Elloc, one of the sons of Bracan, King of Britain, and of Dina,
daughter
King.
6 If he must have flourished in the fifth cen- so,
to a Saxon
tury. Oneofthesesons,CoemanorMochoemoch,issaidtohavecomeover from Britain, or Cambria, and to have founded a church at a place, afterwards known as Kilcavan, in the plain of Geishill, in the present King's County. It must be remarked, too, there is a place called Kilmalogue,? in the imme- diate vicinity, and it seems not improbable, that as a near neighbour to his brother, he may have there settled. After giving name to the place, Elloc or Oilleoc may have been adopted as the local patron.
ArticleVI. —St. Cronan. WefindthenameCronan,withoutfurther
inserted in the of x and of 2 at designation, Martyrologies Tallagh Donegal,
the 24th of July. No less than twenty-nine holy men bearing this name are enumerated in the Irish Calendars. While most of those are distin-
guished by the places with which they were connected, or by a patrony- mic, several are only mentioned simply by name. Among the latter
is the present holy man. There are two places, called Kilcronan, marked on the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps ; one of these is a townland
in the parish of Whitechurch, and barony of Cork;* while the other townland, so named,4 is in the parish of Dysartgallen, and barony of Cul- lenagh, in the Queen's County. The old cemetery of the latter Kilcronan
a See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xlviii. , p. 136.
3 See nn. 91, 92, p. 177.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
5 See what is written at the 31st of
January, the feast of St. Machumma or
Dochumma, Bishop of Inis Mahee.
200,201. Article v.
Kelly, p. xxx.
—
Edited by Rev. Dr.
inthe
Topographical Dictionary
2 Thereisa
called
Clonagheen,
Article vi. Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxx.
2
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 200, 201.
3 It is shown, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cork," sheet 63.
* It is described, on the "Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the Queen's
parish
barony of Maryborough West, and Queen's
County ; but, this denomination does not
approach phonetically to that of Cluana Etchen.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernia? ," Januarii xxix. , n. 6, p. 188.
4 See his Life, at the 29th of January, in the First Volume of this work, Art. i.
6" See Colgan's
nise," Febuarii xi.
to 314. " 7 See Lewis'
Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Vita S. Canoci, pp. 311
of Ireland," vol. —i. , p. 652. x
be identical
may
Yet, elsewhere,
362
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 24.
6onthe right bank of the Owenbeg River. No patron day or tradition remains at present, to connect this place with any particular St. Cronan j notwithstand- ing the many bearing such name as inscribed on the Irish Calendar. The river has now encroached on part of the former burial-ground, and has carried away a considerable portion, not alone of the earth, but even of human
anda ofitsruinedchurchs lienearthetownof
fragment Ballynakill,
u
^m&:::. '. . . ,',,.
Kilcronan, Queen's County.
remains. When the writer last visited the place, layers of human bones and also pieces of coffins were sticking out through the clay on the soft embank- ment, over the rapid course of the Owenbeg River. Its proximity to the town of Ballynakill caused the cemetery of Kilcronan to be greatly over- crowded ; while, by the people of all the surrounding neighbourhood, the place had been constantly held in great veneration, and it was a favourite place for interments.
of
Tallagh,
1 at this
date,
is entered the festival of Blaithmac mac Flainn. tions. Woodsareshownoneithersideofit,
Article VII. —St. Blathmac, Son of Flann. In the Martyrology
County,"sheet30.
s The accompanying illustration is from a
but with openings between, and these ex- tend to the River Greg, as it is called—now
sketch by the writer, taken in July, 1888. This was drawn by William F. Wakeman on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
—which Kilcroenen passes by
6 On the old Map of Leix, compiled about
the year 1563, and within the district of great distance, towards the south-west.
Galin, this town is marked. There, it is de-
nominated Balaochillie, and it is represented, in situ, by a tower, with crhuaux indenta-
Ballynakill is situated within the parish of
Dysartgallen, in t—he barony of Cullinagh.
the Owenbeg
—also noted—and thence wends its course on to the River Neuie. This it joins at no
Article vii.
'
Edited Rev. Dr. by
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 363
of 2 at the of the name of Martyrology Donegal, records, 24th July,
The
Blathmac, son of Flann. In the table postfixed to the latter Martyrology, his name is Latinized Florigenius or Florus. 3 From the date at which his death is entered, a. d. 823, in both of the aforesaid Calendars, it should seem, that this saint ought to be identified with that noble martyr of Iona, whose Acts and festival may be found, at the 19th of January. 4
Article VIII. —St. Corodnus or Crodhne. In the Martyrology of
1
Tallagh, Corodnus is recorded at this day. In a somewhat different form,
the name is elsewhere noticed. A festival in honour of Crodhne 2 is set
down in the of 2- at the of Martyrology Donegal, 24th July.
ArticleIX. —St. LateerinofCulltn,CountyofCork. Apatron
was held, near a holy well dedicated to St. Lateerin, at Cullin, in the County
of Cork, on the 24th of July. Several local legends were current, regarding
this who is said to have been the of three sisters. 1 One holy virgin, youngest
of these was Inneen, venerated on the 6th of May, at Drumtariff, while the eldest of all was commemorated at Kilmeen. The name of this local saint has been omitted by ourCalendarists,
ArticleX. —St. Fergusa. ThesimpleentryFergusaisfoundrecorded 1
in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 24th of July.
Article XI. —St. Fagna, Bishop. We find that Florarius and Henry
1
Article XII. —St. Satanal, Martyr. The Martyrology of Tallagh records a festival at this date, to honour Satanal martir. We can find no
corresponding entry, in any other Calendar.
Article XIII. —Reputed Feast for St. Erthad, Bishop. In his " Menologium Scotorum," Thomas Dempster assigns a festival for a Bishop
Fitzsimon, at the 24th of July, have entered the festival of St Fagna, Bishop.
1
xxx.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
200, 201.
3 See ibid. , pp. 366, 367.
4 In the First Volume of this work, Art. i. Article viii. — x Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx.
2 In a note by Dr. Todd he says at Crodhne:
"The second hand adds here 'Coroidhne,' another form of the name. It occurs in the form Corvoom, in the Mart. Taml. "
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
200, 201.
Article IX. — See Edward Walsh's
Erthad, at the 24th of July.
Kelly, p. 3
" Legends of the South," No. iii. Popular
St. Lateeran. "Dublin Penny Journal,"
vol. i. , No. 45, p. 360.
Article x. — l Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx. —
Article xi. * See O'Sullevan Beare's
"
Historise Catholicse Ibernise Compen-
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 54. 1
Article xii. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx.
Article xiii. —x Thus: "In Scotia
Erthadi episcopi qui regi piisimo Malcolmo I. , cliarus fait K. B. "—Bishop Forbes' " Ka- lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 206.
364 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 25.
Article XIV. —Reputed Feast of St. Rumold, Archbishop of Mech- lin. At the 24th of July, quoting Galesinus, Thomas Dempster has a festival for St. Rumold, Archbishop of Mechlin. Already we have treated about him, at the 1st day of this month 3—the date for his chief feast.
tttoentp-fiftft JBap of 3uip*
ARTICLE I. —ST. NINNIO, OR NINIAN, THE SENIOR, OR THE OLD, APOSTLE OF THE SOUTHERN PICTS.
[FOURTH AND FIFTH CENTURIES. } CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—DIFFERENT FORMS OF ST.
NINIAN's NAME—LIVES OF ST. NINIAN— CHRISTIANS AMONG THE SOUTHERN PICTS—FAMILY AND BIRTH OF ST. NINIAN —HIS EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION—HE VISITS ROME—HIS CONSECRATION AS BISHOP.
to a designation affixed to the name of the present Nennio, we
OWING
are at a loss to understand the exact of the term
application
or the Old, to any particular individual, among the many saints called Nennio
orNennius. Withoutanysafelighttoguideusinarrivingatanyothercon- clusion, it seems not unreasonable to believe, that the meaning here attached to senior has reference, not to the oldest of the number, but rather to the
proto-saint so designated, among them. There can hardly be any doubt, but that the present Nenio, Senior, had some connexion with Ireland, whether we regard him as being identical with the first Apostle of the Southern Picts, or with St. Nennio, his successor, at Whithern. In the first case, we must probably conclude, that the former saint had two festivals ; one at this date, andanotheratthe16thofSeptember. Aconjecturehasbeenoffered,how- ever, that if not the latter feast-day—at least the present—should be assigned to the early Apostle's successor there. This conclusion hardly accords well with Scottish tradition and history. Assuming it may be possible, neverthe- less, we shall proceed to deal with the materials which are still extant, for
notices of that celebrated missionary, who at a very early period brought a knowledge of the Christian religion among his pagan compatriots.
The name of Ninnio, Senior, or the Old, is set down, in the Martyrology
1 atthe of Heis 25th July.
tohavebeencalled
in order to distinguish him from a namesake, who succeeded in his place, and who obtained the designation of Nennio or Nennius, Junior. If so, it seems probable, that we must regard him as that reverend bishop and holy man of the British nation, whose Acts have been alluded to by Venerable Bede,» and who first brought the light of Christianity among the Southern Picts. Under different forms, the name of Ninio or Ninian may be found.
ofTallagh,
Article xiv. —*
thought
Senior,
"xxiv. Mach- Scotorum," it is thus entered —
:
liniae Rumoldi Archiepiscopi. Galesin. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"p. 206.
Article
1.
—Chapter
i.
—
l Edited by
In his "Menologium
3 See in the present Volume, Art. i.
Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxx. a"
See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An- gloruin," lib. iii. , cap. 4.
Senior,
July 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 365
He is called Nynia, by Venerable Bede 3 and by Alcuin ; again, he is named Nyniga,4 Ninia,s and Niniane. 6 It was Latinized Ninianus, after the time of
St. Ailred. It is known, that Monenn,7 Monein,8 or Maoineann,9 was another form of this name, and called Nenio, in Ireland ; the honorific prefix mo pre-
10
the Island of Bute, he is called Ningan.
ment of St. Ninian's name is to be found, under the forms of St. Trinyon and St. Triman.
There was an Irish Life of a St. Ninian, which connects him with Ire- land. 13 This however contains matter, which is irreconcilable with state- ments made in the Life of Ninian by St. Ailrid. A translation of that Life was made for the Bollandists, by Father Henry Fitz-simon ; but, these writers state, that it abounds in falsehoods, and they consider it to be very worthlessincharacter. x* AnearlybookontheLifeofNinniowaswrittenin theancientCelticorPictishlanguageofGalloway. Itisnotlikely,thatthis linguistic and biographical tract has been preserved. From such a source of information, his mediaeval biographer, Ailred,15 recast in a Latin form, and somewhat under the influence of mediaeval notions, another narrative, which has come down to our time. The Pictish Life appears to have been very closely followed in form and in matter. This early record formed the basis of a Life—probably a Latin translation only—and compiled towards the middle of the twelfth century, by that celebrated Abbot of the Monastery of Rievault, or Rievaux. 16 This biography has been lately translated into English, and learnedly edited *» from the best Manuscripts, by Right Rev. AlexanderPenroseForbes,D. C. L. ,ProtestantBishopofBrechin. Itisalso
18
to a common InvulgarScotch,thisholymanwasstyledSt. Ringanll orSt. Ringen. In
12
ceding
the
designation itself,
according
usage
of our
country.
illustrated with notes. This Life was first printed by John Pinkerton,
from
a beautiful
3 See ibid.
10 Manuscript, belonging
to the Bodleian at Oxford. Library,
Dublinii, 1639, 4to.
M See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Sep-
tembris xvi. De S. Niniano Episcopo, Pic- torum Austraniam Apostolo Candidac Casae in Scotia. Commentarius Historico-Criticus, sect, ii. , num. 18, p. 321.
'5 As may be seen, from his Prologue to
the Latin Life of St. Ninian, Ailred consi-
dered this to have been written in a barbar-
ous style. His Prologue seems to have been
addressed to Christianus, who was conse-
crated Bishop of Candida Casa, on the 19th
of December, 1 1 54, at Bermondsey, by the
the Archbishop of Rouen, acting for him of
York, according to the " Chronicon Sanctoe
Crucis," at that year.
* By Alcuin. See Sir Thomas Duffus
Hardy's "Descriptive Catalogue of Mate- rials relating to the History of Great Britain
and Ireland," vol. i. , part i. , p. 45.
5 See William of Malmesbury's "De Ges- tis Pontificum Anglorum," lib. iii. , sect. 118, p. 256. Edition of N. E. S. A. Hamilton.
London, 1870, 8vo.
6 See Bellenden's Boece, vol. i. , p. 255.
Edinburghedition, 1821.
' So found in the Martyrology of Tallagh
8
According
9 See the Martyrology of Donegal.
10 "The occurrence, during the Irish
occupation of- Whithern, of the names Nennio and Monennus, seems to suggest t—he notion of an ecclesiastical eponymus. " "Lives of S. Ninian and S. Kentigern. " Compiled in the twelfth century. Edited from the best MSS. , by Alexander Penrose Forbes, D. C. L. , Bishop of Brechin, Note B, p. 256.
11
Especially, in the Orkney Islands.
" In that Island, there is a harbour called
Port Ningan ; and, according to Scottish writers, it obtained name from him.
13 See Archbishop Ussher's Works, as edited by Dr. Elrington, vol. vi. " Britan- nicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. vm. p. 209, and cap. xiv. , p. 565. Editio
to the Drummond Missal.
In England, likewise, a debase-
,6
A. D. 1 in and Walter Espec, 131, Yorkshire,
he entered it in 11 33. He became its Abbot in
1143, and he died on the Ides of January,
A. D. 1166, in the fifty-seventh year of his age. » See " Lives of S. Ninian and S. Kenti-
gem. " Compiled in the twelfth century. Edinburgh, 1874, 8vo.
l8 In " Vitae Antiquae Sanctorum, qui habi- taverunt in ea parte Britannise nunc vocata Scotia vel in ejus Insulis," pp. I to 23.
I9 It was classed Laud. F. xv. cent. xii. ;
and, at present, Laud. Misc. 668, ff. 78^-89, sect. xii.
20 Classed Cott. Tib. D. iii. , fol. 186-192,
This was a Cistercian foundation of
366 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 25.
However, Bishop Forbes has amended Pinkerton's readings from that copy, and in more than one instance, he has supplied a sentence. In addition to
these emendations, he has collated it with a 2° Life of Manuscript
Ninian, found in the British Museum. In the Burgundian Library at Bruxelles, there is a volume of Lives of the Saints, in which the Life of St. Ninian is given in
an abridged form. This is in the Sanctilogium Manuscript, attributed to John of Tinmouth. " From this latter, John Capgrave seems to have drawn his Acts of this saint. 32 Before the time of 23 a metrical 2« was
Alcuin, composition extant, and it praised the great miracles ascribed to Bishop Nynias. In his extreme old age, the Scottish poet, John Barbour, composed a metrical Life of St. Ninian. as The Bollandists have published the Acts of St. Ninian. 26
They have used that Life compiled by Capgrave, and they have given comments upon it. They have mention of two other Manuscript Lives of this saint ; one of these belonged to the monastery of Rubese Vallis, and the other to
2
the Carthusian Convent, at Cologne. ? These latter have not been found,
although sought for by Bishop Forbes. Nearly all the modern ecclesiastical and civil historians of Scotland have some account of this early Christian
in their Various other missionary country.
such as Dean 28 Cressy,
writers, 2x
Bishop Challenor, 9 the Rev. Alban Butler, 3° and the Rev. Thomas Innes,3 commemorate this proto-Scottish saint. Among the "Lives of the English
compendious accounts of St. Ninian. — According to the earliest Scottisli traditions, the Picts
— ofScythianorigin36andtohaveatfirstsoughtasettlementinIreland were
the most ancient inhabitants, who occupied the northern parts of the Island of Britain, while the Britons coming over from Armorica took possession of the more southern parts. 37 When the Romans had invaded and subdued the
sjcc. xiii. It is supposed to have been a and those Manuscripts are now in the Library
transcript from the Bodleian exemplar, and ithasfewvariationsfromthatManuscript.
31 He places these Lives in the order of the Calendar, beginning with St. Edward the Confessor, at January 5th.
32 See " Nova Legenda Anglie," fol. ccxli. , ccxliii.
34 Alcuin adds : "quae nobis per fideles
nostros discipulos Ebora—censis Ecclesise
Scholasticosdirectasunt. " MS. Cott. Vesp.
A. xiv. , f. 160*. See Sir Thomas DufTus John Barrow, D. D. , late Principal of St.
Edmund Oxford, Hall,
3 3 Including Introduction, these chapters contain 140 pages. Published in 1845,
London, Toovey,. i2mo.
34 See "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
pp. 421 to 425.
M See "Lives of the Saints," vol.
Colgan makes him the brother to five other holy brothers, who were natives of Ireland. 5 It seems probable enough, that the present saint may be iden- tical with Elloc, one of the sons of Bracan, King of Britain, and of Dina,
daughter
King.
6 If he must have flourished in the fifth cen- so,
to a Saxon
tury. Oneofthesesons,CoemanorMochoemoch,issaidtohavecomeover from Britain, or Cambria, and to have founded a church at a place, afterwards known as Kilcavan, in the plain of Geishill, in the present King's County. It must be remarked, too, there is a place called Kilmalogue,? in the imme- diate vicinity, and it seems not improbable, that as a near neighbour to his brother, he may have there settled. After giving name to the place, Elloc or Oilleoc may have been adopted as the local patron.
ArticleVI. —St. Cronan. WefindthenameCronan,withoutfurther
inserted in the of x and of 2 at designation, Martyrologies Tallagh Donegal,
the 24th of July. No less than twenty-nine holy men bearing this name are enumerated in the Irish Calendars. While most of those are distin-
guished by the places with which they were connected, or by a patrony- mic, several are only mentioned simply by name. Among the latter
is the present holy man. There are two places, called Kilcronan, marked on the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps ; one of these is a townland
in the parish of Whitechurch, and barony of Cork;* while the other townland, so named,4 is in the parish of Dysartgallen, and barony of Cul- lenagh, in the Queen's County. The old cemetery of the latter Kilcronan
a See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xlviii. , p. 136.
3 See nn. 91, 92, p. 177.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
5 See what is written at the 31st of
January, the feast of St. Machumma or
Dochumma, Bishop of Inis Mahee.
200,201. Article v.
Kelly, p. xxx.
—
Edited by Rev. Dr.
inthe
Topographical Dictionary
2 Thereisa
called
Clonagheen,
Article vi. Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxx.
2
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 200, 201.
3 It is shown, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cork," sheet 63.
* It is described, on the "Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the Queen's
parish
barony of Maryborough West, and Queen's
County ; but, this denomination does not
approach phonetically to that of Cluana Etchen.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernia? ," Januarii xxix. , n. 6, p. 188.
4 See his Life, at the 29th of January, in the First Volume of this work, Art. i.
6" See Colgan's
nise," Febuarii xi.
to 314. " 7 See Lewis'
Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Vita S. Canoci, pp. 311
of Ireland," vol. —i. , p. 652. x
be identical
may
Yet, elsewhere,
362
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 24.
6onthe right bank of the Owenbeg River. No patron day or tradition remains at present, to connect this place with any particular St. Cronan j notwithstand- ing the many bearing such name as inscribed on the Irish Calendar. The river has now encroached on part of the former burial-ground, and has carried away a considerable portion, not alone of the earth, but even of human
anda ofitsruinedchurchs lienearthetownof
fragment Ballynakill,
u
^m&:::. '. . . ,',,.
Kilcronan, Queen's County.
remains. When the writer last visited the place, layers of human bones and also pieces of coffins were sticking out through the clay on the soft embank- ment, over the rapid course of the Owenbeg River. Its proximity to the town of Ballynakill caused the cemetery of Kilcronan to be greatly over- crowded ; while, by the people of all the surrounding neighbourhood, the place had been constantly held in great veneration, and it was a favourite place for interments.
of
Tallagh,
1 at this
date,
is entered the festival of Blaithmac mac Flainn. tions. Woodsareshownoneithersideofit,
Article VII. —St. Blathmac, Son of Flann. In the Martyrology
County,"sheet30.
s The accompanying illustration is from a
but with openings between, and these ex- tend to the River Greg, as it is called—now
sketch by the writer, taken in July, 1888. This was drawn by William F. Wakeman on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
—which Kilcroenen passes by
6 On the old Map of Leix, compiled about
the year 1563, and within the district of great distance, towards the south-west.
Galin, this town is marked. There, it is de-
nominated Balaochillie, and it is represented, in situ, by a tower, with crhuaux indenta-
Ballynakill is situated within the parish of
Dysartgallen, in t—he barony of Cullinagh.
the Owenbeg
—also noted—and thence wends its course on to the River Neuie. This it joins at no
Article vii.
'
Edited Rev. Dr. by
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 363
of 2 at the of the name of Martyrology Donegal, records, 24th July,
The
Blathmac, son of Flann. In the table postfixed to the latter Martyrology, his name is Latinized Florigenius or Florus. 3 From the date at which his death is entered, a. d. 823, in both of the aforesaid Calendars, it should seem, that this saint ought to be identified with that noble martyr of Iona, whose Acts and festival may be found, at the 19th of January. 4
Article VIII. —St. Corodnus or Crodhne. In the Martyrology of
1
Tallagh, Corodnus is recorded at this day. In a somewhat different form,
the name is elsewhere noticed. A festival in honour of Crodhne 2 is set
down in the of 2- at the of Martyrology Donegal, 24th July.
ArticleIX. —St. LateerinofCulltn,CountyofCork. Apatron
was held, near a holy well dedicated to St. Lateerin, at Cullin, in the County
of Cork, on the 24th of July. Several local legends were current, regarding
this who is said to have been the of three sisters. 1 One holy virgin, youngest
of these was Inneen, venerated on the 6th of May, at Drumtariff, while the eldest of all was commemorated at Kilmeen. The name of this local saint has been omitted by ourCalendarists,
ArticleX. —St. Fergusa. ThesimpleentryFergusaisfoundrecorded 1
in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 24th of July.
Article XI. —St. Fagna, Bishop. We find that Florarius and Henry
1
Article XII. —St. Satanal, Martyr. The Martyrology of Tallagh records a festival at this date, to honour Satanal martir. We can find no
corresponding entry, in any other Calendar.
Article XIII. —Reputed Feast for St. Erthad, Bishop. In his " Menologium Scotorum," Thomas Dempster assigns a festival for a Bishop
Fitzsimon, at the 24th of July, have entered the festival of St Fagna, Bishop.
1
xxx.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
200, 201.
3 See ibid. , pp. 366, 367.
4 In the First Volume of this work, Art. i. Article viii. — x Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx.
2 In a note by Dr. Todd he says at Crodhne:
"The second hand adds here 'Coroidhne,' another form of the name. It occurs in the form Corvoom, in the Mart. Taml. "
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
200, 201.
Article IX. — See Edward Walsh's
Erthad, at the 24th of July.
Kelly, p. 3
" Legends of the South," No. iii. Popular
St. Lateeran. "Dublin Penny Journal,"
vol. i. , No. 45, p. 360.
Article x. — l Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx. —
Article xi. * See O'Sullevan Beare's
"
Historise Catholicse Ibernise Compen-
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 54. 1
Article xii. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx.
Article xiii. —x Thus: "In Scotia
Erthadi episcopi qui regi piisimo Malcolmo I. , cliarus fait K. B. "—Bishop Forbes' " Ka- lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 206.
364 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 25.
Article XIV. —Reputed Feast of St. Rumold, Archbishop of Mech- lin. At the 24th of July, quoting Galesinus, Thomas Dempster has a festival for St. Rumold, Archbishop of Mechlin. Already we have treated about him, at the 1st day of this month 3—the date for his chief feast.
tttoentp-fiftft JBap of 3uip*
ARTICLE I. —ST. NINNIO, OR NINIAN, THE SENIOR, OR THE OLD, APOSTLE OF THE SOUTHERN PICTS.
[FOURTH AND FIFTH CENTURIES. } CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—DIFFERENT FORMS OF ST.
NINIAN's NAME—LIVES OF ST. NINIAN— CHRISTIANS AMONG THE SOUTHERN PICTS—FAMILY AND BIRTH OF ST. NINIAN —HIS EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION—HE VISITS ROME—HIS CONSECRATION AS BISHOP.
to a designation affixed to the name of the present Nennio, we
OWING
are at a loss to understand the exact of the term
application
or the Old, to any particular individual, among the many saints called Nennio
orNennius. Withoutanysafelighttoguideusinarrivingatanyothercon- clusion, it seems not unreasonable to believe, that the meaning here attached to senior has reference, not to the oldest of the number, but rather to the
proto-saint so designated, among them. There can hardly be any doubt, but that the present Nenio, Senior, had some connexion with Ireland, whether we regard him as being identical with the first Apostle of the Southern Picts, or with St. Nennio, his successor, at Whithern. In the first case, we must probably conclude, that the former saint had two festivals ; one at this date, andanotheratthe16thofSeptember. Aconjecturehasbeenoffered,how- ever, that if not the latter feast-day—at least the present—should be assigned to the early Apostle's successor there. This conclusion hardly accords well with Scottish tradition and history. Assuming it may be possible, neverthe- less, we shall proceed to deal with the materials which are still extant, for
notices of that celebrated missionary, who at a very early period brought a knowledge of the Christian religion among his pagan compatriots.
The name of Ninnio, Senior, or the Old, is set down, in the Martyrology
1 atthe of Heis 25th July.
tohavebeencalled
in order to distinguish him from a namesake, who succeeded in his place, and who obtained the designation of Nennio or Nennius, Junior. If so, it seems probable, that we must regard him as that reverend bishop and holy man of the British nation, whose Acts have been alluded to by Venerable Bede,» and who first brought the light of Christianity among the Southern Picts. Under different forms, the name of Ninio or Ninian may be found.
ofTallagh,
Article xiv. —*
thought
Senior,
"xxiv. Mach- Scotorum," it is thus entered —
:
liniae Rumoldi Archiepiscopi. Galesin. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"p. 206.
Article
1.
—Chapter
i.
—
l Edited by
In his "Menologium
3 See in the present Volume, Art. i.
Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxx. a"
See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An- gloruin," lib. iii. , cap. 4.
Senior,
July 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 365
He is called Nynia, by Venerable Bede 3 and by Alcuin ; again, he is named Nyniga,4 Ninia,s and Niniane. 6 It was Latinized Ninianus, after the time of
St. Ailred. It is known, that Monenn,7 Monein,8 or Maoineann,9 was another form of this name, and called Nenio, in Ireland ; the honorific prefix mo pre-
10
the Island of Bute, he is called Ningan.
ment of St. Ninian's name is to be found, under the forms of St. Trinyon and St. Triman.
There was an Irish Life of a St. Ninian, which connects him with Ire- land. 13 This however contains matter, which is irreconcilable with state- ments made in the Life of Ninian by St. Ailrid. A translation of that Life was made for the Bollandists, by Father Henry Fitz-simon ; but, these writers state, that it abounds in falsehoods, and they consider it to be very worthlessincharacter. x* AnearlybookontheLifeofNinniowaswrittenin theancientCelticorPictishlanguageofGalloway. Itisnotlikely,thatthis linguistic and biographical tract has been preserved. From such a source of information, his mediaeval biographer, Ailred,15 recast in a Latin form, and somewhat under the influence of mediaeval notions, another narrative, which has come down to our time. The Pictish Life appears to have been very closely followed in form and in matter. This early record formed the basis of a Life—probably a Latin translation only—and compiled towards the middle of the twelfth century, by that celebrated Abbot of the Monastery of Rievault, or Rievaux. 16 This biography has been lately translated into English, and learnedly edited *» from the best Manuscripts, by Right Rev. AlexanderPenroseForbes,D. C. L. ,ProtestantBishopofBrechin. Itisalso
18
to a common InvulgarScotch,thisholymanwasstyledSt. Ringanll orSt. Ringen. In
12
ceding
the
designation itself,
according
usage
of our
country.
illustrated with notes. This Life was first printed by John Pinkerton,
from
a beautiful
3 See ibid.
10 Manuscript, belonging
to the Bodleian at Oxford. Library,
Dublinii, 1639, 4to.
M See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Sep-
tembris xvi. De S. Niniano Episcopo, Pic- torum Austraniam Apostolo Candidac Casae in Scotia. Commentarius Historico-Criticus, sect, ii. , num. 18, p. 321.
'5 As may be seen, from his Prologue to
the Latin Life of St. Ninian, Ailred consi-
dered this to have been written in a barbar-
ous style. His Prologue seems to have been
addressed to Christianus, who was conse-
crated Bishop of Candida Casa, on the 19th
of December, 1 1 54, at Bermondsey, by the
the Archbishop of Rouen, acting for him of
York, according to the " Chronicon Sanctoe
Crucis," at that year.
* By Alcuin. See Sir Thomas Duffus
Hardy's "Descriptive Catalogue of Mate- rials relating to the History of Great Britain
and Ireland," vol. i. , part i. , p. 45.
5 See William of Malmesbury's "De Ges- tis Pontificum Anglorum," lib. iii. , sect. 118, p. 256. Edition of N. E. S. A. Hamilton.
London, 1870, 8vo.
6 See Bellenden's Boece, vol. i. , p. 255.
Edinburghedition, 1821.
' So found in the Martyrology of Tallagh
8
According
9 See the Martyrology of Donegal.
10 "The occurrence, during the Irish
occupation of- Whithern, of the names Nennio and Monennus, seems to suggest t—he notion of an ecclesiastical eponymus. " "Lives of S. Ninian and S. Kentigern. " Compiled in the twelfth century. Edited from the best MSS. , by Alexander Penrose Forbes, D. C. L. , Bishop of Brechin, Note B, p. 256.
11
Especially, in the Orkney Islands.
" In that Island, there is a harbour called
Port Ningan ; and, according to Scottish writers, it obtained name from him.
13 See Archbishop Ussher's Works, as edited by Dr. Elrington, vol. vi. " Britan- nicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. vm. p. 209, and cap. xiv. , p. 565. Editio
to the Drummond Missal.
In England, likewise, a debase-
,6
A. D. 1 in and Walter Espec, 131, Yorkshire,
he entered it in 11 33. He became its Abbot in
1143, and he died on the Ides of January,
A. D. 1166, in the fifty-seventh year of his age. » See " Lives of S. Ninian and S. Kenti-
gem. " Compiled in the twelfth century. Edinburgh, 1874, 8vo.
l8 In " Vitae Antiquae Sanctorum, qui habi- taverunt in ea parte Britannise nunc vocata Scotia vel in ejus Insulis," pp. I to 23.
I9 It was classed Laud. F. xv. cent. xii. ;
and, at present, Laud. Misc. 668, ff. 78^-89, sect. xii.
20 Classed Cott. Tib. D. iii. , fol. 186-192,
This was a Cistercian foundation of
366 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 25.
However, Bishop Forbes has amended Pinkerton's readings from that copy, and in more than one instance, he has supplied a sentence. In addition to
these emendations, he has collated it with a 2° Life of Manuscript
Ninian, found in the British Museum. In the Burgundian Library at Bruxelles, there is a volume of Lives of the Saints, in which the Life of St. Ninian is given in
an abridged form. This is in the Sanctilogium Manuscript, attributed to John of Tinmouth. " From this latter, John Capgrave seems to have drawn his Acts of this saint. 32 Before the time of 23 a metrical 2« was
Alcuin, composition extant, and it praised the great miracles ascribed to Bishop Nynias. In his extreme old age, the Scottish poet, John Barbour, composed a metrical Life of St. Ninian. as The Bollandists have published the Acts of St. Ninian. 26
They have used that Life compiled by Capgrave, and they have given comments upon it. They have mention of two other Manuscript Lives of this saint ; one of these belonged to the monastery of Rubese Vallis, and the other to
2
the Carthusian Convent, at Cologne. ? These latter have not been found,
although sought for by Bishop Forbes. Nearly all the modern ecclesiastical and civil historians of Scotland have some account of this early Christian
in their Various other missionary country.
such as Dean 28 Cressy,
writers, 2x
Bishop Challenor, 9 the Rev. Alban Butler, 3° and the Rev. Thomas Innes,3 commemorate this proto-Scottish saint. Among the "Lives of the English
compendious accounts of St. Ninian. — According to the earliest Scottisli traditions, the Picts
— ofScythianorigin36andtohaveatfirstsoughtasettlementinIreland were
the most ancient inhabitants, who occupied the northern parts of the Island of Britain, while the Britons coming over from Armorica took possession of the more southern parts. 37 When the Romans had invaded and subdued the
sjcc. xiii. It is supposed to have been a and those Manuscripts are now in the Library
transcript from the Bodleian exemplar, and ithasfewvariationsfromthatManuscript.
31 He places these Lives in the order of the Calendar, beginning with St. Edward the Confessor, at January 5th.
32 See " Nova Legenda Anglie," fol. ccxli. , ccxliii.
34 Alcuin adds : "quae nobis per fideles
nostros discipulos Ebora—censis Ecclesise
Scholasticosdirectasunt. " MS. Cott. Vesp.
A. xiv. , f. 160*. See Sir Thomas DufTus John Barrow, D. D. , late Principal of St.
Edmund Oxford, Hall,
3 3 Including Introduction, these chapters contain 140 pages. Published in 1845,
London, Toovey,. i2mo.
34 See "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
pp. 421 to 425.
M See "Lives of the Saints," vol.
