No More Learning

A gloss to the Feilire of St. Angus has it
Abup Chpe-pen ; while the Calendars of what period, Aptir passed into Apil, or
Marianus O'Gorman, and of the O'Clcrys,
have •dpupcpo|-pAn, at the 21st of April.
•" According to the Annals of Ulster.
" The Annals of Clonmacnoise state, in-
Crossan into Cross ; but, probably, the
ch. ange arose, in order to facilitate the com-
pound pronunciation.
^ The Rev. Mr. Reeves, who justly re-
jects this derivation, thought that, by the
cliange of liquids, aper was made apel, and that the noun crossan vn^ shortened io cross. He cites some curious traditions and deriva- tions, to account for the origin of this local denomination.
correctly, "a. D. 669, Moyle Roraie founded
"
« See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the
the church of Aporcorro->san.
Fathers, Martyrs, and other principal Saints," vol. iv. , April 21.
<5 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , n.
5* In the older Scottish records, the name
282.
*' See Addenda et Corrigenda to the is variedly written Appilcroce, and AppiU-
second volume of the " Annals of the Four Masters," p. 1 191. Mr. O'Donovan remarks,
Applecross. "
" In the slrath, about half a mile north-
east of Applecross, is Hartfield, known as Kilvoury, or in Gaelic, as Caoill Mhourie.
croce, in the Breviary of Aberdeen ; Appil- hors, in the Martyrology of Aberdeen ;
that "
in the Reg. Sec. Sig. A. D. 1540, 1583, and, likewise, Abilcors, A. D. 1548, 1549 ; Apilyirth, in a Manuscript of 1640, and Apelcroce, in the Retour of 1662.
5* Aber, the Pictish term, prevails, on the east side of Scotland, but, it is unknown, in Ireland.
the Church of St. Maelrubha, is evidently the place in Ross- shire in Scotland, now called, Anglice,
Apilcroce,
Aporcrossan,
(y), p.
land," Ac, vol. iii. , p. 381.
*^ Author of the " Ecclesiastical Antiqui-
ties of Down, Connor, and Dromore," and editor of several Irish Ecclesiastical Tracts.
*' In all existing Scottish records, it is
lic-speaking people.
called Apilcross, or Applecross ; and, even, it is thus named, in the language of the Gae-
5° See his
"
Statistical Account of Scot-
land," vol. iii. , pp. 377, 379.
5' We have no means for ascertaining, at
April 21. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 259 that river is now locally forgotten ; and, instead of it, the natives call it
Abhuin " Maree's Maree, meaning
River," although
down as Applecross River. 5* Thus, the name of St. Maelrubius has long been
associated with the place, where he first set the standard of the cross ; and, after his term on earth had been spent, a conventual life was there estab-
The monastery of Apurcrossan possessed a sanctuary-girth of six The Danes invaded this, and afterwards they perished in a smooth
lished.
miles. 57
sea. 5^
which attracts attention, is an upright slab, that stands on the sward, facing to the south, and bearing the figure ofa collared cross. Tliis is clear on the top and left arm, but lower down it is nearly incised in outline. ss It is nine feet, three inches, high ; two feet, ten inches, broad ; and, two and three- quarter inches, in thickness. It is locally called, Cloch Ruairdh Mac Caoigen;*° and, it is said, that it formerly stood, near the mouth of the river, marking the grave of an ancient chief,'' called Ruairidh Mor Mac Caoigen. '^ Near the parish church, an old building is to be seen ; and, it is thought to have marked the site of an old religious house. *3
The holy man, Maelrubha, preached in various parts of Applecross parish ; as, probably also, at Loch Carrow,** and at Gairloch, in Ross-shire. This parish was dedicated to our saint. It lies northwards from Applecross, and its most remarkable feature is a long narrow lake, formerly called Loch
Ewe,*5 and afterwards Maree ; variously distinguished in ancient records, as Lochmaroy, Loch Mairray, Loch Marie. ** The spots, called Suidhe Maree,*' andLochMaree,arecommemorativeofhisvisits. Theselatternamesarede- rivedfromSt. Maelrubius. Thelakeextendsforeighteenmiles,anditgoes in a north-westerly direction. Maelrubius was patron saint of all the coast, from Applecross to Loch Broom. *^ On an Island in Lochmaree, he founded a church, which takes is name from him. *9 This is called Inis Maree,'" or
When the visitor enters Applecross cemetery, the very first object,
55 For this, the Irish use the word Ittver, and on the west side of Scotland such terra is to be met with.
5* On the County Maps.
s' Vernacularly, it was called, Comrich, or
Comaraigh.
s' See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendarsof Scot-
tish . -aints," p. 383.
» To this Mr. Muir refers, in the following
prietorof Applecross.
''' A writer states, that there " the standard
and soles of crucifixes are still to be seen. " Seethe "Old Statistical Account of Scot- land," vol. iii. , p. 379.
'This parish, in Ross-shire, was some- times dc-signated Chombnch Mulruy, that is,
"
Maelrubha's Sanctu. iry," and sometimes Clachan . Mulruy, "Maelrubha's Hamiet. " It was dedicated to this saint,
'= At the south-east end of the lake is Kin- lochew, "Head of Loch Ew. " On the eastern shore, opposite Inis Maree, is Lettir- Ew, "The Holm of Ew," and Port Lettiraw. The stream which runs from tlie lake into the sea is the water of Ew. The Bay which
" Ross-shire is known to coniain among many (crosses) of ordinary merit some very fine specimens ; but the only one I have seen is that callett Clach Mhor . Mac-
passaye :
Cuagan in the burying-ground at Apple-
crosS. It is a veiy poor example, 9 feet 4
inches in height, exhibiting a wheel cross
deeply incised on the south face with its sum- it enters is now Loch Ew. In the Loch is
mit above the arms cut out free. "—" Eccle- siological Notes," &c, p. 32, Edinburgh, 1855.
Inis Ew. At its head opposite the sea is Poolew. A little north is Inverew. See "Origines Parochiales ScotiiE," part ii. , pp. 2, 407.
" The local tradition, concerning Ruaridh
Mor Mac Caoigen, is, that he was slain, in
battle with the Danes, either in this bay, or 87, 130, 162. See Uriijines Parochiales
at Toscaig, where there is a bay, called l/)chan a Chath, " Battle Bay. "
" The Rev. Or. Reeves is of opinion, that
he was the "Mac Oigi Apuir. hrosan ab Benchair," who happily ended his life, A. D. 801, according to the ''Annals of Uisier," and that the monument is that of an ecclesi- astic. . -
"He is said to have been the former pro-
"
Scotize, pars. ii. , a, p. 407.
'' This was a small eminence, known as " Maelrubha s Seat," in Loch Carron.
" See Pennant's " Tour in Scotland,"
part ii. , p. 330.
"> See Bisnop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot-
it is more set usually
*" Retours of 1638, 1673, 1697, Ross, Nos. "
tish Saints," p. 383.
'" The Island and the Loch are
incorrectly supposed, to have been dedicated to the
36o LIVES 01' THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 21.
Eilean Maree,'' " Maelrubha's Island. "'" It is the most beautiful of the
Islands. 73 Tliere, too, an oratory of the saint had been formerly built; and here, it is said, he had a residence. Many of his generous and benevolent deeds are to this day recounted, by the people of this place, and of the surround- ing parishes. That Island, situated about the middle of the Loch, has an ancient cemetery. The inhabitants, dwelling on the north side, continued to use this burial-ground, until the end of the last century.
A number of tomb- stones are in the burying-place, having inscriptions and hieroglyphical figures, which few now-a-days can satisfactorily decipher. The well of St. Maelrubha, on Innis Maree, was famed for the cure of insanity;''' and, some curious par- ticulars have been related, regarding the practices resorted to, by those, who tested its healing properties. " There is a Suidlie Maree,'' interpreted Mael- rubha's seat, or resting place, in Gairloch parish, between Loch Torridon and Kinlochew ; and, traces of the old veneration for St. Maelrubha appear to
have come down to our own times. "
Sometimes, our saint crossed over to Skye, and at Ashaig,'' on the north-
east coast, between Kyleakin and Broadford, he founded a church ;" and there is a cemetery, as also, Tobar Ashig, a beautiful spring. In the parish
of Strath,*° in Skye, a legend prevails, that St. Maelrubha used to preach at Askimilruby—now called Ashig—and that he hung a bell on a tree,*' where it remained for centuries. Subsequently, however, it was removed,*^ to the church of Strath. ^3 As such relics were never wilfully destroyed, by the people
of those where localities, they
had been
it — be preserved, may possibly yet
in
existence. ** The remains of a cell, at Kilmarie,*' in this parish not as has
""" hitherto been explained "St. Mary's Church," but Marie's or Mael-
Blessed Virgin Mary.
' A writer, in tlie " New Statistical Ac-
count of Scotland," vol. xiv. , 2, p. 91,
states another conjecture, which is an absurd
Pennant's 'Tour in Scotland," part ii. , p. 330.
" See Rev. Dr. Reeves' article, " Saint
Maelrubha : his History and Churches," in
"" one, that some of tlie Danish kings were
buried in this island, and that the original name of it was Eilean nan Righ, which came
" Edean Maree. "
'' "In the midst is a circular dyke of stones, with a regular narrow entrance ; the inner part has lieen useil for ages as a burial-place,
and is still in use A stump of a tree is shown as an altar, p—robably the memorial of one of stone. " Pennant's " Tour in Scotland," part ii. , p. 330.
" The others had only a few trees sprinkled
over their surface, when seen by Pennant, in
1772.
" See Joseph Anderson's "Scotland in
Early Christian Times," First Series, Lec- ture v. , p. 193, note I.
" Pennant, who visited this place in 1772,
Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland,'' vol. iii. , pp. 286 to 289.
'" This name, with Maelrubha, is evi-
dently the origin of the Aski- compound
Milruliy.
'* This place is called Aisk, in the "Old
Statistical Survey of Scotland," Ac. xvl, p, 226.
^ In the west of Skye, it lies to the south ofApplecross. It was formerly called Kilcrist, in Askimilruby. Blaew marks Askemorruy here, and Macfarlane gives Askemorruy or Morruy. In all these names, we discover the phonetic element of Maelrubha, as denoting his connexion with the district.
*' It was dumb all the week, till sunrise
on Sunday morning, when it rang of its own accord till sunset.
^' See Rev. William Reeves' account of St. Maelrubha's History and Churches in the "Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. iii. , p. 291.
to be
pronounced
:
" The patient is brought into the
relates
sacred island, is made to kneel before the
altar, where his attendants leave an ofifeiing
in money ; he is tlien brought to the well,
and sips some of the holy water ; a second
offering is made ; that done, he is thrice dumb ; and the tree, on which it had so long
dipped in the lake ; and the same operation
is repeated every day for some weeks. "
'' In the last century, it was a usual thing, for travellers to leave some votive offering, at any of the places so named, if this were only a stone, a stick, a rag, &c. See
hung, soon after withered away.
** See Joseph Andrews' " Scotland in
Early Christian Times," First Series, Lec- ture v. , p. 213, and n. i.
'5 See " New Statistical Account of Scot- land," Ac. xiv. , pp. I, 305.
"' There, it ever afierwards remained
April 21. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 261
rubha's Church "^^—are to be found. The church is marked as Kilmore,'' on Thomson's Map,** and, it is on the west shore of Loch Slapin, in the Aird of Strath. *9
At Apurcrossan, St. Maelrubha presided as Abbot, for fifty-one years -^ and, according to the most probable accounts, he there died a natural death, attheageofeighty,asIrishrecordsstate. Hedeparted,atFerintosh,whenin the discharge of his sacred calling, according to another statement. Before he expired, the holy man gave directions, that four men should be sent for to Applecross, who should convey his body thither. But, when his body was placed on rests, and laid outside of the chamber, where he died, in order to its being carried to burial ; the imited efforts of all the people assembled were insufficient, for its removal. It so happened, that the Ferintosh people
neglected to fulfil his dyin^ injunctions, for they wished to retain his remains, in their own churchyard. Perceiving that some unseen agency operated againstthem,theysentforfourApplecrossmen. Tlieseliftedthecoffin,—at once, and they carried it with such ease, as to rest only twice upon the road;
first, at Kennlochewe, at a place called Suidhe, and, secondly at Bealach an tsuidhe, between Shieldag and Applecross. On reaching his last home, St. Maelrubha was solemnly interred in the churchyard,'" and that spot, which is supposed to be his grave, is marked by a little hillock, called Claodh Maree. 9'
His tomb-stone, it is said, was sent from Norway, by the King's daughter, and its material was red granite.
Some fragments of it are lying about the
churchyard. "
The Scottish historians vary, as to the death St. Maelrubha endured,
which they deem to have been martyrdom. He was massacred in Urquiiard,'*
according to the Scottish accounts,'' and in his own cimrch, by Norwegians, who are said to have wounded him, and left him for dead. But, during three
days,hewasconsoled,bytheAngelsofGod. Abrightlightrevealedhim. After receiving the body of the Immaculate Lamb, he yielded up his spirit, in a place, where a chapel 9* was afterwards built. It was afterwards erected, into a parochial church ; and, to this day, it is called Urquhard," or Urquhart. Thelocaltraditionpreservedhereis,thatSt. Mareedied,inthis
"See "
as an altar, in ancient times,
" It was broken, when the present manse
was building, and wiih the deuris of the old ruin», it was carted away for the walls of the dwelling-house. But, in the midst of the proceeding, the work was susuemled, incon- sequence of a dream, which the master- mason had, wherein he was warned not to
Parochiales Scotise,"
'' Kilmori, in the " Old Statistical Survey of Scotland," Ac. vol. xvi. , p. 226.
"In Black's Couuty Atlas, it ii more cor- rectly written Kilmaree.
"^ Or, in the south-western part of the
Origines part ii. , pp. i, 344.
parish,
*" See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of touch that stone. Soon, afterward-, he was
thrown from the scaffolding, and his skull was fractured, on the self-aame object of his impiety and dream.
ii. , "St. Maelrubha: His History and «« See " Breviarium Aberdonense," pars.
Scottish Saints," p. 383.
' It is believed, that a man, who takes
about his person a little earth from this
churchyard, may travel the world round, and
that he will salely return to the neighbour-
ing bay ; also, that no one can commit sui-
cide or otherwise injure himself, when marty and Moray Fiith. It is called, the within view of this spot. See " Proceed- Blaclc Isle ; and, it must be distinguished ings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scot- from parishes, bearing the same name, in In- land," vol. iii. At 14th June, 1859, Article verness and Elgin.
Churches," pp. 278, 279.
*' Beyond this is the eastern boundary of
the churchyard. In the field outside, at a little distance on the north-east, there is a mound, which is said to have been employed
iEstiva, fol. 70.
* " Ex inciso robore satis decenter ex-
tructa. "
»' See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scot-
tisb Saints," p. 383.
»* This parish is situate, in that peninsular portion of Koss-shire, which is at its south- eastern extremity, and lying between Cro-
262 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 21.
place ; and, although this was not his principal church, the parishioners en- deavoured to detain his body. However, it was eventually removed to
Applecross. Here, his body was buried, in his own monastery, and there he was venerated as a Martyr. s* From the similarity of sound, the name of Maelrubha has been confounded with St. Rufus, or Ruphus,? '9 Bishop and MartyrofCapua. '°° ThismayaccountfortheScottishtonmiemorationbeing different, from that of Ireland ; for, finding St. Ruplius' day fixed through Christendom, at the 27th of August, the early compilers' of the Scottish Calendar grafted the name and memory of Mael-Rubha, on the same date, thus inserting the lessons for one saint, within the office for the other. '"'
'°^a. d. '°3 721,
All the Irish Calendars are unanimous, in assigning his festival to this date. The Scottish authorities most usually place his festival, at the 27th of August. The Irish accounts regarding him seem most circumstantial ; and, the Scotch writers appeartohavemistakenhisfestival,forthatofanothersaint. Theiraccounts, likewise, have been gathered, from debased and comparatively modern tra- dition. At the 2ist of April, the date for St. Maelruba's departure occurs, in the Feilire of St. ^ngus. '°s The name, Maolrubhach Beannchair, is the
simple entry we find, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,"=* at this date. The Calendar of Marianus O'Gorman, which was compiled about the year 1167, places his festival, at the same date ;'°7 while a gloss, attached to it, com- memorates him, as Abbot of Bangor. '°^ The Kalendar of Drumniond'°9 notices this festival, at the 21st of April. On this day, the Martyrology of Donegal "° mentions, that veneration was paid to Maelrubha, son of Ealga- nach, descended from the race of Eoghan, son to Niali, Abbot of Bennchar, or Bangor. At the same date, or xi. of the May Calends, the Irish Calendar, in the Royal Irish Academy, has notices of St. Maolruba. '" The Rev. Alban Butler,'" and the Circle of the Seasons,"3 mention St. . Malrubius, Martyr, at the 2ist of April. After death, his memory began to take possession of men's minds; but, we can hardly well account for the loss of his anniversary festi-
St. Maelrubha this departed
onthe21st
day
of
April,
life,
having lived eighty years, three months, and nine days. '"*
5' See Rev. Thomas Innes' "Civil and Ecclesiastical History of Scotland," Chrono- logical Memoirs, p. 319.
»' This saint is said to have suffered
martyrdom, under the Emperor Diocle- tian.
In <\lpditi conjlAine 1^i\iecu-o cecVipibA
tuix> uainn coii<sm<icli4ip OipmbpacViAip moeli\ub<i.
"In Scotland with
every happiness, went from us with his moiher our brother Maelruhai. "
''* Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxi. In
the Franciscan copy, we re. id, maetei\ubi Ab benn.
'»? The entry ism Aebi\ub<3. riAem, "Mael-
"o
purity,
after
leaving
^
His feast occurs, in the Roman Calen-
dar, at the 27th of August.
"" Such is the opinion of the Rev. William
Reeves.
"' At a different date, we find an entry in
the Martyrology of Aberdeen : "vj Kal. Sep. Appilhors, Ross-Dioc. S. Malrubius. "
Registrum Episcopatus Aberdonensis," vol. i. , Preface, Appendix, ofBenchar. "
See Cosmo Innes' "
ruba the holy. "
">^
"
Abbot
No. I, p. Ixxxvi.
'°3 " An. Dccxxi. Maelruhai in Afur-
">3 At ix. Kl. Maii. "In Brittania Sanc- tus Confessor Maeliube cum Sancta matre ad Christum conscendit. "—Bishop Forbes'
crosson, anno Ixxx. etatis sue. "—" Ann. iles Ultonienses,"p. 77. Dr. O'Conor's"Rerum "K"alenilarsofScottishSaints,"p. II.
Hibernicarum Scriptores," vol. iv.
:
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 106,107.
"» See I)r,
ODonovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 319, 320,
from the Leab—-
" ^Taoni A
"bliAtxMi &
An CAn
32''
"°s The
t'pioix&i'o
Ano 'oom.
721. "
following stanza,
har Breac copy, thus commemorates him
mon
Place Book," F, p. 39.
Tliis entry is -Abb bencViAip,
It adds
:
Aoif
\A " Com-
'" "
See LivesoftheFathers,
Martyrs
and
April 21. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 263
val. This, however, seems to have been transferred, to the month of August ;
but, it is probable, in the lapse of time, some popular usages of an objec- tionableciiaractsrwereintroduced,andbecameabuses. "* Forneglecting the saint's feast in harvest, certain people's houses were burned ; but, those of the men, who respected it, were safely preserved-''^ It would even seem, that as our saint's name had been identified with Bangor, in Ireland ; a mem-
ber of the religious family of Apurcrossan, named Mac Oigi, became Abbot over that house, and happily departed this life, a. d. 801.
Besides Applecross, Lough Carron, Urquhart, Strath, and Gairloch,we find traces of the popular reverence for St. Maelrubha, at Contan,"* orContin, a parish, which is situated eastwards, in Ross-shire,"7and where a festival or fair
was formerly kept, on the last Wednesday of August, old style. "^ This was familiarly,knownastheAugustMarket. "9 ItwascalledtheFeil-Maree. "" Theparishchurchis pleasantlysituatedonaglebe,whichisinsulatedbythe River Rasay. It is an ancient building, but somewhat disguised and dis- figured, by modern changes. A quarter of a mile from the church,"' there is a burying-ground, which is called Praes Maree, or " Maelrubha's Bush," in theMains"''ofCoul. "3 Thisis,atpresent,wellenclosedandkeptinvery neat order. Shrubs, gravel-walks, and monumental slabs of the Makenzies,"* are there ; and, probably, this is the re-occupied relig, or ancient cemetery, dedicated to our saint. In the Island of Skye, at the head of Loch Egnort, in Brackadale,"3 is Kilmolruy,"* and it lies in that part of the parish, which is called Minginish ; about the time of St. Maree's day, there was an annual tryst. "' It has been supposed, that the old church of Ceiltarraglan, which is situated to the north of Loch Portree, may have been dedicated to St.
Maelrubha. "' The saint certainly had a commemoration, in the neighbour-
hood. According to a respectable authority, there was held in September " Samarive's fair at Keith ; and at Portree, within the Isle of Skye, first
Tuesday. ""' The parish church of Arasaig,'3o in Inverness-shire, was formerly
other principal Saints," vol. iv. to Dingwall.
"3Seeat 112. "°ThewordFeilistheIrishfora"fesli- p.
"* There is a very curious account of val," and it is a modification of the Latin
sacrifices, asserted to have been practised at
Appilcross, on the 25th of August (o St.
Mourie, as the people called the present holy
man, in the seventeenth century. The ac-
tions of the Presbytery to suppress these
"abhominationes"isonrecord; and. theyare
so full of a deep animus, on the part of the
ministers, to prosecute the principals in these
"superstitious practices," that we may well
doubt, if there be not some exaggeration, in
the charges of sacrificing bulls, and in pour-
ing milk upon hills as oblations, on St.
Mourie's See " of the day. Proceedings
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. iv.
Vigilia. From this comes Feilire, " a Calendar. " A fair held oiithe saint's day, or his ftil, came itself to be called "a feil. " Like the Irish Pattern, it is a corruption, to express the Patron of a Saint,
"'
It is a little way to the left of the road, which leads to Dingwall,
'"This is called, in the old charters Meyne Maneye, Mainzie. See "Origines Parochiales Scotiae," part ii. , 2, pp. 505, 506.
"'> The Applecross Mackenzies are a
"'The — of Breviary
Aberdeen,
Pars.
patron
saint of
Estiva, fol. 890 91.
"' According to the Breviary of Aberdeen,
Pars /Estiva, fol. 70.
"'On the road to Dingw. dl.
"' WhilethemenofRoss werekeepingthis
"' This was held in September, probably
the early part, new style; or, the close of
August, old style. "
"" See the "New Statistical Account of
Scotland," Ac. vol. xiv. , I, p. 219.
"'See "Aberdeen Prognostication," for
1703.
'^'' This lies to the north of and it parish
is now united to Ardnamurchan,
saint's festival, in Contan, the Danes sur- prised them, and burned his church, with more than one hundred men and women in it. Whereupon, the Ross men attacked them, and slew all save out of
30
"' Some years ago, this fair was removed
500.
branch of this Coul
'" Ofthe Coul family. "5 St. Assint was the
Brackadale proper.
"• So Blaeu marks it.
family.
264 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 21.
styled Kilniolroy, in Arisik, or Kilmaroy, or Kilvorie,'^' in honour of this saint; while, it had been thought,"3= but incorrectly, that its patron was the Blessed Virgin Mary. '33 On the Island of Harris, the Church of St. Maelrube,'3< on old
or of St. Riifus, is mentioned, as having been on the mainland, "3* and on the east side. '^? On the west side of the parish of Muckairn '3* is Kilvary,'39 which is situated north-east of Oban, near the road to Loch Etive. Again, the later Scottish topographers "<° have mistaken the derivation. Here, certain relics of our saint had been preserved. Thus, the Arwachyll, meaning the crozier, of St. Maelrubha, was kept by its Dewar, in the Isle of Kilmolnie,'*' in the parish of Muckairn, a. d.