No More Learning

Breviarium
July 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 433
ceasedtowaragainsteverytemptationtosin. Inprayerandretreat,heloved to spend a great part of his precious time ; while such habits served to refresh his soul for the active pursuits of his most useful ministry. Not only Chris- tians but pagans were brought by him to a sense of their evil ways. During Lent,heretiredfromallconversationwithmen. Hesoughtsomeremote place,wherehemightconversewithGodalone. Inhisselectedsolitude,he was miraculously sustained until Easter came round, by offering the Divine Oblation, that is to say, by partaking solely of the Blessed Sacrament. This he constantly received, and to practise the virtue of mortification in a super- natural manner, without any other food, he remained for several successive days. His gift of miracles was often exercised. He gave sight to the blind, he cleansed the lepers, and he cast out devils. Even, he is related to have raisedthedeadtolife. ThemostnotedhagiographershaveplacedtheActsof St. Samson among their sacred biographies, nor can we conceive any that are more edifying and instructive. To recount all that has been written regarding him should require a still greater detail, than could well be presented in the foregoing narrative.
Article II. —St. Colman, or Comhghall, of Gabla liuin, or Gob-
in Dartraighe Coininnsi. In the of 1 we Martyrology Tallagh,
halliuin,
find entered at the 28th of July, Colman, of Gabla liuin. Although the names are quite different, we cannot doubt but one and the same saint is
2
meant in a later Calendar. In the Martyrology of Donegal, at this same
date, the name recorded is Comhghall, of Gobhal-liuin, in Dartraighe Cin- innsi. This district is at the head of Loch Eirne, adds the Calendarist. It is identified with Galloon parish, in the county of Fermanagh. 3 In one instance, there is mention of an Abbot * of Cluain-mac-Nois, and of Daim- hinis, said to have belonged to the sept of Dartraighe Daimhinsi, which meansDartryofDevenish. But,wearetoldonhighauthority,thatthisis clearly a mistake for Dartraighe-Coininnsi,s which was an ancient name for
6
There is a townland called Gubalaun, in the parish of Rossinver, barony of Rosclogher,
last named was also called 8 and Dartry,
the barony of Dartry, in the south-west of Monaghan County.
and of Leitrim. ? The county
barony
sometimes Dartraighe Mag-Fhlannchaidh 9 in West Breifne, to the north of
10 I incline to the sought for within this latter district.
the
saint's must be place
Leitrim
County.
opinion,
present
"
Article ii. — Edited by Rev. Dr. this territory. See Dr. O'Donovan's Leah*
Kelly, p. xxx.
2 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves. See
h&\\ na j;-Ce^\c, or the Book of Rights, p. 153, n. (i).
Appendix to the Introduction, p. xlvii. , and pp. 204, 205.
6
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
3 See " Letters containing Information re-
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (x), pp. 510, 511, 7 See " General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baro-
nies of Ireland," p. 521.
8 See " The Poems of Topographical
John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh O'Huidhrin," edited by Dr. John O'Dono- van, p. xxxvii. , n. 268.
9 This was the Mac Clancy family name,
They are now more generally called Clancy, without the prefix of Mac.
10 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , n. (d), p. 679, and
lative to the Antiquities of the County of
Fermanagh, collected during the Progress of
the Irish Ordnance in Survey
1834-5. " Letter of John O'Donovan, dated March
26th, 1835, p. 127.
4 This was Martin, a learned scribe who
died A. D. 867. See Colgan's "Trias Thau- maturga," Appendix Quinta ad Acta S. Brigidae, cap. 2, p. 632.
5 According to O'Dubhagain, the sept of O'Baeigheallain—now O'Boylan—ruled in
IE
434 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 28.
Article III. —St. Lenican or Liuican, said to be of Killucan,
CountyofWestmeath. Inthe of as 1 St. Martyrology Tallagh, published,
Lenican—probably a typographical error—is entered on this day. But, in
2
the Martyrology of Donegal, at the 28th of July, is inserted, Liuican.
Marianus O'Gorman and the Martyrology of Tallagh seem cited, in confirma- tion of this latter statement. The Rev. Mervyn Archdall 3 and Rev. Anthony Cogan state, that St. Luican founded an abbey at Killucan or Killuquin, in the barony of Farbill, a few miles east of Mullingar, in the county of West- meath, and at an early period. 4
Article IV. —St. Furudrain, or Furadhran. At the 28th of July, 12
the Martyrology of Tallagh enters Furudrainus, and that of Donegal records a festival, in honour of St. Furadhran, without any further designation, unless the letter S. postfixed to his name in the Tallagh Martyrology be interpreted
" tosignifySacerdos,meaning apriest. "
Article V. —St. Uisseoit, of Druim Uisseoit. We find recorded
1
intheMartyrologyofTallagh, atthe28thofJuly,thatvenerationwasgiven
to a saint named Uisseoit. At the same date, in the of 2 Martyrology Donegal,
the name is entered as Uis-seoit, of Druim Uisseoit. Wherever this place
was situated, it appears to have derived its name from the present saint.
However, we cannot find any near approach to it in spelling, among the etymons -of localities, in any part of Ireland.
1
Article VI. —St. Celsus. The simple entry, Celsus, appears in the
of 2 at the 28th of Moreover, Marianus O'Gorman Martyrology Donegal, July.
seems to be cited, as authority for this statement ; but, we have no means left for discovering who this holy man had been, or when he flourished.
Article VII. —Festival of St. Theophilus. In the ancient Irish
also vol. vii. Ind Locorum,
by
pp.
Article ill. Kelly, p. xxx.
a
x
p. 46. Edited by Rev. Dr.
—ex ibid. ,
Edited
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. •204, 205.
3 See "Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 721.
4 See "Diocese of Meath, Ancient and •Modern," vol. iii. , chap, lxxiv. , p. 579.
In the
Breac "copy is the following stanza; the
Article iv. — ' Edited
cAm-olech
Dr. 3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Kelly, p. xxx.
by
Edited by Rev. Dr.
204, 205. Article v.
Kelly, p. xxx.
—x
2
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
204, 205.
Article vi. — ' A note
by
Rev. Dr.
ToddstatesatCelsus "Thisnameandthe :
next, with the authorities annexed, are in the second hand. "
p.
cxii.
2" It is thus prin—ted :
Rev.
2
Drs. Todd and Reeves,
"
Leabhar translation int—o English is by Whitley
Stokes, LL. D.
1 fAt>bub Acobai r\
ConArluaguo
Ceophil cop oip Ainglech pancAleo LAint>pecVi.
" withhis radiant
Vast is his aid, hosting :
Theophilus,—angelic tower ofgold : Pantaleo the lucid. " "Transactions of the Royal
Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series,
vol. i. , i. On the Calendar of Oengus, part
204, 205. Article vii.
—
«
:
pus antiochiae. " p. Ibid. , exxi.
Teophil . i.
episco-
July 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 435
Church, there was a festival at the 28th of July, to commemorate St. Theo- philus,aswefind,fromthe"Feilire"r ofSt. JEngus. Acommentis added,2 which may help to identify him. The Bollandists have a festival for a St. Theophilus and for other holy Martyrs, at Laodicea, for this date. 3 Their ac- count is taken from the Martyrology of St. Jerome ; yet, little seems to be known regarding these soldiers of Christ.
Article VIII. —Festival of St. Pantaleon, Martyr. At the 28th
of intheancientIrishChurch,wefindintheMFeilire"l ofSt. July,
^Engus, thatSt. Pantaleonwashonouredwithacommemoration. Ascholionaffixed
states, he was a martyr, and that he suffered in Nicomedia. 2 This entry seems to have been taken from the ancient copies of St. Jerome's Martyr- ology. However, the Bollandists,3 who refer to his commemoration at this date, remark, that in the Roman Martyrology,4 his feast is assigned to the 27th of July, on which day they have also treated his Acts,3 and at con- siderable length.
Article IX. —Reputed Feast of St. Tessan, or Tressan. The entry
of St. Tessan's feast by Camerarius, at the 28th of July, is supposed by the
1
Bollandists as having reference to St. Tressan, the brother of St. Gibrian,
and whose festival more belongs to the 7 th of 2 At this properly February.
date, the Acts of St. Tressan have been already inserted. Those of St. Gibrian may be found, at the 8th of May,3 which is the date for his festival.
Article X. —Reputed Feast for a Translation of St. Livinus'
Relics, Ghent, Belgium.
In his Menologium Scotorum, Thomas Dempster, at the 25th of July, has a Feast for the Translation of St. Livinus' Relics at Ghent. 1 The chief festival for this renowned saint is held on the 1 2 th of November, at which date his Life may be seen.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. ,
XIII. ," &c, p. 108. Romse, 1878, fol. 5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
xxviii. De Sanctis
Laodi-
cenis in Phrygia, Theophilo, Auxentio, Julii xxvii. De S. Pantaleone Martyre
Julii
Martyribus
vi. ,
Prudentio, Philippo, Alexandra, Zotico, Nicomedise in Bithynia. There is a Previous
Bessia, Secunda e—t Macario, p. 546. Commentary in six sections and in seventy- *-
Article viii. See "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
four paragraphs. The Acts proper are com prised in three chapters and in thirty para-
script Series, vol. i. , part i.
On the Calen-
graphs. follows.
An Appendix of other documents
dar of
See — 397 to 429. pp.
cxii. 2 See ibid. , p. cxxi.
Oengus, p.
"
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 500.
x
Articleix. See ActaSanctorum,"
tomus vi. , Julii xxviii. Among the preter- mitted saints, p. 500.
2
See at that date, in the Second Volume of this work, Art. i.
:
4 Thus " Nicomedise passio sancti Pan-
taleonis Medici, qui a Maximiniano Impera-
tore pro fide Christi tentus, et equulei poena
ac lampadarum exustione cruciatus, sed
inter hsec Domino sibi apparente refrigeratus,
tandem ictu gladii martyrium consummavit. " Forbes' —" Martyrologium Romanum Gregorii p. 206.
3 See at that date, the Fifth Volume of this work, Art. ii.
—"— Article x. 'Thus: Gandavi Livini
Archiepiscopi translatio. VV. " Bishop
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
436 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 29.
CtoentjMttntl) JBap of 3ulg*
ARTICLE I. —ST. OLAVE, OR ST. OLAF, KING OF NORWAY, AND MARTYR.
[TENTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES. ] CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—AUTHORITIES FOR THE ACTS OF ST. OLAVE—OTHER DISTINGUISHED KINGS, NAMED OLAVE OR OLAF, HIS CONTEMPORARIES—THE DESCENT OF ST. OLAF —HIS BIRTH—EARLY DISPOSITIONS AND DESIRES FOR ADVENTURE.
the present warrior-saint had been greatly venerated in Ireland—
—
fact ; while his veneration in the Irish-Scandinavian parts goes back to a
and THAT
especially by
his Northman
compatriots
is a well ascertained
period, not far removed from the date assigned for his death. Regarding his early history, we fear there are various mistakes and misrepresentations ; while there can hardly be a doubt, that his after career has been coloured with some fanciful accounts, and with several incorrect traditions of the Norwegian Sagas, which in very many instances are flavoured with inventions and romances, that only remotely approach probability, even when they are most prolix in detail. Among a rude people, imaginative stories have greater charms for their minds, than that real information to be derived from a critical and dry investigation of historical evidence. These observations we fear
closely to the Sagas and Eddas of the North. Like many of our
apply
ownbardiccompositions whichforhardihoodofstatementaresodogmatic and circumstantial—they have served to raise a false mirage over the periods, persons, places and subjects of which they treat. However, there seems to be a fair apology—if not a just reason—for classing the present celebrated king among our Irish Saints. According to the traditions of the Catholic missionaries of Norway and of Lapland, St. Olaf was either born in Ireland, or descended from Irish
ble, nor have we been able to verify them from any of the northern records, which have come under our notice.
In another part of this work, allusion has been made to the authorities on Norwegian and Scandinavian history, that are usually quoted, to give any intelligible account, regarding the early state of society and of life, among
2
those Northern nations.
the tenth century, the Christian religion had been introduced into Norway, bytheirfamousKingOlafI. , sumamedTrygveson,whohadhimselfbecome a convert to Christianity. In the beginning of the eleventh century, the same zeal for religion distinguished King Olaf II. , son to Harald, sometimes owing to his corpulency designated the Stout, or the Fat, but in Church history known as
Article l—Chapter 1. —
to a letter of Rev. Robert Foran, C. C. , the 23rd of April, Art. i. Life of the Blessed Waterford, addressed to the author, and Bryan Boroimha, King of Munster, Monarch dated December 18th, 1872. of Ireland, and Martyr, chap. ii.
very
—
parents.
1 We know not if such traditions are relia-
There, it has been stated, that before the close of
According
2 See the Fourth Volume of this work, at
July 29. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 437
St. Olaf. With his personal career, we are now concerned. Long before
both of the foregoing distinguished potentates lived, their namesake, Olaf I. , a King of Sweden, flourished. He was likewise a convert to Christianity,* and he endeavoured to introduce it among his people there ; but these rebelled against him, and he was sacrificed to the idols of Upsal, so that the Church has commemorated him, also, at this very same day, as a saint and as a martyr. We must therefore be on our guard, not to confound the saint and martyr, King of Norway, Olaf II. , with the saint and martyr, King of Sweden, Olaf I. . The latter was massacred at Birca, the usual residence of the Swedish Kings at that time, and from which Stockholm is said to have taken its rise, although built at a considerable distance from it. * In like manner, and nearly at the same time, the seeds of the Gospel appear to have beensetamongtheDanes,andbythesamemissionary,St. Ansgar. s More than another century elapsed, before the grace of conversion was introduced among the Norwegians ; and, in all of those cases, it was found to be greatly opposed to the idolatrous superstitions and pagan practices of those fierce northern inhabitants, who had already become a terror as sea-rovers to the more southern Christian nations. However, their conquests had the happy result of bringing them into contact with people, directed by a religious and moralcode,thatgraduallyinfluencedtheiropinionsandsentiments; while a higher degree of civilization and of culture was sure to dominate over their rude and ruthless instincts ; so that, the subjugating spirit of conquest became subdued, in the course of time, by the ministers of Christ's Church. They were enabled, at length, to unfold its doctrines and morality to the rapacious and destructive invaders of its homes and shrines. In Ireland, especially, and soon after their settlement as colonists, the Norwegians, Swedes and Danes became amenable to the rule and laws of religion, when their former impious ritesandusageswerecompletelyabandoned. Suchrefluxofsentimentand feeling also brought a knowledge of Christian truth back to the home of their idolatrous ancestors.
Already, at the 30th of March, some account of the celebrated Christian
6
However, it is not so certain, that his feast should be assigned to that date ;?
8 and,itmaybe,thatsomeotherSt. Olave,orAulaf,hadbeenintended. Inthe
Norwegian Chronicles, this present celebrated sairft is frequently called Olaf Haraldson, and Olaf Helge or theHoly. 9 The first intelligible account given of St. Olaf was by Adam of Bremen, 10 who wrote during that age, when his subject
King of Norway, St. Olave, called the Apostle of that country, will be found.
3 He flourished in the earlier part of the ninth century, when St. Ansgar or St. Ans- charius preached the faith with great success among the Swedes ; but, it was found to be a matter of insuperable difficulty to main- tain the fruits of his teaching. That illus-
committed, in confounding King Aulaf Tryggvesson and Aulaf Kyrre, with the pre- sent saint ; as also in a few other passages,
8 Nor can this be St. Olaus, King of Swe- den, converted to the faith by St. Anschanus, and who became a martyr, since his feast has been also assigned to the present date,
of the Northern Nations be- came Bishop of Hamburgh and Bremen, about the year 862. He died at Bremen A. D. 865, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. Soon after his death, his name was inscribed in the Martyrologies and Calen-
(j ars
t According to Puffendorfs History of
Sweden, tome i. , p. 70.
s His festival is 'celebrated on the 3rd of
February.
6 See the Third Volume of this work, at
that date, Art. xvi.
1 Here' we desire to correct errors there
trious
Apostle
"
Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints,
vol. vii. , July xxix.
9 See Saxo Grammaticus Histona
Danise," lib. x. , fol. 94 to 90.
I0 He was a native of Upper Saxony, and
he travelled in some countries of the North. He became a canon of Bremen in 1067, and he was director of a school in that city. His best known work is intituled "Historic Ecclesiasticse Ecclesise Hamburgensis et Bremensis, Vicinorumque Locorum Septen- trionalium, ab Anno 788 ad 1076," lib. iv.
.
See Rev. Alban Butlers
Lives of the
>
438
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 29.
lived. Heusedauthorities,however,andstatements,whichweresufficientlycon-
flicting,andthisdivergenceappearstobeexemplifiedinhisHistory. Heseems to have collected much of his materials relating to the northern nations, from missionaries, while he was there, and to have embodied them in his work. Another narrative of our saint is that by Theodricus, a monk of Nidrosia, who flourished in the twelfth century, and who composed a History of the Kings of Norway. On account of his time and place, the authority attaching to his statements should greatly commend it to us. He affirms in the Pro- logue and in his History, that the Icelandic traditions were much respected in Norway, although many of the more ancient monuments had perished, while not a few remained, and among others a Vita S. Olavi. Yet, it is not stated, by whom it had been composed, nor at what time. " In like manner, Saxo Grammaticus, 12 the Danish historian, who flourished towards the close of the twelfth and the commencement of the thirteenth century, has treated about St. Olaf x3 also Eric Olaus, deacon of 1* besides,
} Upsal
Magnus, Archbishop of Upsal, and Olaus Magnus, have written regarding
him. This renowned and saint is recorded king
Snorro x s and Sturleson,
by
by Einar Skulason,16 as also in the Fornmanna-Sogur,^ by Munch,18 and by
x 9as also in Ersch's andGruber's
20 The of "Saga King
Maurer,
poet Longfellow. extant, likewise,
22
Olaf Tryggvason," taken from the Heimskringla, is found versified by the Ameri-
can 21 Thereis the"PassioetMiraculaBeati
at the
Challenor,
Baring-Gould.
of St. Olavus, King and Martyr, so far as they can be evolved from the northern histories and chronicles, while these accounts have been elaborately compiled and edited, by Father Peter Bosch. 29 They comprise a historic commentary in eleven sections, consisting of one hundred and twenty-seven paragraphs, and preceding short Acts,s° by some anonymous writer. These
29th day
2 s Rev.
July, Alban
hagiographical
Cressy, Bishop
and Rev. S.
HelmsUedt, 1762, 4k). 13 "
w See "Dublin Review," Third Series,
No. xii. , April, 1884, Art. iii. , pp. 307to 316.
'3 Published at Oxford, in 1881,
8*See " of under Church-History England
Saxon and Danish Monarchs," part iv. , book xxxiv. , chap, ix. , pp. 942, 943.
*s See "A Memorial of British Piety," p. no.
2<5 See"Livesofthe and Fathers, Martyrs
other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xxix.
of
In Historia Danica,"lib. x.
MIn"HistoriaGothorum lib. ii.
1
26 Les The Bollandists have
Petits inserted,
2 ? at this same
28
This esteemed work has passed through
various editions. That published by John
Mader at Helstaedt, in 1670, 4to, is held to be the best.
n The Bollandist Boschius remarks of it, vetusto tamen inscripta codici, quern ab insula, ubi dilituit, Occidentalis Islandiaj,
F'lateyensem appellant. "
'- He was born probably in one of the
Danish Islands, and of a noble family; his
father and grandfather serving in the army
ofWaldemarI. Heenteredintoholyorders,
and a of his life in a Swe- passed great part
dish monastery. He died after A. D. 1203.
See Reimer, "De VitaSaxonis Grammatici. "
the Acts
tomes i. ,ii. Copenhagen, 1829. Itwas trans- lated into Latin there, and published, A. D.
1833.
Ib In " Det Norke Folks-Historie. "
** In " Die Bekehrung des Norwegis« chen Stammes. "
2°
"
•s In the " edr Ko- Heimskringla Noregs
nunga-Sogor," tomus ii. , llavnia? , 1778, fol. 16 See the " Olafs Saga Helga," in Forn-
manna-Sogur, with Latin translation, in " Scripta Historica Islondorum. "
3? See "Vies des tome Saints,"
ix. ,
*9 See Saga Olafs Konungs bins Helga,
xxixe Jourde Juillet, pp.