The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran Part 1

The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran.

by Anonymous.

INTRODUCTION

Of all the saints of Ireland, whose names are recorded in the native Martyrologies, probably there were none who made so deep an impression upon the minds of their fellow-countrymen as did Ciaran[1] of Clonmacnois. He stands, perhaps, second only to Brigit of Kildare in this respect; for Patrick was a foreigner, and Colum Cille accomplished his work and exercised his influence outside the sh.o.r.es of Ireland.

Doubtless much of the importance of Ciaran is reflected back from the outstanding importance of his great foundation--the monastic university, as it is fair to call it, of _Cluain maccu Nois_ (in an English setting spelt "Clonmacnois"), on the sh.o.r.e of the Shannon. But this cannot be the whole explanation of the esteem in which he was held; it must be at least partly due to the memory of his own character and personality.

Such a conclusion is indicated if we examine critically the _Lives_ of this saint, translations of which are given in the present volume, and compare them with the lives of other Irish saints. In studying all these doc.u.ments we must bear in mind that none of them are, in any modern sense of the word, biographies. A biography, in the proper definition of the term, gives an ordered account of the life of its subject, with dates, and endeavours to trace the influences which shaped his character and his career, and the manner in which he himself influenced his surroundings. The so-called lives of saints are properly to be regarded as _homilies_. They were composed to be read to a.s.semblies of the Faithful, as sermons for the festivals of the saints with whom they deal; and their purpose was to edify the hearers by presenting catalogues of the virtues of their subjects, and, especially, of their thaumaturgic powers. Thus they do not possess the unity of ordered and well-designed biographies; they consist of disconnected anecdotes, describing how this event or that gave occasion for a miraculous display.

It follows that to the historian in search of unvarnished records of actual fact these doc.u.ments are useless, without most drastic criticism. They were compiled long after the time of their subjects, from tales, doubtless at first, and probably for a considerable time, transmitted by oral tradition. It would be natural that there should be much cross-borrowing, tales told about one saint being adapted to others as well, until they became stock incidents. It would also be nothing more than natural that many elements in the Lives should be survivals from more ancient mythologies, having their roots in pre-Christian beliefs. Nevertheless, none of these writings are devoid of value as pictures of life and manners; and even in descriptions of incredible and pointless miracles precious sc.r.a.ps of folk-lore are often embedded. In most, if not in all, cases, the incidents recorded in the Lives are to be criticised as genuine traditions, whatever their literal historicity may be; few, if any, are conscious inventions or impostures.[2]

In the Lives of Ciaran there are many conventional incidents of this kind, which reappear in the lives of other saints. In the Annotations in the present edition a few such parallels are quoted; though no attempt is made to give an exhaustive list, the compilation of which would occupy more time and s.p.a.ce than its scientific value would warrant. But there are certain other incidents of a more individual type, and it is these which make the Lives of Ciaran especially remarkable. They may well be genuine reminiscences of the real life, or at least of the real character of the man himself. Thus, there are a number of coincidences, clearly undesigned (noted below, p. 104) consistently pointing to a pre-Celtic parentage for the saint. Again, the saint's mother is represented as a strong personality, with a decided strain of "thrawnness" in her composition; while the saint himself is shown to us as distinguished by a beautiful unselfishness.

This, it must be confessed, is very far from being a common character of the Irish saints, as they are represented to us by the native hagiologists; and in any case the character-drawing of the average Irish saint's life is so rudimentary, that when we are thus enabled to detect well-defined traits, we are quite justified in accepting them as based on the tradition of the actual personality of the saint. In other words, so deep was the impression which the man made upon his contemporaries during his short life, that his _memorabilia_ seem to be, on the whole, of a more definitely historic nature than are those of other Irish saints.

There is, however, a disturbing element which must be kept in mind in criticising the Lives of Ciaran. He was the son of a carpenter, and he was said to have died at the age of thirty-three. It is quite clear that these coincidences with the facts of the earthly parentage and death of Christ were observed by the homilists--indeed the author of the Irish Life says as much, at the end of his work. They provoked a natural and perhaps wholly unconscious desire to draw other parallels; and if we may use a convenient German technical term, there is a traceable _Tendenz_ in this direction, as is indicated in the Annotations on later pages. It is not to be supposed that even these apparently imitative incidents are (not to mince matters) mere pious frauds; they may well have come into existence in the folk-consciousness automatically, before they received their present literary form. But such a development could hardly have centred in an unworthy subject; there must have been a well-established tradition of a _Christ-likeness_ of character in the man, for such parallels in detail to have taken shape.[3]

The homiletic purpose of these doc.u.ments is most clearly shown in the Irish Life. This was written to be preached as a sermon on the saint's festival ["this day _to-day_," -- 1], at Clonmacnois ["he came _to this town_," -- 34: "a fragment of the cask remained _here_ till recently,"

-- 36: "_here_ are the relics of Ciaran," -- 41. Similarly the First Latin Life, -- 35, calls the saint "_Our_ most holy patron"]. The actual date of the Irish sermon is less easy to fix; the language has been modernised step by step in the process of transmission from ma.n.u.script to ma.n.u.script, but originally it may have been written about the eleventh century, though incorporating fragments of earlier material. The pa.s.sage just quoted, saying that a certain relic had remained _till recently_, may possibly indicate that the homily had been delivered shortly after one of the many burnings and plunderings which the monastery suffered; in such a calamity the relic might have perished. The prophecy put into Ciaran's mouth, that "there would be great persecution of his city from evil men in the end of the world"

[Irish Life, -- 38] seems to relate to such an event: it is very suggestive that exactly the same exprestion "great persecution from evil men" (_ingrem mor o droch-daoinibh_) is used in the _Chronicon Scotorum_ of certain raids on the monastery which took place in the year A.D. 1091; and that on the strength of an old prophecy there was a belief in Ireland that the world was destined to come to an end in the year 1096, as we learn from the _Annals of the Four Masters_ under that date.[4] It must, however, be remembered that a date determined for a single incident does not necessarily date the whole compilation containing it.

The text of the First Latin Life (here called for convenience of reference LA) is found in an early fifteenth-century MS. in Marsh's Library, Dublin. It has been edited, without translation, by the Rev.

C. Plummer in his most valuable _Vitae Sanctorum Hiberniae_ (Oxford, 1910) vol. i, pp. 200-216. The translation given in this volume has been made from Plummer's edition, which I have collated with the original MS.[5]

The text of the Second Latin Life (LB) is contained in two MSS. in the Bodleian Library (Rawl. B 485 and Rawl. B 505, here called R1 and R2).

Of these R2 is a direct copy of R1, as has been proved by Plummer, in his description of these ma.n.u.scripts.[6] As to their date, there is no agreement; the estimate for R1 ranges from the first half of the thirteenth to the fourteenth century, R2 being necessarily somewhat later. The Life of Ciaran contained in these MSS. has been used by Plummer in editing LA, and extracts from it are printed in his footnotes. It has not, however, been previously printed in its entirety, and a transcript made by myself is therefore added here, in an Appendix.

The text of the Third Latin Life (LC) is contained in the well-known Brussels MS., called _Codex Salmaticensis_ from its former sojourn at Salamanca. It is of the fourteenth century. This was the only continuous authority at the disposal of the compiler of the Bollandist life of our saint; he speaks of it in the most contemptuous terms. The life of Ciaran in this ma.n.u.script is a mere fragment, evidently copied from an imperfect exemplar; there seems to have been a chasm in the middle, and there is a lacuna at the end, which the scribe has endeavoured to conceal by adding the words "Finit, Amen." The translation here given has been prepared from the edition of the Salamanca MS. by de Smedt and de Backer, cols. 155-160.

The Irish Life (here denoted VG, i.e. _Vita Goedelica_) was edited by Whitley Stokes from the late fifteenth-century MS. called the _Book of Lismore._[7] The numerous errors in the Lismore text may be to some extent corrected by collation with another Brussels MS., written in the seventeenth century by Micheal o Cleirigh. Stokes has indicated the more important readings of the Brussels MS. in his edition. The scribe of the Lismore Text was conscious of the defects of his copy: for in a note appended to the Life of our saint, he says, "It is not I who am responsible for the meaningless words in this _Life_, but the bad ma.n.u.script"--_i.e._ the imperfect exemplar of which he was making a transcript.

There were other Lives of the saint in existence, apparently no longer extant. Of these, one was in the hands of the hagiographer Sollerius: for in his edition of the _Martyrologium_ of Usuardus (Antwerp, 1714, p. 523) he says, _Querani, Kirani, uel Kiriani uitam MS. habemus.

uariaque ad eam annotata, quae suo tempore digerentur_. This promise he does not appear to have fulfilled; the Bollandist compiler, as we have just noticed, had no materials but the imperfect Salamanca Life, and was forced to fill its many gaps as best he could, by diligently collecting references to Ciaran in the lives of other saints. Another Life of the saint seems to be referred to in the _Martyrology of Donegal_; under the 10th May that compilation quotes a certain "Life of Ciaran of Cluain" (_i.e._ Clonmacnois) as the authority for a statement to the effect that "the order of Comgall [of Bangor, Co.

Down] was one of the eight orders that were in Ireland." It would be irrelevant to discuss here the meaning of this statement; its importance for us lies in the fact that the sentence is not found in any of the extant Lives, so that some other text, now unknown, must be in question.

Ciaran of Clonmacnois was not the only saint of that name. Besides his well-known namesake of Saighir (Seir-Kieran, King's Co.), there were a few lesser stars called Ciaran, and there is danger of confusion between them. The name reappears in Cornwall, with the regular Brythonic change of Q to P, in the form Pieran or Pirran. This Pieran is wrongly identified by Skene[8] with our saint; a single glance at the abstract of the Life of St. Pieran given by Sir T.D. Hardy[9]

will show how mistaken this identification is. A similar confusion is probably at the base of the curious statement in Adam King's _Scottish Kalendar of Saints_, that Quera.n.u.s was an "abot in Scotl[=a]d under king Ethus, [anno] 876" and of Camerarius' description of him as "abbas Foilensis in Scotia."[10]

The four doc.u.ments of which translations are printed in this book relate almost, though not quite, the same series of incidents. There is a sufficient divergence between them, both in selection and in order, as well as in the minor details, to make the determination of their mutual relationship a difficult problem. We must regard all four as independent compositions, though based on a common group of sources, which, in the first instance, were doubtless disjointed _memorabilia_, preserved by oral tradition in Clonmacnois. These would in time gradually become fitted into the four obvious phases of the saint's actual life--his boyhood, his schooldays, his wanderings, and his final settlement at Clonmacnois. It is not difficult to form a plausible theory as to how the systematisation took place, and also as to how the slight variants between different versions of the same story arose. The composition of hymns to the founder and patron would surely be a favourite literary exercise in Clonmacnois. In such hymns the different incidents would be told and re-told, the details varying with the knowledge and the metrical skill of the versifiers. There are excerpts from such hymns, in Irish, scattered through VG: and LB ends with a _pasticcio_ of similar fragments in Latin. As a number of different metres are employed, both in the Irish and in the Latin extracts, there must have been at least as many independent compositions drawn upon by the compilers of the prose Lives: and it is noteworthy that there are occasionally discrepancies in detail between the verse fragments and their present prose setting. Most probably the prose Lives were based directly on the hymns; one preacher would use one hymn as his chief authority, another would use another, and thus the petty differences between them would become fixed, perhaps exaggerated as the prose writer filled in details for which the exigencies of verse allowed no scope. It is probably impossible to carry the history of the tradition further.

In order to facilitate comparison between the four doc.u.ments, I have divided them into _incidents_, and have provided t.i.tles to each. These t.i.tles are so chosen that they may be used for every presentation of the incident, however the details may vary. The t.i.tles are numbered with _Roman_ numerals, whilst the successive incidents within each of the Lives are numbered consecutively with _Arabic_ numerals. The _Harmony of the Four Lives_, which follows this Introduction, will make cross-reference easy.

No modern biography, no edition of the ancient homiletic Lives, of Ciaran could be considered complete without a history of Clonmacnois, through which being dead he yet spake to his countrymen for a thousand years. It was the editor's intention to include such a history in the present volume; and this part of the projected work was drafted. But as it progressed, and as the indispensable material increased in bulk, it became evident that it would be impossible to do justice to the subject within the narrow limits of a volume of the present series. A slight or superficial history of Clonmacnois would be worse than none, as it would block the way for the fuller treatment which the subject well deserves. The materials collected for this part of the work have therefore been reserved for the present: it is hoped that their publication will not be long delayed.

THE FIRST LATIN LIFE OF SAINT CIARAN

_Here beginneth the Life of Saint Kiara.n.u.s,[1] Abbot and Confessor._

II. THE ORIGIN AND BIRTH OF CIARAN: THE WIZARD'S PROPHECIES

1. The holy abbot Kyara.n.u.s sprang from the people of the Latronenses, which are in the region of Midhe, that is, in the middle of Ireland.

His father, who was a cart-wright, was called Beonnadus; now the same was a rich man; and he took him a wife by name Derercha, of whom he begat five sons and three daughters. Of these there were four priests and one deacon, who were born in this order, with these names--the first Lucennus, the second Dona.n.u.s, the third that holy abbot Kyara.n.u.s, the fourth Odra.n.u.s, the fifth Crona.n.u.s, who was the deacon.

Also the three daughters were named Lugbeg, and Raichbe, and Pata.

Lugbeg and Raichbe were two holy virgins; Pata, however, was at first married, but afterwards she was a holy widow. Now inasmuch as the wright Beonedus himself was grievously burdened by the imposts of Ainmireach King of Temoria, he, eluding the pressure of the impost, departed from his own region, that is from the coasts of Midhe, into the territories of the Conactha. There he dwelt in the plain of Aei, with the king Crimtha.n.u.s; and there he begat Saint Kyara.n.u.s, whose Life this is.

Now his birth was prophesied by a wizard of the aforesaid king, who said, before all the folk, "The son who is in the womb of the wife of Beoedus the wright shall be had in honour before G.o.d and before men; as the sun shineth in heaven so shall he himself by his holiness shine in Ireland." Afterwards Saint Kyara.n.u.s was born in the province of the Connachta, namely in the plain of Aei, in the stronghold called Raith Crimthain; and he was baptized by a certain holy deacon who was called Diarmaid in the Scotic [= Irish] tongue; but afterwards he was named Iustus, for it was fitting that a "just one" should be baptized by a "Iustus." And Saint Ciaran was reared with his parents in the aforesaid place, and by all things the grace of G.o.d was manifested within him.

III. HOW CIARAN RAISED THE STEED OF OENGUS FROM DEATH

2. One day the best horse of Aengussius, son of the aforesaid King Crimhtha.n.u.s, died suddenly, and he was greatly distressed at the death of his best horse. Now when in sorrow he had fallen asleep, in his dreams a shining man appeared to him, saying to him, "Sorrow not concerning thy horse, for among you there is a boykin [_puerulus_], Saint Kiara.n.u.s son of Beoedus the wright, who by G.o.d's grace can quicken thy horse. Let him pour water into the mouth of the horse, with prayer, and upon its face, and forthwith it shall arise sound.

And do thou bestow a gift on the boy for the quickening of thy horse."

Now when Aengus son of the king was awakened out of sleep, he told these words to his friends; and he himself came to Saint Kyara.n.u.s and led him up to the place where the horse was lying dead. When the dutiful boy Kyara.n.u.s poured water into the mouth and on the face of the horse, it forthwith rose from death and stood whole before them all. The son of the king bestowed that field, which was great and the best, upon Saint Kiara.n.u.s in perpetuity.

IV. HOW CIARAN TURNED WATER INTO HONEY

3. On another day the mother of Saint Kyara.n.u.s upbraided him, saying, "The sensible other boys bring honey to their parents every day, from the fields and the places where honey is found. But this our son, weak and soft as he is, bringeth us no honey." The holy boy Kyara.n.u.s, hearing this saying of his mother chiding him, made his way to a spring hard by, and thence filled a vessel with water. When he blessed it, honey of the best was made from the water, and he gave it to his mother. But his parents, astonished at the miracle, sent that honey to the deacon Iustus, who had baptized him, that he might himself see the miracle wrought by G.o.d through the boy whom he baptized. When he had heard and seen it, he gave thanks to Christ, and prayed for the boy.

VI. HOW CIARAN AND HIS INSTRUCTOR CONVERSED, THOUGH DISTANT FROM ONE ANOTHER

4. The holy boy Kyara.n.u.s, as he kept the flocks of his parents, was wont to read the Psalms with Saint Diarmatus. But that teaching was imparted in a manner to us most wondrous. For Saint Kiara.n.u.s was keeping the flocks in the southern part of the plain of Aei, and Saint Diarmatus was dwelling in the northern part of the same plain, and the plain was of great extent between them. And thus, from afar off, they would salute each the other at ease, with words, across the s.p.a.ces of the plain; and the elder would teach the boy from his cell across the plain, and the boy would read, sitting upon a rock in the field. The which rock is reverenced unto this day, as the Cross of Christ, called by the name of Kyara.n.u.s, is placed upon it. Now thus by divine favour were the holy ones wont to hear each the other, while others heard them not.

IX. HOW CIARAN RESTORED A CALF WHICH A WOLF HAD DEVOURED

5. On a day when Saint Kyara.n.u.s was keeping the herds, a cow gave birth to a calf in his presence. Now in that hour the dutiful boy saw a wretched wasted hungry wolf a-coming towards him, and G.o.d's servant said to him, "Go, poor wretch, and devour that calf." Forthwith the famished hound fell upon the calf and devoured it. But when the holy herd-boy had come home with his herds, the cow, seeking her calf, was making a loud outcry; and when Derercha, mother of Saint Kyara.n.u.s, saw it, she said unto him, "Kyara.n.u.s, where is the calf of yonder cow?

Restore it, although it be from sea or from land. For thou has lost it, and its mother's heart is sore vexed." When Saint Kyara.n.u.s heard these words, he returned to the place where the calf was devoured, and collected its bones into his breast; then returning, he laid them before the cow as she lamented. Straightway, by divine mercy, by reason of the holiness of the boy, the calf arose before them all, and stood whole upon its feet, sporting with its mother. Then those who stood by lifted up their voices in praise to G.o.d, blessing the boy.

V. HOW CIARAN WAS DELIVERED FROM A HOUND

6. As the dutiful boy Kyara.n.u.s was going out to a homestead hard by, certain worldly men, cruel and malignant, let loose a most savage hound at him, so that it should devour him. When Saint Kyara.n.u.s saw the fierce hound coming towards him, he appropriated a verse of the Psalmist, saying, "Lord, deliver not the soul that trusteth in Thee unto beasts." Now as the hound was rushing vehemently, by divine favour it thrust its head into the ring-fastening of a calf; and tied by the ring-fastening, it struck its head against the timber to which the fastening was hanging, and thus it broke its head. Its head being broken and the brains scattered, the dog expired. When they saw this they feared greatly.

X. HOW CIARAN WAS DELIVERED FROM ROBBERS

7. On another day certain robbers, coming from a foreign region, found Saint Kiara.n.u.s alone, reading beside his herds; and they thought to slay him and to reave his herds. But as they came toward him with that intent, they were smitten with blindness, and could move neither hand nor foot till they had wrought repentance, praying him for their sight. Then the dutiful shepherd, seeing them turned from their wickedness, prayed for them, and forthwith they were loosed and their sight restored (_soluti sunt in lumine suo_). And they returned and offered thanks, and told this to many.

XI. HOW CIARAN GAVE A GIFT OF CATTLE