The n.o.ble Cathedral of Kirkwall rose over the tomb of St. Magnus one of the most popular of the pre-Reformation saints of Scotland. It was founded by the nephew of the martyr, twenty years after he suffered, and to it were translated the remains of St. Magnus, which {63} had hitherto reposed in a more humble sanctuary at Birsay. In all probability they still rest undisturbed in the cathedral which bears the name of the saint.
Like many of the early English saints, Magnus received the t.i.tle of martyr rather from the popular voice than by the decision of ecclesiastical authority. As his story shows, he merited the t.i.tle by shedding his blood not so much in defence of the Christian Faith as in behalf of the virtues of a Christian life, whose brilliancy excited the jealous anger of his enemies.
St. Magnus was the son of Erlin, Earl of Orkney. He was distinguished from childhood by an uprightness of life which indicated his future sanct.i.ty. Erlin was opposed by Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway, who made him prisoner and seized his possessions, carrying off the young Magnus to act as his personal attendant. After ravaging the Western Isles the Norwegian king encountered, off the Island of Anglesey, the forces of the Norman Earls of Chester and Shrewsbury, and defeated them with much slaughter. The young Magnus {64} refused to take any part in the unjust warfare, and remained in his ship engaged in prayer throughout the battle. He was soon after able to escape to the court of Malcolm III, where he remained for some time in safety.
Magnus bitterly lamented for the rest of his days the excesses into which he had fallen in the life of constant warfare and strife which had been his lot with the Norwegians; whatever their guilt may have been, it was his constant endeavour to atone for them by penance and prayer.
The family possessions in the Orkneys were regained on the death of Barefoot, but fresh contests were stirred up when Haco, cousin of St.
Magnus, laid claim to them for himself. To avoid bloodshed St. Magnus agreed to a meeting with Haco in the island of Egilshay that thus the dispute might be settled in a friendly manner. Haco, however, was a traitor; and caused his own forces to be drawn round the unarmed Magnus to compa.s.s his destruction. The latter, made aware of the treachery, and unable to make any defence, prepared for his conflict by a night of prayer in {65} the church, and the reception of the Sacraments. Then, when morning dawned, he advanced courageously to confront his murderers, and met a barbarous death with Christian fort.i.tude. The only Catholic cathedral in Scotland which remains entire still shelters the body of a saint. It may be that G.o.d has spared it to restore it to Catholic worship through the merits of St.
Magnus. The feast, known in the Middle Ages as "Magnusmas," was restored by Pope Leo XIII. His fair was formerly held at Watten-Wester in Caithness. A holy well at Birsay, in Orkney, bears his name.
17--St. Donnan and Companions, Martyrs, A.D. 617.
Like St. Columba, whose countryman he was, St. Donnan left his native Ireland and pa.s.sed over to Scotland, where he established a monastery on the Island of Eigg, one of the Inner Hebrides. While celebrating the Holy Mysteries on Easter morning the abbot and his monks were surprised by a horde of pirates, possibly Danes, who had been instigated by a malicious woman to put them to death. At F {66} the prayer of the monks they granted them a respite till Ma.s.s was finished, and then put them all to the sword. The martyrs numbered fifty-three.
Many churches, especially in the west, bore St. Donnan"s dedication.
Among them were Kildonan of Eigg, Arran, South Uist, Kintyre, and Lochbroom. On the island of his martyrdom is the saint"s well. St.
Donnan"s abbatial staff existed up to the Reformation; it was treasured at Auchterless, Aberdeenshire, where "Donan Fair" was held as late as 1851. Another fair used to be held at Kildonan, in Sutherlandshire. The feast of these martyrs was restored to the Scottish Calendar by Leo XIII in 1898.
18--St. Laserian or Molios, Abbot, A.D. 639.
This saint was of princely race in Ireland. He seems to have been brought to Scotland at an early age, and to have been sent to Ireland for his education. Later on he returned to Scotland for a life of sanct.i.ty and solitude. A small island in the bay of Lamlash, off the coast of Arran, became his abode for many {67} years. His virtues gave it the name it still bears of Holy Island.
St. Laserian seems to have made a pilgrimage to Rome, where he was raised to the priest hood. Returning to Ireland, he afterwards became abbot of the monastery of Leighlin. He is said to have espoused with much zeal the Roman usage with regard to Easter.
In Holy Island, which was so long his solitary abode, are still to be seen traces of his residence. A cave scooped out of the rock bears his name, and a rocky ledge is called "St. Molio"s Bed." A spring of clear water near the cave is also pointed out as the saint"s well, and miraculous properties have been attributed to it. The cave itself is marked with many pilgrims crosses.
21--St. Maelrubha, Abbot, A.D. 722.
He was born of n.o.ble race in Ireland, and in early life began his monastic life under the rule of his relative, St. Comgal, at Bangor.
When he reached the age of twenty-nine he pa.s.sed over the sea to Scotland, and founded at Applecross, in Ross, a monastery, over which {68} he ruled for more than fifty years. During his residence in Scotland he founded a church on a small island in the beautiful lake now known as Loch Maree, which takes its name from this saint.
St. Maelrubha acquired a great reputation for sanct.i.ty throughout the west coast of Scot land and the islands adjacent, where he was one of the most popular of the Irish saints in Catholic ages. An old Scottish tradition, quoted by the Aberdeen Breviary, says that he met his death at the hands of pagan Norwegians, at Urquhart, in the Black Isle, on the eastern side of Ross-shire, and that he was left lying severely wounded, but still alive, for three days, during which angels consoled him. A bright light, hovering over the spot, is said to have discovered the dying saint to a neighbouring priest, and thus procured for him the partic.i.p.ation in "the Body of the Immaculate Lamb" before he expired. His t.i.tle to martyrdom is, however, disputed by later authorities.
The devotion of Catholics to this saint is attested by the numerous dedications of churches to his memory. At least twenty-one of these {69} are enumerated by antiquarians. Chief are Applecross (where he was laid to rest), Loch Maree, Urquhart (the reputed place of his martyrdom), Portree, Arasaig, Forres, Fordyce, Keith, Contin and Gairloch. In these dedications the saint"s name a.s.sumes various forms, such as Maree, Mulruy, Mury, Samareirs (St. Mareirs, at Forres), Summaruff (St. Maruff, at Fordyce), and many others.
Many place of interest in connection with this saint may still be found. At Applecross, in the vicinity of the ruins of the church, is the martyr"s grave, called _Cladh Maree_, near the churchyard is "Maelrubha"s River," while two miles away is the saint"s seat, called in Gaelic _Suidhe Maree_. Several other traces of him are to be discovered in the place-names of the neighbourhood.
Loch Maree is the most interesting locality connected with St.
Maelrubha. A small island in the loch called _Innis Maree_ contains an ancient chapel and a burial place. Near it is a deep well, renowned for the efficacy of its water in the cure of lunacy. An oak tree hard by is studded with nails, to each of which was {70} formerly attached a shred of clothing belonging to some pilgrim visitor. Many pennies and other coins have at various times been driven edgewise into the bark of the tree, and it is fast closing over them. These are the Protestant equivalents to votive offerings at the shrine.
At Forres, in Moray, an annual fair was held on this day, as also at Fordyce, Pitlessie (Fife), and Lairg (Sutherland) at the latter place under the name of St. Murie. Keith in Banffshire was formerly known as Kethmalruf, or "Keith of Maelrubha." At Contin, near Dingwall, the ancient church was dedicated to the saint; its annual fair called _Feille Maree_, and familiarly known as the "August Market," was transferred to Dingwall. Many other memorials of this saint are to be found in Ross-shire. It is worthy of note that many dedications formerly supposed to be in honour of Our Lady are now identified as those of St. Maelrubha under the t.i.tle of Maree; this is proved by the traditional p.r.o.nunciation of their respective names.
St. Maelrubha is one of the Scottish saints whose _cultus_ was approved by Rome in 1898, {71} and whose feast has been consequently restored in many of the Scottish dioceses. It was formerly observed in Scotland on August 27, but has been always kept in Ireland on this day.
21--St. Egbert, Priest and Monk, A.D. 729.
He was an Englishman of good family, who, after some years of study in the monastery of Lindisfarne, followed the almost universal custom of those days and pa.s.sed over to Ireland, then renowned for its monastic schools, entering the monastery of Melfont. During his stay there a pestilence broke out which carried off a great number of the inmates. Egbert prayed earnestly to be spared that he might live a life of penance, making a vow never more to return to England, to recite daily the whole psalter in addition to the canonical hours, and to fast from all food one day in each week for the rest of his life. His vow was accepted and his life spared.
After some years Egbert was raised to the priesthood, and his zeal for souls led him to desire to preach the faith to the pagan people of that part of Germany then known as Friesland, In this project he was joined by some {72} of his pious companions. A vessel had been chartered, and all things were ready, when it was revealed to Egbert through a holy monk that G.o.d had other designs in his regard; in obedience to this intimation the voyage was at once abandoned.
The later life of Egbert exemplifies the way in which G.o.d chooses and preserves the instruments for accomplishing His Will. Entering the monastery of Iona when already advanced in years, he spent the last thirteen years of his life in untiring efforts to induce the monks to give up the Celtic traditions to which they clung, and to conform to the Roman computation of Easter. His sweetness and gentleness were at last rewarded. On Easter Day 729 he pa.s.sed away at the ripe age of ninety, "rejoicing," as St. Bede says, "that he had been detained here long enough to see them keep the feast with him on that day, which before they had always avoided."
Though the monks of Iona did not then, as a body, accept the Roman custom, yet the seeds sown by Egbert bore fruit eventually in complete conformity with the rest of the Church, {73} St. Egbert thus merits a high place among the saints of Scotland, although but a short period of his life was spent in the country. He also shares with St. Willibrord the renown of converting Friesland to the Faith; for it was by his example and persuasion that the latter was induced to undertake the work which terminated so successfully. On account of his connection with the conversion of the country, the feast of St.
Egbert was formerly celebrated in the diocese of Utrecht. Some authors maintain that St. Egbert never took monastic vows, but was a priest living in the monastery; others say, and with good reason, that he was a bishop.
25--St. Cunibert, Bishop, A.D. 699.
This saint was entrusted by his parents for his education to some monks living in a monastery near the Tay, whose site cannot now be identified. He became a priest, and afterwards bishop. Towards the end of his days he retired into solitude as a hermit, and thus finished his earthly course.
St. Machalus, Bishop, A.D. 498.
He was a bishop in the Isle of Man, which {74} then formed part of Scotland. His name is variously written as Machalus, Mach.e.l.la, and Mauchold. One of the parishes in the island bears his name, and in the churchyard is the saint"s holy well. A ledge of rock hard by is called his "chair"; it used to be a favourite devotion of pilgrims to seat themselves on this ledge while drinking the miraculous water of the well and invoking the saint"s aid. The water is said to have been effective in preventing the action of poison. Many churches in Scotland are called by his name. There was a chapel near Chapeltown in Banffshire known as Kilmaichlie, which seems to refer to this saint. A holy well is still to be found in the vicinity.
29--St. Middan, Bishop.
Very little is known of this saint. Some think him to be identical with St. Madden or Medan, who was honoured at Airlie, in Angus. Near the church of Airlie is a spring called by the name of St. Medan, and a hillock hard by is known as "St. Medan"s Knowe." The bell of the saint was also preserved there till it was sold for old iron during the last century. Ecclesmaldie, {75} now called Inglismaldie, in the Mearns, has also a "Maidie Well," which may possibly be connected with St. Middan.
30--St. Brioc, Bishop, A.D. 500.
This saint was British by birth. He became a disciple of St. Germa.n.u.s and devoted himself to preaching the Gospel to his fellow-country men. Flying for his life from the fury of the pagan Saxons, he pa.s.sed over the sea to Brittany, and there built a monastery on the sea coast which was afterwards called by his name. The town which grew up in the vicinity became the seat of a bishop, and is still known as St. Brieuc.
There is no record of the saint having visited Scotland, but there was much devotion to him among Celtic peoples, and Scottish dedications bear witness to the honour in which he was held in that country. He is the patron of Rothesay; the church bore the designation of St. Mary and St. Brioc, and "St. Brock"s Fair" was held there on the first Wednesday in May. "Brux day fair," which seems to refer to this saint, was inst.i.tuted in 1585 to be {76} held in July every year on the island of c.u.mbrae, but it has long ceased to be kept. Dunrod Church, in Kirkcudbright, bears the dedication of St. Mary and St. Brioc. The island of Inchbrayock in the Esk, near Montrose, is called after him. The French keep his feast on May 1st, but in Scotland it was celebrated on April 30th.
MAY
1--St. Asaph, Bishop, A.D. (about) 590.
St. Asaph was one of the most eminent of the disciples of St. Mungo (Kentigern). When the latter was driven from Scotland he took refuge in Wales and there founded a monastery, which attracted a great number of disciples desirous of placing themselves under his guidance. It was to Asaph that St. Mungo resigned the government when he himself was allowed to return to Glasgow. Owing to the sanct.i.ty and renown of the new abbot the monastery eventually bore his name.
St. Asaph was consecrated Bishop about A.D. 650, and his diocese has {77} retained the name of St. Asaph"s for thirteen centuries. Some writers have maintained that St. Asaph accompanied his master to Scotland, but it seems more probable that Scottish devotion to him originated in his close connection with the "beloved" saint of Glasgow. Many traces of this devotion still survive. In the island of Skye is a ruined chapel dedicated to him called "Asheg." In that island is also an excellent spring of clear water known as _Tobar Asheg_, or St. Asaph"s Well. Kila.s.sie, an old burial ground near Loch Rannoch, also takes its name from him.
The most interesting of these remains is a ruin in the island of Bearnarey, in the Sound of Harris. It is evidently a chapel of the saint and is called _Cill Aisaim_. Near it once stood an obelisk about eight feet high, bearing sculptured symbols, and in comparatively recent years this was surrounded by heaps of coloured pebbles, coins, bone pins, and bronze needles, which were probably pilgrims offerings. The obelisk was broken up some years ago and its materials used for building, but a Scottish antiquarian managed to gain possession of a fragment. {78}
3--St. Fumac.
This was a saint specially venerated in Banffshire. He was the patron of Botriphnie or "Fumac Kirk" in that county. According to an old MS.
of the eighteenth century, the wooden image of the saint was formerly preserved there, and the old woman who acted as its custodian used to wash it with all due solemnity in St. Fumac"s Well on the 3rd of May annually. This image was in existence in 1847, but a flood of the Isla swept it away to Banff, where the parish minister in his Protestant zeal burnt it. St. Fumac"s Fair was kept on this day at Botriphnie and also at Dinet, in Caithness, and Chapel of Dine, Watten, in the same county.
9--St. Comgall, Abbot, A.D. 602.
He was a native of Ireland, and founder and ruler of the renowned monastery of Bangor, where he is said to have governed no less than three thousand monks. In the year 598, anxious, like so many of his countrymen, to bring the blessing of the Christian Faith to Scotland, he left his native land to found a {79} monastery in Tiree. He was a great friend of St. Columba, and was one of that saint"s companions in the journey to Inverness and the miraculous conversion of King Brude. St. Comgall did not remain permanently in Scotland; he died in Ireland, and was laid to rest at Bangor. The date of his death is given by Irish authorities as the 10th of May, but his feast has always been celebrated in Scotland on the 9th. The church of Durris, Kincardineshire, bore his name, and an annual fair, the only remains of his festival in Protestant times, was formerly held there on this day.
16--St. Brendan or Brandan, Abbot, A.D. 577.
He was born in Ireland, and in early youth became the disciple of St.