The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran Part 8

(_c_) When it was time for Ciaran to depart from Cluain Iraird, after learning letters and wisdom, he left the Dun Cow with Saint Ninned; but he said that her hide should come to him afterwards, and Ciaran said further, "Though many be succoured by her milk, yet there shall be more to whom her hide will give succour." And he said, "Every soul that parteth from its body from the hide of the Dun Cow shall not be pained in h.e.l.l."

(_d_) Findian saw a vision of him [Ciaran] and of Colum Cille, namely, two moons in the air with the colour of gold upon them. One of them went north-east over the sea, [and the other][27] over the middle of Ireland. That was Colum Cille, with the glory of his n.o.bility and his good birth, and Ciaran with the glory of his charity and his mercy.

XXVI. HOW CIARAN FREED A WOMAN FROM SERVITUDE

21. Thereafter Ciaran went to parley with the King of Ireland, Tuathal Moel-garb, to ask him for a slave-girl that he had. Ciaran put his hand on the quern for charity, and he promised that he would serve in the place of the girl. Then Tuathal gifted the girl to G.o.d and to Ciaran, and further he gave him his kingly apparel, and Ciaran gave it forthwith to poor folk.

XXVII. HOW CIARAN FREED ANOTHER WOMAN FROM SERVITUDE

22. One time Ciaran went to ask another slave-girl of King Furbaide.

Then one man gifted him a cow as an alms, another gifted him a cloak, and another a kettle. Forthwith on the same day he gave them all to poor folk; and G.o.d gifted to Ciaran three gifts yet better, a cauldron instead of the kettle, twelve robes instead of the one robe, twelve kine instead of the one cow. When the king saw that, he gave him the slave-girl.

XXIX. THE PARTING OF FINDIAN AND CIARAN

23. When the time came for Ciaran to bid farewell to his teacher, he offers to put his monastery at his service. "Nay," said Ciaran,[28]

"sever not thy monastery for any save for G.o.d alone, Who hath given thee favour beyond us all." ["The monastery I give thee," said Findian.][29] Ciaran weeps, for he thought it n.o.ble of his teacher to offer him his monastery. "Well, then, let there be unity between us henceforth," said Findian, "and let him who breaketh that unity have no part in earth or in heaven." "Be it so," said Ciaran. Then Ciaran went his way; and Colum Cille uttered this testimony of him--

A wondrous youth from us departs, Ciaran, craftsman's son; Of greed, of pride, reviling, l.u.s.t, satire, he hath none.

x.x.xII. CIARAN IN ARAN

24. Thereafter Ciaran went to Aran to hold converse with Enda, and Enda and Ciaran saw one and the same vision--a great fruitful tree beside a river in the middle of Ireland, a-sheltering the island of Ireland, and its fruit was going over the sea that was around the island outside, and the birds of the air were coming and taking of the fruit. Ciaran went and told the vision to Enda. Said Enda, "That great tree which thou hast seen is thyself; for thou art great before G.o.d and man, and Ireland shall be full of thine honour. This island shall be protected under the shadow of thy grace, and many shall be satisfied by the grace of thy fasting and of thy prayer. Rise therefore at the word of G.o.d, and go to the sh.o.r.e of the stream, and found a church there."[30]

x.x.xIII. HOW A PROPHECY WAS FULFILLED

25. Once when he was in Aran a-drying corn in the kiln, and Lonan the Left-handed with him (one who ever was contradictious of Ciaran) they saw a s.h.i.+p foundering in their sight. "Methinks," said Lonan, "yonder s.h.i.+p shall be drowned to-day and this kiln shall be burned with the greatness of the draught." "Nay," said Ciaran, "yonder s.h.i.+p shall be burned, and this kiln with its corn shall be drowned."[31] And this was fulfilled; for the crew of the s.h.i.+p escaped, and the s.h.i.+p was cast on sh.o.r.e close to the kiln. The fire seized the kiln, and the s.h.i.+p is burned. A blast of wind struck the kiln and its corn into the sea, so that it was drowned, according to the word of Ciaran.

x.x.xIV. HOW CIARAN VISITED SENAN

26. When Ciaran left Aran a poor man met him on the way. Ciaran gives him his linen cloak, and goes to Inis Cathaig to salute Senan. That he was in one mantle only was revealed to Senan, and he went to meet him, with a linen cloak under his armpit. And he said to Ciaran, "Is it not shame," said he, "for a priest to travel without a cowl?" "Mercy on us," said Ciaran, "G.o.d will have pity [on my nakedness];[32] there is a cloak for me under the covering of mine elder."

XLIII. HOW CIARAN SENT A CLOAK TO SENAN

27. When Ciaran arrived at Cluain maccu Nois he wished to send another cloak to Senan. The cloak was laid upon the stream of the Shannon, and it travelled without being wetted to the harbour of Inis Cathaig. Said Senan to his monks, "Rise and go to the sea, and ye shall find there a guest, which bring with you, with honour and dignity." When the monks went out they found the cloak on the sea, dry, and they brought it with them to Senan, and offered an offering of thanks to the Lord.

That is now called "Senan's cloak."

x.x.xV. CIARAN IN ISEL

28. Thereafter he went to his brethren to Isel, and Cobthach son of Brecan gave Isel to G.o.d and to Ciaran; and he lived there with his brethren. One day when he was doing his lesson outside in the field, he went to attend upon his guests, and left his book open till morning under the rain; and not a damp drop fell upon the book.

Once Ciaran was sowing seed in Isel. A poor man came to him. Ciaran gives him a handful of the grain into his breast, and the grain was forthwith turned into gold. A chariot with its horses was gifted to Ciaran by Oengus son of Cremthann. Ciaran gave it to the poor man in exchange for the gold, and the gold turned into grain, and the field was sown with it.

x.x.xVI. THE REMOVAL OF THE LAKE

29. Moreover there was a lake near Isel, and country-folk and despicable people used to occupy the island that was upon it. The noise and uproar of those worthless people used to cause disturbance for the clerics. Ciaran prayed to the Lord that the island should be removed from its place, and that was done. The place where it was in the lake is still to be seen as a memorial of that miracle.

x.x.xVII. CIARAN DEPARTS FROM ISEL

30. As the brethren could not suffer the almsgiving of Ciaran, so great was it, and as they were envious of him, they said unto him, "Rise and depart from us," said they, "for we cannot be in the same place." Said Ciaran, "Had I been here," said he, "though this spot be lowly (_isel_) in situation, it would have been high in glory and in honour." Then he said--

Although lowly, it were high, Had not censure come me nigh; Had I not been censured so, It were high though it be low.

Then Ciaran put his books upon a wild stag; afterwards he accompanied the wild stag wheresoever it would go. The deer went forward to Inis Aingin. He went into the island and dwelt there.

x.x.xVIII. CIARAN IN INIS AINGIN

31. Then his brethren came to him from every side. There was a certain archpresbyter in the island, Daniel his name. Of the British was he, and the devil incited him to be jealous of Ciaran. A royal cup with three birds of gold was given him by Ciaran as a token of forgiveness.

The presbyter marvelled thereat, and repented, and did obeisance to Ciaran, and gave the island to him.

x.x.xIX. THE COMING OF OENNA

32. Once Ciaran was in Inis Aingin and he heard a cry in the port. He said to the brethren, "Rise and go for your future abbot." When they reached the harbour they found no man save a weak unconsecrated youth.

They tell that to Ciaran. "For all that, go again for him; it is clear to me from his voice that it is he who shall be abbot after me."

Thereafter the youth was brought into the island to Ciaran, and Ciaran tonsured him, and he read with him. That was Enna maccu Laigsi, a holy man, held in honour of the Lord; and it is he who was abbot after Ciaran.

XL. HOW CIARAN RECOVERED HIS GOSPEL

33. It happened that the gospel of Ciaran fell into the lake from the hand of a heedless brother, and it was a long time in the lake. Upon a day in the time of summer the kine went into the water, so that the strap of the gospel attached itself to the hoof of one of the kine, and she brought it dry [from below][33] to haven. Thence is "Port of the Gospel" in Inis Aingin. When the gospel was opened it was in this wise--white and clean, dry, without the loss of a letter, through the grace of Ciaran.

XLI. HOW CIARAN WENT FROM INIS AINGIN TO CLONMACNOIS

34. A certain man of Corco Baiscind came to Ciaran, Donnan his name, brother's son of Senan mac Gerginn; and he had the same mother as Senan. "What wouldest thou, or wherefore comest thou?" said Ciaran.

"Seeking a place wherein to abide and to serve G.o.d." Ciaran left Inis Aingin to Donnan. Donnan said, "Since thou hast a charity towards me, leave me somewhat of thy tokens and of thy treasures." Ciaran leaves him his gospel--that which was recovered from the lake--and his bell, and his bearer Mael Odran. Three years and three months was Ciaran in Inis Aingin.

He came thereafter to Ard Manntain, close to the Shannon. When he saw the beauty of that place, thus he spake: "If we dwell here," said he, "we shall have much of the wealth of the world, and there shall be few souls going to heaven from hence."

Then he came to this town; Ard Tiprat was its name at that time. "Here will we stay, for there shall be many souls going to heaven from hence, and G.o.d and man shall visit this place for ever."

On the eighth of the calends of February Ciaran settled in Cluain, the tenth day of the moon, a Sat.u.r.day. Eight men went with him--Ciaran, Oengus, Mac Nisse, Cael-Cholum, Mo-Beoc,[34] Mo-Lioc, Lugna maccu Moga Laim, Colman mac Nuin. Wondrous was that monastery, set up by Ciaran in Cluain with his eight men after coming from the waves of the water, as Noah son of Lamech took the world with his eight after coming from the waves of the Flood.

XLII. THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH

35. Then Ciaran set up the first post in Cluain, and Diarmait mac Cerrbheil along with him. Said Ciaran to Diarmait when they were planting the post, "Warrior, suffer my hand to be over thy hand, and thou shalt be over the men of Ireland in high-kings.h.i.+p." "I permit it," said Diarmait, "only give me a token thereof." "I will," said Ciaran; "though thou art solitary to-day, thou shalt be King of Ireland this time to-morrow." That was verified; for Tuathal Moel-garb King of Ireland was slain that night, and Diarmait took the kings.h.i.+p of Ireland on the morrow, and he bestowed a hundred churches on Ciaran. Wherefore to prove that, it was said--