Brendan

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Saint Brendan of Clonfert
St Brendan and the whale from a 15th century manuscript
Abbot
Born c. 484, Ciarraighe Luachra near Tralee, County Kerry, Munster, Ireland
Died c. 577, Anach Cuain (Annaghdown), County Galway, Connacht, Ireland
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion
Major shrine Clonfert
Feast May 16 (Roman Catholic Church), January 15 (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Attributes Abbot; whale; priest celebrating Mass on board ship while fish gather to listen; one of a group of monks in a small boat[1]
Patronage boatmen; mariners; sailors; travellers; whales; diocese of Clonfert; diocese of Kerry[2]
Saints Portal
This article is about Saint Brendan of Clonfert. For other uses, see Brendan (disambiguation).

Saint Brendan of Clonfert or Bréanainn of Clonfert (c. 484 – c. 577) called "the Navigator", "the Voyager", or "the Bold" is one of the early Irish monastic saints whose legends reflect their history. He is chiefly renowned for his semi-legendary quest to the Isle of the Blessed. The Voyage of St. Brendan could be called an immram (Irish voyage story). He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.[3]

Saint Brendan's feast day is celebrated on May 16 in the Roman Catholic Church and within the Anglican Communion, and on January 15 in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Contents

[edit] Early life

In 484 Saint Brendan was born in Ciarraighe Luachra near the port of Tralee, in County Kerry, in the province of Connacht, in the south west of Ireland.[4] He was baptized at Tubrid, near Ardfert, by Saint Erc. For five years he was educated under Saint Ita, "the Brigid of Munster", and he completed his studies under Saint Erc, who ordained him priest in 512. Between the years 512 and 530 St Brendan built monastic cells at Ardfert, and, at the foot of Mount Brandon, Shanakeel— Seana Cill, usually translated as "the old church"— also called Baalynevinoorach. It was from here that he set out on his famous seven years voyage for the Land of Delight. The old Irish Calendars assigned a special feast for the "Egressio familiae S. Brendani", on March 22; and St Aengus the Culdee, in his Litany composed at the close of the eighth century, invokes "the sixty who accompanied St. Brendan in his quest for the Land of Promise".

Brendan discovering the Faroes and IcelandStamp sheet FR 252-253 of Postverk FøroyaIssued: 18 April 1994Artist: Colin Harrison
Brendan discovering the Faroes and Iceland
Stamp sheet FR 252-253 of Postverk Føroya
Issued: 18 April 1994
Artist: Colin Harrison

[edit] Legendary journey

St Brendan is chiefly renowned for his legendary journey to The Isle of the Blessed (also called Tír na nÓg) as described in the ninth century Voyage of St Brendan the Navigator. Many versions exist, that tell of how he set out onto the Atlantic Ocean with sixty pilgrims[5] (other versions have fourteen, plus three unbelievers who join at the last minute), searching for the Americas. If it happened, this would have occurred in around 512-530 AD, before his travel to the island of Great Britain. On his trip, Brendan is supposed to have seen a blessed island covered with vegetation. He also encountered a sea monster, an adventure he shared with his contemporary St. Columba. The most commonly illustrated adventure is his landing on an island which turns out to be a giant sea monster called Jasconius or Jascon. This too, has its parallels in other stories, not only in Irish mythology but in other traditions, from Sinbad the Sailor to Pinocchio.

[edit] Early Dutch version

One of the earliest preserved written versions of the legend is in Dutch Des Reis van Sint Brandaen (Dutch for The Voyage of Saint Brendan), written in the 12th century. Scholars believe it derived from a now lost middle High German text combined with Celtic elements from Ireland and combines Christian and fairy tale elements. Des Reis van Sint Brandaen describes "Brandaen," a monk from Galway, and his voyage around the world for nine years. The journey was begun as a punishment by an angel who had seen Brendan not to believe the truth of a book on the miracles of creation and saw Brandaen throw it into the fire. The angel tells him that truth has been destroyed. On his journeys Brandaen encounters the wonders and horrors of the world, such as Judas frozen on one side and burning on the other, people with swine heads, dog legs and wolf teeth carrying bows and arrows, and an enormous fish that encircles the ship by holding its tail in its mouth. The English poem Life of Saint Brandan is a later English derivative of the Dutch version.[6]

[edit] Effects

Naturally, the story of the seven years voyage was carried about, and soon crowds of pilgrims and students flocked to Ardfert. Thus, in a few years, many religious houses were formed - at Gallerus, Kilmalchedor, Brandon Hill, and the Blasket Islands - in order to meet the wants of those who came for spiritual guidance to Saint Brendan. Saint Brendan is the Patron Saint of sailors and travelers. At the United States Naval Academy in, Annapolis, Maryland, a large stained glass window commemorates Brendan's achievements. At Fenit Harbour, Tralee, a substantial bronze sculpture with a small horn has been erected to the memory of Brendan.

[edit] Context

Sculpture of St. Brendan, The Square Bantry, County Cork
Sculpture of St. Brendan, The Square Bantry, County Cork

While it is generally assumed that the story is a religious allegory, there has been considerable ink spilled over the question of whether the legends are based on actual events, and whether the Isle of the Blessed that Brendan reached was actually America. There is a St. Brendan Society that celebrates the belief that Brendan was the first to discover America. Tim Severin demonstrated it is possible that a leather-clad boat such as the one described in the Navigatio could have potentially reached North America.[7][8] Some have alleged that Christopher Columbus relied on the manuscript "Navigatio sancti Brendani abbatis" that told of St. Brendan's travels across the Atlantic.[9] Some propose St Brendan as an ancient visitor to the Americas.

As a genre, The Voyage of St. Brendan (in Latin, the Navigatio Sancti Brendani) fits in with a then-popular form of literature, peculiar to Ireland, called an immram, that describes a hero's series of adventures in a boat. For example, there appear to be similarities with The Voyage of Bran written much earlier. In the Navigatio, this style of storytelling meshed with a religious ascetic tradition where Irish monks would travel alone in boats, the same way their desert brothers used to isolate themselves in caves.


[edit] Further travels

Later, he travelled to Wales and the holy island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland; returning to Ireland, he founded a bishopric at Annaghdown, where he spent the rest of his days. Centuries later this diocese was merged into the Archdiocese of Tuam. He was recognised as a saint by the Irish Church, and his feast day was celebrated on May 16. Having established the bishopric of Ardfert, St Brendan proceeded to Thomond, and founded a monastery at Inis-da-druim (now Coney Island), in the present parish of Killadysert, County Clare, about the year 550. He then journeyed to Wales, and thence to Iona, for he is said to have left traces of his apostolic zeal at Kil-brandon (near Oban) and Kil-brennan Sound. After a three years' mission in Britain he returned to Ireland, and did more proselytizing in various parts of Leinster, especially at Dysart (County Kilkenny), Killiney (Tubberboe), and Brandon Hill. He established churches at Inchiquin, County Galway and at Inishglora, County Mayo.

Saint Brendan's most celebrated foundation was Clonfert Cathedral, in the year 563, over which he appointed St. Moinenn as Prior and Head Master. St Brendan was interred in Clonfert.

[edit] Modern re-enactment

In 1976, Irish explorer Tim Severin built an ox leather curragh and over two summers sailed her from Ireland via the Hebrides, Faroe Islands and Iceland to Newfoundland to demonstrate that the saint's purported voyage was feasible. On his voyage, he encountered various sights such as icebergs and sea animals such as whales and porpoises which he suggests are factual counterparts to the fantastic sights from the legends of Brendan. See The Brendan Voyage, ISBN 0-349-10707-6.


[edit] Appearances in popular culture

  • Novelist Patricia Kennealy-Morrison features St. Brendan in her book "The Deers Cry", retelling his story with a science fiction twist.
  • Novelist Frederick Buechner retold the story of Brendan's travels in his 1987 novel Brendan.
  • Singer songwriter Sarana VerLin wrote an instrumental song titled "St. Brendan's Reel" that appears on several albums including "Amadon Crest".
  • In the 2005 film Beowulf & Grendel, a travelling monk named Brendan the Celt sails to Denmark circa 521 A.D.

[edit] List of Places Associated with St. Brendan and their General Location

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://saints.sqpn.com/saintb21.htm
  2. ^ http://saints.sqpn.com/saintb21.htm
  3. ^ The Twelve Apostles of Erin
  4. ^ Allen, John Logan (1997). North American Exploration: A New World Disclosed. Volume: 1. University of Nebraska Press, p. 18. 
  5. ^ One of these companions is said to have been Saint Malo, the namesake of Saint-Malo.
  6. ^ Meijer 1971:9-10.
  7. ^ Severin, Tim. The Brendan Voyage: A Leather Boat Tracks the Discovery of America by the Irish Sailor Saints. McGraw-Hill Book Company. 1978. ISBN 0-07-056335-7.
  8. ^ (1964, Robert Reily) Irish Saints page:37, Wing Books, New Jersey, ISBN 0-517-36833-1
  9. ^ Chapman, Paul H. The Man Who Led Columbus to America. Judson Press. 1973. ISBN 0914032011.
  • Donnchadha, Gearóid Ó. St Brendan of Kerry, the Navigator. His Life & Voyages. OPEN AIR ISBN 1-85182-871-0
  • Meijer, Reinder. Literature of the Low Countries: A Short History of Dutch Literature in the Netherlands and Belgium. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1971.

Annandale, NSW, Australia.

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Twelve Apostles of Ireland
Finnian of Clonard
Ciarán of Saighir · Ciarán of Clonmacnoise · Brendan of Birr · Brendan of Clonfert · Columba of Terryglass · Columba of Iona
Mobhí of Glasnevin · Ruadhan of Lorrha · Senan of Iniscathay · Ninnidh the Saintly of Loch Erne · Lasserian mac Nadfraech · Cainnech of Aghaboe
Persondata
NAME Brendan of Clonfert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Brendan, Saint Brendan of Clonfert,Bréanainn of Clonfert
SHORT DESCRIPTION The Navigator
DATE OF BIRTH 484
PLACE OF BIRTH Fenit, Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland
DATE OF DEATH 577
PLACE OF DEATH