A king succeeded to the province of Connaught whose name was Sena, and his wife was Eithne. They had neither son nor daughter born to them. They went to Drumlane to fast there with a view to obtaining an heir; and the woman saw a vision of the moon entering the mouth of the king, and the king in like wise saw a star entering the mouth of the queen. And this was the interpretation that was put upon the vision, that an eminent birth would proceed from them, whose fame would fill the lips of men; and like as a star guided the prophets (i.e. the Magi) to Jesus, so this star would guide the child to the Holy Ghost. And it befell that that very night the woman conceived.
The woman went one day in a chariot; and a druid met her. Tis the sound of a chariot under a king, said he. The druid sees that there is no one in the chariot but the woman. There is a marvellous child in thy womb, said he, whose fame will fill the lips of men in heaven and earth.
Not long afterwards the woman bore a son to whom the name Moeog was given; and he was honourably fostered in Breghmagh, and on the place in which he was born there rested for a long time a bright and {MS page 133} dazzling ray (lit. path) from heaven.
Once upon a time Ainmire, king of Ireland, demanded hostages of Connaught, and Moeog was given to him in hostageship. The heart and mind of the king were attracted by the countenance and beauty of the boy, for it was plain to him that the grace of the Holy Spirit (rested) on Moeog. ‘Go home,’ said the king, ‘or remain here in freedom.’ ‘I will go,’ said Moeog, ‘if thou allow the other hostages to go with me.’ And the king allowed them to depart with his blessing, and each one of them set out for his own home.
Once Moeog was with the shepherds of the king's fort, when they saw eight wolves coming towards the flock of Moeog, and they did obeisance before him, and he saw their wretchedness. ‘I grant,’ said he, ‘a sheep to each wolf of you;’ and they carried them off. The shepherds go to the fort, and complain of Moeog; and Moeog's foster-mother came out on the green, Moeog was frightened when he saw her, and prayed to God to help him against her. Then eight sheep in colour and fashion like the other sheep were sent, and joined the flock, and it was not known whence they came. {MS page 134} Moeog was put to the learning of Holy Church.
Once Moeog was praying in the recesses of a wood, when he
One day Moeog and another disciple named Lasrianus were praying at the foot of two trees, and they loved each other very dearly. ‘Ah! Jesus,’ said they, ‘is it Thy will that we should part, or that we should remain together to the end?’ Then one of the two trees fell to the south, and the other to the north. By the fall of the trees, said they, it has been revealed that we must part. Moeog fared south, and built a noble monastery at Ferns, and Lasrianus fared north, and built a monastery in Devenish.
One day Moeog was journeying over Slieve Beagh when night overtook him; and he prayed God to direct him on the right road. It was not long before he saw two angels, {MS page 135}who took him on their hands, and carried him to the royal fort. And he erected a noble cross on the spot (lit. hill), to make known the miracle.
One day Moeog was by the side of Lough Erne, and saw a woman coming to meet him, who was wringing her hands bitterly. ‘My son,’ said she, ‘has been drowned in this lough, and two other children with him; and I and his father Eochaid, chief of this land, are going round to the saints of the land, to learn from them where we shall find his body; and they told us that we should learn it from thee.’ The woman and Moeog went to the bank, but could not find out in what corner of the lough the bodies were. ‘Ah! Jesus,’ said Moeog, ‘raise up for me the son of this woman, and the other bodies that are with him.’ And at that word the boy arose in the presence of Moeog and the woman. Then Eochaid his father, king of the land, arrived on the spot (lit. hill), and offered the boy to God and Moeog in perpetuity.
Moeog went to Britain to the place where David of Menevia, the holy bishop, resided.
Once David and his monks (went) to {MS page 136} fetch firewood, and Moeog did not notice them (going). He had a book before him. reciting his psalms; and there was abundance of rain that day. There was a man in the place who hated Moeog. ‘Be off,’ said he, after the monks, and take with thee yonder untamed oxen, which never yet bore burden, and bring back a load on them. He sent a man with Moeog armed with an axe, ordering him to cut off Moeog's head. Moeog arose, and left his book exposed to the pouring rain; and the oxen became obedient to him, and proceeded through the recesses of the wood by a path by which they had never been able to go previously, and that road has been practicable for every one ever since.
And the man we have mentioned raised his axe over his head
One day Moeog was going to fetch ale for the monks, and the vessel {MS page 137} broke, and the beer was spilt. He made the sign (of the cross) with his hand over it, and repaired the damage, and carried the ale to the monks.
And a dumb son of the king was brought to him on one foot and one hand and one eye, and he returned home whole by the grace of God and Moeog.
Once Moeog saw a man coming to him, whose face was all flat like a board.153 He begged Moeog to help him for love and pity. I ask God to help thee, said Moeog. And his face and form became like other men's.
Moeog asked leave of David to return to Ireland. And when he came to Ireland he said: ‘Take me back to where David is, that he may show me who is to be my confessor.’ But the boatmen were not willing to return. Moeog leaped out of the boat, and walked from wave to wave, and an angel of God met him. Thou needest no confessor, said he, but Jesus; for there is no guilt on thee. Moeog started again for Ireland. He landed in Ui Cennselaig, and built a {MS page 138} noble church there.
He had two cows and a calf. A wolf came to the monastery green. ‘Is it to seek thy meat from God thou art come?’ said Moeog; and gave it the calf. ‘The cows will not give their milk without the calf,’ said the herd. ‘Go and milk them,’ said Moeog, raising his hand over his (the herdsman's) head, and they will give their milk for thee as for the calf; and so they did.
An army invaded Ui Cennselaig one day, and all the territory took refuge with Moeog in his sanctuary (termon). Moeog drew a line with his bachall round the kine, and the army stopped from pursuing the cattle, except one of the (invading) chiefs, and he died as soon as he had passed the line. And the army, seeing this, returned to its own borders; and the kine remained with Moeog.
Once the king of Ui Cennselaig was on a plundering expedition, and Moeog met him, and the king gave him an alms, and proceeded to his house. And disease and grievous sickness overtook him, so that it seemed to him as if his spirit departed from him. And hell was revealed to him, with horrible animals attacking him, and one animal with its breath dragged the king and drew him to its {MS page 139} very mouth, when he saw the poor man putting the alms, which the
The inhabitants complained to Moeog that the place was waterless. ‘Dig at the root of yonder tree,’ said Moeog, ‘and ye shall find a spring.’ They did so, and found (as he said). And the stream began to flow along the boundary of land belonging to another man beside the fort.
And the women of the place would come on their side to wash and bathe at the spring which Moeog had revealed. ‘Do not wash here,’ said Moeog; ‘this is the monks domestic spring, and it is not fitting for women to consort with them.’ ‘We will,’ said {MS page 140} they, ‘to us belongs the side (of the stream) which skirts our land.’ The daughter of the king went one day to the spring to bathe, and the sand and gravel of the spring clave to her. Her father came to Moeog to beg him to help her, offering himself to him in perpetuity. And so it was done.
Once Moeog went to a monastery to visit a monk who was sick. ‘All the monks are sick,’ said the abbot, ‘and do ye tend them while ye are here.’ ‘God is able to heal them,’ said Moeog; and so it was done. Three days were they tending them; and then the abbot begged Moeog to leave them in the same sicknesses (that they had before). And he did so, though it was grievous to him.
Moeog was going to Ferns when he saw a team with plough-iron and coulter coming towards him from a distance. And he took it with him to give it as an alms to the daughters of Aed son of Cairbre, who had dedicated their lives to God. And a poor man met him on the road, and begged an ox of Moeog; and he gave him one, and took the remaining oxen to the place where the {MS page 141}virgins were. But they could not plough for want of the aforesaid ox. An ox was seen coming to them from the sea; and they put the yoke upon it, and it ploughed like any (other) ox. And it would come at the beginning of each day, and return to the sea every night. Three months did it on this wise.
One time Moeog saw messengers of David (coming) to where he was. ‘Go,’ said they, ‘to David. His last days have come; get to him (lit. overtake him) before his death.’ Moeog went to Britain, and administered the Communion to David. ‘I promised,’ said Moeog, ‘to be in Ireland again (to-day).’ ‘Go,’ said David,
And he fasted forty days and nights there, as did Jesus and Elias and Moses; and it caused in him no weakness or decay.
Once Moeog was on the brink of Ath Imgain, and he was old at that time. {MS page 142} The driver of his chariot asked him: ‘Who is the man who shall be bishop in Ferns after thee?’ ‘The first man who occupies the ford yonder,’ said he. A troop appeared (coming) towards the ford hurling and sporting, and they were clerks. And one sportive clerk of them came towards the ford, and came to the place where Moeog was. ‘I should like to be of your company,’ said he. ‘What is thy name?’ said Moeog. ‘Moling,’ said he. They remained together till the death of Moeog; and Moling was called bishop in Ferns.
Moeog heard after this that a kinsman of his was detained as a hostage by the king of Ui Conaill Gabra. He went to the king's fort, and he was kept three days and nights in front of the fort without food or drink. And the delivery of the hostage was refused him; and the king's daughter died that night. The queen took her daughter to the place where Moeog was. ‘Raise her for me,’ said she, ‘for it is thou who didst kill her.’ The heart of Moeog was moved towards her, and he interceded with God, and the maid arose. But the heart of the king was not moved towards Moeog, and he (Moeog) went aside to curse him. ‘Do not curse the king,’ said the queen, but lay thy curse on yonder great stone. {MS page 143} ‘I will,’ said Moeog, and with the word of the saint the stone broke in two. Fear seized the king, and he prostrated himself before Moeog, and gave up the prisoner to him; and granted Cluain Claidmech to him in perpetuity, and Moeog built a venerable church there, and left some of his saints there to chant the divine office; and he and the king parted from each other in peace and amity.
Once Moeog was setting out for Cashel, when the horses of his chariot stopped dead. They wondered at this, till they heard the voice of an angel above them: ‘Not to Cashel is it God's will for thee to go,’ said he. ‘Guaire, king of Connaught, lies sick at Kilmacduagh. Go to where he is; for it is to thee God has granted his healing.’ And the chariot took the road to Kilmacduagh, and Lough Derg dried up before it (and became) like any plain. And two men met them, of whom they asked the way. ‘It is all wood and swamp from here (lit. from yourselves) to Kilmacduagh,’ said they; ‘but if ye are of the household of God, let Him make plain a way for you.’ ‘God can
One day Moeog was teaching a student, when he saw a golden ladder descending by his side; and Moeog went up the ladder. And when he returned, the student asked him whither he had been. ‘Columcille has died,’ said he, ‘and the glory and honour of the family of heaven went to meet him, said he, and I went to do him reverence with them.’
One day a company came with deceit and subtlety to Moeog to ask alms of him. And they had left their garments concealed in a secret place; and this was revealed to Moeog. And he sent to fetch the garments, and gave them as alms to other poor men; and they (the former company) departed from Moeog without clothing, and without alms.
Brandub son of Eochaid, king of Leinster, was slain by Saran, a Leinsterman. ‘This is grievous to me,’ said Moeog, ‘(he was) the head of the poor, and the protector of the weak; and may the hand fall off that smote that true hero.’ Moeog went to Ferns, and proceeded to the tomb of Brandub. {MS page 145} ‘Arise,’ said he, ‘in the name of Jesus, and rule thy kingdom.’ Brandubh came forth from the grave, and joined Moeog. ‘Bring me not back to this frail world,’ said he, ‘let me go to heaven now.’ He made his confession to Moeog, who permitted him to go to heaven.
Saran then lay down on Brandub's grave in deep penitence, and with bitter weeping. His hand fell off from him, as Moeog had previously requested; and he was a good man afterwards till at last he died.
Once Moeog was sowing barley seed, when a man came to the field. ‘I am destitute,’ said he, ‘and my lord has a heavy rent on me, and I would fain have an alms.’ And he gave him the barley that was in his bosom, after turning it into gold. The man took the gold with him to pay it to the king. ‘From whom didst thou get the gold?’ said the king. ‘Moeog gave it to me,’ said the man. ‘Thy debts depart with thee,’ said the king; ‘take the gold to Moeog.’ Moeog turned the gold back into barley, and it grew like any (other) barley.
One day Moeog was building a church, and he could not find any wright to fashion it. So he blessed the hand of a man of his (monastic) family, {MS page 146} named Goban, and he erected the church with wondrous carvings, and brave ornaments, that there was not the like of it (anywhere), and no one in his time surpassed this Goban in Wright's craft.
Moeog was once washing at the river, and a man came behind him and put his two hands on him, and left him in the water to drown. Moeog came to land afterwards without any moisture on his hair or clothing. ‘Forgive me my wrong, O clerk,’ said he. ‘I am willing that God should pardon it,’ said Moeog; ‘and hadst thou not said this, the earth would have swallowed thee. Repent, for thou shalt die four days hence for the deed thou hast done.’ And this was fulfilled.
One day a thief stole a sheep from Moeog's flock; and the thief after eating the sheep went to the church to take (an oath on) the relics in it (that he had not stolen it). As he took hold of the relics, the ears of the sheep protruded from his mouth.
There was a certain nobleman in Rome of Latium who was paralysed, and neither saints nor leeches were able to heal him; and he came to Ireland to seek Moeog, having heard of his miracles. But Moeog had died before his arrival, so he entered the bier in which Moeog was being {MS page 147}carried, and he was healed at once by the grace of God and Moeog.
There was a man in Leinster who had lain sick for thirty years. He saw a vision of a chariot coming to him from heaven with an aged clerk in it, and a virgin. ‘Whence are ye!’ said the man. ‘I am Moeog,’ said the clerk, ‘and this is Brigit. To-morrow is my day, and the day after to-morrow is Brigit's day; and we are come from on high to glorify Jesus on our days. And be thou ready,’ said he, ‘(for) thou shalt die on the third day, and shalt obtain the heavenly kingdom for thy soul.’ The holy man, whose name was Fintan, went to Kildare in Magh Life, a church of Brigit's, and related to the people the vision which he had seen; and he died the third day, as Moeog had revealed to him, and he passed to heaven.
Moling was ordained as bishop in Ferns after Moeog. No single person ever went to sleep in Moeog's bed. ‘I can sleep in it,’ said Moling. He got into the bed, and was greatly troubled and diseased, and could not sleep in it. So he entreated Moeog earnestly for help, and {MS page 148} found it forthwith through his prayer to Moeog. Moling quitted the bed, and said that no man living was worthy to enter it.
And though Moeog passed to heaven, he did not cease from his miracles on earth. For by the earth (of his sepulchre), by his clothing, and by his relics were healed blind and deaf and lame and all other diseases. And though we have related some of the miracles of Moeog, we have not related the whole of them. On the second day of the month of February Moeog joined the company of angels and archangels in the Unity of the Blessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.