Electronic edition compiled by Beatrix Färber
Funded by University College, Cork, School of History
1. First draft.
Extent of text: 4925 words
Distributed by CELT online at University College, Cork, Ireland.
Text ID Number: G201017
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The present text covers pages 545–564 of the published edition.
Text has been proof-read twice.
The electronic text represents the edited text. Expansions are marked ex. Names are capitalized in line with CELT practice. Hyphenation was introduced. Footnotes are marked note type="auth" and numbered.
Direct speech is not indicated in the Irish text.
Soft hyphens are silently removed. When a hyphenated word (hard or soft) crosses a page-break, this break is marked after completion of the hyphenated word.
div0=the saint's life; p= the editor's paragraph. Page-breaks are marked pb n="". Foliation is tagged mls unit="MS folio" n="".
Names are not tagged, nor are terms for cultural and social roles.
Created: By one or more unknown authors Date range: Seventeenth century?.
Beatrix Färber (ed.)
Donnchadh Ó Corráin (ed.)
Students at the CELT Project (ed.)
The MS from which this life is edited is a fragment, now in the possession of F. A. MacCollum, Esq., the Honorary Secretary of the London branch of the Gaelic League, to whose kindness I am indebted for its loan, and for permission to prepare it for publication.
In the faint hope that the rest of the book to which the MS. originally belonged may some time be found, the following description is given that it may be identified. The fragment consists of eight leaves, obviously a single section or folio. There is no pagination, but the verso of the last leaf displays the catchword of the page that originally followed. The paper is coarse, without watermark, and of a lightish brown colour: the pages measure 9 1/2 inches by 6 inches. The writing is small, but very neat and clear; the ink is now of a dark brown colour; contractions are limited to the most ordinary. There are 22 lines in the majority of the pages: the lines and margins are ruled with pencil.
The contents of the MS. are twofold:
I. pp. 1–13. Beatha Naomh Fionáin Locha Laoi.
p. 14 is blank.
II. pp. 15–16. Fragment of the Betha Brenainn as contained in the Book of Lismore, in a different handwriting.
I. The life of Finan is similar in type to documents of the same class, being simply a collection of miracles strung together with very little connection between them. The present text has all the appearance of being a copy of an abstract of a larger
The occurrence of such forms as uaibhrig, déinig, and several others, sufficiently attest the Munster origin of the present transcript: and what its owner knows of its previous history connects it with the same province. On the other hand we have áran twice at the end of paragraph 1; this (if not a mere blunder) has a distinctly northern sound.
The Text opens with the miraculous birth of Finan. This story has however been refined into a dream, and modified by the influence of legends of superhuman birth caused by swallowing (as in the Étáin and other myths). The tale of Finan's birth was originally much more savage, and is preserved in a quatrain cited by the Lebor Brecc glossator of the Félire Oengussa (see Félire Oengussa ed. Stokes p. lxxiii). We do not find mention in the present text of the name of Finan's mother (Becnat) or of the deformity that gave Finan the nickname Camm. The following is a catalogue of the subsequent incidents of the life, with such parallels as I have come across in other texts.
Paragraph 1. Healing by Becnat's saliva: no doubt suggested by John IX, 6.
Becnat miraculously divides food: obviously suggested by cognate Gospel miracles.
Becnat preserved from the rain: similar tale of Finan, paragraph 14.
Separation of Cows and Calves: a stock miracle of saints at the commencement of their career. Cf. the Lismore
lives of Brigit and Senán and Mo Chua.
Finan's staff bent by the fire to a crozier.
Delay of death till the Sacrament be prepared.
My object in preparing this edition has been to reproduce faithfully what the manuscript before me said, rather than to produce a standard text of the 'Life'. Lack of leisure compels me to leave to others the work of seeking out and collating any other copies of the text that may exist.3 I have therefore abstained from emendation, even in the case of obvious
errors, except in one or two places which are clearly marked. A life of Finan on vellum was in the possession of O'Reilly the
lexicographer. I have found six quotations from it in his Dictionary: these shew that the text was older and much fuller
than that before us:
do chonncatar an tech fa dhoighir (end of paragraph 1).
go ro bris feártás carbaid na hinghne (not in the present text: but this probably belongs to the life of Finnchua, cf. Lismore, ed. Stokes 3001).
feargaither iadsum fris an manach. (?)
ro shír cobhair ar Dhia. (?)
Aroile aimsir do cuaidh Fionan go Caisel mar a raibhe rí Mumhan .i. Failbhe Flann da iarraigh ar an rí anfhorlann cíosa baoi fora cineadh do leigean gan tabhach (beginning of paragraph 11).
agas iar ttoigheacht an laoigh ro imthigh an faolchu (a
variant of the tale in paragraph 15).
The text contains two words not in O'R.: cám (paragraph 1)
and cloidhbruth (paragraph 6).
II. The Brendan fragment presents some points of interest. As will be seen from the appended collation with Dr. Stokes' edition, it is transcribed from the Lismore text, literally preserving the errors, omissions, and for the most part the exact
The hand in which the Brendan is written is larger and rounder than the Finan.
¶1] Fionán Náomh do Chorca Dhuibhnne a deirthear a bhunadhas, agus an oidhche do ghaibh a mháthair 'na broinn é do thaidhbhrigeadh dhí iasg órgha do theacht air eitiolladh ó thurgbháil gréine & a thuirling ina béal & a bheith torrach uadha, & do c[h]uaidh go Criodhán Naomh & d'innis a h-aislinge dhó, a dhúbhairt Criadhán ria, badh naomh do thoirrchios & do gheabha grása ó Dhia, & dob fhollas sin an feadh do bhí sí torrach da m-biadh sneachta & doineann an domhuin ag fearthuinn ní bheanfadh braon re h-éadach a mhathar-san dé, & gach easlan re m-beanadh a seile do leighiseadh é & gach bíadh do roinnidis a lámha gé nidh beag é & gé madh mór re roinnfídhe é do badh léor leó é, óir ó thúismidh an tí-si .i. Fionán & air m-beith dhó 'na leanbh, do bhadar grása dé ina fhocair. Aimsir éigin da n-deachadh sé amach le macaomhaibh óga, do innis dóibh gach nídh do thiucfadh dóibh idir mhaith & t-saith & gach nidh do theangmhadh dhoibh ó bheag go mór do ghalaraibh {MS page 2} le a t-teagmhaidís, do shlánadh iat uile. Lá éigin dar cuireadh Fionán ag coim[h]éad na laogh nách deachaidis do dheól a máithreach mar dob' fhada dóibh do éirig Fionán, & do tharraing an maide do bhí iona láimh idir na bá & na laoigh, & a dúbhairt an te do dhealladh an mhuir ré chéile & nár leig clann Israel do bháthadh nár leigidh sé sibh-se chum a chéile, & ni dheachadh ceachtar díobh tar an t-téoruinn sin. Lá eile do chuaidh Fíonán & tug leis maide as an g-coill gan chead do Bhreanuinn agus do tharaing Breanuinn an maide as a láimh & do theilg air an t-teine é, & gidh fada do bhí an maide air an t-teine níor loisg é & dar leat níor bhean an teine leis, & táinnig ám mar
¶2] O 'd-chonnairc Breanuinn a mhéid do mhíorbhuillibh do ghníodh Dia air Fhíonán níor bháil leis go m-beidis a b-fholach, & a dúbhairt re Fíonán a bhrathair ionmhuin, as oircheas do gach n-duine aguinn, muintir & eaglais air leith do bheith aige chum fóghanta do Dhia & bhíodh do rogha agad-sa anmhuin anso maille re roinn do na deisgiobla & misi do dhul d'iaraig áit eile. Ní h-amhla bhias air Fíonán, óir as óige misi & as me rachas d'iarraidh ionnad & cuir-si do bheannocht liom, do dhéantar amhla air Breanuinn & déin-si imtheacht nó go roiche Sliabh Bladhma & an t-ionnad a t-teaghma dhuit ailbhín do thorcaibh allta déana eaglais ann, & do ghluais Fionnán maille re beannochtain a oide i. Breanuinn as sin go Sliabh Bladhma, & tárladh dhó ailbhín do thorcaibh allta mar a dúbhairt Breanuinn agus d'fan sé ansin, & do chúmhdaig eaglais an Ceann Eitig a deirthear ris aníugh. Lá dá raibh sé ansin, tángadar cuideachta d'iarraidh bidh air. Tárladh an feodhmanach doibh & {MS page 4} a dúbhairt riu anmhuin no go n-abradh Fíonán an t-aifrionn, a dubhradar nách anfaidís & go madh éigion bia d'fághail dóibh, táinig an feadhmannach chum Fíonán & do innis sin do, tabhair dóibh air Fíonán gibé nídh atá agad. Táinig an tan sin bean chráibhthioch d'fios Fionáin & naoi n-aráin & an annlan ime lé, tug an feadhmannach sin do na ceithearnaibh, d'fuadar a sáith agas ni rugeadar a bhuidhe re Dia ná re Fíonán & do mhilleadar a b-fhuigeall don bhia,
¶3] Aimsear eile do rinneadh coite d'Fíonán a n-aice Locha Lúidheach a c-Ciarúidhe, & do chuir fios chum tighearna na tíre dá rádh ris an coite do thabhairt chum an locha, táinig an tighearna go n-a mhuintir, agus níor fheadsad aonchor do cur de, & air n-a fhaicsin {MS page 5} d'Fíonán nár fhéad siad nídh don choite do rin úrnaighthe chum Dé & tugsad Aingil gan fuireach an coite chum an uisge.
¶4] Lá eile d'Fionán aig siubhal, thárla buidhean a sladaígheacht dó, & do shanntúigheadar an naomh go n-a chuideachtain do marbadh, as an tárla duine uasal dóibh dárbh ainim Lonán air n-a sheoladh ó Dhía do thoirmeasg a mhúinntire do mharbhadh, agus do rin Lonán sin, a dubhairt Fionán air son mar do theasargais sinne ó ar naimhdibh & ó naimdibh an chreidimh, ní badh tréan do namhaid ort féin go h-aimsear do bháis a Lonáin. La eile d'Fionán a teacht d'fios a dhúithídhe féin tarladh a t-tigh é & do mharbh fear an tíghe laogh aon bhó do bhí aige don Naomh go n-a mhúintir, do foillsigheadh sin d'Fíonán, & do rin úrnaighthe & táinig laogh ó Dhía air an lathair sin, & do c[h]uaidh cum na bó mar do rachadh a laogh féin. An lá céadna do bhris cos eich d'eachaibh carbaid Fhíonán, & thug Dia as an loch each ró-áluinn chuige do rin ionnad an eich sin do go ceann tri m-bliadh[a]n, a c-cionn tri m-bliadhan a dúbhairt Fíonán ris an each, imthig go Loch Lúidheach as a t-tangais & bí mar do bhádhais roimhe.
¶5] Lá eile d'Fíonán ag sióbhal ina charbad, tárla crann mór do tarsna air an slíghe, ionnas nár fhéad {MS page 6} an carbad
¶6] Lá eile tugadh macáemh do bhí a b-pairilis idir chois & láimh & uile bhall a b-fhiaghnaise Fíonán & do h-iaradh air a fhurtacht. Do ghlac san baill an leinbh, & a dúbhairt ris éirig an ainim dé & bí slán, & do éirig an macamh le bréithir Fionán & do bhí slán. Lá eile do ghabh tart Fionán, & d'iarr deoch uisge air a ghiolla, is fada uisge ón ionnad so air an giolla, toghuibh-si an bachall & tabhair buille dá cois is an talamh & tabhair uisge chugham-sa, do rin an giolla amhla sin & do sgeinn tobar uisge a n-diaig loise na bachaille agas tug an giolla uisge as {MS page 7} chum Fíonán. Lá eile do ghabh eagla rómhór Corca Dhuibhne roimh Neachtain do bhí aig teacht dá h-arguin & dá sgrios, do chuireadar san teachta chum Fíonán, agus ghúidheadar é uim teacht dá g-cabhair & dá t-teasargoin air a naimhdibh, do chualaig Neachtain go raibh Fíonán aig teacht aig iaraidh sidhe air féin do Chorca Dhuibhnne, agus do chuir teachta 'na coine dá rádh ris gan teacht dá iaraidh san air & nách faghadh é, gidheadh táinig Fíonán mar a raibh Neachtain, & ó nár fhéad sidh d'fághail do iar cáirde míosa dá dhúithig & ní b-fhuair & ó nách fuair do iompuig chum a dhúithe féin & do rin uisge coisreagtha & tug dóibh dá ól é, agas a dúbhairt riú eirig a c-coigchrích bhúr b-fearainn & cosnaidh bhur n-dúthaig go sonairt & ná fágbhaidh í do thabhairt catha do shluagh eile, & dá m-beirthídhe buadh nárab móide bhur n-uabhar é & tabhraidh glóire do Dhía. Do roinsídh amhla, & táinig Neachtain & mórshluagh na cheann d'arguin, & do mhille[adh] na tire, do cloidhbrudh (?) an sluagh mór sin ón m-beagan daoine do bhí riómpa san tír & do mharbhadh sé fithchid díobh, ba móide fearg an rígh uaibhrig do mhille[adh] na tíre sin, a dúbhairt Fíonán, a deirim re h-each an rígh imtheacht uaidh
¶7] Lá éigin dó ann do tháinig feadhmanach an rígh chuige, & a dúbhairt ris féin & re n-a mhúinntear cuala conaig gacha duine do thabhairt leó chum teineadh an rígh, do éirig Neachtain go n-a a mhúintir air cheann an chonuig & do chuadar air mearaighe is an g-coill, & ní bh-fuair ionnad a c-coidlach sé féin ná a mhúintir an óidhche sin acht cuas crainn, agas tug san cualadh air a mhúin ar n-a mhárach go teagh an rígh. Air n-a tuigsin do Neachtain go t-táinig gach nídh do thairngair Fíonán do chum críche do iompaig tarais dá thír & dá dhúthaig féin, & táinig a bh-fiaghnaise Fionán & do leig a ghluin faoí & d'iar maithfeachas a n-dearnaig d'éagcóir air Dhia & air Fíonán, & ó'd-connairc Fíonán aithríge & úmhla Neachtain, do ghuidh tar a cheann, & do h-aisígheadh a ríghe féin arís dó.
¶8] Lá éile táinig duine ionnraic do bhí san tír chum Fíonán & do ghuidh é fa lamh leis chum síobhail ró mhóir {MS page 9} do bhí 'na éigean air do dhéanamh re beagán aimsire; do thóguibh Fíonán a lámh & do bheannaig an duine, ionnas gur c-siobhal re trí h-uairibh do ló trí lá do dhuine eile.
¶9] Lá eile táinig a thighearna duthaigh go Ceann Eitig chum Fionán & do ghearáin ris go rachadh a thir & a dhúthaidh uaidh muna b-fhaghadh sé ochtar ban friothailte don rígh mar fá béas dó no an luach do gheabadh an rígh féin ionnta. An-sa am fharasa air Fíonán no go b-fhionnam cread do dheana Dia ris sin, air n-eirge dhó as a chodla air n-a mháireach do fhuair luadhacht na n-ocht m-ban moghaidh d'ionnmhus láimh ris, & do innis do Fhionán sin. Déan-si imtheacht air Fionán & tabhair sin tar cheann t'fearainn, & do rin amhla & do ghluais roimhe maille re bheannochtuin Fhíonán & do bhí a c-Corca Dhuibhne an oidhche sin do bhí uaig trí lá no a ceathair ó Ceann Eitig, & do dhiol a fhiacha an a t-tráthchoir. Lá eile do mhúintir Fhionán aig buain is an b-fhoghmhar agus táinig fearthuinn rómhór an, go náir
¶10] Lá eile d'Fionán aig síobhal, tarladh duine ceangailte do & daoine ós a chionn chum a mharbhtha, air ghrádh {MS page 10} Dé na d'éinig sin air Fíonán, nir fhiadsad umorro aon buille do bhuala air le gúidhe Fhíonán, & air n-a fhaicsin sin do na daoinibh agá raibh an do léigheadar an t-slighe uatha é do Dhia & d'Fionán.
¶11] Lá eile do cuaidh Fíonán go Fáilbhe rígh Corca Dhuibhne & do ghuidh é an dolaigh rómhór do bhí aige air an t-tír do mhaitheamh dóibh. Dá t-troisgthea-sa fa s[h]eacht ris sin, air cómharleacha do chomhairlibh an rígh, ní b-fhaghtha an nidh do iarais, muna b-fhaghad-sa é air Fionán do dhéantar anachán do nimh air a shon, tainig teine do nimh gan fuireach & do loisg baile an rígh agas gach n-duine do aontaig ris. Tugadh macámh balbh a b-fhiaghnaise Fionán & an righ, & do ghúidheadar Fionán uim úrlabhar do tabhairt do & tugadh do é gan easbaidh aon fhocail, & an fear do dhíulta Fionan a droichbhriathraibh do mhúintear an rígh do ghabh aithreachas é agas tugadh gach nídh do iar Fionán air dó. Do bheannaig Fionán é & do aisig aurlabra dá chomhairleach air ghuidhe an rígh & a raibh ina thímchioll.
¶12] Lá eile tugadh duine bacach do bhí bliaghain go leith 'na lúighe chum Fionán, [do shlánaigh Fíonán] é le n-a aonbhréithir, ionnas go raibh trí lá & tri h-oidhche an aonchodla, {MS page 11} agas tug Fionán triubhas dó & a dúbhairt ris a bheith uime gach lae & go mairfeadh aige re feadh a bheatha & an lá nách geabhadh uime é go madh gar bás dó.
¶13] La eile d'Fionán ag dul tar sliabh do bhris cos an eich & do bheannaig í ionnas gur leanadar a cnámha da chéile & do chuireadh an t-each na h-ionnad fein fan c-carbad, & níor iomshláine roimhe í & tug mola & grása do Dhia. Do ghuidh Fionán an rígh fá bhragha do bhí aige do leighean amach dó & níorbh áil le mac an Righ an bhrága do leighean amach, do bheanadh aurlabhra de féin air an lathair sin, a dubhairt Fionán ris an rígh da t-tugair an bhragha dhamh do bhear urlabhra dod' mhac, do leig an righ an b[h]ragha uaidh, & táinig aurlabhra gan fuireach don mhac agas tugsad grása do Dhia. Do ghaibh easláinte mhór manach do mhúintir Fhionán go raibh se bliaghain
¶14] Lá eile d'Fionán a measg mórán daoine táinig fearthainn mór chucha d'fliuch go h-iomarcach éaduídhe na n-daoine do bhí 'na timchioll, & níor bhain aon bhraon {MS page 12} re h-éadach Fíonán, air n-a fhaicsin sin dá raibh 'na thímchioll tugsad mola & glóire do Dhia & d'Fíonán.
¶15] La eile tháinig Fionán d'fios Mui Cheallóch Naomh, do bhadar dá bha uim aonlaogh ag Mui Chealloch, do mharbhadar na madraoi laogh na bó eile roimhe sin, & do aithin Muicheallach an laogh do mhar do choiméad go géar air na madraoi, a dúbhairt fear dá mhúinntear Fionán ní dhiongnaidh sad olc dó an g-céin do bhias Fíonán is an m-baile, tángeadar na madraoi an oidhche sin & do mharbhsad an laogh, do innis fear dá mhúinntear sin do Fhionán, do chuaidh Fionán an ionnad úrnaighthe, & do guidh Dia. Táinig an maictíre do mharbh an laogh air an láthair sin chuim na bó mar do bhiaidh laogh míni ann, & do lígheadar na bá é mar badh é a laogh féin do bheith ann, ní gheabhthar sin uait air Fíonán acht tabhair laogh leat an ionnad mo lao[i]gh a dhúadhais, d'imthig an maictire & táinig air n-a mhárach & laogh gléigeal ró-áluinn leis chuim na bó & d'fan féin ag chóimead an laoigh, & ní dhéarna féin & níor leig do bheathadhach eile urchóid do dhéanamh do na buaibh ná don laogh. Do shlánaig an Fionán so cúigear on b-pairilis, & tug urlabhra do chúigear do dhaoinibh balbha, as a h-aithle sin. Lá tháinig Fionán go a ceardcha gobhainn, agas do briseadh teanncuir an ghobhann, & an t-iarann dearg 'na beal, d'fiafraig an gobhann do Fionán cread do dhéanfadh sé, glac an t-iaran air Fionán agus buail é. Do rin an gobha mar a dúbhairt Fionán, agus ní dhéarnaidh an t-iaran dearg urchóid do.
¶16] Lá eile do chuir Fionán neach dá mhuintear do iasgaireacht san loch do bhí san machaire mar a rabhadar a bha & a dubhairt atá aóidhe a teacht chúgainn anocht, d'imthig an teachtaire agus tri h-éisg leis as an machaire a rabhadar na ba