Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Life of St. Columba (Author: [unknown])

Chapter 9

Prophecy of the Saint regarding two boys, one of whom, according to the Saint's word, died at the end of a week

ON another occasion, two men of low rank in life came to the saint, who was then in the Iouan island (Hy, now Iona). One of them, named Meldan, brought his son to the saint and asked him what kind of future he would enjoy. To whom the saint replied, ‘Is not this the Sabbath day? Thy son will die on the sixth day at the end of next week, and will be buried here on the eighth day, that is the Sabbath.’ Then the other man, named Glasderc, also took his son along with him, and venturing to make a similar inquiry, received the following answer from the saint, ‘Thy son Ernan will see his grandchildren, and be buried in old age in this island.’ All this was fully accomplished in its own time regarding the two boys, according to the words of the saint.