3--St. Walthen or Waltheof, Abbot, A.D. 1160.
He was the son of Simon, Earl of Hunting don, and Maud, grand-niece
of William the Conqueror. After the death of her first husband, Maud
married David, King of Scotland, one of the sons of St. Margaret. The
early life of the young Walthen was consequently spent at the
Scottish Court, where he edified all who knew him by his purity of
life and diligent practice of the Christian virtues. Desiring to
embrace the religious life, Walthen {112} left Scotland, and entered
the monastery of Nostell in Yorkshire, belonging to the Austin
Canons. His holiness, attested by miracles, procured the esteem of
his contemporaries, and led to his appointment, while still young, as
Prior of the monastery of Kirkham, in the same county. Attracted by
the reputation of the Cistercians, he resolved to pass into that
Order, and was encouraged in his purpose by St. Aelred, Cistercian
Abbot of Rievaulx, who became his attached friend. In spite of the
remonstrances of his religious brethren, and the avowed indignation
of his kindred, Walthen persevered in his resolution, and took the
Cistercian habit at Rievaulx, where he eventually made his profession
as a monk.
He was made Abbot of the Scottish abbey of Melrose, which he ruled
till his death. In the later years of his life he was nominated
Archbishop of St. Andrew's; but his humility shrank from the burden,
and he prevailed upon his religious superiors to prevent the
election. He died at Melrose at an advanced age. Many miracles are
attributed to him, even during life, and fifty years after death his
body was found to be incorrupt. {113}
9--St. Berchan, Bishop.
This Irish saint spent a good part of his life in Scotland. Few
particulars of his career now remain to us, but he laboured near
Stirling as a missionary. Some traces of devotion to him are still
existing. The name of Kilbarchan, in the county of Renfrew, proves
the connection of the saint with that neighbourhood. St. Barchan's
Fair was held there annually. In the same county is to be found an
ancient Celtic cross erected in honour of St. Berchan. Another fair
was at Tain; this is evident from an ancient charter of that burgh,
in which it is stated that St. Barquhan's Fair is "held on the 3rd
day after the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, commonly called
Lambmes." St. Peter ad Vincula, or, as it is usually called, St.
Peter's Chains, is a feast which falls on August 1st, hence St.
Berchan's Fair, in celebration of his feast, was held on the 4th.
Lambmes or Lammas was the ancient name of this feast of St. Peter and
was derived from the Saxon _hlaf_ (loaf). It had its origin in the
offering at Mass of a loaf made from the first-fruits of the harvest.
{114}
6--Blessed Alexander, Monk, A.D. 1229.
In the account given of St. Matilda (April 11) allusion was made to
her brother Alexander, who, concealing his royal origin, entered the
Cistercian monastery of Foigni, in the diocese of Laon, France. He
died some years before his holy sister on May 4th, 1229. His feast is
celebrated by his Order on this day. A fair was formerly held in his
honour at Keith, in Banffshire.
9--St. Oswald, King and Martyr, A.D. 642.
This illustrious King was the son of a pagan. Ethelfrid, King of
Northumbria. He was compelled on the death of his father to seek
safety in the north, and took refuge with his two brothers at Iona,
where all three received baptism. Eanfrid, the eldest, obtained the
throne of Northumbria, but relapsed into paganism. He met with a
violent death at the hands of the British prince, Cadwalla, and
Oswald succeeded him as king. Cadwalla was defeated near Hexham by
Oswald's inferior army, the Christian prince having previously
erected a large wooden cross on the field of {115} battle, before
which he knelt in prayer for the success of his arms, and promised,
with the consent of his soldiers, that all would embrace Christianity
should God grant them the victory.
On ascending the throne Oswald procured a missionary for his people
from Iona in the person of Aidan, who became eventually the first
Bishop of Lindisfarne. The saintly King did not disdain to act as
interpreter to his people of the instructions given by Aidan in the
Celtic tongue. Oswald reigned but eight years, yet they were years of
blessing for the nation The King led the way in the practice of the
Christian virtues, especially of charity to the poor. It was on the
occasion of the distribution to a hungry multitude at the palace
gates of the food prepared for the King's repast, and the division of
the costly silver dish itself amongst the poverty-stricken people,
that St. Aidan, who was about to join the King at a banquet, cried
out enthusiastically as he seized Oswald's right hand, "May this hand
never corrupt!" The utterance was prophetic, as the sequel will show.
{116}
The saintly King met his death on the field of battle, when resisting
the invasion of his dominions by Penda, the pagan king of Mercia. His
dying words were a prayer for the souls of all who had fallen in the
battle. Many miracles were wrought by his intercession and by the use
of particles of the cross he had erected. His right hand and arm, in
accordance with St. Aidan's prophecy, remained in corrupt till the
time of the Venerable Bede, who tells us that they were honoured in
the Church of St. Peter at Bamborough. His head was taken to the
monastery of Lindisfarne; it was eventually deposited in St.
Cuthbert's shrine and was carried with the remains of that saint to
Durham Minster.
Many monasteries and churches both in England and Scotland bore the
name of St. Oswald. Those in Northumbria and Cumbria can scarcely be
termed Scottish in these days, but Kirkoswald near Maybole and
Carluke in Lanarkshire possessed respectively a church and chapel
dedicated to the holy King. His death occurred on August 5th, but his
feast has been transferred to this day. Devotion to St. {117} Oswald
flourished greatly in Ireland as well as in Scotland and England, and
extended to the Continent.
St. Angus.
At Balquhidder, in Perthshire, there is a local tradition regarding a
saint of this name. He is said to have been a disciple of St.
Columba, and to have preached the Faith in that neighbourhood. His
name is preserved in the _Clach Aenais_ (Stone of Angus), a slab
bearing a representation of a priest holding a chalice. This stone
formerly stood within the old church at Balquhidder, and it was the
custom to stand or kneel upon it during the solemnization of a
baptism or marriage. As this rite seemed to Presbyterian authorities
to savour of superstition, the stone was removed to the churchyard
about a century ago. Near the church are the foundations of the
"Chapel of Angus." A hillock hard by is pointed out as the spot where
the saint preached, and it still bears his name.
"Angus Fair" was formerly held at King's House, in the parish of
Balquhidder, on the Wednesday after the second Tuesday in August.
{118}
This locates the saint's feast-day (which the fair doubtless
commemorated) in the early part of August, although the exact date is
uncertain.
11--St. Blaan, Bishop, A.D. 590.
He was born in Ireland of a noble family, and after spending seven
years under the direction of St. Comgall and St. Kenneth, passed over
to Bute, to St. Cathan, his mother's brother. He is said to have made
later a pilgrimage to Rome. The monastery he founded became the site
of the well-known Cathedral of Dunblane a place which derives its
name from the saint where the mediaeval building begun by David I. is
still to be seen. Among the many miracles attributed to the saint
is the restoration to life of a dead boy. He is also said to have
rekindled the extinguished lamps in his church during the night
office, on one occasion, by striking fire from his fingers as
from a flint; the miracle being vouchsafed by God to clear the
saint of any imputation of negligence in his duty.
St. Blaan became eventually a bishop. After his death devotion to him
became popular, {119} and many dedications bear witness to his
callus. There was a church of St. Blaan in Dumfries and another at
Kilblane in Argyll. The ruins of the saint's church in the parish of
Kingarth, Bute, form an object of great interest to antiquarians, and
stand amid surroundings of extraordinary beauty and charm. His bell
is still preserved at Dunblane. The saint's feast was restored to the
Scottish Calendar by Leo XIII. in 1898.
18--St. Inan, Confessor, 9th century.
In the southern district of Scotland are to be found many traces of
the _cultus_ of a saint bearing this name, though his history is not
known.
Some consider him a native of Ayrshire, since the greater part of the
remains connected with him are to be found in that county, where he
seems to have spent many years of his life. Others claim him as a
native of Ireland, and it has been conjectured that his name is
merely a corruption of Finan. There are no conclusive proofs in
support of either opinion.
The chief place of residence of St. Inan {120} seems to have been at
Irvine, though many interesting remains recall his memory at Beith On
the Cuff Hill in the latter parish is a cleft in the rock which was
originally of natural formation, but has been enlarged by art; it
bears the name of "St. Inan's Chair." At a short distance from it is
a double spring of abundant and excellent water known as "St. Inan's
Well." On the day corresponding to the 18th August, old style, a fair
is annually held in the vicinity, which bears the name of "Tenant's
(probably a corruption of St. Inan's) Fair." Inchinnan (Renfrewshire)
is said to signify "Inans' Isle."
Another well bearing the saint's name is at Lamington in Lanarkshire,
where the church was dedicated to him. At Southenan, Ayrshire, was
another church or chapel bearing the name of St. Inan; for a charter
of James IV. in 1509, confirms the donation of John, Lord Sempill, of
a perpetual Mass therein.
24--St. Yrchard or Merchard, Bishop, 5th or 6th century.
This saint was born of pagan parents in the district of
Kincardine-O'Neil, Aberdeenshire. {121}
In his early youth he embraced the Christian Faith, and was ordained
priest by St. Ternan, who associated the young man with himself in
his missionary labours. In later life he journeyed to Rome, and was
there consecrated bishop. Returning to Scotland he ended his days in
Aberdeenshire. At Kincardine-O'Neil a church was erected over the
spot where the chariot which was conveying his remains to burial was
miraculously stopped. A fair was formerly held there annually on St.
Merchard's feast and during the octave.
One of the saint's churches was in Glenmoriston. The ancient burial
ground which adjoins it is still in use, and some few stones of the
old building are yet to be seen there. The local tradition tells that
the saint when labouring as a missionary in Strathglass with two
companions, discovered, by previous revelation, three bright new
bells buried in the earth Taking one for himself, he gave the others
to his fellow-missionaries, bidding each to erect a church on the
spot where his bell should ring for the third time of its own accord;
undertaking to do the same with regard to his own. {122} One of these
companions founded a church at Glenconvinth, in Strathglass, the
other at Broadford, Isle of Skye.
St. Merchard travelled towards Glenmoriston. His bell rang first at
_Suidh Mhercheird_ (Merchard's Seat), again at _Fuaran Mhercheird_
(Merchard's Well), near Ballintombuie, where a spring of excellent
water treasured by both Catholics and Protestants still bears his
name, and a third time at the spot where the old churchyard, called
_Clachan Mhercheird_, close by the river Moriston, recalls his
memory.
The bell of the saint was preserved there for centuries. After the
church fell into decay's early in the seventeenth century, the bell
remained in the churchyard. The narrow-pointed spar of granite on
which it rested still stands there. The bell, unfortunately, was
wantonly removed, by Protestant strangers about thirty years ago, to
the great indignation of the inhabitants of the glen, Protestant as
well as Catholic; it has never since been discovered.
Tradition has it that the bell was wont to ring of its own accord
when a funeral came {123} in sight, and that whenever it was removed
from its usual position it was invariably found restored miraculously
to its place, Many persons still living in the glen have seen the
bell, and the grandparents of some of them used to relate that they
heard it ring in their youth. Devotion to this saint was very strong
in that neighbourhood in Catholic times, and he is still regarded by
Catholics as the local patron.
25--St. Ebba, Abbess, A.D. 683.
She was sister to St. Oswald, and to Oswy, his successor, Kings of
Northumbria. She founded a monastery at Ebchester, on the Derwent,
and another and more important one at Coldingham. It was at the
latter place that the great St. Ethelreda received her monastic
training. St. Ebba was buried at Coldingham, but portions of her
relics were afterwards placed in the tomb of St. Cuthbert at Durham.
St. Abb's Head, the well-known promontory on the coast of
Northumberland, takes its name from this saint.
30--St. Fiacre, Hermit, 7th century.
He was born in Ireland about the year {124} 590. A hermitage and holy
well near Kilkenny are called after him, and were frequented as late
as the beginning of this century by pilgrims who wished to pay him
honour. After labouring as a missionary in Scotland, St. Fiacre ended
his days at Breuil, near Meaux, in France, where he became famous for
miracles both before and after his death; he was invoked as the
patron saint of the province of Brie, and his shrine became a famous
place of pilgrimage.
St. Fiacre's day was kept with devotion in Scotland. The Breviary of
Aberdeen contains the office for the saint's feast. Several Scottish
churches bore his name. Among these may be mentioned the ancient
church and burial ground of St. Fiacre, or, as he is often styled,
St. Fittack, at Nigg, Kincardineshire, on the opposite bank of the
Dee from Aberdeen. The bay in the vicinity is known as St. Picker's
Bay, and St. Fittack's Well, a clear spring near the roofless ruins
of the old church, still recalls his memory. Its existence is a
strong proof of the saint's residence in the neighbourhood at some
time in his life. The fame of this well {125} for healing powers
survived the downfall of religion, and it became necessary to prevent
recourse to it by severe penalties. Thus in the records of the Kirk
Session of Aberdeen for 1630 we read:--"Margrat Davidson, spous to
Andro Adam, fined L5 for sending her child to be washed at St.
Fiackre's Well and leaving an offering."
The large numbers of pilgrims conveyed in hackney coaches to the
French shrine of this saint at Breuil, caused those vehicles to be
known as _fiacres_, a designation they still bear.
31--St. Aidan, Bishop, A.D. 651.
This saint was a native of Ireland, where, after some years of
monastic life at Inniscattery in the Shannon, he was consecrated
bishop. Later on he entered the monastery of Iona. He became the
first bishop of Lindisfarne, and the helper of St. Oswald in the
conversion of Northumbria. His life was one of great poverty and
detachment, and his example had a wonderful effect on his flock. He
used to travel about his diocese on foot, accompanied by his clergy,
spending the time occupied by {126} the journey in prayer and holy
reading. His alms were abundant, and his manner to all with whom he
came in contact kind and fatherly. His miracles, even during life,
were many and striking.
St. Aidan was the founder of Old Melrose, which stood a short
distance from the site of the more modern Cistercian Abbey whose
ruins are familiar to travellers. He also assisted the Abbess, St.
Ebba, in the foundation of the celebrated monastery of Coldingham,
which consisted of two distinct communities of men and women.
After ruling his see for seventeen years, he died at Bamborough in a
tent which he had caused to be erected by the wall of the church. St.
Cuthbert, then a youthful shepherd, as he kept his flock on the
hills, had a vision of the soul of St. Aidan being borne by angels to
Heaven. It was this vision which determined him to seek admission to
Melrose. Many churches bear St. Aidan's name. Among them are those of
Cambusnethan in Lanarkshire and Menmuir in Angus. At the latter place
is the saint's holy well, which was renowned for the {127} cure of
asthma and other complaints. Another holy well called after St. Aidan
is to be found at Fearn in Angus. The ancient church of Kenmore,
Perthshire, was known as Inchadin. Keltney Burn in the same
neighbourhood, is called in Gaelic "St. Aidan's Stream."