(MIDDLE OF 7TH CENT.)
[Irish Martyrologies, also the German Martyrology of Canisius.
Authority:--A life purporting to be written by a disciple, but this is
certainly false. It can not have been written before the 12th century.
I give the story, and the reader may believe as much as he likes of
the wonderful details.]
The abbot Mochoemog was born in Connaught. His father, on account of a
feud, came into Munster and settled on the lands of O'Connell-Ghabhra.
The father, Beoan by name, loved a certain beautiful damsel, called
Nessa, of the race of the Nan-desi,[43] the sister of S. Ytha, and
having wedded her, he went with his wife to S. Ytha, and built her a
beautiful convent, for Beoan was a skilful architect. Then S. Ytha
said to him, "What recompense shall I give thee?" Then he said, "Thou
knowest that I have no heir; beseech the Lord that He may grant me
one." And Ytha answered, "A son shalt thou have, elect before God and
men."
[43] Decies, county Waterford.
Now there was a certain king, named Crunmhoel, who made war on the
O'Connells, and a great battle was fought, and Beoan was in the battle,
and he fell. Then his wife went over the field seeking him, and she
found his head, and knew it again, and she took it and carried it to
S. Ytha, and said, "Where is thy promise, sister, that he should have
an heir?" Then the holy abbess said, "Weep not, my sister, but put his
head on to his body again." "How can I know his body in the midst of
so many headless corpses?" asked Nessa. "Be not discouraged," answered
the holy abbess, "Go into the field, and call Beoan thrice in the name
of the Holy Trinity, and he will come after his head, then put it on
again." So Nessa did so. And when she had called the third time, a
dead man got up out of his place, and he had lost his head, but he
seemed to be looking about for it with his stump. So he came to Nessa,
and she put his head on, and then he opened his mouth, and said, "Oh,
woman! why didst thou call me?" And he was sound again. Therefore he
and his wife came to S. Ytha, who asked him, "Friend, desirest thou to
tarry longer here below, or to go direct to heaven?" Beoan answered,
"I esteem this world as nothing compared to eternal glory." "That is
well," answered Ytha; "However, my promise must be kept. Thou must go
home with thy wife." Then she washed his head and neck, and not even a
scar remained. And after that Nessa became pregnant. Now there was in
the east of Ireland, at Momyfechta, a blind abbot, named Fechean,[44]
and he prayed that he might recover his sight. Then an angel appeared
to him, and bade him go and wash his eyes in the milk from the breast
of the wife of Beoan. But S. Fechean knew not where Beoan lived, and
had never heard his name before. Then he went to S. Ytha, to ask her
to direct him, and she told him whither he was to go. And Fechean
hasted, guided by his disciples, and they came to a mill, and there he
found Beoan and his wife. Then Fechean related in order his vision,
and the journey he had undertaken, and when he had made his petition,
Nessa gave him some of her milk, and therewith he washed his eyes, and
straightway he saw plain, and returned with great joy to his monastery.
[44] Not to be mistaken for S. Fechin of Fore. Colgan mistakes in so
thinking.
Now when Nessa was near the term of her pregnancy, she went in a
chariot to her sister. And Ytha heard the driving of the car, and she
sent one of her maidens forth, saying, "I hear a chariot sounding
as though a king rode therein. Who cometh to me?" Then the maiden
answered, "It is thy sister Nessa." "It is well," said Ytha; "She bears
in her womb a child who will sit enthroned in heaven, therefore did the
chariot sound royally."
Now as soon as Nessa bore a son, it was told to Ytha, and she gave
him a name, Mochoemog (Mo-choem-og), meaning "My-gentle-youth," and
in Latin he is called Pulcherius. Then his parents gave him to S.
Ytha, that she might rear him in the service of God, and he grew up in
her house till he was twenty years old. And after that he went into
Ulster, to S. Comgall, and was ordained priest by him, and he resided
many years in Banchor under his guidance. But at length S. Comgall
bade him depart and found a new monastery, and become father of a new
generation of monks. So he went into Leinster, to Enacht, in Mount
Blaine, and there he built a cell. But being driven forth, he went
into Ossory, and the chief of that part offered him his castle, but
Mochoemog would not accept it, but went into a desert place seeking a
home; and the chief said to him, "I have a great and dense forest near
the bog Lurgan which I will give thee." Then Mochoemog was pleased, and
he went into the forest, and he carried in his hand a bell. Now Ytha
had given him this bell when he was a child, and it sounded not. "But,"
said she, "when thou comest to the place of thy resurrection, then
the bell will tinkle." So Mochoemog walked on till he reached a wide
spreading oak, under which lay an old gray boar; and instantly the bell
began to sound. So Mochoemog knew that he had reached the place of his
resurrection, and he settled there, and because of the great grey boar,
he called the place Liathmor (Liath, _grey_; mor, _great_.)[45]
[45] In King's County.
Here he dwelt for many years, training saints. He was greatly troubled
by princes, for on the death of his protector, the chief who had given
him Liathmor, his son endeavoured to drive the aged abbot and his
community away, but was miraculously prevented from doing so. Once the
horses of the king of Munster were driven to pasture on the lands of
the abbey, because the grass there was very rich. Mochoemog drove them
all off, and hearing that the king was exceedingly incensed against
him, and had ordered that he and his monks should be forcibly ejected
from the country, the old man hasted to Cashel, where was the king. The
prince seeing him, exclaimed, "What! little old bald head, thou here! I
shall have thee driven from the place." "I may be bald," answered the
abbot, "but thou shalt be blind of an eye." Then suddenly there came an
inflammation in the eye of the king, and he lost the sight of it. The
king, humbled, implored relief from the pain. "He shall be freed from
his pain," answered Mochoemog, "but he shall remain blind of an eye."
Then he blessed a vessel of water, and therewith the king's eye was
washed, and the inflammation ceased.
The wonders wrought by Mochoemog are too many to be further related
here. We have given a few specimens, and must refer the reader to the
original life for the rest.
Mochoemog died at Liathmor, and was there buried.