(6TH CENT.)
[There is great uncertainty as to the day on which this Irish Saint
is commemorated. Some say Feb. 9th; some Feb. 3rd; and others
Aug. 11th. She is mentioned in the Tripartite Life of S. Patrick.
Her life, which exists only in a fragmentary condition, given by
Colgan from an ancient imperfect MS., is of no authority.]
The same caution must be renewed, which has been given so often in
writing the lives of the Irish Saints,--not to trust the records we
have, too implicitly. Doubtless, the main outline of their histories
is true, but lively fancies, through many centuries, have filled those
outlines with wondrous details which it is impossible to accept, and
which have made an almost inextricable confusion in their history.
The virgin Athracta, was of noble race. She dedicated herself at an
early age to God, and built a lodging where seven roads met, that she
might have abundant opportunity of showing hospitality to wayfarers.
She is said in her legend to have received the veil from the hands of
S. Patrick, when he was founding a church in Druimnea. Lanigan says
that this is a mistake, as S. Athracta did not live till some time in
the sixth century. He adds, "The statements relative to her are indeed
so contradictory that the period in which she flourished cannot be
precisely ascertained. According to some accounts she was contemporary
with S. Patrick. But we find her spoken of as living in the times of
S. Corbmac, brother of S. Erin, and, consequently, in the sixth
century. S. Nathy, that is, according to every appearance, Nathy of
Achonry, who lived in the same century, is also mentioned as a
contemporary of hers. On these grounds it may be fairly concluded that
S. Athracta belonged to the same period. She is said to have been the
daughter of Talan, of a princely family of Dalaradia, in Ulster, and
sister of S. Coeman, of Aird-ne-Coemhain, a consanguinity which it
would be difficult to reconcile with her having been a native of
Ulster. Whatever were her family connexions, S. Athracta presided over
a nunnery called Kill-Athracta (Killaraght), near the lake Techet, now
Lough Cara, in the county of Sligo."[28]
The legend of the saint contains the following incidents, the first of
which, as will be seen from what has been said above, it is impossible
to reconcile with history:--
This virgin was of noble race; she dedicated herself at an early age
to God, and built a lodging where seven roads met, that she might have
abundant opportunity of showing hospitality to wayfarers. She received
the veil from the hands of S. Patrick, at Dromanna, the modern
Kill-Athractha, Connaught. The story goes that on a visit to the
church, built there by the Holy Apostles, S. Patrick prepared to
celebrate Mass, when it was discovered that his attendants had
forgotten to bring a paten. He was, therefore, about to lay aside his
vestments, when the virgin said, "Proceed, father! with God all things
are possible." So he began the confession. Then, as Athracta knelt
bowed forward, she felt something lightly fall on her shoulder, and
she put up her hand, and lo! there was a paten resting upon it. She
rose, and, going to the altar, handed it to S. Patrick. On one
occasion the King of Connaught desired to build a strong castle, and
for that purpose summoned all his vassals to contribute their
assistance. Athracta in vain pleaded to be excused; the King roughly
ordered her to take her part in the erection of his fortress. Then
she, and her servants, and horses, went into the wood to cut timber
and transport it. But her maid exclaimed, "Oh, if the stags drew our
logs of wood, instead of these old broken-down horses, it would humble
the King's pride." Then Athracta called the stags to her, and because
the ropes or chains for dragging the timber were broken, she harnessed
the stags to the felled trees by some of her long delicate hairs, and
these proved as strong to draw the timber as the stags proved docile
for the draught.
These quaint legends are, it must be repeated, on no account to be
estimated above what they are worth.