Reading Notes:Saints and Animals part A

Unit: Saints and Animals

Bibliography:

Saint Kentigern and the Robin story source: The Book of Saints and Friendly Beast by Abbie Farwell Brown (1900)

Saint Blaise and His Beast story source: same as above

Image: http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/saints-saint-blaise-and-his-beasts-cont.html

Saint Comgall and the Mice story source: same as above

The Wonders of Saint Berach story source: same as above

Saint Kentigern and the Robin Cont.

• Saint Servan had a school near Glasgow, Scotland for boys
• Kentigern was one of the smallest boys in the school, yet he was at the head of the class. 
• Kentigern found solutions to the hardest problems, and read the hardest of passages in Latin
• he sang the loudest and never off pitch
• the Saint Servan loved him best of all his pupils
• the other boys were jealous of Kentigern and did everything to keep him unhappy 
• they talked and laughed hen it was Kentigern turn to recite, which didn't work
• Kentigern was to good nature to cross the boys that taunt him
• no matches in the year 600, or many centuries afterwards
• fire in the great hearth had to be tended to carefully throughout the day and night to be able to cook, warm the rooms, and light the candles for morning service in the chapel
• Kentigern placed a new log on the ashes and blew on the new log which shook so hard it started the whole fireplace was filled with flames. 
• the boys hated him more and more each day when Saint Servan showed him love everyday
• they had a new plan that would make Saint Servan very unhappy, and cost the life of an innocent little creature. 
• Saint Servan was a kind-hearted old man, and had a Robin Redbreast of which he was very fond and would eat breakfast out of the Saint's hand.
• one morning the boys killed the Redbreast and pulled off his head. 
• The biggest boy took the bird in his hand, following the other boys running to the Saint PRETENDING to feel very sorry. 
• they blamed the death of the Redbreast on Kentigern
• Some of the boys even said that they saw Kentigern kill the Robin
• the Saint asked Kentigern "looked at this, boy, look at this cruel deed, and tell me what shall be done to punish the slayer? Did I not love the Robin, even as I loved you, ungrateful boy!"
• Kentigern asked the Lord to help prove that he did not kill the bird. he placed the head where it should be with the body and started to cry. the tears from Kentigern fell on the robin and seemed to grow back to the body. 
• the Robin came back to life, and hopped over to Saint Servan's feet and flew up on his master's shoulder
• the boys covered their ears as if they understood what the bird was saying, as if it told the truth about their jealousy and falsehood
• the Robin never seemed to forget that Kentigern had restored his life

Saint Blaise and His Beasts cont. cont. again

• Saint Blaise was the son of wealthy people in Sebaste a town of Aremnia near Turkey
• times, it was fashionable to be a heathen
• he wanted to be able to help the creatures that he loved
• men, women, children, dumb beast, and everything that suffered and was sick
• he went to school to studied medicine
• he did great good among the people of his village, tending their children and healing their cattle and household pets
• the wild animals learned to love him because he did not hurt them 
• the timid creatures were brave in his presence, and the fierce ones grew tame and gentle at the sound of his voice
• the little birds brought him food
• and the four footed beasts ran errands and were his messengers
• Saint Blaise had a forest home which was a cave on Mount Argus near the city of Sebaste
• the animals would come to his home every morning and lick his hand in gratitude. 
• they would never disrupt him during his prayers, but waited patiently at the door of his cave
•  a poor woman came to him distressed because a wolf had carried away her pig. 
• Blaise told the wolf to take the pig back to the woman
• Saint Blaise was chosen Bishop by the Christains who loved him for his piety and his charity
• Emperor Licinius was causing many Christians to be killed
• Licinius told his soldiers to go into the woods to get animals for the arena where the Christians would be killed.
• they could not find any animals anywhere
• they came by accident to the cave where Saint Blaise lived
• the soldiers saw the animals sitting still and silent not wanting to disturpt Saint Blaise while he was in prayer. the soldiers did not take any of the animals they saw waiting
• the soldiers told the Governor and told them what they saw. and was told to bring Saint Blaise to him right away
• Saint Blaise went with the soldiers willingly and joyfully
• along the way he cured his last patient, a sick child
• a bone had gotten stuck, Blaise touched the child's throat and the trouble was gone
• the  soldiers were told to drown Saint Blaise in the neighboring lake, but he made the sign of the Cross as they cast him from the boat.
• he walked on water just as Jesus had done upon the sea of Galilee. 
• the soldiers drowned trying to do the same
• Blaise was soon beheaded after returning to shore. he was still ready to die

St. Blaise stained glass image form St. Blaise and His Beasts (cont.)

Saint Comgall and the Mice, Cont.

• place: where the Irish Sea is narrowest is the town on Bangor
• green hills of Sant Patrick's island look over the purple cliffs of Scotland
• Saint Comgall built a monastery, 1300 long years ago
• Comgall an Irish word meaning "the goodly pledge"
• the greatest of stories of Saint Comgall were of his animal friends
• his pupils would call St Comgall Father
• some pupils tried to coax some swans to the banks of the pond they were walking
• the swans squawked "we don't know you, you are no friends of ours, go away and leave our pond in peace."
• for Comgall never met the swans, he crooned and put his hand towards the swans, with no crumbs to tempt them
• the swans made a commotion and wrinkled the water a scurried to Comgall. 
• one swan sat in his lap letting himself be stroked and patted, stretching his long neck up to Comgalls face and trying to kiss him with beaky lips
• the swans somehow guessed that Comgall was the man who loved all animals and that was why they are not afraid 
• time of famine in Ireland and there was not enough food to go around
• even Comgall and his household were very hungry
• Crodah was a great Prince who lived in the neighborhood that had barns full of of grain. 
•  Crodah had an evil old mother who lived with him, her name was Luch
• Luch in Irish means 'the Mouse'
• Comgall went to Crodah with a silver goblet which was a present to Comgall and worth many bushels of grain
• the prince told him to keep his goblet of silver and he would keep his golden grain
• he wanted to keep the grain for his old mouse Luch and wanted the people to starve
• Comgall left without any grain
• the mice were Comgall's friend and the fastest of messengers with the shortest tails. all of the mice became enemies of Croadh 
• at night when everyone was asleep every hole and corner came peeping little pointes noses and quivering whiskers.
• the mice ate up every grain Croadh had in his barns
• Croadh yelled and roared angrily, his mother came and the mice cheered crying "Mouse!mouse!mouse!"
• he remembered what Comgall had said and guessed what the Saint had meant, and knew that Comgall had taken this way to punish a selfish and cruel man

The Wonders of Saint Berach, Cont.

• an angel appeared to Berach when he was a boy and told him to follow
• the angel led him straight to a monastery at Glendalough where holy Saint Coemgen lived with his friend the white doe
• Ireland was a wild country in those days for it was only six hundred years after Christ's birth and the little towns had hardly begin to grow
• houses, schools, and churches was far, far apart 
•  the young monk loved to watch cows and their calves browsing the meadow and wading in the brooks which ran under the rows of willows
• he loved Bel, a proud mother cow who had a new little red calf
• he saw a great gray wolf hiding in the shadow of a hedge close to Bel and her calf
• by the time he got to the pair he was to late, the calf was already eaten up by the wolf
• Bel cried looking for her calf
• Bel came to Berach crying asking for help
• Berach called to the wolf to come to him, frightened and whining like a naughty puppy.
• the Saint spoke to him kindly, also brought the cow by her horns and led her gently to the wolf soother her so that she was not afraid of the gray beast
• told the cow, "here mother Bel, this shall be your child now, in place of the little one which is gone. he will be a kind and gentle son to you, I promise."
• then told the wolf, "here wolf, is the mother whim you need to make you gentle and good. you shall be kind to her, and make her forget the wrong you have done by being a loving and dutiful son, ever doing her bidding."
• the wolf kept Bel safe like a huge watchdog kept away other wild beasts from the herd. 
• little Edward begged for juicy apples, and a salad or fresh sorrel leaves things that not were found in all the land in the dead of winter. because he was sick
• Berach retired to his cell and prayed that he might be blessed to save the dear childs life
• in the meadow he announced a blessing and the snow began to melt as it did in April
• eventually apples fell into the Saint's lap, who held up his skirt of his gray gown to catch them as the fell
• then some leaves started to grow under the trees, so he plucked the tart sorrel which makes a good salad
• little Edward was revived by the out of season dainties this miraculously provided for him and soon became quite well again
• many more years past for another hard cruel winter
• Berach became an Abbott and built a monastery of his own in a lonely place far away from Gendalough
• a rich man had wanted the land that Berach had chosen, even tried to destroy the monastery
• he appealed to the King for protection and both men were summoned to the court
• the rich man went in a chariot, fine robes of fur, with a gold chain about his neck
• the guards bowed low for him when he entered
• for when Saint Berach came he only wore his gray monk's robe all torn and tattered. shivering cold from walking so far. the guard though he was a mere beggar and would not let him in
• some rude boys began to throw snowballs at him
• Saint Berach had merely breathed upon them, and the boys turned to ice
• this time Berach breathed warmly on a pile of heap that fell from the gate and it burst into flames
• the King came to see what the fuss was about outside. the King and his court immediately suspected that this must have be a holy man and powerful man
• the rich man was bundled away in disgrace for daring to meddle with the good works of so wonderful a Saint
• Berach only wanted to teach the boys a lesson not severely punish them. he was kind hearted so while leaving the courtyard he blew on the boys again and they came back to life
• Berach went back to his monastery in one of the King's chariots with a robe of fur and a gold chain about his neck
• the King made sure that he would never suffer or be troubled again in his far-off retreat