How Ciaran gave a gift of cattle
How Ciaran gave a gift of a plough-coulter
How Ciaran gave a gift of an ox
How Ciaran gave the king's cauldron to beggars and was enslaved
How Ciaran reproved his mother
The breaking of the carriage-axle

LA
1
2
3
6
4
—
—
5
7
8
9
10
11
13
14
LB
1
2
3
9
—
—
—
8
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
LC
1
2
3
4
—
—
—
5
6
—
—
—
7
9
10
VG
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
—
—
—
11
—
—

The boyhood legend probably consisted originally[page 12] of the five incidents common to all, II-V, IX. It is noteworthy, however, that LB transfers V, IX, to a position after the second phase of the Life. This is possibly due to a misplaced leaf in the exemplar from which our copies of LB are derived. X-XIII, variants on the theme of XIV, are probably interpolations in LA, and VIII, a valuable fragment of folk-lore, is an interpolation in VG. VI and VII are conflations of two varieties of one incident, as is pointed out in the Annotations. These observations will show how complex is the criticism of the Ciaran tradition.

B. The second phase of the life is the Schooling of Ciaran at Clonard; perhaps about 530-535, still using round numbers. This part of the life is most fully told in VG; it is very fragmentary in all the Latin Lives. There are thirteen incidents—

XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. XXIX.

How Ciaran went with his cow to the school of Findian The angels grind for Ciaran Ciaran and the king's daughter How Ciaran healed the lepers Ciaran and the stag The story of Ciaran's gospel The blessing of Ciaran's food The story of the mill and the bailiff's daughter The story of Cluain How Ciaran freed a woman from servitude How Ciaran freed another woman from servitude Anecdotes of Clonard The parting of Ciaran and Findian

LA 15 16 17 — — 18 19 — — 20 21 — —

LB 4 — — — — — — 6 — 5 — — —

LC 11 12 — — — — 8 — — — — — —

VG 12 13 14 15 16 17 — 18 19 21 22 20 23

C. The third phase may be called the Wanderings of Ciaran. From Clonard he made his way to the monastery of Ninnedh on the island in Loch Erne now called Inismacsaint (it is to be noted that VG knows nothing[page 13] of this visit). From Loch Erne he went to Aran, thence (after a visit to Saint Senan on Scattery Island) to his brother's monastery at Isel, a place not certainly identified. After this he removes to Inis Aingin, now Hare Island in Loch Ree, which is his last halting-place before reaching his goal at Clonmacnois. There are twelve incidents. The first forms incident 13 of LC, which then breaks off; this text therefore no longer requires a special column. The wander-years end with 548, the year of the saint's arrival at Clonmacnois.

XXX. XXXI. XXXII. XXXIII. XXXIV. XXXV. XXXVI. XXXVII. XXXVIII. XXXIX. XL. XLI.

The adventure of the robbers of Loch Erne How Ciaran floated a firebrand on the lake Ciaran in Aran How a prophecy was fulfilled How Ciaran visited Senan Ciaran in Isel The removal of the lake Ciaran departs from Isel Ciaran in Inis Aingin The coming of Oenna How Ciaran recovered his gospel How Ciaran went from Inis Aingin to Clonmacnois

LA — — 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

LB 7 10 11 — 12 13 14 — 15 16 — 17

VG — — 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 32 34

The difference of opinion as to the setting of incident XXXIII is to be noted. Also noteworthy is the absence of any reference to a second visit to Senan, though such is postulated in the lives of the latter saint.

D. The fourth phase covers the time—according to all our texts a few months, according to other authorities some years—intervening between the foundation of Clonmacnois and the death of Ciaran. The traditions of LA and VG here run along the same lines; LB is curiously diverse. There are in all twelve incidents,[page 14] namely—

XLII. XLIII. XLIV. XLV. XLVI. XLVII. XLVIII. XLIX. LII. L. LI. LIII.

The foundation of the church How Ciaran sent a cloak to Senan Ciaran and the wine The story of Crithir How an insult to Ciaran was averted How Ciaran was saved from shame How a man was saved from robbers The death of Ciaran The visit of Coemgen The earth of Ciaran's tomb delivers Colum Cille from a whirlpool The envy of the saints Panegyrics of Ciaran

LA 31 32 34 33 — — — 35 36 37 — 38

LB — — 18 — 19 20 21 22 — 23 — 24

VG 35 27 36 37 — — — 38 39 — 40 41

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[page 15]

THE FIRST LATIN LIFE OF SAINT CIARAN

Here beginneth the Life of Saint Kiaranus,¹ Abbot and Confessor.

II. THE ORIGIN AND BIRTH OF CIARAN: THE WIZARD'S PROPHECIES

1. The holy abbot Kyaranus sprang from the people of the Latronenses, which are in the region of Midhe, that is, in the middle of Ireland. His father, who was a cart-wright, was called Beonnadus; now the same was a rich man; and he took him a wife by name Derercha, of whom he begat five sons and