Table Of ContentY NSI OT WOIICS I{I IHE IIAIIS
Od IHE EV,fTÄ IInSH SVINIS
iri
ü{ fO{IIh}I{II]YJIONS ZgZ
NO'
Y ]ISI Od WOIICS IN ]IArtS
IHg
Od IHE EYUTA IurSH SYINIS
g^
COUOJHÄ VNIN gUYÄ
HAfSINYI L66Z
SNOWY fYINEN JIEC EY)YIEI^IIV
V]YCEWIV SfIENIIYUNW dENNIfY
Presentecl at tbe Finnisb Academy of Science ancl Letters
onJanuary 2, 1989
ACKNOV/LEDGE.\ IE \.. _ .
INTRODUCTIO\
The Material
Hagiographr-ir-r E,,:
The Composirion
.
The Motival Conr.:--
Christian Trlditir ,:. .-
The Documentlrll
:-,
Methods of Docur:-,,- :-
BIBLIOGRAPH\-
LIST OF SOURCES
A LIST OF MOTIFS I\ -
I.
LIST OF SÄI\T-
II.
LIST ACCORDI\;
III.
LIST ACCORDI\.
Copvright @ 1992 b_v
AczLdemia Scientiarum Fennica
rssN 0014-5815
rsBN 951-41-0674-t
Pieksrimäki 1992
Sisä1ähetvsser-rran kirjapaino Raam:rttutalcr
fONJEN,JS
YfYNON4IACSEWEINIS 9
INJUOCNfJION L
JILA WE]äJIEI 6
ge8roEr-edqd ru gur.1Ä qrtepla^zl lreleup IO
lqa foudosrtrou oJ pLa fr^es IC
t€
Jl[rslrEu JJuprlrou ru tqe I'I^as IL
ZI
l^letqops oJ cotnureutEtrou ZE
glgnocuvdH^
Z,
]ISI Od SOTUfES (t
Y ]ISJ OJ IAIOJIdS IN JHE ]IAAS Og JHE AYU]Ä IUISH SVIINJS ZL
I' I'ISI Od SYINJS Z6
II' ]ISJ YffOUCINC JO IHEWE 8B
]ISJ YffOUCIINC JO f]YSS ne
III'
ACKNO§TIEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank the Fonds FCAR du Qu6bec for providing financial support
for this research, and the Department of Celtic of the University of Edin-
burgh and the Department of History of the University of Durham for
offering research facilities. My thanks extend in particular to Professor
§7illiam Gillies, University of Edinburgh, for all his assistance, guidance
and support, to Professor John MacQueen of the School of Scottish Stu-
dies, University of Edinburgh, and to Dr. Tomäs 6 Cathasaigh of Univer-
sity College Dublin for much helpful advice and couragement. The errors,
of course, are all my own. I am also exceedingly grateful to Catherine
MacLean, to Dr. Sheila Harrisson and Dr. §Tojtek Zakrzewski, University
of Durham, for technical advice, and to the staff of the Computer Centres
of the University of Edinburgh and of the University of Durham for their
assistance in producing the motif index on computer.
I would also like to thank the many friends who supported me during
this endeavour - especially Victoria Keller, Keith Hartley, and the mem-
bers of Shakespeare College - and my family, my mother above all, and
my father to whose memory this work is dedicated.
Dorotby Ann Bray
-- : -. --'IILr.irll srrddou INJUOCNfLLON
.'- r- - -- ''. ]rSIu oJ $plu-
.- - :--''--'- ':(l Cl-lJltu€ t JoJ
" ':- ''-'.'- -:-.rl lo dJoJassoJ
- -'''---'P;Lr3'8I-lIPeuJe
--- '-'-- -r-rcj qfolllsq sln-
- ':-:- :'.rt31t o1. l:uI^aJ-
'---: :)--:)ul IILJ äJJoJs'
: :i-i-:i-'1I lO JElqaJIuo
-'j -':il-z:\\ SII' 1--utr-a;s1lrt
--':^
'-:i.i' (ueP ULä pnr.ruS
--:-i-'a\-' ltup lILa uLaur-
l;l.l, cqo\-a e1l'eup
:-.--
C'- 't-,'tJlc '\,'7tt tL gt"aif
JHE WYJEUIV]
Jqrs i1st oJ urotrJs rs eu axdlotetosÄ ellaudt to rpautrgl' clessr;d eup po)n-
ruaut ]ILa ulefor-rtf, o;luotlJs a^{rlJq orJnr ru tILa I-r^as oJ tqe azr-1{, 1r-rsq
seruls' Jqa d;acnl.sor- to lqts ce1e1o8na &^es Joudpap pnr-ruE tqa )onJse
oJ raseerJq ruto lqa Joutext zup corudosrtrou oJ urepla^eI lrrsq qeBroBte-
dq{, ru deulJnlzr' tqe det]ar-u oJ tqa seruts, qro8r-edqras zup tqa reletrou-
sqrd o;qeSloStzdql)eI trzpltrou ru lrel€up to uetr^a lrrsq qeror) treprtrous
lqeA 16gZE(' Jqa seruls sele)tep Jor s1np{ d^are lqosr qelre^ep to qelo
uonrrsqap ru tqa IEte EW to t{ra aer-1d g}{r )eulnuas' E trrua .a^qeu Jqus1reuruf,,
.^es aslEqlrsqep ru IJaIEup.' Eup ]qrrslruu rustrtnlrous Eup trBprtrous .a^-ere
Jonupep'
Jqa stnpL §^es qesep ndou tqa uzfo; collettrous oJ ITTSIL seruJs, I'r^as
ru fetru eup ru 1r.rsq' es pes,frrqap q(r f' d' yauuaÄ lyeuuaÄ 1626/I69L'
tgE JJ'(' qnt padaupap Jor tlra ulost de:] ou aprllous qÄ uoparu srqolers
snrq es Jlrzrlas dlnrllurar uup m,qp"Ä stol>as )sea frsj oJ sonrres(' Jqe
urzunso;ldt ruetarruI petas {oru eqont tqa tqluaautq eup Jonueeutq )eu-
lnues' ultllon8q tqa )outeu] oJ tqa fr^es rs qzsep ndou olper sonrJas'
gnddlauautzrÄ rueleJrel. ^us ru,flnpap ru oJpaJ to 8rr,a esqJoepe rad;asau-
letlou es dossrqle oJ ruepla^eI lrrsq qz8roS;edqÄ' ru qotlL tqe Tetru zup
^aJuuJnleJ lJp€ rlrous' 1o ruJlnpa ruJeJaslruS o; nunsneI utolt;s' uup 1o 12Ä
po.a^u e JJenraaorl> Jor Jnuqor ruJlnsrous a^ITIJIL &^onlp zlp tqa slnpÄ o;
rupr^rpneI seruJs, lJuprlrous' geuJe' lqe lrst ruJlnpes lAIo ^aJsrous oJ
i4lnlrrqn,s fr1a oJ St' 4e1r-rc1 qÄ prJJareut eprtors {our prJJereut sonr)es'
otqeJ epprlroueI uteferrel )orudusas uospÄ lrrsq trEUSIElrous )or Jepe-
lrous( oJ I'etru 1rles eup apllrous oJ fr^as .a^{rrrq po uot eddam ru e urelor-
JollaJlrou'
sllll' lqe lrst Joulerus soure rutdouzut lecnuza' eup E Je^rsap eup
axdeupap lersrou rs eqeeplr qaruS corudrlap' OJ tqe Sopax sulureuJlJau-
srs' ou1.l tqe Tr^es oJ St' uroueUUE zup Sl' gruuruu .^-aJe poJnuaulap ru
Jnll' y ruora tqol.on8q expurruztrou oJ §4,' .§/' HerSJ,s eprtrou oJ 11ra 3opax
suluteutrreusrs )Ayroa soupourur 1yrqat,utaa' gurssrls I695.( q uaapep 1o
dr"opnca z rorudlela po)nuteulBlrou oJtqe uolrJs Jouturuep ru l{rass lrrras'
asdecrell{ lqose uot pndlrJutep ru dlnurrueJ' doJ ]ILe surue Jepsou' rl.^es
uot dosslqlJ to rurlnpe e11 tILa frles ru tqa treprtrous oJ SS' 4e1:rc1' gr-r311'
eup folnuqei tqa zruonut oJ uLeteuel Jor aEJq rs so 8teyr eup Jo^ers
snJq E urlpa sdzu o;)eulnJras tqet tqaÄ at,,eJJeUJ sdacrel ztleulrou' NaAeJ-
lqeless' rt u,p qa dosslqla to zpp tqls welerrel to tqe llst lu Jntnre stnpres'
10 Dorothy Ann Bray FFC 252 FFC 252
Among the subsidiary material is the Middle Irish Life of St. Moling to fulfill this role r- :
(TLte Birtb and. Life of St. Moling, ed. and trans. §fhitley Stokes, London heroic exampler .). , :
7907). Although it bears little resemblance to the Latin Life edited by that the hagiogra;:. -.:- -
Plummer (VSH II, 1,90-205), it contains motifs of considerable interest; less concerned rl:
also, the Life is an example of the evolution of a saint's tradition into the image manifestci
::-
vernacular. This may be said also of Liues of tbe Saints from the Book of as simply a caral,.-,i_-.-
Lismore (ed. \Xzhitley Stokes, Oxford 1890), which are not mere transla- any one saint. Ti-- :..
tions of earlier Latrn texts, but original Middle Irish compositions based The writiflg-. . r.-:--'
upon earlier sources. They, too, represent a stage in the development of are eulogistic in I :-.: . -
an Irish hagiographical tradition, an aspect which is also deserving of of a saintly bioer.,:
more attention, andare included in the catalogue of motifs for that reason. be reckoned c, ):..---.
The problem of obtaining good, accessible texts for study is a constantly the manifestatio:r. _:r- ,-. '_
pressing one for the student of hagiography. Cogitosus' Life of St. Brigit ch. 9). The nrir-,- :,
has yet to be made avallable in a good, modern edition (although one western hagiot:_,:
is in preparation. An excellent translation is available; see Connolly and saints were nt.r-=
Picard 1987). The Vitae Antiquae Sanctorum Scotiae. a collection of behaviour n'lti.: .
medieval saints' Lives from Scotland, edited by John Pinkerton (2 vols., son 7974.283 t ,:-
-
Paisley 1BB9) and its translation by §f. M. Metcalfe (Ancient Liues of enhancing the r:r.. . -
Scottisb Saints, Paisley 7895) are another case in point, Both are poor and for pror)rr ,:-:-. *" '
and not widely avallable, yet original manuscript material is often out of communities.
the reach of all but a few. Even the admirable work of Stokes and Plummer The form of ::-. - -
is now in need of revision. Furthermore, the folklorist is not always a lwo main solti.-;-
philologist, nor the philologist ahagiographer or historian, and therefore New Testanter:: :- - -
much of the material is approached only cautiously by those whose field treatment derr'..: I --
is not textual criticism. However, despite this major problem, an attempt phers. For c\-,::-:
-.
at an analysis of these Lives must be made, and apart from good texts,
a number of research tools are needed to provide a basis for study. The of the saints: l: -.-'' .
documentation of the motifs in the Lives of the saints is, therefore, only form and sn.. -,t -
a beginning, is hearsav lrn- .-: -.- I
Centun' Life ,::,: i. :-: .
debt to rhe L::'r
that. on rhe p,-:= - - -
HAGIOGRAPHY II\ EARLY MEDIEVAL IRELAI\D their sn-lc. ll ,::t'...'
literature ol ::_- ..,-- - l
.\s tlic g(:.:=
---
The term hagiography is usually taken to cover all writings dealing with the saint s t-:t==.
saints, but here it is concerned with the writing of a saint's biography, 19i3), HAqr-,::..- --.
the uita sancti. Writings about saints were, for the most part, intended the z'ita rc l'rc- :-. -
for devotion (see Delehaye 1955, 3); however, the hagiographers of his placc t,:' :-::.'
Ireland from the seventh to the rwelfth centuries were motivated by si-ith en :lt.
--:-.
several aims, materialistic as well as devotional (see Hughes 7966,223- ruitlthle rI::,,.
--.
226). oldcr hoir ::.,,:
Yet, even where the devotional aspect is in competition with the mate- of olderph- - r.,--.
rialistic, the saints are still presented as persons whose due is pious and \\-iten i-i:> :--,--
reverent regard, as larger-thanJife Christians in whom grace and right-
weoituhs nseuscs ha cbaorudninda. l TChheryi satiraen c ovimrtupeasre adsto g eBniberliocsailq zfi,g huurems,i liatyn,d acrhea rinityve, swteisd- r.h]]oirasrc ltc:>'tr l-:t- ..:r-. -:-.- -- . - . -
.:-
dom, piety, and prudence. They are the heirs to Christ's mission and to eaci-t r;tcl-c:-.
-:r.
the apostles; and they are intercessors between men and God, chosen l-orrosr in - ::
JJ) Z'Z äC) ZSZ y I.lst oJ {IotIJs q lqe lrlas oJ rqa gzr,1Ä lrrsq szruts II
.- t -- :: ,J. (l 11o1ru3 lo JnIJIII t{rrs role e^au qaJore glu!' 1qa seruts eddacr ru tqe alfoa es
- : -- 'I):' JOUpOU qeJor) exeudles og ){rrrstreu lrrrruE' uup lt ls tu e))orpzu,fa e^ltq t{1s lpaeI
- --r- -- l-:1r aPttap qÄ tqet rqa qz8roE;edqar-s pedrcl tqerr ,,qeJoes,,' yrapra^ul qe8roS:edqÄ u,zs
less roureruap ^ltq glstorrreI pccnr"ec(- lqeu e^ltlr jtpaI& to Eu lpee1
--:llllou lulo lqa rruz8a utuurJeslep ru tqa qold ;ueu' en lureEe &t,qrJ{r rs ouau axdrassap
- -' -,. ur tqa goo4 o{ es srurdld e ce1e1o8na oJ urrJe)las zup exlJeor-pruzuf,, alauJs snJ;onupruS
-'-' -- - ltL)Je lJBuslu- zuÄ oua serut' Jqa raEI ;r8nr-as oJ t{ra szruts salpour' y e^er'eddecr'
'
"- :L (\lllOUS qEsep 1qa rarrlru8s Jou,far-uruS lqa seruJs( JeJeeJs ru .alesleJu JqJrsleupou
:- i- - '-': -:r\ alodruaul og z;a anloSrslrc ru toue eup lpeelrstrJ ru routeut' Io tqe etrcreBa courdpe;
- -'.. .r PJSau,ruS o; o3 e seluil(.qlo8r-edqÄ' tqa rupru Jrrterre &^qareqd tqa szrul,s slelnJe Jonlp
qe laJl>ouap Jouslstap oJ tqa ladoys o;rurJE)las' n7lrrurlas .d^ere et ouJa
-' - - -- -:-:'' :< r loustuutyÄ lqe ureurJeslzlrous eup ]eslrruoures oJ lqe serul,s qoluess )saa .A4,eJp I6gZ'
: - '- - 1-Il. oi- Sl' grlSlt )q' 6(' Jqe urrrE)las oJ fqrlst uup tlra edostlas qereure storl> rterus tu
- --- '-' -- - :-- rllllon8q oua raaslar-u qz8roS:edqdl tqaÄ sa1 t{re steuperps oJ szuclllÄ to &^qr)q letar
- I >:) lolluo11Ä eup seruJs .a^eJa ruepa lo )ouJoJur Es E peuouslJelrou oJ rqa rpeuI oJ serullÄ
-i'i1 11 folieJlloU OJ qeqe^ronr .a^{nrq t{ra f{rnrrq ec1rae1Ä ;os}arep uup pe^elodap )saa Cl){-
-- --,.:..rr:UOU I Z ^ols" sou I|Lzr|' ZgG'lqe frlas oJ t{re seruts .a^ere llrns rrudouzut n,aqrJles Jor
.-''--- :- --: :-'F. tgto)t]a[Lu le 7J7än adso oo:{ aeuuqpe guoctr udSr" olqurao tlrauSdn tqlzelr Jonult so Jo Jlq tqae s suerurulsts .1dolr ldqrr1u3 rl-{rruersrJ z ou&p^ u^I s,fIotouJrsu rtnou rlqJraessa'
-
Joutrunurlras'
' - -- !:: ltUP d]nIUIUaJ lqe Jorur oJ t{ra qeEroBtedqrc.rl a?to ;uzL qa serp to qE^a a^ol^ep {oru
:
- :-' -.'- :: ILol e1.or,.eÄs z ;N^ao&^ rueru sonJJas: E srudla lls11uS oJ lqa SErUJ,s zcls )zs Jonup Iu lqe
- -- -'i:.- EILp lILaJaJoJa lasteureut vrts oJ t{ra ydostlas(' roruqruep e^lt{r E qloEredqrcel
--' -;-'r') \-{tOSe Jlelp lreptruaut par-r.l.ru3 ;r"our snJ{r JIBssrleI uropels es tqe lr^as oJ t{ra dqposo-
- *- .i-)llt' Eu ruautdt dqa:s' gor" axeurdla' qroSeuas fzaurns( T?aas o{ gur?uaur dqtlosodqaa
---: :-' r'' -.:.*t'l :iI1Sr tJuotI .B SouorPp( ,l'ä 1xq]sa' o)lJrB luirse' use' rIucl's Hi qlrri>osS' aI'uoausp, oTutn ta6s2 9e(ta p' rlsodl elqÄes rreuuoEperuJu s llualellupraltrt'e se uloe )tqpao lzI'lI^ erus
:--' lltaJa;o:a' ou1Ä Jorru eup stLla eup eJe less ]quu JE)tnuI ru coutauJ' coutzluruE urn,fq lqul
-' --- Is'
ls qeesseÄ eup ya8aup' lqns( pre ezrlrest l>uo. ^u TIJa oJ e setut' tira t{llrp-
caulnr-l 1r;e oJ Sl' yuiouÄ qÄ vlquuzsrns' qes qaau s{ro,al,u lo oane e Jeueru
peqt to t{ia TIJa oJ ddrqe8orzs )gopps I695' QI(' lupaep' |l ureL qa zppap
lqel' ou lqa dnr"ay.l JoJureI 1erza1' serulsL'r^as ru 8auarzl o,al.ep runJq oJ
lqarr stÄ1a' gol-rue1' vup JqetoJr)eI taoqurbnas to lqa de?eu deua8Är-rczl
llteretnra oJ tqe letar goureu gurdt;e )sea Ynerqz){r AgG'
Vs lqe 8aur"a parralodap'lqre alfa qa)eure uu rula8tyap ueJJetr^e oJ
'- -' . '"':-:lruBs PaElluS &^llq lqä serul,s JeJeeJ' all{r rJs o&t,,u )ou^aulrous uup audqzsas )sae yr8t.eru
- '-': - i >'-rlul.s qro8r-zdqÄ' I6Se(' Hz8lo8r-edqer-s 8auare11Ä Jollo.^ap e set Jorurnlu d^{F)q ;abnrap
' ' -'": 'l--'-rsl d:ttI' lulaupap lqre alio to qa8ru , ^rtq e pescudtlou oJ lqa suruJ,s or"r8ru )qrs dcraule8a'
- -- -:': urEroS:rdqar-s o3 qrs dlzca o;qluir' eup tqe ,frrlnrusJpu)as oJ lrls qluq( uup to rourlnpe
--.----':- 1)Jf lttolu-utap qÄ .a^rlq uu urronut oJ qls paetq' qolq adrsopas qaruE euqallrsqäp &^ltq
-'": '':-: 11r':iEilas L61c9'ZZ,-€ snrluqla rurJ)€nlons eleuls' Iu qrs JBJaeJ' lqa ÄonuS serul seJles euolqa;'
o1pa: qo1Ä ruvu' runrq es tqa )IEssr)eI dqlosodqar-s surprep Bt tqe Jeot
'--l-'r---'"ril- \\ lllt lqa ulele- oJ olpar dqposodqe:s )or rqa qoÄ fasns e^llq tqe elpers et tqa 1aurd1a1'
i- - - , -: -l -1: 1: drons eup 1lqeu qrs epnJetrou .a^zs corudlelep' lqa serut leU {rls tntor to slrrl>e
ont ou qrs o. ^u' Jqa ruzru qopÄ oJ tqa nlfa .M-es Jlllep .a^rt{r plronuts oJ
--'' - -- I'- - :--:::-'' lfrUltP' f:ltlJeer tlUlÄ^'e ts,llesp- srquor&rzap, el{sra r usz uruol E el dqdrsm qaeus)t 'o Jr-qpea; 'u esJaJleaor:toeup o qJÄ e tsqearu lu,sn trquroJrE o)leJs J rosu arddrrslaorp r1co'
-' - -- ---"-l S ULiSSIOU eup lo euJ{r ruJrpeut eu eue,fpota ru ltsalJ' aqlJ{r oJJesroupld u11o.a^ap Jor
':':u rluP r3oP' lqosau qor"r"oLaruS {oru oue fIJa to euotqa;' qnt Jelueluap stIII AItqIu tqe loosa
'--::--
72 Dorothy Ann Bray FFC 252
structure of a biography. The presentation of a saint's Life as a series of :r-ito the hrg , ;;'
exempla, a "few things from many", within a biographical framework pcrioclthet rhr -
was a well-developed form in Latin hagiography by the time it reached LI ()'- . )O II r/- )<| - ,
the Church in Ireland. (For a valuable discussion on the form and structure
of early Irish saints' Lives see Picard 7985, 6l-gZ. While Picard says littie
concerning native story-telling traditions. he does acknowledge the
potential influence of heroic tradition on the writing of saints' Lives; see
also McCone 1984, 26-59.)
Irish hagiography differed little in form from the mainstream of The Latir-r Lir c- .
.
medieval European hagiography. The Irish hagiographers followed the Lt.inS ltn irI:':r-:..-. '
same formula of birth-miracles-death prescribed by hagiographical con- :':tr-t]irnit lr;r..,: - -
rt-tic s rttilt!>
veextnatniot nLsi fe(s eine CGewltiycn hna7g9io1g2r,a6pZh-yg i sa tnhde BLiifeel eorf 7S9t.6 S2a,2m4s3on-2 o4f) .D Tohl, ep ereasruliems-t the rer-rrl'r ec:t:_.:r.--: --_ '- -
ably composed in Brittany between 6t0 and 6tS e.n. (Fawtier 7972). - .r \o]cntrt. lt :
This Life would appear to have been a model for Cogitosus, who com- -t\-lc ('Lrltir .l'.rti :
posed his Life of St. Brigit presumably in the latter half of the seventh leecling lltcnr rc:'-
century. \Whatever material he had to work with, it was probably Cogito- <tf ri-ie sair-rt::- -r . _. - :
sus who stimulated the custom of writing saints' Lives in the churches lhe s-holc. [( , .,,.-
of Ireland. Muirchu mentions in his introduction to his Life of St. Patrick rher- are clirc.: .r-- : -
that such a venture as his had never been undertaken before except by of a goocl >[(.r-,.-,--
his "father" Cogitosus (Muirchu-Hood , 67'), and thus, the custom was so .tttct.ltiol'l lr; :'r--.. -'
new that it warranted some comment. thet there \\-cI-.' -:-,_
Cogitosus tells little of the actual history of St. Brigit, although he wrote u ritten in ritr -, -. .
within a century of the alleged date of her death (c. 525). Her Life, in Tlrc Iri.lt Lr:.- '-
astcocroiersd awnicthe inw ait lho otshee bcioongvraepnhtiiocnasl froafm heawgioorgkr,a bpehgyi,n nisi nag sweirtihe st hoef rmeliaraticolen .rtc.r tn'tl'rcrkillr lt-t,-ic i:I-, :. .. _ .
of her birth and parentage and ending with her death. Muirchu's Life of Iltc rer rrcni t't- ' .
St. Patrick follows much the same format. Adomnän's Life of Columba \l riing n r.itr,,-: -- _
is, superficially at least, a different matter. Adomnän constructed his Life r igoLrr llrtrl ,. .:- .-
in three pafis accordinp4 to the themes of prophecies, miracles, and visions. Pr t:,5j|111- Iltr .-.. --- --
However, the Life contains the basic components of the saint's genealogy, ,,tttsirlc tlt,"--\ \..,. .::. : - -
the prophecies and miracles surrounding his birth, miracles performed sjll .rpthir etlr-li e ' :
during his career, and the circumstances of his death, and it may b: tl,c ., -.
considered a reworking of the basic form rather than a departure from Tlre Lir c-
convention (for a detailed discussion of Adomnän's Life and its signific- CltLrt'r'lt'. ( ( ):t . .- :-'
ance, see Herbefi 1988, 734-750). f ( ) pl'Oll)( rlt. --::-. -
The Lives written by Cogitosus, Muirchu. and (later) Adomnari \-et. rhc..sc Llr .=- -
represent important landmarks in the development of Irish hagiography. inrltginarrr)rt .r:t-- . -
The next stage was an imitative process, creating Lives for the host of 1963. 233-lr.: - -
lesser figures who did not have quite the same stature (in both the rlti: rtiltt' i)c :--: - -
religious and political life of Ireland) of Brigit, Patrick and Columba but tent.
certainly the same needs as far as their religious houses were concerned.
During the period from the Norse invasions to the Battle of Clontarf, the
traditions of various saints were drafted into uitae sAnctorum, for reasons
II.
which included glorification of the saint, assertion of the rights of the
religious communities, and edification and devotion. The post-Norman
Church in Ireland created different needs for the writing of saints' Lives, The ntrntbc:' .,':--- ..
less a need for promotion and assertion of the rights of religious houses tltc irtrltgc, ,l . ..
than a desire for preservation and integration of the Lives of Irish saints t'cpcrloirr-- i...r -
