St Brendan of Clonfert (484-577) the navigator
Navigatio Sancti Brendani
Brendan's fame as a navigator derives from a 9th century quest or adventure story about his voyages called the Navigatio Sancti Brendani (Voyage
of St Brendan).
It was written in Latin probably by an exiled Irish
monk living in Germany.
There was indeed an historical person Brendan
about whom an outline of facts is known, but the facts and the adventure
story easily become interwoven.
Boyhood
Born in Ciarraí Luachra in
484, Brendan's father was Findlug and his mother Cara. As a child he was
given to the care of St Ita at Killeedy and was then trained by Erc -
his local bishop in Kerry - who later ordained him in 512.
Studies and travels
Brendan studied under Jarlath
at Cluain Fois near Tuam, under Enda at Aran and under Finian at
Clonard.
He visited Colmcille at Hinba (Argyll) around 545 and may have
established monasteries in Scotland at Kilbrandon near Oban, and at
Kilbrennan Sound, between Arran Island and Kintyre peninsula.
He is also
associated with St Cadoc of Llancarvan in Wales and may have travelled
with St Malo to Brittany.
Foundations in Ireland
A number of monastic
foundations in Ireland are associated with his name – Ardfert, near
Tralee, and Mount Brandon on the Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry;
Inis-dá-druim, now called Coney Island, in the River Shannon near Ennis,
Co Clare.
And there are places associated with him in Leinster, such as
Brandon Hill near Graiguenamanagh, and Dysart, Thomastown, both in Co
Kilkenny.
In his later life Brendan founded monasteries at Clonfert (568) and
Annaghdown, both in Co Galway.
Both later became sites of cathedrals.
He
died in 577 while visiting the convent of his sister Briga at
Annaghdown and his grave is at Clonfert facing the front door of the
Cathedral.
The Navigatio
Brendan's fame in history is ensured by a 9th century document called the Navigatio Sancti Brendani whose
popularity can be gauged from the fact that one hundred and sixteen
medieval manuscripts of it survive.
It belongs to the genre of quest or
adventure myth (immram), it is a story about a hero’s sea
journey to another world in search of the island of paradise.
Some parts
of the narrative are quite fantastic, but may well echo real voyages of
Irish saints to the Hebrides, Orkneys, Shetlands, Faroes and Iceland.
If one were to guess a moral to the story, it might be trust in God’s
providence through difficult situations.
Like an Irish currach
The description of the
preparation of Brendan's sailing boat resembles the construction of an
Irish currach: “a light vessel covered with wicker sides and ribs and
covered with cow-hide, tanned in oak-bark and with the joints tarred and
with butter to dress the hides for covering the boat and all the
utensils needed for the use of the crew”.
Cultural influences and patronage
In 1977 the
writer and explorer Tim Severin “re-enacted” the voyage of Brendan in a
similarly constructed boat, sailing out from Dingle, travelling by the
Hebrides, the Faroes, close to Iceland and Greenland and landing
eventually in Newfoundland.
Many of the features Severin encountered
– such as the friendliness of whales, the island of sheep, the paradise
of the birds, a steep column rising out of the sea, a volcano and so on -
have parallels in the Navigatio and gave it a verisimilitude it had not previously enjoyed.
His book detailing his travels and reflections, The Brendan Voyage, was published to great acclaim in 1978.
The Brendan Voyage
In 1980 Irish composer Shaun Davey wrote an orchestral suite for uillean pipes and classical orchestra, also entitled The Brendan Voyage, based
on Severin's book.
The uilleann pipes represent the boat (and the
listener) carried before the wind and tossed by ocean waves (the
orchestra).
The suite evokes the journey from Kerry past the islands and
through the freezing waters of Labrador to a safe haven in
Newfoundland.
It has been widely performed and acclaimed
internationally.
Brendan's journey is also humorously portrayed in the song Saint Brendan's Voyage by singer Christy Moore.
Brendan is a patron saint for travellers, sailor and boatmen.
He is also said to be patron of the US Navy.