William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen (3)
I was speaking about William Elphinstone, the Bishop of Aberdeen. I’d like to say one more thing about him. The King, James IV, gave two people in
Edinburgh permission to have a printing press. The King asked them to publish the laws of Scotland and the acts of parliament. And he requested that
they print one more important thing – an account of ‘the legends connected to the Scottish saints’.
It was William Elphinstone that collated the information about the saints. He made a valuable book
– Breviarium Aberdonense – The Aberdeen Breviary. It’s written in Latin.
There is an account in it of St Kentigerna who is connected to Loch Lomond. She had a son, Fillan, who was also a saint.
Fillan was born with a stone in his mouth. His father ordered that he be drowned in a loch. When Kentigerna heard that, she prayed to God to save
Fillan.
For a year, Fillan was in the care of angels of God. Then a bishop was on the way to visit Kentigerna. He saw the boy – Fillan – alive under the water.
The stone was no longer in his mouth. He took Fillan to his mother. The boy was baptized a Christian.
The account also tells us about Inchcailloch on Loch Lomond. Kentigerna was living there. She died and went to Heaven on the 7th of January. That is
her feast day today.
ories in the Breviarium about miracles that Fillan made. He was living in a monastery and working in a cell he constructed himself. A servant saw him
through a crack in the wall. There was light coming from his left hand while he was writing with his right hand. The servant reported this unusual
occurrence to the monks.
Fillan was angry that his secret was now known. He asked a crane that was a pet of the monks to take out the boy’s eyes. But he regretted it and he place
the boy’s eyes back. I’ll tell you about the other miracle next week.
Uilleam Elphinstone, Easbaig Obar Dheathain (3)
Bha mi a’ bruidhinn mu Uilleam Elphinstone, Easbaig Obar Dheathain. Bu mhath leam aon rud eile a ràdh mu dheidhinn. Thug an Rìgh, Seumas IV, cead do dithis
ann an Dùn Èideann uidheam clò-bhualaidh a bhith aca. Dh’iarr an Rìgh orra laghan na h-Alba is achdan na pàrlamaid fhoillseachadh. Agus dh’iarr e orra aon
rud cudromach eile a chlò-bhualadh – cunntas de ‘na h-uirsgeulan co-cheangailte ri naoimh na h-Alba’.
ʼS e Uilleam Elphinstone a chuir am fiosrachadh ri chèile mu na naoimh. Rinn e leabhar prìseil – Breviarium Aberdonense – The Aberdeen Breviary.
Tha e sgrìobhte ann an Laidinn.
Tha cunntas ann mu Naomh Chentigearna a tha co-cheangailte ri Loch Laomainn. Bha mac aice, Faolan, a bha cuideachd na naomh.
Rugadh Faolan le clach na bheul. Dh’òrdaich athair gum biodh a mhac air a bhàthadh ann an loch. Nuair a chuala Centigearna sin, rinn i ùrnaigh do Dhia
airson Faolan a shàbhaladh.
Airson bliadhna, bha Faolan fo chùram ainglean Dhè. An uair sin, bha easbaig air an rathad a thadhal air Centigearna. Chunnaic e an gille – Faolan – beò
fon uisge. Cha robh a’ chlach na bheul tuilleadh. Thug e Faolan do a mhàthair. Chaidh an gille a bhaisteadh mar Chrìosdaidh.
Tha an cunntas cuideachd ag innse dhuinn mu Innis Cailleach air Loch Laomainn. Bha Centigearna a’ fuireach ann. Chaochail i agus chaidh i gu Nèamh air an
t-seachdamh latha dhen Fhaoilleach. ʼS e sin a Latha Fèille an-diugh.
Tha dà sgeul anns a’ Bhreviarium mu mhìorbhailean a rinn Faolan. Bha e a’ fuireach ann am manachainn agus ag obair ann an cealla a thog e fhèin. Chunnaic
sgalag e tro bhriseadh anns a’ bhalla. Bha Faolan a’ sgrìobhadh anns an dorchadas. Bha solas a’ tighinn bho a làimh chlì fhad ʼs a bha e a’ sgrìobhadh le a
làimh dheis. Dh’aithris an sgalag an t-iongantas seo do na manaich.
Bha Faolan feargach nach robh a’ chùis dìomhair tuilleadh. Dh’iarr e air corra-mhonaidh a bha na peata aig na manaich sùilean a’ bhalaich a chur às. Ach
ghabh e aithreachas agus chuir e sùilean a’ bhalaich air ais. Innsidh mi dhuibh mun mhìorbhail eile an-ath-sheachdain.
