Aidán from Ferns

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Aidán von Ferns in a 1919 stained glass painting in Wexford by Harry Clarke showing him as a pale ascetic with a model of his church in Ferns .

Aidán von Ferns (* probably before 550 in Templeport , County Cavan ; † 627 probably in Ferns , County Wexford ) is the founder of the monastery in Ferns and is considered the first bishop of the Diocese of Ferns . In the hagiographies created from 1200 onwards he is venerated under the name Máedóg , a form of name that is derived from Aidán or Áedh , in which the adoring prefix mo (translated: “my”) is added and the diminutive óg is added as a suffix to the Emphasizes the youthfulness of the name bearer. He is considered the patron saint of his diocese and of Ferns. His feast day is January 31st.

Written certificates

The annals that mention Aidán's death include the annals of the four masters , the annals of Ulster , the annals of Tigernach and the Chronicon Scotorum . Due to a mix-up with Máedóg von Clonmore, entries were made in the annals of Tigernach and the Chronicon Scotorum that refer to a late year of death. Both the Martyrology of Tallaght and the Martyriology of Oengus , both written between 828 and 833, name Aidán for January 31st. The martyrology of Oengus has extensive glosses that provide information on Aidán's noble origins and identify him as a disciple of David of Menevia .

Ruins of the medieval cathedral and the Augustinian monastery in Fern, where the first version of the hagiography on Aidán, which has not survived, was made.

The earliest surviving hagiography on Aidán was made around 1200, which is probably a translation into Latin of an original Irish version, which has no longer survived. There are different assumptions about the time the original Irish version was written. Some assume that this was created in the 11th century during the reign of the then King of Leinster Máel na mBó (1042-1072). However, Ó Riain recognizes some Augustinian references in the text and therefore dates them to the middle or second half of the 12th century. The motivation for the text was probably in the interest of emphasizing the importance of Ferns compared to its rivals in Clonmore (now in County Carlow ). This effect also contributed to the fact that one of the Máedóg of Clonmore assigned stories was included in the hagiography for Aidán. The earliest surviving text is believed to have originated in Monmouth or Brecon in Wales as part of a collection of Welsh saints and is kept in the British Library .

Further texts were derived from this vita . Are u. a. a 13th century text in Brussels, a 15th century manuscript in Primate Marsh's Library , a very similar text from the same period at Trinity College, and two manuscripts in Oxford from around 1350 and 1400 .

Life

As the son of Setna, Aidán belonged to the Uí Meic Uais clan , one of the ruling families of the Kingdom of Oriel . His mother Eithne came from the Uí Amalgai clan, who lived in what is now County Mayo . He was born in Port Iceland in the community Temple Port , County Cavan . As was customary in ruling families, he grew up probably in foster care and then came at a young age after Menevia in southern Wales , which was then under the control of from the area of Waterford originating deisi stood. Aidán was one of the many Irish people who trained there. Numerous vitae refer to it, such as that of Finian from Clonard or Brendan from Clonfert . Presumably, Aidán completed his training with ordination in Menevia.

Aidán then returned to Ireland, apparently first near what is now Ardamine in the north of County Wexford . There and in numerous other places in the southwest of Ireland, church plantings are attributed to him. Likewise in his home in Drumlane and in Rossinver , County Leitrim . His most important foundation, however, should be that of Ferns. The Vitae emphasize the close connection between Aidán and Brandubh, the then King of Leinster , but this can possibly also be traced back to the authors' attempt to raise Aidán's rank. The connection is also seen as a sign of the give and take that developed between the ruler and the monastery founder at the time, when the ruler gives the land and expects his salvation to be saved.

It can be assumed that Aidán led the monastic community in Ferns in a similar way to what was usual with David, who adopted the principle of ora et labora , which also included heavy field work. The Vitae tell of how he sows barley , grinds wheat and planting orchards. Livestock farming with cattle and sheep is also mentioned.

Aidán's place of death is controversial, both Ferns and Rossinver claim it for themselves, but Ferns is believed to be more likely. His grave is unknown.

Adoration

Stained glass in St Aidan's Cathedral, Enniscorthy, based on a design by AWN Pugin in 1849 for Hardman Glass Workshop .

The worship of Aidán certainly began in Ferns immediately after his death. However, its importance only increased with the spread of his Vitae from the 12th century. In addition to January 31, other days of worship are customary in some sites. So is his to St. Edan's well in Clongeen thought on May 15, in Kilnahue is Maodhóg's day celebrated on 15 August, a tradition from the 17th century called the January 3 Rossinver a memorial (although this also be a typo could), and in Wales, Aidán is also worshiped on February 28th. Aidan's day of remembrance is also mentioned in a hagiography of Fintan that was made in Rheinau . Aidán is also mentioned in hagiographies for other saints. Rhigyfarch's Vita of David from around 1090 also mentions Aidán as a student. A summary of the CV appeared in the Nova Legenda Anglie of John of Tynemouth .

Both the cathedral of the Diocese of Cashel and Ossory of the Church of Ireland, which are still in the distance, and the cathedral of the Roman Catholic diocese of Ferns , which has been relocated to Enniscorthy , are dedicated to Aidán. Other churches dedicated to him in County Wexford are at Ardamine, Clone, Clongeen, Coolhull, and Kilnahue. In Halwyn , Cornwall , a chapel was built in his honor in 1313, which is no longer preserved. In Pembrokeshire there are also some Madoc consecrated churches, but it is not clear whether they refer to Aidán or a Welsh saint of the same name who then moved on to Cornwall and possibly to Brittany .

literature

  • Richard Sharpe: Medieval Irish Saints' Lives: An Introduction to Vitae Sanctorum Hiberniae . Clarendon Press, Oxford 1991, ISBN 0-19-821582-7 .
  • James F. Kenney : The Sources for the Early History of Ireland: Ecclesiastical . 2nd Edition. Four Courts Press, Dublin 1997, ISBN 1-85182-115-5 .
  • Edward Culleton: Celtic and Early Christian Wexford . Four Courts Press, Dublin 1999, ISBN 1-85182-515-0 , pp. 102-107 .
  • Nicholas Orme: The Saints of Cornwall . Oxford University Press, Oxford 2000, ISBN 0-19-820765-4 , pp. 171-172 .
  • Pádraig Ó Riain: A Dictionary of Irish Saints . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2011, ISBN 978-1-84682-318-3 , pp. 432-436 .

Web links

Commons : Saint Aidán  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

  1. ↑ Lucy Costigan, Michael Cullen: Strangest Genius: The Stained Glass of Harry Clarke . The History Press Ireland, Dublin 2010, ISBN 978-1-84588-971-5 , pp. 245-248 .
  2. ↑ Culleton, pp. 103, 106; the year of death is documented by entry M624.3 in the annals of the four masters ; the year has been corrected according to the tables by Daniel P. Mc Carthy .
  3. ^ Culleton, p. 103.
  4. ^ Sharpe, p. 223.
  5. ^ A b Whitley Stokes (Ed.): The Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee . Henry Bradshaw Society, London 1905, p. 39 .
  6. ↑ Entry U625.3
  7. ↑ Entry T626.8
  8. ↑ CS625.
  9. ↑ Culleton, p. 106, who here refers to the year 656. However, the entries are apparently T660.7 and CS660.
  10. ↑ Pádraig Ó Riain: Feastdays of the Saints: A History of Irish Martyrologies . Société des Bollandistes, Brussels 2006, ISBN 2-87365-018-4 , p. 1 .
  11. ↑ JBL Tolhurst (ed.): [Unknown work] . Henry Bradshaw Society, London 1927, p. 13 .
  12. ^ Whitley Stokes (Ed.): The Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee . Henry Bradshaw Society, London 1905, p. 55 .
  13. ↑ Culleton, p. 102, with reference to C. Doherty: The Irish hagiographer: resources, aims, results . In: T. Dunne (Ed.): The writer as witness: literature as historical evidence . Cork 1987, p. 10-22 . Sharpe, p. 395, also assumes an origin in the 11th or the beginning of the 12th century.
  14. ↑ Ó Riain, p. 433. The Augustinian monastery in Ferns was founded around 1158: Aubrey Gwynn , R. Neville Hadcock: Medieval Religious Houses in Ireland . Longman, London 1970, ISBN 0-582-11229-X , pp. 175 .
  15. ^ Culleton, p. 102.
  16. ↑ Ó Riain, p. 433.
  17. ↑ Sharpe, p. 223: MS Cotton Vespasian A. XIV; Ó Riain, p. 432; Sharpe suspects the origin in Monmouth, Ó Riain in Brecon.
  18. ↑ Kenney, p. 449, Culleton, p. 102: Bibliothèque Royale 2324-40, fol. 168-218v.
  19. ↑ Codex Armachanus , also misleadingly called Codex Kilkenniensis , see Sharpe, pp. 94-106; Kenney, pp. 305-306, 449: MS Z3.1.5, fol. 51v-56v.
  20. ↑ Sharpe, pp. 106-108: Trinity College MS 175.
  21. ↑ Kenney, p. 449; Sharpe, pp. 247-273 (on dating: p. 254); Culleton, p. 102: Bodleian Library, Rawlinson B 485, fol. 154v – 157v with gaps and the derived version B 505, fol. 180v – 184 with no gaps.
  22. ↑ Culleton, p. 103. The detailed genealogy over nine generations of the male line can already be found in the martyrology of Oengus .
  23. ↑ Culleton, p. 103, who refers to the Corpus genealogiarum sanctorum Hiberniae .
  24. ^ Culleton, p. 103.
  25. ^ John Ryan: Irish Monasticism: Origins and Early Development . Talbot Press, Dublin 1931, pp. 113-114 .
  26. ^ Culleton, p. 103.
  27. ↑ a b Culleton, pp. 103-105.
  28. ^ Lisa M. Bitel: Isle of the saints: Monastic Settlement and Christian Community in Early Ireland . Cork University Press, Cork 1990, ISBN 1-85918-017-5 , pp. 158-159 .
  29. ^ Culleton, p. 106.
  30. ^ Stanley A. Shepherd: The Stained Glass of AWN Pugin . Spire Books, Reading 2009, ISBN 978-1-904965-20-6 , pp. 385 .
  31. ^ Culleton, p. 105.
  32. ↑ Ó Riain, p. 435. See also Orme, p. 172, who refers to a tradition of commemorating Aidán on January 31st.
  33. ^ GH Doble: Lives of the Welsh Saints . Ed .: D. Simon Evans. 2nd Edition. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1984, ISBN 0-7083-0870-8 , pp. 170 .
  34. ↑ Orme, p. 172.
  35. ^ Culleton, p. 106.
  36. ↑ Orme, p. 172.
  37. ^ GH Doble: Lives of the Welsh Saints . Ed .: D. Simon Evans. 2nd Edition. University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1984, ISBN 0-7083-0870-8 , pp. 174 .
personal data
SURNAME Aidán from Ferns
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Aidus; Edan; Máedóc; Madoc; Maodhóg
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Irish bishop and saint
DATE OF BIRTH uncertain: before 550
PLACE OF BIRTH Templeport , County Cavan
DATE OF DEATH 627