St Blane's Chapel
The ruins of St Blane's Chapel lie within a still recognizable enclosure made of dry stone masonry (called "the Causeway"). The location is near Kingarth , near the southern tip of the Isle of Bute in Scotland and is the remainder of a monastery.
St. Blane, who was born in Bute in the 6th century , went to Ireland and returned to found the monastery around AD 575, which lasted until a Viking raid around AD 800. The ruins of a medieval chapel from the 12th century now stand on the site of the original structure from 575. Blane, who according to the Martyrologies of Gorman, Oengus and Tallagh (written around 800) was born in Bute in the 6th century and educated in Ireland, was the nephew of Saint Cattan, who was also the founder of the monasteries of Cainnech (598) and Comgall (600) holds. Blane came back from Ireland to look after the parish of St. Blanes and died around 630. The first known date is the year of death of Bishop Daniel von Kingarth in 659. The monastery was built in the 11th century, still during the Norman rule, restored. Of the monastery buildings on the Bay of Dunagoil , only one Romanesque church from the 12th century survived . It includes the nave, an ornate choir arch and the choir . The church was built by Alan Fitz Walter , the second High Steward of Scotland, who died in 1204 . In the year of his death, he gave construction permission to the monks at Paisley Abbey in Renfrewshire . There are also several simple early Christian cross stones on the cemetery, which was used separately by sexes until 1661. A large stone rotunda, also known as the "Devil's Cauldron", is associated with the early church use of the site. The 2.5 m thick dry stone wall encloses an inner area about ten meters in diameter. The entrance to the building, which probably formed the base of a round tower , is on the southeast side. The church with its fine Romanesque carving includes a central nave and a choir and dates from the 12th century. The facility later fell into disrepair. Excavations undertaken in the late 19th century produced workshop remains indicating that art objects were made here in the 9th century.
The fountain next to the chapel is said to be a Síd (also Sidh), the dwelling of a fairy who could cure sterility when she received gifts made of gold or silver . This superstition persisted into the first half of the 20th century.
literature
- A. and G. Ritchie: Scotland - An Oxford Archaeological Guide . 1998
Web links
Coordinates: 55 ° 44 '12.5 " N , 5 ° 2' 9.5" W.