The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran: Translations Of Christian Literature. Series V. Lives Of; The Celtic Saints
Religion
The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran: Translations Of Christian Literature. Series V. Lives Of; The Celtic Saints
Ciaran, Saint, abbot of Clonmacnois
Now his birth was prophesied by a wizard of the aforesaid king, who
said, before all the folk, "The son who is in the womb of the wife of
Beoedus the wright shall be had in honour before God and before men;
as the sun shineth in heaven so shall he himself by his holiness shine
in Ireland." Afterwards Saint Kyaranus was born in the province of the
Connachta, namely in the plain of Aei, in the stronghold called Raith
Crimthain; and he was baptized by a certain holy deacon who was called
Diarmaid in the Scotic [= Irish] tongue; but afterwards he was named
Iustus, for it was fitting that a "just one" should be baptized by
a "Iustus." And Saint Ciaran was reared with his parents in the
aforesaid place, and by all things the grace of God was manifested
within him.
III. HOW CIARAN RAISED THE STEED OF OENGUS FROM DEATH
2. One day the best horse of Aengussius, son of the aforesaid King
Crimhthanus, died suddenly, and he was greatly distressed at the death
of his best horse. Now when in sorrow he had fallen asleep, in his
dreams a shining man appeared to him, saying to him, "Sorrow not
concerning thy horse, for among you there is a boykin [_puerulus_],
Saint Kiaranus son of Beoedus the wright, who by God's grace can
quicken thy horse. Let him pour water into the mouth of the horse,
with prayer, and upon its face, and forthwith it shall arise sound.
And do thou bestow a gift on the boy for the quickening of thy horse."
Now when Aengus son of the king was awakened out of sleep, he told
these words to his friends; and he himself came to Saint Kyaranus
and led him up to the place where the horse was lying dead. When the
dutiful boy Kyaranus poured water into the mouth and on the face of
the horse, it forthwith rose from death and stood whole before them
all. The son of the king bestowed that field, which was great and the
best, upon Saint Kiaranus in perpetuity.
IV. HOW CIARAN TURNED WATER INTO HONEY
3. On another day the mother of Saint Kyaranus upbraided him, saying,
"The sensible other boys bring honey to their parents every day, from
the fields and the places where honey is found. But this our son,
weak and soft as he is, bringeth us no honey." The holy boy Kyaranus,
hearing this saying of his mother chiding him, made his way to a
spring hard by, and thence filled a vessel with water. When he blessed
it, honey of the best was made from the water, and he gave it to his
mother. But his parents, astonished at the miracle, sent that honey to
the deacon Iustus, who had baptized him, that he might himself see the
miracle wrought by God through the boy whom he baptized. When he had
heard and seen it, he gave thanks to Christ, and prayed for the boy.
VI. HOW CIARAN AND HIS INSTRUCTOR CONVERSED, THOUGH DISTANT FROM ONE
ANOTHER
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