Chapter 1 #

¹ At another time, while the venerable man was still a youth in Scotia (Ireland), studying the wisdom of the Holy Scriptures under St. Findbarr, the bishop, it happened that on a festival day, not a single drop of wine could be found for the mystic sacrifice.

² Hearing the ministers of the altar complaining among themselves about this shortage, he took the vessel and went to the fountain so that, as a deacon, he might bring pure spring water for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. At that time, he was serving in the order of deacon. The holy man then blessed the water drawn from the spring in faith, invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had turned water into wine at Cana in Galilee. By His divine power, this miracle was repeated, and the lower element, pure water, was transformed into a higher one, namely wine, through the hands of this illustrious man.

³ The holy man then returned from the fountain and, entering the church, placed the vessel containing the liquid beside the altar. He said to the ministers, “Here is wine, which the Lord Jesus has sent for the celebration of His mysteries.” The holy bishop and his ministers, upon confirming the miracle, gave fervent thanks to God. However, the holy youth attributed this wonder not to himself but to the merits of the holy bishop Vinnian.

⁴ This first demonstration of miraculous power was manifested by Christ the Lord in His disciple, just as, in similar circumstances, He had performed the first of His own miracles at Cana in Galilee. Let this divine miracle, worked through our Columba, shine as a beacon at the beginning of this book, that it may guide us to the other divine and miraculous works which were revealed in him.

Chapter 2 #

¹ There was a certain very fruitful apple tree on the south side of the monastery of the Oakwood Plain (Deny), in its immediate vicinity. When the inhabitants of the place complained about the extreme bitterness of its fruit, the saint, one autumn day, came to it. Seeing its boughs bearing fruit that served no purpose—injuring rather than pleasing those who tasted it—he raised his holy hand and blessed the tree, saying, “In the name of Almighty God, O bitter tree, let all your bitterness depart from you, and let all your apples, once so bitter, now be transformed into the sweetest.” Wonderfully and immediately, faster than the word was spoken, and at that very moment, all the apples on the tree lost their bitterness and were transformed into astonishing sweetness, just as the saint had declared.

Chapter 3 #

¹ At another time, the saint sent his monks to bring bundles of twigs from a peasant’s small farm to build a dwelling. When they returned to the saint with a freight ship loaded with the said bundles of twigs, they told him that the poor man was deeply distressed over the loss. The saint immediately instructed them, saying, “So that we may not wrong the man, take to him from us twice three measures of barley, and let him sow it now in his arable land.”

² According to the saint’s instructions, the barley was sent and delivered to the poor man, whose name was Findchan, along with the directions given. He received them with gratitude but asked, “What good can any corn do, sown after midsummer, given the nature of this soil?” His wife, however, responded, “Do what you have been commanded by the saint, to whom the Lord will grant whatever he asks of Him.” The messengers also added, “St. Columba, who sent us to you with this gift, entrusted us with this specific instruction regarding your crop, saying, ‘Let that man trust in the omnipotence of God; his corn, though sown now, after twelve days of the month of June have passed, will be harvested at the beginning of the month of August.’”

³ The peasant accordingly ploughed and sowed, and the crop, which he had sown against all hope at the above-mentioned time, he harvested ripe, to the amazement of all his neighbors, at the beginning of the month of August, in the place called Delcros (not identified).

Chapter 4 #

¹ At another time, while the saint was living on the island of Iouan (Hy, now Iona) and sitting on the small hill called Munitio Magna in Latin, he saw a dense rain cloud rising from the sea in the north on an otherwise clear day.

² As the saint watched the cloud rising, he said to one of his monks, Silnan, son of Neman-don Mocusogin, who was sitting beside him, “This cloud will bring great harm to man and beast. After swiftly passing today over a large part of Scotia (Ireland)—from the stream called Ailbine (Delvin, in Meath) to the Ford Clied (Athcliath, now Dublin)—it will, by evening, discharge a pestilential rain. This rain will cause large and putrid ulcers to form on the bodies of men and on the udders of cows, so that both men and cattle will fall sick and die, worn down by this poisonous affliction. But in pity for their suffering, we must provide relief through the merciful aid of God. Therefore, Silnan, come down from this hill with me and prepare for your journey tomorrow. If God wills and we are spared, you will receive from me bread blessed by the invocation of God’s name. Dip it in water, and when you sprinkle that water on men and beasts, they will quickly recover their health.”

³ Why need we linger over it? On the following day, when all that was necessary had been hastily prepared, Silnan received the blessed bread from the saint’s hands and set out on his voyage in peace. As he was departing, the saint spoke words of comfort to him, saying, “Be of good courage, my dear son, for you will have fair and pleasant breezes both day and night until you reach the district called Ard-Ceannachta (in Meath), so that you may bring relief more swiftly with the healing bread to those who are sick there.”

⁴ What more? Silnan, obeying the saint’s words, had a swift and successful voyage by the grace of God. Upon arriving at the specified part of the district, he found the people of whom the saint had spoken afflicted by the pestilential rain that had fallen from the cloud, which had passed over the area before his arrival. First, in a house near the sea, he found twice three men reduced to the agonies of approaching death. When Silnan sprinkled them with the blessed water, they were miraculously healed that very day.

⁵ The report of this sudden cure quickly spread throughout the entire region afflicted by this deadly disease, drawing all the sick to St. Columba’s messenger. Following the saint’s instructions, Silnan sprinkled both men and beasts with the water in which the blessed bread had been dipped, and immediately they were restored to perfect health. When the people saw themselves and their cattle healed, they praised Christ in St. Columba with the utmost gratitude and thankfulness.

⁶ Now, in the incidents here related, these two things, I think, are clearly associated—namely, the gift of prophecy regarding the cloud and the miraculous power in healing the sick. To the truth of all these things, in every particular, the above-named Silnan, the soldier of Christ and messenger of St. Columba, bore testimony in the presence of the Abbot Segine and the other fathers.

Chapter 5 #

¹ At another time, while the saint was staying on the island of Iona, he called a brother named Lugaid, also known in the Irish tongue as Lathir, and said to him, “Quickly prepare for a journey to Ireland, as it is very important that you deliver a message from me to Clogher, the place of the sons of Daimen. Last night, the holy virgin Maugina, daughter of Daimen, fell and broke her thigh while returning home from the chapel after Mass. She is crying out in pain and frequently calling my name, hoping that through me the Lord might bring her some relief.”

² What more need I say? As Lugaid prepared to leave, following the saint’s instructions, the saint handed him a small box made of pine and said, “When you visit Maugina, take the blessed object contained in this box and dip it into a vessel of water. Then pour the water, now blessed, over her thigh. By invoking the name of God, her thigh-bone will immediately be healed, made strong again, and the holy virgin will recover her full health.”

³ The saint also said, “Behold, in your presence, I write on the lid of this little box the number twenty-three, which signifies the years the holy virgin will have left in this life after she regains her health.” All of this happened exactly as the saint foretold. When Lugaid arrived and washed the holy virgin’s thigh with the blessed water as instructed, her thigh was instantly healed, and the bone was fully restored. Upon the arrival of St. Columba’s messenger, she expressed her joy with heartfelt thanksgiving. After regaining her health, she lived for twenty-three years, just as the saint had prophesied, devoting herself to the constant practice of good works.

Chapter 6 #

¹ We have been informed by trustworthy sources that this man of admirable life, by invoking the name of Christ, healed various illnesses among the sick during the brief time he spent at the Ridge of Ceate (Druimceatt) while attending the assembly of kings. Whether by simply stretching out his holy hand, sprinkling the sick with water he had blessed, allowing them to touch the hem of his cloak, or blessing items such as bread or salt that were then dipped in water, those who believed were restored to perfect health.

Chapter 7 #

¹ On another occasion, Colga, son of Cellach, requested and received from the saint a lump of salt that had been blessed, to help cure his sister, who had nursed him and was now suffering from a severe case of ophthalmia. This sister and nurse, having received the blessed gift from her brother, hung it on the wall above her bed. After some days, a destructive fire broke out, consuming the entire village, including the house of the woman in question.

² Yet, strangely, in order to preserve the gift of the blessed man, the portion of the wall where the lump of salt was hung remained unscathed, even though the rest of the house had burned down. The fire did not even touch the two uprights from which the lump of salt was suspended.

Chapter 8 #

¹ I cannot overlook another miracle that occurred through the opposite element. Many years after the holy man had departed to the Lord, a young man fell from his horse into the river called the Boyne (Boend in the Scotic tongue) and drowned, remaining underwater for twenty days. When he fell, he was carrying several books packed in a leather satchel under his arm. Remarkably, when his body was recovered after the aforementioned twenty days, the satchel of books was still pressed securely between his arm and his side.

² When the body was brought to dry ground and the satchel was opened, it was found to contain, among other books that were not only damaged but completely rotten, a volume written by the sacred hand of St. Columba. This volume was as dry and perfectly preserved as if it had been stored in a protective case.

Chapter 9 #

¹ At another time, a book of hymns for the daily office, written by St. Columba, slipped from the shoulder of a boy who fell from a bridge, along with the leather satchel that contained it, and was immersed in a river in the province of the Lagenians (Leinster). The book remained in the water from the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord until the end of the Paschal season. It was later found on the riverbank by some women who were walking there.

² The satchel, which was not only soaked but even rotting, was brought to a certain priest named Logenan, a Pict by heritage, to whom it had once belonged. Upon opening the satchel himself, Logenan found his book completely unharmed, as clean and dry as if it had been safely kept in his desk the entire time and had never fallen into the water. We have confirmed, as certain truth from those who were well-informed, that similar occurrences happened in various places with books written by the hand of St. Columba—that these books suffered no damage from being immersed in water.

³ The account we have given of the above-mentioned book of Logenan comes from certain truthful, excellent, and honorable men who saw the book itself, perfectly white and beautiful, after being submerged for so many days, as we have stated.

⁴ These two miracles, though involving matters of small significance and occurring in opposite elements—fire and water—bring honor to the blessed man and demonstrate his great and exceptional merits before the Lord.

Chapter 9 #

¹ And since mention was made earlier of the element of water, we must not omit other miracles that the Lord performed through the saint at various times and places involving this same element. On another occasion, while the saint was traveling, a child was brought to him by its parents for baptism. However, as there was no water available in the area, the saint turned to a nearby rock. Kneeling down, he prayed briefly, and after rising from prayer, he blessed the surface of the rock. Immediately, a plentiful stream of water flowed forth, and there he baptized the child.

² Concerning the child who was baptized, the saint prophesied, saying, “This child will live to a very old age. In his youth, he will indulge freely in the desires of the flesh, but later he will dedicate himself to the Christian life and fight the good fight of faith until the end of his days. Thus, he will depart to the Lord in a blessed old age.” All of this came to pass as the saint had foretold. The man was Lugucencalad, whose parents were from Artdaib Muirchol (Ardnamurchan), where there remains to this day a well named after St. Columba.

Chapter 10 #

¹ While the blessed man was staying for a few days in the province of the Picts, he learned of a fountain renowned among this heathen people, which foolish men, deceived and blinded by the devil, worshipped as a god. Those who drank from this fountain or deliberately washed their hands or feet in it were, by God’s permission, afflicted through demonic power. They would return home either leprous, partially blind, or suffering from weakness or various other infirmities.

² The pagans were misled by these events and offered divine worship to the fountain. Learning of this, the saint one day approached the fountain without fear. When the Druids, who had often been defeated and humiliated by him, saw this, they were overjoyed, believing he would suffer the same afflictions as others who touched the harmful water. However, the saint, after raising his holy hand and invoking the name of Christ, washed his hands and feet in the fountain. Then, together with his companions, he drank from the water that he had blessed. From that day, the demons fled from the fountain, and not only was it rendered harmless, but it also became a source of healing. Many diseases among the people were cured by the fountain after it was blessed and washed in by the saint.

Chapter 11 #

¹ On another occasion, the holy man found himself in great danger at sea. The entire vessel was violently tossed and shaken by massive waves, while a fierce storm raged on all sides. As the saint tried to assist the sailors in bailing water from the vessel, they said to him, “What you are doing now is of little help to us in our present peril; you should instead pray for us, for we are perishing.”

² Upon hearing this, the saint stopped bailing out the bitter waters of the green sea and instead began to offer a sweet and fervent prayer to the Lord. Wonderfully, at the very moment the saint stood at the prow of the vessel with his hands outstretched to heaven and prayed to the Almighty, the raging wind and the violent sea immediately ceased, faster than words can describe. A perfect calm followed instantly. Those aboard the vessel were filled with amazement and, giving thanks with great admiration, glorified the Lord through the holy and illustrious man.

Chapter 12 #

¹ On another occasion, during a wild and perilous storm, the saint’s companions cried out to him, begging him to pray to the Lord on their behalf. In response, he said, “Today, it is not for me but for that holy man, Abbot Cainnech, to pray for you in this danger.” What follows is truly remarkable.

² At that very hour, St. Cainnech was in his monastery, called Campulus Bovis in Latin and Ached-bou (Aghaboe) in Scotic, located in Queen’s County. By a revelation of the Holy Spirit, he heard with the inner ear of his heart the words of St. Columba. Just as he began breaking the blessed bread in the refectory after the ninth hour, he hurriedly left the table. In his haste, he put on one shoe while leaving the other behind and quickly went to the church, saying, “This is no time for us to dine while St. Columba’s vessel is in danger at sea. At this moment, he is lamenting and invoking the name of Cainnech to pray to Christ for him and his companions in their peril.

³ When he had said this, St. Cainnech entered the oratory and prayed briefly on his knees. The Lord heard his prayer, and the storm immediately ceased, leaving the sea perfectly calm. At that moment, St. Columba, perceiving in spirit the haste of Cainnech to the church, despite the great distance between them, spoke these words with wonder from his pure heart: “Now I know, O Cainnech, that God has heard your prayer; your swift running to the church with one shoe has greatly benefited us.” In this miracle, we believe that the prayers of both saints contributed to the outcome.

Chapter 13 #

¹ On another occasion, the same Cainnech mentioned above set sail for Scotia (Ireland) from the harbor of the Iouan island (Hy, now Iona) but forgot to take his staff with him. After his departure, the staff was found on the shore and handed to St. Columba, who, upon returning home, brought it into the oratory and spent a very long time there alone in prayer. Meanwhile, as Cainnech approached the Oidechan island (Oidech, near Isla, likely Texa), he suddenly felt a deep pang of regret over his forgetfulness and was greatly distressed by it.

² But after some time, leaving the vessel and kneeling in prayer on the ground, he discovered before him on the grass of the little land of Aithche the staff which, in his forgetfulness, he had left behind at the landing place on the island of Louan (Hy, now Iona). He was greatly astonished that it had been brought to him in this way by divine power, and he gave thanks to God.

Chapter 14 #

¹ On one occasion, the holy men I previously mentioned came together and both asked the saint to seek and obtain from the Lord a favorable wind for the next day, even though they were departing in different directions.

² The saint replied, “Tomorrow morning, Baithene, setting sail from the harbor of the Louan island (Hy, now Iona), will have a favorable wind until he reaches the landing place of the plain of Lunge (Magh Lunge, in Tiree).” And the Lord granted this favor according to the word of the saint, for Baithene, on that same day, crossed the entire open sea with full sails, as far as the Ethican land (Tiree).

³ But at the third hour of the same day, the venerable man called the priest Columban to him, saying, “Baithene has now happily arrived at the desired haven. Prepare, then, to set sail today; the Lord will redirect the wind to the north.” And at that very hour, the wind from the south, obeying the word spoken by the holy man, shifted and became a northern breeze. Thus, on the same day, these two holy men parted from one another in peace and both set sail—Baithene in the morning for the Ethican land (Tiree) and Columban in the afternoon for Hibernia—each making their voyage with full sails and fair winds.

⁴ The Lord worked the miracle in answer to the prayer of the illustrious man, as it is written, “All things are possible to him that believes”. After the departure of St. Columban on that day, St. Columba uttered this prophecy concerning him: “The holy man, Columban, whom we have blessed on his departure, will never see my face again in this world.” And this was later fulfilled, for in the same year St. Columban passed away to the Lord.

Chapter 15 #

¹ At another time, a certain youth named Columban, grandson of Brian, came hurriedly and stopped at the door of the small cell where the blessed man was writing. This same youth, returning home from the milking of the cows and carrying on his back a vessel full of fresh milk, asked the saint to bless his burden, as was his custom. Then the saint, though some distance away in front of him, raised his hand and made the saving sign in the air. Immediately, the air was greatly agitated; the bar fastening the lid of the pail was pushed back through the two openings that held it and was flung a great distance, while the lid fell to the ground, and most of the milk was spilled upon the earth.

² The young lad then placed the vessel, with the little milk that remained, upright on the ground and knelt down in prayer. The saint said to him, “Rise up, Columban, for you have acted negligently in your work today, inasmuch as you did not banish the demon lurking at the bottom of the empty vessel by forming on it the sign of the cross of our Lord before pouring in the milk. And now, as you see, being unable to withstand the power of that sign, he has quickly fled in terror, troubled the entire vessel in every corner, and spilled the milk. Bring the vessel here closer to me, that I may bless it.

³ This being done, the half-empty pail, which the saint had blessed, was instantly found to be filled by divine agency; and the little that had previously remained in the bottom was immediately increased under the blessing of his holy hand, so as to fill it to the brim.

Chapter 16 #

¹ The following is recounted as having occurred in the house of a wealthy peasant named Foirtgirn, who lived on Mount Cainle (location not identified). While the saint was staying there, he justly resolved a dispute between two rustics, whose coming to him he had foreseen. One of them, who was a sorcerer, at the command of the saint, used his diabolical art to draw milk from a bull that was nearby.

² This the saint directed to be done, not to confirm these sorceries—God forbid!—but to bring them to an end in the presence of all the people. The blessed man then demanded that the vessel, which appeared to be full of milk, be immediately brought to him. He blessed it with these words, saying: “Now it will be proved in this way that this is not true milk, as it is supposed to be, but blood, which has been colored by the artifice of demons to deceive men.”

³ This was no sooner said than the milky color turned to the natural color of blood. The bull, which had within the space of one hour wasted away to a hideous leanness and was nearly dead, was sprinkled with water that had been blessed by the saint and recovered with astonishing speed.

Chapter 17 #

¹ One day, a young man of good character and ability, named Lugne, who later, in his old age, became the prior of the monastery on Elena Island (Eilean Naomh, now Nave Island, near Islay), came to the saint and complained of severe nosebleeds that had frequently poured profusely for many months. The saint asked him to come closer, then pressed both his nostrils with two fingers of his right hand and blessed him. From that moment, when he received the blessing, until the last day of his life, not a single drop of blood ever came from his nose.

Chapter 18 #

¹ On another occasion, when some hardy fishermen, companions of this renowned man, had caught five fish in their net in the River Sale (the Shiel or Seil), which is abundant in fish, the saint said to them, “Try again; cast your net into the stream, and you will immediately find a large fish that the Lord has provided for me.” Obeying the saint’s command, they cast their nets and hauled in a salmon of astonishing size, which God had provided for him.

Chapter 19 #

¹ At another time, while the saint was staying for several days near the Lake of Ce (Lough Key, in Roscommon), he delayed his companions, who were eager to go fishing, by saying, “No fish will be found in the river today or tomorrow, but on the third day, I will send you, and you will catch two large river salmon in the net.”

² After two days, they cast their nets and caught two extraordinarily large fish in the River Bo (the Boyle). In the catching of fish on these two occasions, the power of miracles was accompanied by prophetic foreknowledge. For both these graces, the saint and his companions gave fervent thanks to God.

Chapter 20 #

¹ This Nesan, though very poor, joyfully welcomed the saint as his guest on one occasion. After he had hosted him as hospitably as his means allowed for one night, the saint asked him how many heifers he owned. He replied, “Five.” The saint then said, “Bring them to me so that I may bless them.” When they were brought, the saint raised his holy hand, blessed them, and said, “From this day, your five little heifers will increase to the number of one hundred and five cows.”

² As this same Nesan was a man of humble condition, with a wife and children, the saint added another blessing, saying, “Your descendants will be blessed in your children and grandchildren.” All of this was completely fulfilled without any failure, according to the word of the saint.

Chapter 21 #

¹ On the other hand, he pronounced the following prophetic sentence on a certain rich and very stingy man named Uigene, who despised St. Columba and refused him hospitality: “The riches of that miserly man, who has despised Christ in the strangers who came to be his guests, will gradually diminish from this day and be reduced to nothing. He himself will become a beggar, and his son will wander from house to house with a half-empty wallet. He will be slain by a rival beggar with an axe in the pit of a threshing floor.” All of this was fulfilled exactly as the holy man had prophesied.

Chapter 22 #

¹ At another time, the blessed man was kindly hosted for the night by the aforesaid Columban, who was then very poor. As he had done before with Nesan, he asked his host early the next morning about the quantity and type of his possessions. When asked, Columban replied, “I have only five small cows, but if you bless them, they will increase to more.”

² Immediately, the saint instructed him to bring the cows before him. In the same manner as with Nesan’s five cows, he gave a rich blessing to Columban’s cows and said, “By God’s gift, you will have one hundred and five cows, and an abundant blessing will also rest upon your children and grandchildren.”

³ All this was granted in full in his lands, cattle, and offspring, in accordance with the prophecy of the blessed man. Strangely, the number of cattle specified by the saint for both men—whenever it reached one hundred and five—could not be increased. Any cattle beyond this number, taken away by various accidents, seemed to have no value except for use within the family or for almsgiving. In this account, as in others, both the gifts of miracles and prophecy are evident. In the large increase of cattle, we see the power of his blessing and prayer; and in the fixed number of cattle, his prophetic knowledge is revealed.

Chapter 23 #

¹ The venerable man had a great love for the aforementioned Columban because of the many acts of kindness he had shown him and blessed him so that he went from being poor to becoming very rich. At that time, there was a certain wicked man, a persecutor of the good, named Joan, son of Conall, son of Domnall, descended from the royal tribe of Gabran.

² This man harassed the aforementioned Columban, the friend of St. Columba, and not just once, but twice attacked and plundered his house, carrying off all he could find. Consequently, it fittingly happened to this wicked man that, as he and his associates, after plundering the same house a third time, were returning to their vessel laden with loot, he encountered the holy man he had despised, whom he thought was far away. When the saint reproached him for his wicked deeds and advised and pleaded with him to return the stolen goods, he remained stubborn and unyielding, scorning the holy man. Mocking and laughing at the blessed man, he boarded the boat with the stolen goods. Yet the saint followed him to the water’s edge and, wading up to his knees in the clear green seawater, lifted both hands to heaven and fervently called upon Christ, who glorifies His elect as they give glory to Him.

³ The haven where the saint stood for some time and called upon the Lord after the departure of the oppressor is at a place called in Scotic Ait-Chambas Art-Muirchol (Camus-an-Gaall, Ardnamurchan). After finishing his prayer, the saint returned to dry land, sat down on higher ground with his companions, and spoke these dreadful words: “This miserable wretch, who has despised Christ in His servants, will never return to the port from which you have just seen him set sail. Neither he nor his wicked associates will reach the land for which they are bound, for a sudden death will prevent it. This day, a furious storm will rise from a cloud, which you will soon see coming from the north, and it will overwhelm him and his companions, so that not one of them will survive to tell the tale.”

⁴ After a few moments, while the day was perfectly calm, behold! A cloud rose from the sea, just as the saint had foretold, and brought about a great hurricane. This storm overtook the plunderer with his spoils between the Malean and Colosus islands (Mull and Colonsay) and overwhelmed him in the midst of the sea, which was suddenly whipped into fury. Not even one of those on the vessel escaped, just as the saint had declared. In this extraordinary manner, by such a singular storm—while the rest of the sea remained calm—the robbers were miserably, yet justly, overwhelmed and sunk into the depths.

Chapter 24 #

¹ At another time, the holy man specially entrusted a certain exile of noble Pictish lineage, named Tarain, to the care of Feradach, a wealthy man living on the Ilean island (Islay), that he might take him into his retinue as a friend for some months. Though Feradach initially accepted this man, who had been so highly recommended by the saint, he acted treacherously a few days later and cruelly ordered him to be put to death. When news of this heinous crime was brought to the saint by travelers, he made the following prediction: “That wretched man has not lied to me, but to God, and his name will be blotted out of the book of life. We are now speaking these words in the middle of summer, but by autumn, before he eats swine’s flesh fattened on the fruits of the trees, he will be struck by sudden death and carried off to the infernal regions.”

² When the miserable man heard the saint’s prophecy, he scorned and mocked him. As the autumn days passed, he ordered a sow, fattened on the kernels of nuts, to be slaughtered—none of his other swine having yet been killed. He also commanded that its entrails be immediately removed and a portion quickly roasted on a spit so that, by hastening to eat of it early, he might prove the prediction of the blessed man false.

³ As soon as it was roasted, he asked for a very small morsel to taste it, but before the hand he stretched out to take it reached his mouth, he expired and fell backward, dead. All who saw or heard of this were filled with astonishment and fear, and they honoured and glorified Christ in His holy prophet.

Chapter 25 #

¹ On one occasion, while the blessed man was living on the Hinba island (Eilean-na-Naoimh) and preparing to excommunicate certain destroyers of churches—among them the sons of Conall, son of Domnall, including the previously mentioned Joan—one of their wicked associates, prompted by the devil, rushed at the saint with a spear, intending to kill him.

² To prevent this, one of the brethren, named Findlugan, put on the saint’s cowl and stepped in to shield him, willingly offering his life for the holy man. In a miraculous manner, the saint’s garment acted as a strong and impenetrable barrier, which the thrust of a sharp spear—delivered with great force by a powerful man—could not pierce. The garment remained untouched, and the one wearing it was unharmed, protected by such divine intervention. The assailant, whose name was Manus Dextera, retreated, believing he had struck down the saint with his spear.

³ Exactly a year later, while the saint was staying on the island of Hy (now Iona), he said, “A year has now passed since the day Lam-dess attempted to kill Findlugan in my place; but I believe he himself is slain at this very hour.” And so it happened, at that very moment, according to the saint’s revelation, on the island called Longa (Luing in Latin), where a battle was being fought between groups of men on both sides. In this battle, Lam-dess alone was killed by Cronan, the son of Baithene, with a dart that was said to have been thrown in the name of St. Columba; and when Lam-dess fell, the battle came to an end.

Chapter 26 #

¹ When the holy man, still a young deacon, was living in the region of the Lagenians (Leinster), studying divine wisdom, it happened one day that a cruel and heartless oppressor of the innocent was chasing a young girl who fled before him across a level plain. Seeing the aged Gemman, the teacher of the young deacon, reading on the plain, she ran toward him as fast as she could.

² Being alarmed by such an unexpected event, Gemman called out to Columba, who was reading at some distance, so that together they might do their best to defend the girl from her pursuer. However, the man immediately caught up to her and, showing no regard for their presence, stabbed the girl with his lance beneath their very cloaks. He then left her lying dead at their feet and turned to walk away. In great distress, the old man turned to Columba and said, “How long, holy youth Columba, will God, the just Judge, allow this horrid crime and this insult to us to go unpunished?”

³ Then the saint immediately pronounced this sentence upon the perpetrator of the crime: “At the very moment the soul of this girl, whom he has murdered, ascends into heaven, the soul of the murderer will descend into hell.” Scarcely had he spoken these words when the murderer of the innocent, like Ananias before Peter, fell dead on the spot before the eyes of the holy youth. The news of this sudden and dreadful vengeance quickly spread throughout many regions of Scotia (Ireland), along with the growing fame of the holy deacon.

⁴ What we have said may suffice concerning the severe punishments inflicted upon those who opposed him; we will now recount a few incidents involving wild beasts.

Chapter 27 #

¹ On one occasion, while the blessed man was spending several days on the Scian island (Skye), he left the brethren and went farther than usual to pray alone. Entering a dense forest, he encountered a massive wild boar that was being pursued by hounds. As soon as the saint saw the beast from a distance, he stood and gazed intently at it. Then, raising his holy hand and fervently invoking the name of God in prayer, he said, “You will go no further in this direction; perish on the spot where you now stand.” At the sound of these words spoken by the saint in the forest, the ferocious beast was not only unable to move forward but, by the power of his words, immediately fell dead before his eyes.

Chapter 28 #

¹ On another occasion, when the blessed man was staying for several days in the land of the Picts, he needed to cross the river Nesa (the Ness). As he reached the riverbank, he saw some local inhabitants burying a man who, according to their account, had been attacked while swimming a short time earlier. The unfortunate man had been severely bitten by a monster living in the water, and although those who came to his aid in a boat had used a hook to pull his body from the water, their efforts had come too late.

² The blessed man, upon hearing this, was not dismayed in the slightest. Instead, he instructed one of his companions to swim across the river and bring back the small boat moored on the opposite bank. Lugne Mocumin, hearing the saint’s command, obeyed without hesitation. He removed all his clothes except for his tunic and leapt into the water. Meanwhile, the monster, which had been lurking at the bottom of the river, far from being satisfied, was only stirred to seek more prey. Feeling the water disturbed above by the swimmer, it suddenly surged forth, letting out a terrifying roar, and darted after Lugne with its mouth wide open as he swam in the middle of the stream.

³ Then the blessed man, observing this, raised his holy hand while all the others, both brethren and strangers, were paralyzed with terror. Invoking the name of God, he made the saving sign of the cross in the air and commanded the ferocious monster, saying, “You will go no further, nor touch the man; return with all speed.”

⁴ At the voice of the saint, the monster was struck with terror and fled more swiftly than if it had been pulled back with ropes, even though it had come so close to Lugne as he swam that only the length of a spear-staff separated the man and the beast. When the brethren saw that the monster had retreated and that their comrade Lugne had returned to them in the boat safe and unharmed, they were filled with awe and gave glory to God for the blessed man. Even the barbarous heathens who were present, compelled by the greatness of this miracle that they had witnessed, magnified the God of the Christians.

Chapter 29 #

¹ On a certain day in the same summer in which he passed to the Lord, the saint traveled in a chariot to visit some of the brethren who were engaged in strenuous work in the western part of the island of Hy (now Iona). After offering them words of comfort and encouragement, the saint stood on higher ground and made this prophecy: “My dear children, I know that from this day forward you will never see my face again in this place.”

² Seeing the brethren overcome with sorrow at his words, the saint sought to comfort them as best he could. Raising both his holy hands, he blessed the entire island, saying: “From this very moment, poisonous reptiles will in no way harm men or cattle on this island, so long as the inhabitants continue to keep the commandments of Christ”

Chapter 30 #

¹ At another time, a certain brother named Molua, grandson of Brian, came to the saint while he was writing and said to him, “I beg you to bless this knife that I hold in my hand.” Without turning his face from the book he was writing in, the saint extended his holy hand slightly, with the pen still in it, and blessed the knife by making the sign of the cross over it. When the brother had departed with the blessed knife, the saint asked, “What kind of knife have I blessed for that brother?” Diormit, the saint’s faithful attendant, replied, “You have blessed a knife for slaughtering bulls or oxen.”

² The saint then said, “I trust in my Lord that the knife I have blessed will never wound men or cattle.” This word of the holy man was immediately confirmed, for the brother went beyond the monastery’s enclosure and attempted to kill an ox. Despite making three strong attempts with all his strength, he was unable even to pierce the animal’s skin. When the monks learned of this, they skillfully melted down the iron of the knife and applied a thin coating of it to all the iron tools used in the monastery. Such was the enduring power of the saint’s blessing that these tools were never afterwards able to inflict a wound on flesh.

Chapter 31 #

¹ At another time, Diormit, the saint’s faithful attendant, was gravely ill and near death. The saint went to see him in his extremity. Standing by the sick man’s bed and invoking the name of Christ, he prayed, saying, “O my Lord, be merciful to me, I beseech You, and do not take the soul of my faithful attendant from its dwelling in the flesh while I yet live.”

² Having said this, he remained silent for a short time, and then spoke again with his sacred mouth: “My son will not only not die at present, but will also live for many years after my death.” The saint’s prayer was heard, for at the very moment it was offered, Diormit was restored to perfect health and went on to live for many years after St. Columba had passed to the Lord.

Chapter 32 #

¹ At another time, as the saint was traveling beyond the Dorsal Ridge of Britain (Drumalban), a certain youth named Finten, one of his companions, was struck with a sudden illness and brought to the brink of death. His comrades, deeply distressed on his account, entreated the saint to pray for him. Moved by their pleas, Columba raised his holy hands to heaven in fervent prayer and, blessing the sick youth, said, “This youth, for whom you plead, will enjoy a long life. He will outlive all who are here present and die in a good old age”

² This prophecy of the blessed man was fulfilled in every detail, for the same youth, after founding the monastery of Kailli-au-inde (not identified), ended his earthly life in a good old age.

Chapter 33 #

¹ At the time when St. Columba was staying for several days in the province of the Picts, a certain peasant, along with his entire family, listened to and learned through an interpreter the word of life as preached by the holy man. Believing, he and his household were baptized—the husband, together with his wife, children, and servants.

² A few days after his conversion, one of the sons of this householder fell gravely ill and was brought to the brink of death. When the Druids saw the boy in this dying state, they began to reproach his parents with great bitterness, boasting of the power of their own gods as being superior to the God of the Christians. They mocked and scorned God, as though He were weaker than their gods. When all this was reported to the blessed man, he was filled with zeal for God and, accompanied by some of his companions, went to the house of the friendly peasant. There, he found the grieving parents already holding the funeral rites for their child, who had just died.

³ The saint, upon seeing their deep sorrow, sought to comfort them with words of consolation and urged them not to doubt the omnipotence of God. He then asked, “In which room is the body of your son lying?” When the grieving father led him to the house, he left the crowd of people who had followed him outside and entered alone into the home of mourning. There, kneeling, he prayed to Christ our Lord, his face wet with abundant tears. Rising from his knees, he looked at the deceased and said, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, arise and stand on your feet.”

⁴ At the sound of this glorious command from the saint, the soul returned to the body, and the person who had been dead opened his eyes and came back to life. The apostolic man then took him by the hand, raised him up, and set him on his feet. Leading him out of the house, he restored him to his parents. At this, the cries of the rejoicing crowd erupted, sorrow turned into joy, and the God of the Christians was glorified.

⁵ We must therefore believe that our saint possessed the gift of miracles, like the prophets Elijah and Elisha, and like the apostles Peter, Paul, and John. He was granted the honor of raising the dead to life. Now, in heaven, he is placed among the prophets and apostles, and this prophetic and apostolic man enjoys a glorious and eternal throne in the heavenly homeland with Christ, who reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

Chapter 34 #

¹ Around the same time, the venerable man, moved by compassion, urged Broichan the Druid to release a certain Scotic female slave. When Broichan cruelly and stubbornly refused, the saint addressed him with these words: “Know, O Broichan, and be assured that if you refuse to set this captive free as I have requested, you will die suddenly before I leave this province.” He spoke these words in the presence of Brude, the king, and then departed from the royal palace. Proceeding to the River Ness, he picked up a white pebble from the stream. Showing it to his companions, he said, “Behold this white pebble, through which God will bring healing to many illnesses among this heathen nation.”

² Having said this, he immediately added, “At this very moment, Broichan is being severely chastised. An angel has been sent from heaven, striking him forcefully and shattering the glass cup in his hand from which he was drinking. He now lies gasping for breath, half-dead. Let us remain here for a short time, as two messengers from the king have been sent in haste to request our quick return to aid the dying Broichan, who, now under such terrible punishment, agrees to release the girl.”

³ While the saint was still speaking, behold, two horsemen arrived as he had foretold. They were sent by the king and recounted everything that had happened to Broichan in the royal fortress, just as the saint had predicted—the breaking of the drinking goblet, the chastisement of the Druid, and his willingness to release the captive. They then added, “The king and his companions have sent us to request that you heal his foster-father Broichan, who now lies at the point of death.”

⁴ Having heard the messengers’ words, St. Columba sent two of his companions to the king with the pebble he had blessed and instructed them, saying: “If Broichan first promises to release the maiden, then immediately immerse this small stone in water, let him drink from it, and he will be instantly healed. However, if he breaks his vow and refuses to set her free, he will die on the spot.”

⁵ The two men, following the saint’s instructions, went to the palace and delivered his message to the king. When the words of the venerable man were conveyed to the king and his tutor Broichan, they were so stricken with fear that they immediately freed the captive and handed her over to the saint’s messengers. The pebble was then placed in water, and, in a miraculous manner contrary to the laws of nature, the stone floated on the water like a nut or an apple. Having been blessed by the holy man, it could not be submerged. Broichan drank from the water where the stone floated, and, instantly recovering from the brink of death, regained perfect health and full strength.

⁶ This remarkable pebble, which was later kept among the treasures of the king, through the mercy of God brought healing to various illnesses among the people, and it continued to float in water in the same miraculous manner. What is even more extraordinary is that when sought by those whose appointed time of death had come, the stone could not be found. On the very day King Brude died, although it was diligently searched for, it was not found in the place where it had previously been kept.

Chapter 35 #

¹ On a certain day, following the events previously recounted, Broichan, while speaking with the saint, asked him, “Tell me, Columba, when do you plan to set sail?” The saint replied, “I intend to begin my voyage in three days, if God permits and grants me life.” Broichan responded, “On the contrary, you will not be able to do so, for I can make the winds unfavorable to your journey and bring a great darkness to cover you in its shadow.”

² Upon this, the saint remarked: “The almighty power of God governs all things, and in His name and under His guiding providence, all our actions are directed.” What more need I say? That same day, the saint, accompanied by a large number of followers, went to the great lake of the River Ness (Loch Ness), as he had resolved.

³ Then the Druids began to rejoice, seeing that it had become very dark and that the wind was violent and contrary. Nor should we marvel that God sometimes permits them, with the assistance of evil spirits, to stir up tempests and disturb the sea. For in a similar manner, legions of demons once confronted the holy bishop Germanus in the midst of the sea while he was journeying through the Gallican Channel to Britain, where he was going out of zeal for the salvation of souls. They subjected him to great peril by raising a fierce storm and causing deep darkness while it was still daytime. But all these troubles were dispelled by the prayers of St. Germanus more swiftly than his words were spoken, and the darkness vanished.

⁴ Our Columba, therefore, seeing that the sea was violently stirred and the wind most unfavorable for his voyage, called on Christ the Lord and embarked in his small boat. While the sailors hesitated, he more confidently commanded them to raise the sails against the wind. No sooner was this command obeyed, as the entire crowd looked on, than the vessel sailed against the wind with extraordinary speed. After a short time, the wind, which had been opposing them, shifted to aid them on their journey, to the great amazement of all. For the remainder of that day, the light breeze remained entirely favorable, and the skiff of the blessed man was carried safely to the desired haven.

⁵ Let the reader, therefore, reflect on how great and renowned this venerable man must have been, upon whom God Almighty, in order to make His glorious name known among a heathen people, conferred the gift of performing such miracles as those we have recounted.

Chapter 36 #

¹ At another time, when the saint made his first journey to King Brude, it happened that the king, puffed up with the pride of royalty, acted arrogantly and refused to open his gates at the first arrival of the blessed man. When the man of God saw this, he approached the great doors with his companions, and after making the sign of the cross of our Lord upon them, he knocked and laid his hand upon the gate. Instantly, the gate flew open of its own accord, the bolts being driven back with great force.

² The saint and his companions then passed through the gate, which had been so swiftly opened. When the king learned what had happened, he and his counselors were struck with fear. Immediately departing from the palace, he came forward to meet the blessed man with due respect, addressing him in the most conciliatory and reverent terms. From that day onward, for the rest of his life, the king held this holy and venerable man in the highest esteem, as was fitting.

Chapter 37 #

¹ Upon another occasion, when the saint was spending a few days in Scotia (Ireland), he went, at the invitation of the brethren, to visit the monastery of the Field of the Two Streams (Tirdaglas). However, it so happened that, by some mishap, when he arrived at the church, the keys of the oratory could not be found.

² When the saint saw the brethren lamenting to one another about the missing keys and the locked door, he went to the door himself and said, “The Lord is able, without a key, to open His own house for His servants.” At these words, the bolts of the lock were driven back with great force, and the door opened of its own accord. The saint entered the church ahead of all, to the universal admiration of those present. He was afterward most hospitably received by the brethren and treated by all with the greatest respect and veneration.

Chapter 38 #

¹ At another time, a very poor peasant from the district bordering the shores of the Aporic Lake (Lochaber) came to St. Columba. The blessed man, moved with compassion for the wretched man, who had nothing to sustain his wife and family, gave him all the alms he could spare and then said to him, “Poor man, go and take a branch from the nearby wood, and bring it to me quickly.”

² The wretched man brought the branch as he was instructed, and the saint, taking it in his own hand, sharpened it to a point like a stake. Blessing it, he gave it back to the destitute man, saying, “Keep this stake with great care, for I believe it will never harm men or cattle, but only wild beasts and fish. As long as you preserve this stake, you will never lack an abundance of venison in your house.”

³ The wretched beggar, upon hearing this, was greatly delighted and, returning home, fixed the stake in a remote place frequented by the wild beasts of the forest. When the next night had passed, he went at dawn to see the stake and found a large stag that had fallen upon it and been impaled by it. Why should I mention more examples?

⁴ Not a day could pass, so the tradition goes, without him finding a stag, a hind, or some other wild beast caught on the stake. His house became filled with the flesh of these animals, and he sold what remained after his family had enough to his neighbors. But, just as in the case of Adam, the devil’s envy also targeted this unfortunate man through his wife. She, not as a wise and prudent matron but as one overcome by folly, said to her husband: “Remove the stake from the ground, for if men or cattle are harmed by it, you, I, and our children will be put to death or taken into captivity.” To this, her husband replied, “That will not happen, for when the holy man blessed the stake, he said it would never harm men or cattle.” Yet, despite these words, the unfortunate man gave in to his wife’s insistence. Acting as if bereft of reason, he removed the stake from the ground, brought it into the house, and set it against the wall.

⁵ Soon after, his house-dog fell upon the stake and was killed. At this, his wife said to him, “One of your children will fall upon it and be killed.” Hearing her words, he removed the stake from the house and carried it to a forest, placing it in the thickest brushwood where, as he believed, no animal could be harmed by it. However, when he returned the next day, he found a roe deer had fallen upon it and perished. He then took the stake away again and concealed it by thrusting it under the water at the edge of a river, which is said to be called in Latin Mgra Dea (not identified). Returning the following day, he found a salmon of extraordinary size transfixed by it and still held there. He could barely manage to take the fish from the river and carry it home by himself. At the same time, he retrieved the stake from the water and placed it outside on the top of his house. Shortly after, a crow alighted on it and was instantly killed by the force of its fall. Upon this the miserable man, yielding again to the advice of his foolish wife, took down the stake from the house-top, and taking an axe cut it in many pieces, and threw them into the fire.

⁶ Having thus deprived himself of this effective means of relieving his distress, he was, as he deserved, reduced once more to beggary. The freedom from want he had enjoyed was entirely due to the stake so frequently mentioned above, which the blessed man had blessed and given to him. As long as the stake was kept, it sufficed for snares, nets, and every kind of fishing and hunting. But when the stake was lost, the wretched peasant, though he had been enriched for a time, could only, too late, lament its loss with his whole family for the rest of his life.

Chapter 39 #

¹ On another occasion, when the blessed man’s messenger, named Lugaid and surnamed Laitir, was preparing for a voyage to Scotia (Ireland) at the saint’s command, he searched among the sea-going supplies belonging to the saint’s ship and found a leather vessel for holding milk. He immersed the vessel in the sea to moisten it and placed large stones upon it. Then he went to the saint and informed him of what he had done with the leather bottle. The saint smiled and said, “I do not think this vessel, which you say you have sunk under the waves, will accompany you to Hibernia on this occasion.” Lugaid replied, “Why can I not take it with me in the ship?” The saint answered, “You will learn the reason tomorrow, as the event will reveal.”

² On the following morning, Lugaid went to retrieve the vessel from the sea, but the ebb of the tide had carried it away during the night. Unable to find it, he returned to the saint in sorrow and, kneeling on the ground, confessed his negligence. St. Columba consoled him, saying, “My brother, do not grieve over perishable things. The vessel which the ebbing tide has carried away will, after your departure, be brought back by the returning tide to the place where you left it.” At the ninth hour of that same day, shortly after Lugaid had departed from the Iouan island (Hy, now Iona), the saint addressed those standing near him and said, “Let one of you now go to the sea, for the leather vessel over which Lugaid lamented when it was carried away by the ebbing tide has been brought back by the returning tide and is at the spot where it was placed.” Hearing this, a young and agile man ran to the shore, where he found the vessel exactly as the saint had foretold. He immediately retrieved it from the water and, filled with great joy, hurried back to the holy man, placing it into his hands amid the wonder and admiration of all who witnessed it.

³ In the two miracles just recorded, involving such ordinary and seemingly insignificant items as a wooden stake and a leather vessel, the union of the gift of prophecy with the power of working miracles is nevertheless evident, as we have previously noted.

⁴ Let us now continue with our narrative concerning other matters.

Chapter 40 #

¹ At another time, while the saint was living on the Iouan island (Hy, now Iona), a man of humble birth who had recently taken on the clerical habit sailed from Scotia (Ireland) and arrived at the blessed man’s monastery on the island. One day, the saint found him sitting alone in the lodging reserved for strangers and began by asking about his homeland, family, and the purpose of his journey. The man replied that he was born in the region of the Connacht men (Connaught) and had undertaken the long and arduous journey as a pilgrimage to atone for his sins. To test the sincerity of his repentance, the saint described in detail the hardships and labor involved in the monastic exercises, laying them out clearly before him.

² “I am prepared,” he immediately replied to the saint, “to do whatever you command, no matter how difficult or humiliating.” Without delay, he confessed all his sins that very hour and, kneeling on the ground, promised to fulfill the requirements of penance. The saint said to him, “Arise and take a seat.” As he sat, the saint addressed him, saying, “You must do penance for seven years in the Ethican land (Tiree); with God’s blessing, you and I will survive that period of seven years.” Comforted by the saint’s words, the man first gave thanks to God and then turned to the saint, asking, “What am I to do about an oath I have violated? While living in my own country, I murdered a man and, as the guilty party, was imprisoned. However, a very wealthy blood relative came to my aid, quickly released me from my chains, and rescued me from the death sentence. After my release, I swore an oath to serve that benefactor for the rest of my life. Yet, after serving him for only a short time, I became ashamed of serving a man and greatly preferred to dedicate myself to God. So, I left my earthly master, broke the oath, and departed. By God’s grace, my journey has brought me safely to you.”

³ The saint, seeing him deeply grieved over these matters, responded after first prophesying about him, saying, “At the end of seven years, as I have told you, you will return here to me during the forty days of Lent, and you will approach the altar and partake of the Eucharist at the great Paschal festival.” Why linger further on words?

⁴ The penitent stranger fully obeyed the saint’s commands in every respect. Having been sent at that time to the monastery at the Plain of Lunge (Magh Lunge, in Tiree) and having completed his seven years of penance there, he returned to the saint during Lent, as previously commanded and foretold. After celebrating the Paschal solemnity and approaching the altar as directed, he again sought the saint’s guidance regarding the aforementioned oath. The saint gave this prophetic answer to his question: “Your earthly master, of whom you have spoken before, is still alive; so too are your father, your mother, and your brothers. Therefore, you must now prepare yourself for the journey.”

⁵ And while speaking, he drew forth a sword adorned with carved ivory and said, “Take this gift with you and present it to your master as the price of your ransom. But when you offer it, he will refuse to accept it, for he has a virtuous and kind-hearted wife. Through her wise counsel, he will, on that very day, set you free without recompense or ransom, unbinding the girdle from your captive loins. However, though you will be relieved of this burden, another concern will arise. Your brothers will come to you and insist that you fulfill the duty of providing support to your father, which you have neglected for so long. Obey their request and take it upon yourself to care for your aged father. Although this responsibility may seem heavy, do not be troubled, for you will not bear it for long. From the day you take charge of your father, the end of that same week will bring his death and burial. After your father’s burial, your brothers will come to you again, demanding that you bear the costs owed for your mother’s support. Yet, your younger brother will free you from this obligation by taking upon himself every duty or responsibility that you owe to your mother.”

⁶ Having heard these words, the aforementioned brother, whose name was Libran, received the gift and set out, enriched with the saint’s blessing. When he reached his native land, he found everything exactly as the saint had prophesied. When he showed and offered the price of his freedom to his master, the master’s wife opposed his desire to accept it, saying, “What need have we to take this ransom sent by St. Columba? We are not even worthy of such a favor. Release this faithful servant without payment. The prayers of the holy man will benefit us more than this price that is offered.” The husband, heeding his wife’s wise counsel, immediately set the slave free without ransom.

⁷ As the saint foretold, Libran was soon compelled by his brothers to undertake the care of his father, and he buried him on the seventh day after taking charge of him. After the burial, his brothers demanded that he fulfill the same obligation toward their mother, but the younger brother, just as the saint had predicted, undertook the responsibility in his place and thereby freed him from the duty. “We must not, under any circumstances,” said the younger brother to the rest, “detain this brother of ours at home, who, for the salvation of his soul, has spent seven years performing penance with St. Columba in Britain.”

⁸ After being freed from the burdens that had troubled him, he bade farewell to his mother and brothers and returned, a free man, to a place called Daire Calgaich (Derry) in the Scotic tongue. There, he found a ship just leaving the harbor, its sails unfurled, ready to set off. He called out to the sailors, asking them to take him on board and convey him to Britain. However, since they were not monks of St. Columba, they refused to let him aboard. Libran then prayed to the venerable man, who, though far away in body, was present in spirit, as the following events revealed. He said, “Holy Columba, is it your will that these sailors, who refuse to take me, your companion, should continue their voyage with full sails and favorable winds?”

⁹ At these words, the wind, which had been favorable for them up to that moment, instantly shifted to the opposite direction. As this occurred, the sailors saw the same man running along the riverbank parallel to their course. Quickly consulting among themselves, they called out to him from the ship, saying, “Perhaps the wind has suddenly turned against us because we refused to give you passage. But if even now we were to invite you to join us on board, could you change these contrary winds to favor us again?” Hearing this, the pilgrim replied, “St. Columba, to whom I am going and whom I have served for the past seven years, is able through his prayers, if you take me on board, to obtain a favorable wind for you from his Lord.”

¹⁰ They then, upon hearing this, brought their ship to the shore and invited him to join them. As soon as he came aboard, he said, “In the name of the Almighty God, whom St. Columba serves blamelessly, raise your sails on the extended yards.” When they did so, the contrary wind instantly turned favorable, and the ship sailed prosperously under full sail to Britain. After arriving on the shores of Britain, Libran disembarked, blessed the sailors, and went straight to St. Columba, who was residing at the Iouan island (Hy, now Iona).

¹¹ The blessed man welcomed him with joy and, without receiving any information from anyone, recounted in full everything that had happened on his journey—of his master and the wife’s kind suggestion, and how he was set free through her counsel; of his brothers, the death and burial of his father within the week; of his mother and the timely aid of the younger brother; of the events during his return journey, including the adverse and favorable winds; of the sailors’ words when they first refused to take him aboard; of his promise of a fair wind; and of the favorable change in the wind once they accepted him onto their vessel. Why need I say more? Every particular the saint had foretold, he now described as having been fulfilled exactly.

¹² After these words, the traveler returned to the saint the price of his ransom, which he had received from him. At the same time, the saint said to him, “Since you are now free, you will be called Libran.” Libran then, at that very time, took monastic vows with great fervor.

¹³ And when the holy man was sending him back to the monastery where he had previously served the Lord during his seven years of penance, he gave him the following prophetic farewell: “You will live a long life and end this present life in a good old age; yet you will not rise from the dead in Britain, but in Scotia (Ireland).” On hearing these words, he knelt down and wept bitterly.

¹⁴ When the saint saw his deep grief, he sought to comfort him, saying, “Arise, and do not be sad. You will die in one of my monasteries, and your place will be among my chosen monks in the kingdom. With them, you will awaken from the sleep of death unto the resurrection of life.” Hearing this unexpected consolation from the saint, he rejoiced greatly, and, enriched by the saint’s blessing, departed in peace.

¹⁵ This truthful prophecy of the saint regarding the same man was later fulfilled. After faithfully serving the Lord for many years of holy obedience in the monastery of the Plain of Lunge (Magh Lunge, in Tiree), and following the departure of St. Columba from this world, the man, now in extreme old age, was sent on a mission to Ireland concerning the affairs of the monastery. Upon landing, he traveled through the Plain of Breg (Maghbreg, in Meath) until he reached the monastery of the Oakwood Plain (Derry). There, he was received as a stranger in the guest-chamber. Stricken by an illness, he peacefully passed to the Lord on the seventh day of his suffering. He was buried with the chosen monks of St. Columba, as prophesied, to await the resurrection to eternal life.

¹⁶ Let it suffice that we have recorded these truthful prophecies of St. Columba regarding Libran of the Rush-ground. He was called “of the Rush-ground” because he had spent many years laboring to gather rushes.

Chapter 41 #

¹ On a certain day, while the saint was staying on the island of Iona (Hy), he arose from his reading and, with a smile, said, “I must now hurry to the oratory to pray to the Lord on behalf of a poor woman in Ireland who is presently enduring the pangs of a most difficult childbirth and is calling upon the name of Columba. She trusts that God will grant her relief from her suffering through my prayers, for she is a relative of mine, being descended directly from the house of my mother’s family.”

² Having said this, the saint, moved with compassion for the poor woman, hastened to the church and, kneeling, fervently prayed to Christ, who Himself, through His birth, shared in humanity. After completing his prayer, he returned from the church and said to the brethren who met him, “The Lord Jesus, born of a woman, has granted timely aid to this poor woman and has mercifully delivered her from her suffering”.

³ “She has safely delivered a child, and she will not die from this ordeal.” At that very hour, as the saint had foretold, the poor woman, by invoking his name, was safely delivered and restored to full health, as we later learned from travelers who came to us from that part of Ireland (Scotia) where the woman lived.

Chapter 42 #

¹ Another time, while the saint was living on the island of Eechrean, a man of humble birth came to him and complained about his wife, saying that she hated him so much she refused to allow him any marital rights. Upon hearing this, the saint sent for the wife and began reproving her as much as he could, saying: “Why, O woman, do you seek to separate your flesh from yourself, when the Lord says, ‘They will be two in one flesh’? Therefore, the flesh of your husband is your flesh.” She replied, “I am ready to do whatever you ask of me, however difficult it may be, except for one thing: do not compel me in any way to share a bed with Lugne. I do not refuse to carry out every duty at home, or, if you command it, to cross the seas or live in a monastery for women.”

² The saint then said, “What you propose cannot lawfully be done, for you are bound by the law of your husband as long as he lives. It would be ungodly to separate those whom God has lawfully joined together”. Immediately after these words, he added: “This day, let us three—your husband, you, and myself—join together in prayer to the Lord and in fasting.” The woman replied, “I know that it is not impossible for you to obtain from God, when you ask, those things that seem to us either difficult or even impossible.”

³ It is unnecessary to say more. The husband and wife agreed to fast with the saint that day, and the following night the saint remained sleepless in prayer for them. The next day, he addressed the wife in the presence of her husband and said, “O woman, are you still willing today, as you said yesterday, to go away to a convent of women?” She replied, “I now know that your prayer to God for me has been heard, for the man whom I hated yesterday, I love today. My heart has been changed last night in some unknown way—from hatred to love.” Why dwell further on it? From that day until the hour of her death, the wife’s soul remained firmly united in affection for her husband, and she no longer refused him the mutual matrimonial rights that she had previously been unwilling to allow.

Chapter 43 #

¹ At another time, a soldier of Christ named Cormac, about whom we have already recounted a few brief details in the first part of this book, made a second attempt to find a desert in the ocean. After sailing far from land over the vast and pathless sea, St. Columba, who was then staying beyond the Dorsal Ridge of Britain (Drumalban), commended him in these words to King Brude in the presence of the ruler of the Orkneys (Orcades): “Some of our brethren have recently set sail, seeking to discover a desert in the open sea. If they happen, after much wandering, to reach the Orcadian islands, ensure that this chieftain, whose hostages are in your hands, is instructed to protect them from harm within his territories.” The saint gave this instruction because he foresaw that, after a few months, Cormac would arrive at the Orkneys. So it came to pass, and to the advice of the holy man, Cormac owed his deliverance from certain death.

² After a few months had passed, while the saint was staying on the island of Iona (Hy), Cormac’s name was unexpectedly mentioned in his presence during a conversation. Some individuals were remarking that it was still unknown whether Cormac’s voyage had been successful or not. Upon hearing this, the saint joined the conversation and said, “You will see Cormac, about whom you are now speaking, arrive here today.”

³ And after about an hour, astonishing to recount, lo! Cormac unexpectedly arrived and went to the oratory, while all expressed their amazement and gave thanks to God.

⁴ Having thus briefly mentioned the prediction of the blessed man concerning Cormac’s second voyage, we now proceed to relate another equally remarkable example of the holy man’s prophetic insight regarding his third voyage.

⁵ When Cormac was laboring on his third voyage over the ocean, he faced the most extreme peril of death. For, during fourteen days of summer and as many nights, his vessel sailed with full sails before a south wind, heading directly from land into the northern regions. His voyage appeared to extend beyond the bounds of human exploration, and any prospect of return seemed impossible

⁶ Thus, after the tenth hour of the fourteenth day, certain dangers of a most formidable and nearly insurmountable nature arose. A swarm of repulsive and bothersome insects, unlike any seen before, covered the sea and struck the keel, sides, prow, and stern of the vessel so violently that it seemed they might completely penetrate the ship’s leather covering. According to reports later given by those present, the insects were about the size of frogs. They could swim but were unable to fly. Their sting was excruciating, and they swarmed over the handles of the oars.

⁷ When Cormac and his fellow voyagers had seen these and other creatures, which it is not our purpose to describe here, they were overcome with fear and alarm. Shedding many tears, they prayed to God, who is a merciful and ever-present helper to those in distress. At that same moment, our holy Columba, though far away in body, was spiritually present with Cormac in the ship. Accordingly, he gave the signal and, calling the brethren to the oratory, entered the church. Addressing those present, he uttered the following prophecy in his usual manner: “Brethren, pray with all your fervor for Cormac, who, by sailing too far, has gone beyond the limits of human endeavor and is now filled with dreadful fear and alarm in the presence of creatures that were never before seen and are almost beyond description. Therefore, we must join in spirit with our brethren and companions who are in such grave danger and offer our prayers to the Lord alongside theirs. Behold, at this very moment, Cormac and his sailors are weeping bitterly and praying with great earnestness to Christ. Let us assist them by our prayers, that God may have mercy on us and cause the south wind, which has blown for the past fourteen days, to change to a north wind. This north wind will, in due course, rescue Cormac’s vessel from all peril.”

⁸ Having said this, he knelt before the altar and, in a sad voice, poured out his prayers to the almighty power of God, who governs the winds and all things. After praying, he rose quickly, wiped away his tears, and joyfully gave thanks to God, saying, “Now, brethren, let us rejoice for our dear friends, for whom we have been praying, as God will now turn the south wind into a north wind. This wind will deliver our companions from their dangers and bring them safely back to us.” As he spoke, the south wind ceased, and a north wind began to blow and continued for many days, enabling Cormac’s ship to reach land. Cormac hastened to visit Columba, and through God’s grace, they looked upon one another face to face, to the immense joy and amazement of all. Let the reader, therefore, carefully reflect on how great and extraordinary the blessed man must have been, possessing such prophetic knowledge and, by invoking the name of Christ, commanding both the winds and the waves.

Chapter 44 #

¹ At another time, while the saint was spending a few days in Scotia (Ireland) for some ecclesiastical purpose that required his presence, he ascended a yoked carriage which he had previously blessed. However, through some unaccountable oversight, the necessary linch-pins were not inserted into the holes at the ends of the axles. The person acting as driver of the carriage on this occasion, alongside St. Columba, was Columban, a holy man, the son of Echud, and the founder of the monastery known in the Scotic language as Snam Luthir (now Slanore, in Granard, County Longford). Despite the long and arduous journey and the severe jolting, the wheels did not come off the axles nor shift from their proper places, even though, as previously mentioned, there were no linch-pins to secure them. By divine grace alone, the venerable man was so favored that the carriage in which he sat proceeded safely without overturning or encountering any impediment to its progress.

² Thus far, we may have written sufficiently regarding the miracles that the divine omnipotence performed through this extraordinary man during his lifetime. We will now recount a few, out of the many well-attested miracles, which the Lord saw fit to grant through him after his death.

Chapter 45 #

¹ About fourteen years before the time of writing this, a severe and prolonged drought struck these marshy regions in the spring. The conditions were so extreme that it seemed as if the warning from the Book of Leviticus was upon us: “I will make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. Your labor will be in vain, for the land will not yield its crops, nor the trees their fruit.”

² Fearing the disaster that loomed, we gathered in counsel and decided that some of the senior members of the community should walk around a freshly plowed and sown field, carrying the white tunic of St. Columba and several books written in his own hand. They were instructed to lift the tunic—worn by the saint at the time of his death—and shake it three times in the air. Then, they were to open the books and read from them on the small hill of the angels (now called Sithean Mor), where heavenly beings were sometimes seen descending at the request of the blessed man.

³ Remarkably, as soon as these actions were carried out, the sky—clear and cloudless through March and April—was suddenly filled with dense clouds rising swiftly from the sea. Heavy rain began to fall day and night, soaking the parched earth, which soon bore fruit in abundance. That same year, an exceptional harvest followed. Thus, the mere invocation of the saint’s name, along with the presence of his tunic and writings, brought much-needed relief to the land and its people.

Chapter 46 #

¹ Our belief in the miracles we have recorded, though not witnessed by ourselves, is confirmed beyond doubt by the miracles of which we were eye-witnesses. For on three separate occasions, we saw adverse gales of wind transformed into favorable breezes.

² On the first occasion, we had to drag over land long boats made of hewn pine and oak and bring home, in the same way, a large quantity of materials for building ships. To obtain a favorable wind for our voyage from the Lord, we took counsel and placed the books and garments of the blessed man upon the altar. At the same time, we fasted, chanted psalms, and invoked his name. This favor was granted to the holy man by God’s grace, for on the day our sailors had completed their preparations and were ready to transport the wood in curachs and skiffs for the purposes mentioned above, the wind, which had been contrary for several days, suddenly changed into favorable breezes. These winds blew steadily throughout the entire day, by God’s blessing, enabling the whole fleet of boats to safely and swiftly make their long and perilous passage to the island of Iouan (Hy, now Iona).

³ On the second occasion, a few years after the one just mentioned, our monastery was in need of repairs, and some oak trees were to be taken from near the mouth of the River Sale (the Seil, in Lorn) in twelve vessels we brought for that purpose. Our sailors rowed out to sea with their oars, as the day was calm and the sea tranquil, when suddenly a westerly wind, also called Zephyr, arose. We then made for the nearest island, called in Scotic Airthrago (probably Kerrera), to take shelter in a harbor there.

⁴ But in the meantime, we began to complain about this unfavorable change in the wind and, to some extent, even to blame our Columba, saying, “Does our unfortunate detention in this place please you, O saint? Until now, we had hoped to receive from you some aid and comfort in our labors through divine favor, as we believed you were honored and powerful in the sight of God.”

⁵ No sooner had we spoken these words than, wondrous to relate, the unfavorable west wind ceased, and immediately, as if within the span of a single minute, a most favorable southeastern breeze arose. The sailors were then instructed to raise the sail yards in the form of a cross and spread the sails upon them. Setting out to sea with this steady and favorable wind, we were able, without the slightest effort, to reach our island that same day, rejoicing in our cargo of wood and in the company of all who assisted us in the ships. Thus, even our slight chiding of the holy man in that complaint proved to assist us greatly, demonstrating how highly the saint is regarded by the Lord, who so quickly heard him and changed the winds.

⁶ Then the third instance occurred in the summer, after the celebration of a synod in Hibernia, when we were detained for a few days by contrary winds among the people of the tribe of Loern (Lorn) and had reached the Sainean Island (Shuna).

⁷ There, the vigil and feast of St. Columba found us extremely sad and disconsolate because we wished to celebrate that joyous day in the Iouan island (Hy, now Iona). Accordingly, as on a former occasion, we began to complain, saying, “Is it agreeable to you, O saint, that we should spend tomorrow, your festival day, among strangers and not celebrate it in your own church? Surely, it is easy for you, on the morning of such a day, to obtain from the Lord that the contrary winds may become favorable so that we may celebrate the solemn mass of your birth in your own church.”

⁸ On the following morning, we arose at daybreak, and seeing that the adverse winds had ceased, we boarded our vessels and put to sea in a profound calm. Then, suddenly, a south wind arose, most favorable for the voyage. The sailors joyfully raised the sails, and, on this occasion as well, without any effort on our part, our passage was so quick and favorable—owing to the mercy of God to the blessed man—that we reached the landing place of the Iouan island (Hy, now Iona) after the third hour, just as we had anxiously desired. After washing our hands and feet, we entered the church at the sixth hour with our brethren and immediately celebrated the holy services of the mass of St. Columba and St. Baithene, whose festivals fell on that day—the very daybreak on which we had departed from the distant Sainean island (Shuna).

⁹ And regarding the truth of this story I have now related, there are still living, not merely one or two witnesses as the law requires, but hundreds and more who can bear testimony.

Chapter 47 #

¹ What we are about to relate concerning the plague, which in our own time twice visited the greater part of the world, deserves, I think, to be counted among the miracles of St. Columba. For, not to mention other and greater countries of Europe, including Italy, the Roman States, the Cisalpine provinces of Gaul, and the States of Spain beyond the Pyrenees, these islands of the sea—Scotia (Ireland) and Britain—were twice ravaged by a dreadful pestilence throughout their entire extent, except among the two tribes, the Picts and the Scots of Britain, who are separated by the Dorsal mountains of Britain. And although neither of these nations was free from those grievous sins which generally provoke the wrath of the eternal Judge, yet both have been mercifully spared and patiently borne with until now. To whom else, then, can this favor granted by God be attributed, if not to St. Columba, whose monasteries lie within the territories of both these peoples and have been regarded with the greatest respect by them up to the present time?

² But what I am now about to say cannot, I think, be heard without a sigh: there are many very ignorant people in both countries who, not realizing that they owe their exemption from the plague to the prayers of the saint, ungratefully and wickedly abuse the patience and goodness of God. Yet I often return my most grateful thanks to God for having preserved me and those in our islands from the ravages of the pestilence through the intercession of our holy patron. Even in Saxonia, when I went to visit my friend King Aldfrid during a time when the plague was raging and laying waste to many of his villages, the Lord mercifully saved me from danger. This occurred during both its first attack, immediately after the war of Ecfridus, and its second, two years later, even though I was living and moving about in the very midst of the plague. The Divine mercy was also extended to my companions, none of whom died of the plague or suffered from any other disease.

³ Here ends the second book recording the miracles, and I must note that many well-documented miracles have been left out to avoid tiring the reader.

⁴ Here ends the Second Book.