¹ There was a certain noble king in the land of Canaan, named Obeth, son of Eliud, and the name of his wife was Alpia, daughter of the king of Arabia. They lived together for twenty years and had no offspring. Therefore they very often prayed to God and offered offerings and sacrifices to him, that he might grant them worthy offspring, to drive away their reproach. For this reason the king commanded throughout the whole region that all people, from the least to the greatest, should fast for three days and nights, and continually implore God’s mercy for the king and queen, that he might turn away from them the disgrace of sterility.

² On the third night, at the last crowing of the cock, while the king was lightly sleeping, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying: “Go to the city which is called Heliopolis, and in it you will find a most beautiful spring, and bathe in it three times. And thereafter you shall have that which you long for.” So, going out and coming to the same spring, they did according to the word of the angel. And the queen, desiring the herb growing beside the spring, namely the mandrake, ate it [Genesis 30:14–16]. After she had eaten it and marital union had taken place, she immediately conceived.

³ On the following night an angel appeared to the queen, strengthening her and saying: “Do not be sorrowful, O queen, nor be sad, for look, you have conceived in your womb and will bear two sons, excellent in faith and in works. The name of one shall be Generatius, that is, ‘burning gem’, and he shall be an honourable king over all the land of the Canaanites. The name of the other shall be Malachias, or Servanus.” These names afterwards fittingly corresponded to him when the course of his earthly life had been completed. For Malachias is interpreted “angel of the Lord”, which is a fitting name for him who was a legate of the apostolic see, proclaiming the word through the four quarters of the world. Servanus, however, is so called from serving God, because by his works he served our Lord Jesus Christ in every good work, night and day.

⁴ When these things had been said and the angel had departed, the queen rose up and announced the words of the angel to her husband. Therefore both of them rejoicing, gave abundant thanks to God.

⁵ After the child was born, he was taken to the bishop of the city of Alexandria, named Magonius, that he might be baptised by him. The bishop baptised him and gave him the name Servanus. Blessed Servanus was brought up until the age of seven years, and then his father died. After the death of his father, they offered him the governance of their whole kingdom. But he, from his youth cleaving to God and despising the world, rejected all their wishes [1 John 2:15]. His brother Generatius, however, reigned in his place.

⁶ Saint Servanus then went to the city of Alexandria in order to devote himself to divine study and to learn the arts. He remained there for thirteen years, and received the monastic habit from the bishop of the same city. After thirty years, he was carefully admonished by the same bishop that, since he was worthy, he should be promoted to the sacred orders. Thus, though unwilling and resisting, he was promoted up to the rank of the priesthood. After he had been ordained, he returned to his own land, and all the Canaanites, with great rejoicing, elected him to the episcopate. Establishing that episcopal see, building monasteries and churches there, and serving God day and night, he governed it in peace for twenty years.

⁷ Then an angel of the Lord came to him, saying: “It has been commanded to you by the Lord God that you should go out and depart from your land from your kindred” [Genesis 12:1]. Blessed Servanus answered, “I will go gladly, but I do not know where my Lord wishes me to go.” The angel said to blessed Servanus in reply, “I will be with you wherever you go” [Exodus 3:12], “delivering you from every diabolical temptation” [Psalm 91:3], “and I will be the companion of your journey, making your way prosperous on sea and on land, from this day until the day of the dissolution of your body” [Joshua 1:9].

⁸ Then Saint Servanus took leave of all the clerics and laypeople of his episcopate, and of his kinsmen and friends, and blessed them. But they, grieving at his departure, earnestly begged him not to leave them desolate. He, however, disregarding their tears and prayers, set out on his journey with a great multitude of companions, the angel leading him.

⁹ Afterwards Saint Servanus came with fifty and ten thousand to the bank of the River Nile, and with all his company crossed the river safely. Then he came with the same number to the shore of the Red Sea, and all of them passed through that sea on dry ground [Exodus 14:21–22]. After two months he arrived at the city of Jerusalem, and for seven years was an honourable patriarch there, in the place of James, bishop of the Jerusalemites [Acts 15:13; Galatians 1:19].

¹⁰ One day the angel said to Saint Servanus, “Go up Mount Zion and go around it.” Saint Servanus went up and went around it [Psalm 48:12]. There was shown to him the wood from which the saving Cross of Christ was cut. Then the angel said to him, “Cut from this wood four staffs and bring them with you, and they shall follow after you with great power and reverence.” Saint Servanus, at the word of the angel, cut three staffs. But the angel himself cut the wood of the greatest staff, and handed it to Saint Servanus and entrusted it to him. Therefore that saint held and guarded it with greater honour and reverence.

¹¹ Afterwards he returned with joy to Jerusalem. And immediately the angel said to him, “It is time for you to leave this city and go to the city of Constantinople, because this place is near to your land to your kindred.” Blessed Servanus therefore arose and blessed all the Jerusalemites, taking leave of them.

¹² Afterwards he arrived with all the multitude of his companions at Constantinople, and was honourably received there for three years. Then, admonished by the same angel, he came to the land to the island of the Saviour. For it is called the island of the Saviour because our Saviour came graciously to us there.

¹³ Afterwards he came with a very great crowd to Rome. And the Romans, hearing his fame abounding throughout the lands and regions through which he had travelled, honourably received him. In those days they were without a Pope and a teacher. Then the united will of the clergy and the people of the Romans chose him for the apostolate [Acts 1:23–26]. And he was there, presiding on the chair of Peter and teaching the Roman people, performing signs and wonders, for seven years [Matthew 16:18–19

¹⁴ The angel of the Lord spoke to Saint Servanus, saying: “Your God commands you to go out from this place, because it is too pleasant for you to remain here.” Then blessed Servanus summoned the clergy and the Roman people and said: “Men and brethren, from you all I take my leave, and I leave my blessing to you all. For I must, as the Lord admonishes me, go into distant regions and obey the Lord Jesus Christ in all things.”

¹⁵ That voice was very displeasing for all the Romans to hear, for the whole Roman people were of one will to go with him, because they loved the man exceedingly for his teaching, his character, and his nobility. For they preferred to endure the hardships and roughness of the world in pilgrimage with him, rather than to be deprived, after him, of his presence and his honey-sweet teaching.

¹⁶ Nevertheless, he went out from the city of Rome with a great multitude of clergy and people, men and women, who grieved exceedingly at his departure, as far as the Hill of Tears. Blessed Servanus stood in that place and, turning to the people, said: “Men and brethren, and people beloved of God, do not grieve or be sorrowful at my departure, but divide yourselves into two parts: let one part remain here in Rome; let the other, laying aside the care of this world, come with me on this pilgrimage. For those who remain and for those who come with us I shall pray to God, that he himself, forgiving you all your sins, may be with you and have mercy on us.” They all answered, “Amen.” And the crowds were divided, and he blessed them, weeping and kissing them, and said: “Farewell, and remain in Christ.”

¹⁷ Afterwards, when blessed Servanus with all his company approached the Alps, he came to a valley which is called the Black Valley, or the Valley of Beasts. And because Servanus knew that on that night he would be tempted by the Devil, he therefore lodged in that valley. Then the angel said to the blessed man, “I tell you the sufferings which you and all yours will endure on this neart.” And he said to him that he should strengthen the crowds and preach to them that, after the sufferings and torments of this neart had passed, they would suffer no more the pains of hell. After this the angel departed.

¹⁸ And Saint Servanus came to the crowd and strengthened them, saying: “Take courage and be ready to endure the sufferings which will come upon you this neart.” Setting before them a verse as a prophetic example, he said: “You shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk, and you shall trample down the lion and the dragon” [Psalm 91:13]. That is, “All of you, if you persevere in the faith of the Holy Trinity, you shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk—that is, upon the Devil and his pomps—and nothing shall harm you.”

¹⁹ Then the saint said, “Take food and prepare yourselves for the battles to come.” When the meal had been finished and the verse spoken, immediately a very black and misty darkness came over the valley in which they were. Then there came great earthquakes, thunder and lightning, hail and sulphurous fires, and various kinds of beasts, two-footed and four-footed, and they filled the valley round about them. Then there came gnats having bony beaks, dragons, winged serpents, and every torment which Satan of hell could display to men. Seeing all these things, a great part of the crowd died.

²⁰ But when Saint Servanus saw that his companions could not endure these things, he rose up and blessed the valley; and all vanished and were reduced to nothing, and they harmed no one any longer.

²¹ Then Saint Servanus came to the Ictian Sea, which lies between England France, a distance of seven thousand miles, and they crossed it on dry ground [Exodus 14:21–22]. Thus God granted them passage and help upon the sea. And afterwards he came from place to place until he reached the river which is called the Forth.

²² Now Saint Edheunanus was abbot in Scotland at that time, and he went to meet Servanus as far as the island of Inchkeith and received him with great veneration, for he had heard many good things about him. After the space of a night had been spent there, and after a time in which it pleased them to enjoy sweet-flowing conversation, Saint Servanus said, “How shall I settle my household and my companions?” Saint Odauodanus replied, “Let them dwell in the land of Fife, from the Mount of the Britons as far as the mountain which is called Ochil.” And so it was done.

²³ Afterwards Saint Servanus came with only a hundred companions in his retinue to Kinel, and the staff which he carried he cast across the sea, and from it there grew a fruit-bearing tree, which among the people of today is called Morglas. Then the angel said to the blessed man, “There shall be the resting place of your work, where that most beautiful tree has grown.”

²⁴ From there Saint Servanus came to the place which is called Culross, wishing to dwell there, and he cleared away all the thorns and brambles which were abundant there. But the king of Scotland, namely Brude son of Dargart, who at that time held the kingdom of the Picts, hearing of this, was greatly stirred to anger, because he was dwelling there without his permission. The king therefore sent his spearmen to kill Saint Servanus with all his household. Meanwhile a grievous illness suddenly seized the wicked king, so that he scarcely did not at once give up his breath. And thus he hastily sent for the saint of the Lord.

²⁵ When the saint came, the king, lying ill, spoke and said: “Saint of God, for Christ’s sake in whom you believe, restore me to health, and have the place in which you dwell as a perpetual alms.” Moved by prayer and compassion, the saint restored the king to health [Mark 5:34].

²⁶ Afterwards Saint Servanus founded and dedicated his cemetery and church at Culross. When the space of time there had been completed, he came to the island of Loch Leven, that he might speak face to face with Saint Edaunanus. Saint Edaunanus, rejoicing, honourably received the blessed man, and, perceiving that he might acquire a place suitable for his religious life, granted him that island freely as an alms. Saint Servanus therefore remained there for seven years, founding a monastery, and won many souls. From there, going out, he travelled through and traversed the whole region of Fife, building various divine structures to the Most High Creator.

²⁷ At a certain time Saint Servanus was in that cave in the desert, and a brother monk who was with him fell ill, and wished to have a drink of wine but was unable to obtain it. Then blessed Servanus took water from the spring which is there, and blessed it, and it was changed into wine, and the sick man was healed [John 2:1–11].

²⁸ Now in that cave, while Saint Servanus was lying on his bed after matins, the Devil came to him, tempting him and disputing with him. And he said to him, “Are you a wise cleric, Servanus? What do you want, you most wretched of all creatures?” The Devil said, “I desire to dispute with you and to ask you certain things.” Saint Servanus said, “Begin, you wretch, begin.” Satan asked him, “Where was God before he created heaven and earth and before all his creatures?” Blessed Servanus said to him, “He was in himself, because he is not local and is contained by no place, nor extended, nor subject to the motions of time, but is wholly everywhere.” And the Devil said, “For what reason did God create creatures?” Saint Servanus said, “Because he could not be a Creator without creatures.” “Why did he make them very good?” The saint replied, “Because God did not wish to make evil, nor to appear envious, as though he were unwilling that anything good should exist besides himself.” The Devil said, “Where did God form Adam?” The saint said, “In Hebron.” Satan said, “Where was he after he was cast out of paradise?” The saint said, “Where he was formed.” Satan said, “How long was he in paradise after his sin?” The saint said, “For only seven hours.” Satan said, “Why did God permit Adam and Eve to sin in paradise?” The saint replied, “Because God foresaw that a great good would come from it; for Christ would not have been born according to the flesh unless Adam and Eve had sinned.” Satan said, “Why could Eve and Adam not be freed by themselves?” Servanus replied, “Because they did not fall by themselves, but through another, that is, through the Devil persuading them. Therefore through another, that is, Christ, born from their lineage, they were freed.”

²⁹ “Why did God not form a new man and send him to free the human race?” The saint said, “Because he would not belong to us unless he were from the race of Adam.” “Why are you humans freed by the Passion of Christ, and not we demons?” “Because the origin of the fall did not come from ourselves, but from you demons. But you demons, because you are not of a fragile nature, nor do you wish to repent, and because you drew the origin of sin from yourselves, therefore the Passion of Christ did not profit you.”

³⁰ Seeing therefore that he could gain nothing against the holy man, the Devil, overcome in questioning, said, “You are wise, Servanus, and I can dispute with you no longer.” Servanus said to him, “Go, you wretch, go, and depart swiftly from here, and dare no longer to appear to any human being in this place.” And that place was made holy in honour of Saint Servanus, Holy, Holy, Holy [Isaiah 6:3], and remains sacred to this day.

³¹ At a certain time blessed Servanus was in Tuligbotuan. A malignant spirit entered a wretched man there, and he had such an appetite for eating that he could by no means be satisfied. Saint Servanus placed his thumb in the man’s mouth, and the Devil, crying out terribly, went out and left him [Mark 1:26].

³² At another time blessed Servanus was in Tuligcultrin, and a poor woman there gave birth to two sons who were dead. She brought them to blessed Servanus and tearfully begged him to restore them to life. The saint, prostrating himself on the ground, prayed to the Lord our God that he would look upon the faith of this poor woman and in mercy return her children to her alive. God therefore, hearing the prayer of the holy man, restored both her sons alive to their mother [2 Kings 4:32–35].

³³ On another night the same saint was staying in Alueth with a poor rustic who had no possessions except a single pig, and he slaughtered it for the holy man that night. Rising the next morning, he found it alive on his altar.

³⁴ At another time that man was in Atheren, and he had a certain sheep which he loved and kept in his house. But a thief came secretly and stole it from him. When the ram was sought throughout the whole parish and not found, look, that thief was brought into the presence of the blessed man. When he was questioned by the saint whether he was guilty of the crime committed, he denied it under oath. And as he began again to swear upon the staff of the holy man, the sheep bleated from within his throat [Numbers 22:28]. Then the wretched man confessed his sin, sought forgiveness from Saint Servanus, and received it.

³⁵ At that time the saint was in the cell of Dunfermline, and it was reported to him that a great and terrible and most dreadful dragon was coming into his territory, whose sight no mortal could endure. Saint Servanus went out to meet it, and taking his staff in his right hand, fought with the dragon in a certain valley and killed it. From that day that valley is called the Valley of the Dragon.

³⁶ Afterwards there came to blessed Servanus from the Alps three blind men, three lame men, and three deaf men, and it was told to them that if they came to blessed Servanus in Scotland they would recover their health. When they had come and spoken with the holy man, greeting him, they revealed the cause of their great labour and journey, and earnestly begged him to heal them of their infirmities. But the holy man, fearing that they said these things in order to test him, spoke to them, saying: “Men and brethren, am I God, or do you test me beyond what you see in me, in that you ask so great a thing as to be healed by me?”

³⁷ But they, falling down at his feet and weeping, said with an oath: “No, lord father, no; but we believe that your prayers and supplications have great power with God, and that through you we may obtain health from the supreme Creator.”

³⁸ Hearing therefore the faith of them, blessed Servanus blessed a certain spring, and caused them to wash in it three times. And when they came out, through the merit of the holy man they were made whole [2 Kings 5:14]. Most holy Servanus, to the blind gave sight, to the lame walking, to the deaf hearing, and to these and many others suffering from various kinds of diseases he granted and prepared healing, God being the author [Matthew 11:5].

³⁹ After this, this holy man, dearest brothers, being seized by a great infirmity and held by the violence of fevers, called all his brethren to him and foretold to them that the day of his dissolution was at hand. Then the brethren, greatly grieving and continually praying to God for him, answered: “Why do you leave us, father? Or to whom do you leave us desolate? For we would rather die with you than live in the world after you.”

⁴⁰ But the holy man, after many miracles, after diverse virtues, after many churches founded in Christ, having given peace to the brethren, in the cell of Dunfermline, on the first day of the Kalends of July, gradually delivered and commended his spirit to the supreme Creator.

⁴¹ After his death, his disciples and almost the whole people of the province carried his body to Culross. And there, with psalms and hymns and canticles, they honourably buried him, where the merits and virtues of his merits flourish to this day, to the praise and honour of almighty God, who lives and reigns in perfect Trinity for infinite ages of ages. Amen.