¹ Now the holy abbot Brendan drew his origin from the western part of Ireland: his father was named Findlugus. His mother saw her womb full of refined gold and her breasts radiant with exceeding splendour. Bishop Erc interpreted this vision, saying that from that woman a son of great virtue and holiness would be born.

² Now there was in that place a certain prophet named Bec, to whom a certain rich man said: “What sign will shortly appear to us?” He said: “This night an infant will be born whom many shall fear and honour.” On that very night thirty cows of this rich man brought forth calves. When morning came, that rich man sought out the house where the boy was born; and having found the boy, he worshipped him on bended knees and offered him his thirty cows. And lifting the infant in his hands, he said: “I confess you to be my everlasting shepherd.” For the holy Bishop Erc saw that whole province illumined with a great light that night, and angels flying about in white garments. And that Erc, rising in the morning, took the infant in his hands and said: “O man of the living God, many hearts rejoice at your birth; how much more my heart and my soul!” And when the infant was baptised, he named him Brendan, because there was dew on the day of his baptism: for Brendan is interpreted as “shining dew”.

³ Bishop Erc brought up the infant and gave him over to be instructed in sacred letters. And once when the bishop had no milk, the Lord heard the boy: and a hind with her calf, coming daily from a nearby mountain, gave milk to the boy sufficiently every day. When a certain noble girl, seeing that he was very beautiful, wanted to play with him, he seized a scourge and struck her. And the bishop rebuked him, saying: “Why did you strike the holy virgin, who knows no evil? Do penance, therefore.” The boy said: “Tell me what you will, and I will perform it.” “Remain,” said the bishop, “in this cave until morning.” Then the boy, singing psalms to God in the cave, stayed there alone; and the bishop, sitting nearby without his knowledge, saw choirs of angels ascending and descending between heaven and the cave.

⁴ Once when Bishop Erc and the boy Brendan were walking together on the road, a certain layman going with them, seeing his enemies approaching him, said: “O men of God, see my enemies are coming to kill and destroy me; help me!” The boy said to him: “Go to that standing stone nearby, and do not be afraid.” When he had gone, the holy boy raised his hands in prayer and blessed the stone and the man. And the enemies coming struck the stone as if it were their enemy, and seeing the man standing there as though he were a stone, left him unharmed: for God, by the merits of St Brendan, made the man appear to their eyes as a stone, and the stone as the man. And the bishop said to those persecutors: “Do penance, and see the stone which you struck, not a man; for you cannot kill that man whom you are pursuing.” Then they, doing penance under Bishop Erc until death, praised and blessed the Lord.

⁵ One day the bishop was sitting with Brendan on a certain mountain, and nearly fainted, burdened with excessive thirst. Then Brendan, prostrate on the ground, asked God that the earth might produce much sweet water; and a spring at once welling up in that place refreshed the bishop. Then Brendan said to Bishop Erc: “If it pleases you, father, I wish to go and learn the rules of the saints of this island.” He said to him: “That counsel is from God: go and do as you wish.” And when he had come to a certain holy bishop, he said: “Your resurrection is not here.” The bishop said: “O holy boy, why do you hide within yourself so many secrets and gifts of God? I know that you have the Holy Spirit, and that great power lies hidden in you. You came to me to learn, but you will rather be our master; tell me, therefore, the place of my resurrection.” The boy said to him: “Take a new cart, for you are old; and wherever the wheels of the cart are broken, remain there, for with you there shall be the resurrection of many.” When this was done, not far from a hamlet, the wheels being broken, he began to remain there.

⁶ And as Brendan returned from that bishop, an angel of the Lord appeared to him on the way saying: “Write down the words of God’s religion which I shall speak to you.” Then Brendan wrote down from the angel’s mouth the holy rule which remains to this day. In that place Brendan met a dead youth who was being carried to the grave by his weeping parents. The man of God said to them: “Do not weep, but trust in Christ; he who gave the soul will also give salvation.” And while Brendan prayed, that youth rose again.

⁷ When Brendan had returned to Bishop Erc, he received the degree of the priesthood from him; and a great multitude was gathered to him in a short time and, submitting their necks to his teaching, renounced the world. Now the desire of going on pilgrimage stole into the mind of the man of God; and he asked the Lord to give him a secret land in the sea, remote from men and their dwelling together. And a voice coming down from heaven was made to him in his sleep, saying: “Brendan, servant of God, your prayer has been heard by the Lord.”

⁸ And there came to him a certain holy man named Barintus, a kinsman of his, to whom he said: “Declare to us the word of God and refresh our souls with the various miracles which you were deemed worthy to see in the ocean.” Then he began to tell of a certain island, saying: “My little son Mernoc, steward of the poor of Christ, fled from my presence and, choosing a solitary life, found an island in the sea and began to dwell there. Now after a long time it was reported to me that he had gathered many monks, and that God had shown many miracles through him; and I went to visit my son. And when I drew near, he hastened to meet me with his brethren, for the Lord had revealed my coming to him; and the brethren ran out to meet us like a swarm of bees from their various cells. No other food was shown but apples and nuts, and roots and herbs. After compline each remained in his own cell until cockcrow. And while I was passing the night and walking round the whole island, my little son led me to the shore of the sea towards the west, where there was a little ship, and said to me: ‘Father, go up into the ship, and let us sail towards the western quarter, to the island which is called “the land of promise of the saints”, which God will give to our successors in the last time.’

⁹ “For as we sailed, mists covered us on every side, so that we could scarcely see the prow of the little ship. But when the space of one hour had passed, a great light shone around us, and a land appeared, spacious and grassy and very fruitful. And though we landed, we could not find the end of the island when fifteen days’ journey was accomplished. We saw no herb there but flowers, no tree without fruit; the stones themselves were of a precious kind. On the fifteenth day at last we found a river flowing from the eastern part to the west; and we were in doubt what we ought to do; and though it pleased us to cross the river, we nevertheless awaited the Lord’s counsel. And look, there suddenly appeared before us a man of great splendour, who called us by our own names and greeted us, saying: ‘Well done, good brothers; the Lord has revealed to you that land which he will give to his saints. For there is half of the island as far as this river, and it is not permitted you to pass beyond: but return from where you came.’ When he had said this, I at once asked him from where he was, or by what name he was called. He said: ‘Why do you ask me from where I am, or what I am called? Why do you not ask me about this island? As you see it now, so it has remained from the beginning of the world. Do you lack any food or drink or clothing? For you have been in this island for one year and you have lacked neither food nor drink; you have not been weighed down by sleep, nor has night covered you. For it is always day here without any blindness of darkness. For our Lord Jesus Christ is its light.’ We began our journey at once, and that man returned to the delightful island. And when the brethren saw us, they rejoiced greatly at our coming. And the abbot said: ‘Do you not know by the odour of our garments that we have been in God’s paradise?’ Then, having received leave from the abbot and the brethren, I returned to my cell.”

¹⁰ Hearing these things, St Brendan with all his congregation prostrated themselves on the ground, glorifying God. And after a few days Barintus returned to his own monastery. Then Brendan, the father of three thousand monks, having chosen fourteen brethren from all his congregation, shut himself up with them in one oratory and spoke to them saying: “Dearest brethren, my heart and my thoughts are fastened together in one desire — yet only if it is God’s will. I have resolved in my heart to seek the land of promise of the saints, of which Father Barintus spoke: how does it seem to you, or what counsel will you give me?” And knowing the holy father’s will, they all say as if with one voice: “Abbot, your will is ours also. Have we not left our parents? Have we not despised our inheritance, and given our bodies into your hands? And so we are ready to go with you either to death or to life; let us seek only the will of God.” St Brendan therefore determined, and those who were with him, to keep a fast of forty days in three-day portions, and afterwards to set out.

¹¹ When the forty days had passed, on the summit of a certain mountain they made a very light little ship, ribbed and columned; and they covered it with tanned ox-hides, and greased all the joints of the skins with butter, and put two other sets of ship’s tackle of other hides inside the ship, and provisions for forty days. They also set up a mast fixed in the middle of the ship, and a sail, and the other things belonging to the steering of a ship. Then St Brendan commanded his brethren in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit to enter the ship. And while he stood alone on the shore and blessed the harbour, three brethren from his own monastery came up, who at once fell down before the holy father’s feet, saying: “Father, let us go with you wherever you are going, otherwise we shall die of hunger and thirst in this place. For we have resolved to be pilgrims all the days of our life.” And when the man of God saw their distress, he told them to enter the ship, saying: “Let your will be done, little sons.” And he added: “I know how you have come. This brother has worked a good work: for God has prepared for him a most fitting place, but for you a most terrible judgement.”

¹² Then St Brendan went up into the ship, and spreading the sails they began to sail towards the summer solstice; and they had a favourable wind, and needed to do nothing but hold the sails. After fifteen days the wind ceased; and they began to row until their strength failed; and Brendan comforted them, saying: “Brethren, do not fear: for God is our helper, and steers both the ship and us: only leave the sails spread, and let God do as he wills with his servants and with his ship.” They always refreshed themselves in the evening; and they did not know towards what part of the world the ship was borne.

¹³ When the forty days and all the provisions belonging to their food were now spent, there appeared to them a certain very rocky and high island, from whose summit various small streams ran down into the sea. And since the brethren were afflicted with thirst and hunger before they had found the harbour, and wished to take water in vessels, Brendan said to them: “Do not do this, brethren: for what you are doing is foolish. God does not yet wish to show us the harbour and the place, and do you wish to make plunder? The Lord Jesus Christ will show us after three days the harbour and the way in, so that your wearied bodies may be refreshed.” And when they had sailed around that island for three days, on the third day about the ninth hour they found a harbour where there was an entrance for one ship.

¹⁴ And when they had gone out of the ship and were walking along the sea-shore, a dog met them by a certain path and came to St Brendan’s feet. They all followed it to a town, where they saw a great hall furnished with couches and seats; and water for washing feet. And as they sat, the man of God charged his companions, saying: “Take care, brethren, lest Satan lead you into temptation. For I see him urging upon one of the three brethren who came after us from our monastery a most wretched theft: therefore pray for his soul, for his flesh is delivered into the power of Satan.” That house in which they sat was as it were set about on every side with hanging vessels of various kinds of metal, bridles and horns edged with silver. Then St Brendan said: “Let us eat of what our Lord has bestowed on us.” And sitting down, they found as much food and drink as they wished. And rising from the table, they rested on the well-spread couches, wearied with excessive labour.

¹⁵ And while the brethren slept, Brendan saw an Ethiopian child holding a bridle in his hand and playing before the same brother; and rising, Brendan passed the night in prayer until day. And when they had been refreshed three days on the island by the divine will, as they were all going to the ship Brendan said: “See, brethren, that none of you takes anything of the substance of this island with him.” “God forbid, father,” they said, “that anything stolen should violate our journey.” Then St Brendan said: “Look, our brother, of whom I told you yesterday, has a silver bridle in his bosom which the devil gave him this night.” Hearing this, that brother threw the bridle from his bosom and fell at the feet of the man of God, saying: “I have sinned, father: forgive me, and pray for my soul, lest it perish.” At once they all together prostrated themselves on the ground, begging God for his soul.

¹⁶ When the brethren rose from the ground, they saw a little Ethiopian coming out of that brother’s bosom, howling with a loud voice and saying: “Why, man of God, do you drive me out from my dwelling in which I have dwelt, and make me a stranger to my inheritance?” Brendan said to him: “I command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to harm no man until the day of judgement.” And turning to that brother, he said: “Receive the body and blood of the Lord: for your soul will now go out of your body; for here will be the place of your burial. But your brother who came with you from our monastery has a place of burial in hell.” And so, having received the eucharist, the brother’s soul went out of his body and, in the sight of the brethren, was received by the angels of light. And when his body had been buried in that same place and the brethren were entering the ship, a youth met them carrying a basket full of loaves and a jar of water, who said: “Take a blessing from the hand of your servant: a long journey remains to you; yet bread and water will not fail you until Easter.”

¹⁷ And they began to sail, always refreshing themselves every two days; and drawing near to a certain island, they came to the harbour. And going out of the ship, they saw most abundant waters full of fish from various springs; and they remained on the island from the Lord’s supper until the vigil of Easter. And walking through the island, they found various flocks of sheep of one colour, namely white, so that they could not see the ground beyond for the multitude of the sheep. “Take,” said Brendan, “what is necessary from the flock for the feast day.” And when they had taken only one and bound it by the horns, it followed like a tame animal to the place where the man of God stood. And at Brendan’s command they took a spotless lamb from the flock. And at once a man appeared to them, holding in his hand a basket full of loaves baked under the ashes and the other things that were needed; and he set them before the feet of the man of God and said: “Father, here you will keep the Sabbath: but tomorrow on that island which you see, God purposes that you should celebrate the day of his resurrection. I will send you what is needed until Pentecost. After the day of the Lord’s resurrection you will sail to another island towards the western quarter, which is called ’the paradise of birds’: and there you will remain until the octave of Pentecost.”

¹⁸ For St Brendan was asking how the sheep could be so great as those seen there — for they were bigger than oxen. He said to him: “No one gathers wool from the sheep on this island, nor does winter pinch them, but they remain in the pastures day and night; and so they are bigger here than in your regions.” Then they set out and sailed to another island which was rocky without any herb; there was a sparse wood there. Now St Brendan knew what sort of island it was, but he did not wish to tell them, lest they should be terrified and flee. In the morning each celebrated mass; and when St Brendan, last of all, was beginning mass in the ship, the brethren set a cauldron on the fire; and when it began to boil, that island began to move like a wave. The brethren, running to the ship, implored the holy father’s protection. But he drew each one inside by the hand, and leaving behind all that they had carried onto the island, they began to sail. Now that island was borne away into the ocean, and the brethren for two miles saw the fire. And Brendan said: “My little sons, do not be afraid: for God revealed to me this night in a vision the mystery of this thing. For the place where we were is not an island, but a fish; it is the foremost of all that swim in the ocean; its name is Jasconius.”

¹⁹ And when they had sailed beside that island for three days, they saw another island, grassy and full of trees and flowers; and finding a rivulet running into the sea, they drew the ship by ropes against the channel of the river for the space of a mile up to that river’s source. Now over the spring stood a tree of wondrous breadth, covered all round with whitest birds, so that its leaves and branches could scarcely be seen. And Brendan began to ponder and consider what this might be, or for what reason so great a multitude of birds could be in one gathering. And falling upon his knees and shedding tears, he begged God saying: “O God, knower of things unknown and revealer of all hidden things, I beg your majesty that you would deign, by your great mercy, to reveal this secret to me, a sinner, and to your servants.” When he had said this, look, one of those birds flew; and its wings sounded like a bell towards the ship where the man of God sat. And settling on the top of the prow, it began to stretch out its wings as if in sign of joy, and to look upon the saint with a gentle countenance. And the man of God knew that God had remembered his prayer, and said to the bird: “If you are a messenger of God, tell me from where these birds are, or for what reason their gathering is here.”

²⁰ The bird at once said: “We are of that great ruin of the ancient enemy; but we were not in the consent of their sin; but since we were at the falling of that guilt with his satellites, our ruin also came to pass. Now our God, both just and true, by his great judgement has sent us into this place, where we suffer no torments. Here we can see the presence of God. But being estranged from the fellowship of the others who were proud, we wander through the various parts of the air and the firmament and the earth, like the other spirits who are sent. But on holy days and Sundays we take such bodies as you now see, and remaining here we praise our Creator. Now you have spent one year with your brethren on your journey: six remain. Where you celebrated Easter today, there you will celebrate it every year; and afterwards you will find what you purposed in your heart, that is, the land of promise of the saints.” When that bird had said this, it began to fly back to the others.

²¹ At the approach of the evening hour, all the birds which were in the tree sang as with one voice, and striking their sides with their wings, said: “A hymn becomes you, O God, in Sion,” and the rest. And they repeated that verse continually for the space of about one hour. And to the man of God and the brethren that melody and the sound of wings was like a song of lament for sweetness. At the hour of matins all the birds resounded with wings and mouth saying: “Praise the Lord, all you his angels: praise him, all you his powers.” Likewise as at vespers, they sang continually for the space of one hour. At dawn they began to sing: “Let the splendour,” and the rest. At the third hour: “Sing to our God, sing,” and the rest. At the sixth hour: “O Lord, make your face to shine upon us and have mercy on us.” At the ninth hour: “See how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity.” Thus the birds rendered praises to the Lord.

²² When eight days were completed in that place, look, the man with whom they had been before Easter came to them with his ship full of food and drink; and he said: “Men and brethren, here you have sufficient until the holy day of Pentecost, and do not drink of this spring: for it is strong to drink. Whoever drinks of it, a slumber will rush upon him, and he will not wake for twenty-four hours.” And they remained there until the octave of Pentecost. Then the same man, coming again, said: “A great journey remains to you: I will bestow on you as much as your little ship can carry.” And when all had been brought to the sea-shore, the same bird came with a swift flight and settled upon the prow of the ship and said: “With us you will celebrate the day of Easter in the coming year; likewise the night of the Lord’s Easter on the back of Jasconius. After eight months you will find the island of Ailbe: and there you must celebrate the birth of the Lord.” And at once all the birds sang as with one voice: “Hear us, O God our saviour, the hope of all the ends of the earth and in the sea afar.”

²³ St Brendan therefore, sailing for three months after Pentecost, saw nothing but heaven and sea. And they always refreshed themselves after three or two days. At last, sailing for forty days around a certain island, they could find no harbour. At length there appeared to them a narrow harbour, and they saw two springs, one turbid and the other clear. When the brethren made haste to draw water, the saint said: “Do not, sons, do an unlawful thing without the leave of the elders who dwell on this island. For they will give us of their own accord these waters which you now wish to drink by stealth.” And at once a very old man of exceeding gravity met them, with hair of snowy whiteness and a bright face; who prostrated himself three times on the ground before he would kiss the man of God. But St Brendan raised him up. And the old man took Brendan’s hand, and went with him for the space of a furlong as far as the monastery.

²⁴ And before the gate of the monastery Brendan said to the old man: “Whose is this monastery, or who is over it, or from where are those who dwell here?” But he did not answer him, only urged with incredible gentleness. Seeing this, Brendan said to his brethren: “Keep your mouths from speech, lest these brethren be polluted by our scurrility.” And eleven brethren came out to meet them with capes and a cross and hymns, saying: “Arise, you saints, from your dwellings and go forth to meet the truth: hallow the place, bless the people, and deign to keep us your servants in peace.” When that verse was finished, the father of the monastery kissed St Brendan and his companions in order. Likewise his brethren kissed the holy man’s brethren. When the peace had been given in turn, they led them into the monastery to prayer. After this they washed the guests’ feet, and sang the antiphon: “A new commandment I give you.” When these things were finished and their hands washed, they all sat down; and when a table was prepared and loaves of wondrous whiteness were set on it, with certain roots of incredible savour, they ate. The brethren sat mingled with the guests in order, and a whole loaf was always set between two brethren.

²⁵ And when they had eaten, the abbot of that place said to his guests: “From this spring which today you wished to drink by stealth, now show love with joy and the fear of the Lord. In the other turbid spring which you saw, the brethren’s feet are washed daily, for it is warm at all times. But where the loaves which you have now seen are prepared is unknown to us, or who carries them to our cellar: yet it is known to us that they are ministered to us from God’s great alms by some subject creature. We are twenty-four brethren here, and every day we have twelve loaves. But on feasts and the Lord’s days God adds whole loaves for the single brethren, that they may have supper from the fragments. Now at your coming we have a double allowance. And so has Christ given us from the time of St Patrick and of St Ailbe our father until now, for eighty years. Yet old age does not increase upon our limbs. For on this island we lack nothing to eat which is prepared with fire; nor does cold or heat ever overcome us. But when the time of masses or of vigils comes, the lamps are lit in our church which we brought with us from our own land; by divine predestination they burn and are never diminished.”

²⁶ Rising from the table, Brendan and the father of the monastery entered the church with the brethren. Now the church was square, as much in length as in breadth; and the altars were made of crystal, and all the vessels. There was no voice in the monastery, nor any noise. If any needful work came to any brother, he went before the abbot and bent the knee before him, asking in his heart what he needed. And at once the abbot, by God’s revelation, wrote on a tablet and gave it to him who asked counsel of him. When compline was finished, the abbot said to Brendan: “I confess before my Christ, it is eighty years since we came into this island: we have heard no human voice, except when we sing praises to God. None of us suffers infirmity of the flesh or of the spirits which wander about the human race, since we came into this place.” And he added: “Of your two brethren who survive, one will be a pilgrim in the island of anchorites, and the other will be condemned to a most foul death among those below.” While they spoke thus together in the church, look, in their sight a fiery arrow sent down from heaven lit all the lamps which were set before the altars; and the abbot said: “Look, you see candles burning in the midst of vessels, yet nothing of them is consumed or diminished, nor does any ash remain: for it is a spiritual light.”

²⁷ At length Brendan and the brethren, entering the ship, saw after some weeks one island on which they found a clear spring and various herbs and various kinds of fish. And when they had drunk of the water, Brendan said: “Take care, brethren, not to use these waters beyond measure: lest your bodies be more gravely troubled.” When his command was by no means kept, a slumber of three days and nights rushed upon them. But he without ceasing prayed to God for his brethren, since such a danger had befallen them through ignorance.

²⁸ Then, entering the little ship, they drew near to the island where they had been at the Lord’s supper; and the same steward met them, saying: “God is wondrous in his saints, the God of Israel: he will give power and strength to his people; blessed be God.” And he clothed them all in new garments; and when the ship had been laden with provisions, and the Lord’s resurrection had been celebrated upon the beast’s back, they sailed to the island of birds; and all the birds sang as with one voice saying: “Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb.” And again: “The Lord God has shone upon us: appoint a solemn day in thick shades even to the horn of the altar.” They resounded with voices as with wings for about half an hour. And the same steward arriving brought with him all things needful for food. And look, the same bird, stretching out its wings, made a noise like the sound of a great organ, and said: “After a pilgrimage of seven years you will find the land of promise which you seek: and afterwards God will bring you back to the land of your birth.”

²⁹ And when afterwards they sailed on, there appeared to them a beast of wondrous size, which cast foam from its nostrils and furrowed the waves with a most swift course, as if to devour them. Seeing this, the brethren cried to the Lord, saying: “Deliver us, O Lord, lest that beast devour us.” And Brendan comforted them, saying: “Do not fear, you of little faith: God who is always our defender will himself deliver us from the mouth of that beast, and from the rest of our dangers.” And when it drew near to them, waves of wondrous height preceded it up to the ship. And while the brethren feared more and more, Brendan, stretching out his hands to heaven, said: “Lord, deliver your servants, as you delivered David from the hand of Goliath, and Jonah from the belly of the great whale.” When these things were said, at once a beast from the west passed close by them and rushed upon the other, so that it sent fire from its mouth: and the beast which was pursuing the servants of Christ was killed and divided into three parts. One part, by Brendan’s command, the brethren took and prepared for eating.

³⁰ Then, an island being sighted, Brendan said: “There are three peoples on this island: one of boys, another of youths, and a third of elders. Moreover one of our brethren who came after us from our monastery will be a pilgrim there.” Now that island was of wondrous flatness, so that it seemed level with the sea; without trees, or anything that could be moved by the wind: for it was very spacious, covered with white and purple scaltas. They saw three troops, and between troop and troop there was a space as it were of a sling-stone’s throw, and they kept going this way and that. And one troop sang standing in one place, saying: “The saints shall go from virtue to virtue, and they shall see the God of gods in Sion.” While one troop sang that verse, another troop stood and began to sing the same song; and so they did without ceasing. Now the first troop was of boys in whitest garments, and the second in hyacinth-coloured, and the third in purple dalmatics.

³¹ At the sixth hour they began to sing: “May God have mercy on us” to the end, and “O God, come to my aid,” and “I believed, and so,” and the prayer as above. At the ninth hour: “Out of the depths,” “See how good,” and “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem.” At vespers they sang: “A hymn becomes you,” “Bless the Lord, O my soul” twice, “Praise the Lord, O you children”; and they sang the fifteen psalms of degrees sitting down. When the singing was finished, a cloud of wondrous brightness covered that island, but they could not see what they had seen before, for the thickness of the cloud: yet they heard the voices of those singing the said song without intermission until the vigils of the morning. For then they sang “Praise the Lord from the heavens,” “Sing to the Lord,” “Praise the Lord in his holy places.” After this they sang twelve psalms in the order of the psalter. When dawn came, the island was uncovered from the cloud, and they sang “Have mercy on me, O God,” “O God, my God,” and “O Lord, our refuge,” at the third hour: “All nations,” “O God, in your name,” “I have loved, because,” with alleluia.

³² Then they immolated a spotless lamb, and all came to communion, saying: “Take to yourselves this sacred body of the Lord, and the blood of the Saviour, to life eternal.” When this was done, two youths carried a basket full of purple scaltas and put them into the ship, saying: “Take of the fruit of the island of strong men, and give us back our brother: and go in peace.” Then, the brother being called, Brendan said: “Kiss your brethren, and go with those who call you. In a good hour did your mother conceive you, since you have been worthy to dwell with such a congregation.” When the brethren and the holy father had been kissed, Brendan said: “Son, remember what great benefits God has bestowed on you in this world: go, and pray for us.” And as he went off with the two youths, the brethren began to sail.

³³ And at the hour of refection Brendan took one of the scaltas, and seeing that it was full of juice, he marvelled and said: “I have never seen or read of scaltas of such size.” Now they were of equal stature, the size of a large ball: and he pressed out of one of them a pound of juice. Which, divided into twelve parts, he distributed to the brethren: and it had a taste of honey in the mouth. Then, a three-day fast having passed, a very great bird flying held a branch of a certain unknown tree, bearing at its tip a great cluster of wondrous redness, and dropped it into the holy father’s bosom. And its grapes were like apples. The brethren, refreshed by these, again after a three-day fast saw an island wholly covered with very dense trees bearing fruit of the said grapes, so that all the trees were bent to the ground; of one fruit and colour, and there was no tree of another kind. Now the odour of the island was like the odour of a house full of pomegranates. And they remained on that island for forty days.

³⁴ After this, as the brethren sailed, they saw a bird which is called a gryphon flying towards them. And when it had stretched out its talons to seize the servants of God, look, the bird which had brought the branch with the fruits suddenly killed the gryphon outright; its corpse fell into the sea in the sight of the brethren. And after this they saw the sea so clear that they could see whatever was beneath. On a certain day there appeared to them a column in the sea which seemed higher than the sky, and it was covered with a rare canopy, which was so rare that a ship could pass through its openings. It had a silver colour, yet seemed harder than marble; and the column was of clearest crystal. And when they had passed through one of the openings of that canopy, the sea appeared as though of glass for clearness, so that they could clearly see all that was beneath. For the whole day they sailed beside that column, which measured fourteen hundred cubits on each side. And on the fourth day they found a chalice of the same kind as the canopy, and a paten of the colour of the column, lying on a certain window in the side of the column. The man of God, taking those vessels, said: “Our Lord Jesus Christ has shown us this miracle, and has given me all these things.”

³⁵ When eight days had passed, they saw a very rocky island, without trees or herbs, full of smiths’ forges; and Brendan said: “See, brethren, I am in anguish about this island, for I do not wish to go to it or draw near to it: but the wind is carrying us there on a straight course.” And they heard the sound of bellows blowing like thunder, and the clashing of hammers. Hearing these things, the man of God armed himself with the sign of the cross, saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, deliver us from this island.” And look, one of the inhabitants of that island came out, as though to perform some work; and he was very shaggy, and fiery and dark. And when he saw the servants of God, he went back into his forge. And the man of God said: “Spread the sails high, brethren, and let us sail away from this island as quickly as we can.” And look, the same barbarian ran to the shore to meet them, carrying in his hands a pair of tongs with a glowing mass of immense size and heat, and threw that mass over the servants of Christ; but it did them no harm. For it passed over them by about the space of one furlong. And where it fell into the sea, it began to boil, as though the ruin of a mountain of fire had been there; and smoke went up from the sea as from a furnace of fire. And all who were on the island ran down to the shore, each carrying his own mass. Some threw their masses after the servants of Christ into the sea, and another threw his mass over another’s, always returning into their forges; and they set them on fire, and that whole island appeared to burn like a furnace. And the sea boiled like a cauldron full of meat boiling when it is tended by fire. And the wailing of those dwelling on the island reached the brethren’s ears, and a vast stench reached their nostrils. And Brendan said: “O soldiers of Christ, be comforted in unfeigned faith and in spiritual arms: for we are on the borders of hell; therefore watch and act manfully.”

³⁶ The next day there appeared to them a high mountain in the ocean as through thin mists, but it was very smoky at its summit: and at once the wind drew them with a most rapid course to the shore of the island. One who remained of the three same brethren leapt out of the ship and began to walk as far as the shore, and crying out said: “Woe is me, father: I am torn away from you and have no power to come to you.” And the brethren watched how that wretched man was being led by a multitude of demons to torments, and was being burned among them. And the man of God said: “Woe to you, son: for you received a mortal end in your life.” And they saw the mountain uncovered from smoke, and belching flames from itself up to the sky, and breathing the same flames back into itself again, so that the whole mountain even to the sea seemed one pyre.

³⁷ After this there appeared in the sea a certain form as of a man sitting upon a rock; and a sail before him at a distance, about the measure of a cloth, hanging between iron forks, and it was tossed by the waves like a little ship when it is in danger from a whirlwind. They saw also a man sitting upon the rock, shaggy and deformed, and on every side when the waves flowed down upon him they struck him up to the crown of his head and receded. The rock on which that wretched man sat appeared bare. The cloth also which hung before him sometimes struck him over the eyes and the forehead. And Brendan asked him who he was, or for what fault he had been sent there and suffered such a penance. He said to him: “I am Judas, the worst of bargainers; I hold this place not for my desert, but for the ineffable mercy of Jesus Christ; this place is not counted to me as penal, but for the forbearance of the Redeemer on account of the honour of the Lord’s resurrection” — for it was then the Lord’s day — “For when I sit here it seems to me as though I were in a paradise of delights, because of the fear of the torments which are to come to me this evening. For I burn like molten lead in a cauldron day and night in the midst of the mountain which you saw. There is Leviathan with his satellites; there I was when it swallowed your brother, and therefore hell was glad, so as to send out great flames: and so it does always when it devours the souls of the impious. But I have my refreshment here every Lord’s day from evening to evening, and at the Nativity of the Lord until the Epiphany, and from Easter until Pentecost, and at the Purification and the Assumption of God’s mother. Before and after those times I am tormented in the depth of hell, with Herod and Pilate and Annas and Caiaphas. Therefore I adjure you by the Redeemer of the world, deign to intercede with the Lord Jesus that I may have power to remain here until sunrise tomorrow: lest the demons at your coming should torture me and I be led to the evil inheritance which I purchased at an evil price.”

³⁸ St Brendan said to him: “Let the will of the Lord be done: this night you shall not be bitten by demons until morning.” And when he was asked about the cloth hanging before him, he said: “That cloth I gave to a certain leper when I was the Lord’s steward; but it was not mine, for it belonged to the Lord and his brethren: therefore I have no refreshment from it, but rather hindrance. For the iron forks on which the cloth hangs, I gave to the priests of the temple for supporting cauldrons. The rock on which I sit, I placed in a ditch in the public road under the feet of passers-by, before I was the Lord’s disciple.” When evening came, an innumerable multitude of demons was seen around them, crying out and saying: “Depart from us, man of God, for we cannot draw near to our companion until you depart from him; nor have we dared to see our prince’s face until we render his friend back to him. Do not defend that man this night.” “I do not defend him,” said the man of God, “but the Lord Jesus Christ has granted him to be here this night until morning.” The demons said to him: “How do you invoke the name of the Lord over him, since he is the very betrayer of the Lord?” “I command you,” said Brendan, “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to do him no evil until morning.”

³⁹ When the night had passed, look, an infinite multitude of demons covered the face of the abyss, uttering dire cries and saying: “O man of God, cursed be your entrance and your going out, for our prince has this night scourged us with the worst of whips, because we did not present to him the accursed captive.” “Your curse,” said Brendan, “does not pertain to us, but to yourselves. He whom you curse shall be blessed, and he whom you bless shall be cursed.” “The wretched Judas,” they said, “shall suffer double torments in these six days, because you defended him this night.” The man of God said: “You have no power over Judas, nor has your prince, but the power of God shall have it. I command you in the name of the Lord our Jesus Christ, and your prince, not to extol him with more tortures than before.” And they said: “Are you Lord of all, that we should obey your words?” “I am confident,” said the saint, “that whatever I command in his name, he will not deny me, his servant.” And the demons lifted the wretched soul among them with great violence and wailing.

⁴⁰ And when the men of God drew near to a certain island, Brendan said: “Now you will see Paul the hermit, remaining in a spiritual state on this island without any bodily food for forty years. For thirty years before that he took food from a certain beast. It is not permitted us to enter the island without the man of God’s leave: therefore await my return.” And the old man, meeting Brendan, said: “See how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity!” And he told St Brendan that all the brethren should come up from the ship. And when they had kissed one another and sat down, he called each one by his own name. Now the old man was covered with his own hair and beard and other hairs down to his feet, and he was as white as snow from exceeding old age; only his face and eyes could be seen. He had no clothing except the hairs which grew out of his body. When Brendan saw this, he was saddened within himself, saying: “Woe is me, who wear the habit of a monk, and many are set under me under the name of that order, when I see a man in angelic state sitting in the flesh, unhurt by the vices of the body!”

⁴¹ The man of God said to him: “O venerable father, how many and what sort of wonders has God shown you, which he has manifested to none of the holy fathers! And you say in your heart that you are not worthy to wear the habit of a monk, when you are greater than a monk? For a monk is fed and clothed by the labour of his hands: but God has fed you for seven years from his own secrets, together with your company. But I sit naked on this rock like a wretched bird, except for my hairs.” Then St Brendan asked him about his coming, or from where he was, or how long he had sustained such a life there. He said to him: “I was brought up in the monastery of St Patrick for fifty-five years, and I kept the cemetery of the brethren. And a certain shining man appeared to me one day, saying: ‘I am Patrick your abbot: yesterday I departed from the world. Tomorrow set out for the shore of the sea, and having found a ship, you shall enter it; it will bring you to the place where you will await the day of your death.’ In the morning I went up into a little ship, and coming to this island on the seventh day, I have remained here until now. About the ninth hour an otter used to bring me a meal from the sea, that is, one fish in its mouth, and a bundle of brushwood between its fore paws for making a fire. And I, striking fire from flint with iron, made a fire of the brushwood, and prepared food for myself from that fish. And so for thirty years the same minister always brought me one fish every third day. I was never thirsty, but on the Lord’s day I used to go out and drew a little water from the rock for the work of my hands. And after thirty years I found here two caves and a living spring. And afterwards I lived for sixty years without the nourishment of any food except from the spring. For I am a man of ninety years on this island: thirty years on the food of fishes, and sixty on the pasture of the spring; and I was fifty years in my own country. All the years of my life are a hundred and forty. And here I must now, as was promised me, await the day of judgement in this flesh.”

⁴² Sailing then for forty days, when they drew near to a certain island, a great darkness covered them, so that one could scarcely see another. Yet after the space of one hour a mighty light shone around them. And going up from the ship, they saw a spacious land full of trees bearing fruit, as in the time of autumn. And when they had searched the land for forty days and had seen no night, nor could see the end of the island, they at last found a great river flowing through the middle of the island; and at once a young man came to meet them, kissing them with great joy and calling each by name, saying: “Blessed are they that dwell in your house, O Lord; they shall praise you for ever and ever.” And he said to Brendan: “See the island which you have sought for a long time; and for that reason you could not find it at once, because God wished to show you his various secrets in the great ocean. Return therefore to the land of your birth, carrying with you of the fruits of this island and of its gems as much as your little ship can hold. After the course of many years this land shall be made known to your successors, when a persecution of the Christians shall come. As the island now appears full of fruits, so it appears at all times: for its light is Christ.”

⁴³ Then, taking of the fruits of the land and of all kinds of gems, he returned with a prosperous course to his own monastery. And when the brethren saw them, they glorified God with great joy. Then St Brendan recounted to the brethren all that had befallen them, and how many wonders of miracles the Lord had deigned to show them.

⁴⁴ Then the inhabitants of the place Elioch said to St Brendan: “We are placed in great tribulation in this place: for fleas breed upon the sand of the sea here.” Then the saint said: “Lord Jesus, deliver them who have received us in your name.” From that hour no flea appeared any more in that place.

⁴⁵ When at last his boy Senan had died, Brendan said to Bishop Meneu: “Lay my staff upon the boy.” And when he had laid it upon him, after three days the boy rose from death.

⁴⁶ Brendan’s nurse, wearied with longing by reason of his absence, asked the Lord that she might be worthy to receive the Lord’s body from his hand, and to hear his voice. And so, being lifted up by the divine will, she was brought to the man of God; and having been refreshed with the divine banquet, returning she made the journey of four days in a moment.

⁴⁷ One day, when the man of God stood in a most delightful and beautiful place, the brethren said to him: “Truly, whoever left this delightful land for Christ would leave much.” The saint said to them: “There was a certain very rich man in those parts, walking in God’s commandments, having two very beautiful wives. His wives said to him: ‘How long will you dwell with us in this way, not using our marriage-bed?’ And he said: ‘So long will I be with you until I see discord arising between you. For the Lord Jesus Christ departs from men through discord, and demons draw near.’ Now after a long time, hearing them quarrelling between themselves, he departed from them, and going to the sea, he found a ship and began to sail, and began to inhabit a little island that he found. To him after many years we came, and we heard many wondrous and stupendous things from his mouth; he had been wholly clothed like a bird in the hairs of his body. Is it not so, brethren, that blessed man left much more than that delightful land which you praised just now?”

⁴⁸ One brother said to another brother, Brendan hearing him: “Can the sins of the dead be redeemed by their friends remaining in this life, by praying or by giving alms?” Brendan answered: “When we were on the great sea one night, looking up I saw a horrible and very black cloud coming towards me, and in the midst of it was the form of a black man; who, weeping and wailing much, said to me: ‘I beg you in the name of Jesus Christ that in these three days you would ask God for me, a sinner suffering heavy torments.’ After this he vanished from my eyes. And when morning came, I called the brethren together and told them what I had seen, and asked that they should pray for that soul. After three days it returned somewhat bright and somewhat sad, and again asked that we should ask God for it for another three days. Which being done, it came in a white cloud and in a splendid body: and in that white cloud were heard as it were seven songs of different voice; and that soul said: ‘I thank the Lord God and your prayers: for now I am received into the heavenly dwelling.’ Then I said to it: ‘What is your name?’ ‘I am called Colmannus,’ it said: ‘I was a wrathful monk and a sower of discord among the brethren.’ Having said this it disappeared. In this, therefore, dearest ones, it is evident that the prayer of the living much profits the dead.”

⁴⁹ When certain kings of Ireland wished to lay waste another region, and the inhabitants of that region asked Brendan’s help, the man of God humbly begged those kings to desist from their presumption. But while they persisted in their obstinacy, the saint asked God: and he heard him. For the kings could not go out of the place where they were: but wandering this way and that, they could not find the way at all. So returning within themselves, they said: “What we are doing is foolish. For who can resist the will of God, who fights against us in his saint Brendan? Let us return, therefore, and cease from wishing to devastate another’s region.” And so it came to pass.

⁵⁰ And there was brought to St Brendan on the way a certain man, mute from his mother’s womb: and when he blessed his tongue, the mute was at once set free. Now St Brendan in the ninety-third year of his life, full of virtues and miracles, departed to the Lord on the seventeenth day before the first of June; and he is buried at Clonfert.