Plummer, Bethada Náem nÉrenn I (1922) — translated from the Irish.

¹ A king of the province of Connaught took to wife, Sena his name, and Eithne his wife. Neither son nor daughter was born to them. They went to fast at Druim Lethan to obtain offspring; and the maiden saw a vision — a star going into the king’s mouth; and the king saw in like manner a star going into the queen’s mouth; and this was the interpretation given of that vision: that there would be born between them a victorious child of whom the mouths of men would be full; and as that star guided the magi to Jesus, so that star would guide that boy to the Holy Spirit. It chanced that the maiden was pregnant at that time.

² One day this maiden went in a chariot, and a druid met her. “The sound of a chariot under a king,” said he. The druid sees the maiden alone in the chariot. “There is a wondrous son in your womb,” said he, “of whom the mouths of men in heaven and on earth shall be full.”

³ Not long thereafter the maiden bore the boy, and the name Maedoc was given him; and he was reared honourably in Breaghmuigh; and upon the place where that boy was born there shone a bright beam of light from heaven for a long while.

⁴ Once Ainmire, king of Ireland, demanded hostages of Connaught, and Maedoc was given to him in hostage. The king’s heart and mind was caught by the countenance and beauty of the boy, for the grace of the Holy Spirit was manifest to him upon Maedoc. “Go home,” said the king, “or stay here without hostage.” “I will go,” said Maedoc, “if you let the other hostages go with me.” And the king gave them leave to go with a blessing; and each of them went to his own place.

⁵ Once Maedoc was with the herdsmen of the king’s fort, when they saw eight wolves making for the flock that Maedoc had; and they did obeisance before him and looked upon his feet. “It is pleasing to me,” said he, “a sheep for every black hound”; and they bore them off. The herdsmen went to complain of Maedoc at the fort; and Maedoc’s foster-mother came upon the green. Fear seized Maedoc at seeing her, and he prayed God to help her; and eight sheep of the colour and nature of those sheep were brought, and went to the flock; and it is not known from which they came. Maedoc was put to the learning of the holy church.

⁶ Once as Maedoc was praying in the secret of the wood, he saw a wild deer, and hounds pursuing it, and the deer took refuge with him. Maedoc put the skirt of his cloak over its horns to shelter it from the hounds; and when they came they found neither track nor sight of it, until it went away safe thereafter through the wood.

⁷ One day Maedoc and another disciple named Lassairianus were praying at the foot of two trees, and a great love of one another with them. “O Jesus,” said they, “is it your will that we be parted, or that we remain together for ever?” The southern tree fell, and the northern tree fell of the two trees. “Our parting has been revealed,” said they, “through the falling of the trees.” Maedoc went south and built a noble city at Ferns; and Lassairianus went north and built a city in Devenish.

⁸ One day as Maedoc was walking on Sliabh Beatha, night fell upon him; and he prayed God to guide him on the right way. It was not long before he saw two angels taking him by the hands, and they bore him to the royal enclosure. And a noble cross was raised on that hill to manifest that miracle.

⁹ One day Maedoc was by the shore of Loch Erne, and he saw a woman coming towards him, with a great wailing. “My son,” said she, “was drowned in this lake, and two other children with him; and I and Eochaid his father, the king of the land, are seeking the saints of the land to get knowledge from them where we should find his body; and this is what they told us — to get the knowledge from you.” The maiden and Maedoc went to the port, and knew not in what corner of the lake the bodies were. “O Jesus,” said Maedoc, “raise this woman’s son for me, and the other bodies that are with him.” And the boy arose at that word in the presence of Maedoc and the maiden. Eochaid his father, the king of the land, comes to the hill, and offered the boy to God and to Maedoc in perpetual possession.

¹⁰ Maedoc went into Bregia to the place where the holy bishop David of Cell Muine [Kilmainham?] was.

¹¹ Once David and his monks went for firewood, and they did not heed Maedoc. He had a book before him, singing his psalms. The storm of the day was beyond measure. There was a man that hated Maedoc on the hill. “Go,” said he, “and take there wild young oxen that never yet bore burden, with you after the monks, and bring a load of wood with you.” A man was sent with Maedoc, and a billhook with him, commanding him to behead Maedoc. Maedoc arises, and leaves his book open under the rain; and the oxen submitted to him, and went through the secret of the wood by a way they had never suffered to go before; and that way is easy to everyone from then on.

¹² And that man we have spoken of lifted his billhook over Maedoc to strike him, and his two hands clove to the billhook, and he could neither raise it nor put it down. That was revealed to David, and he went to the place where they were, and they went to the church, and the hands of the churl were parted from the billhook; and they found the book without harm or hurt to any letter of it.

¹³ One day as Maedoc was going for ale for the monks, the vessel broke and the ale went to the ground. He made the sign of his palm over it, and healed it, and gave the ale to the monks.

¹⁴ And the king’s dumb son was brought to him on one foot, with one hand and one eye; and he went home whole thereafter by the grace of God and Maedoc.

¹⁵ Once Maedoc saw a man coming towards him with a single board for a face. He begged his help of Maedoc for alms and mercy. “I pray God to help you,” said Maedoc; and a face and form came upon him like everyone else.

¹⁶ Maedoc besought David for leave to go to Ireland again. And after he had come to Ireland — “Put me back again,” said he, “to the place where David is, that it may be revealed to me who shall be my soul-friend”; and the ship’s crew would not suffer the turn. Maedoc steps out of the ship and walks from wave to wave, until an angel of God met him. “You need no soul-friend,” said he, “save Jesus; for there is none worthy of you.” Maedoc journeyed back again to Ireland. He took harbour in Ui Cheinnselaig, and built a choice church there.

¹⁷ He had two cows and a calf. The wolf comes on the church green. “have you come to ask your meal of God’s house?” said Maedoc; and he gives it the calf. “The bare cows will not yield without a calf,” said the herdsman. “Go you to milk them,” said Maedoc, lifting his hand over them, “and they will give you milk like a cow”; and they did so.

¹⁸ A host went into Ui Cheinnselaig one day, and the land under Maedoc’s protection as a sanctuary. Maedoc made a circle of his crozier round the cattle; and the host stood without pursuing the cattle, save one man of their nobles, and he died after crossing the circle. And the host turned back to their own country on seeing that; and the cattle remained with Maedoc.

¹⁹ Once the king of Ui Cheinnselaig was on a raid, and met Maedoc, and gave him alms, and went to his house. And toil and sorely sickness seized him, so that his spirit parted from him, as he himself deemed. Hell was revealed to him, with horrible souls therein; and one soul of them was drawing the king by his breath to the top of his mouth, and he saw the poor man to whom he had given the alms putting the alms into the mouth of the monster; and it ceased not drawing the king until the poor man put his crozier on the monster’s mouth. The king awoke, and told all he had seen. “Bring Maedoc to you,” said they, “and you shall get knowledge of everything from him.” “It is fitter for us to go to God’s servant,” said the king; and he went to the place where Maedoc was. “There is the man to whom I gave the alms,” said the king, “who loosed the monster’s maw from me.” The king gives him Ferns in perpetual possession; and he built a noble church there, which remains still.

²⁰ His inhabitants complained to Maedoc of the stead being without water. “Let the foot of there tree be dug by you,” said Maedoc, “and you shall find a well there.” They did so, and found it. And the stream began to flow through land that belonged to another beside the fort.

²¹ And the daughters of the stead used to come to its side to wash and bathe at the well Maedoc had revealed. “Do not wash here,” said Maedoc; “it is the monks’ common well, and women are not fit to share it.” “We will go,” said they, “on our own side after our land.” The king’s daughter went one day to the well to bathe, and the sand and gravel of the well clove to her. Her father came to Maedoc to beg help for her, and he would give himself in perpetual possession. They did so.

²² Once Maedoc went to the monastery to visit a monk that was in trouble. “All the monks are in trouble,” said the abbot, “and do minister to them while you are here.” “God is able to heal them,” said Maedoc; and it was done so. Three days they were ministering to them; and the abbot begged Maedoc to leave them in the same sicknesses; and he left them, though it grieved him.

²³ And Maedoc went to Ferns, and saw a plough-team with its tackle and iron plough coming to him from far away; and he took it with him to give it in alms to the daughters of Aed son of Cairbre, who were devoting their lives to God. And a poor man met him on the way, and begged an ox of Maedoc. And he gave it him, and brought the other oxen to the place where the maidens were. And they could not plough for want of the ox we have spoken of. They saw an ox coming out of the sea to them, and they put the yoke on it; and it ploughed like any ox, and used to come at the beginning of every day and go into the sea every evening. Three months it was at that work.

²⁴ Once Maedoc saw the messengers of David of Cell Muine coming to him. “Come,” said they, “to David.” “His last days are come, and go to him before his death.” Maedoc went into Bregia, and gives communion to David. “you did promise,” said Maedoc, “to be in Ireland again.” “Go you,” said David, “to the strand, and whatever ungentle beast you shall find there, mount it, and it will bear you to Ireland; and I will send my builders after you.” And they parted from one another with grief and sorrow, for they were sure of their parting through life. Maedoc went to the port, and found an ungentle beast there which he knew not, and mounted it, and it bore him to Ferns.

²⁵ And he made a forty days’ and nights’ fast there, as Jesus and Elias and Moses did; and neither weakness nor corruption touched him.

²⁶ Once Maedoc was on the brink of Ath Imdain, and he was old at that time. And he asked his charioteer: “Who shall be bishop in Ferns after me?” “The first man who shall take there ford,” said he. They saw a company coming to the ford with spears and shields; and they were clerks. And a foolish man of them comes to the ford and comes to the hill where Maedoc was. “It is my desire to be in your company,” said he. “What is your name?” said Maedoc. “Moling,” said he. They remained together in one another’s company till Maedoc’s death; and Moling was called bishop in Ferns.

²⁷ Then Maedoc heard that a brother of his was a hostage with the king of O Conaill Gabhra. He went to the king’s fort, and fasted three days and nights at the mouth of the fort without food or drink. And the hostage was refused to him, and the king’s daughter died that night. The queen bore her daughter to the place where Maedoc was. “Raise her for me,” said she, “for it is you that did slay her.” Maedoc’s heart came to her, and he made intercession to God, and the maiden arose; and the king’s heart did not come to Maedoc, and he went to curse him. “Do not curse the king,” said the queen, “but lay your curse on there mighty stone.” “I lay it,” said Maedoc; and he made two parts of the stone by the word of the saint. Fear seized the king, and he knelt to Maedoc, and gave him the hostage; and he gave him Cluain Claidmech in perpetual possession, and Maedoc built an honourable church there, and left a portion of his saints singing God’s office there; and he and the king parted from one another in peace and amity.

²⁸ Once as Maedoc was purposing to go to Cashel, the horses that were under his chariot stopped. They wondered at that, when they heard the angelic voice above them: “It is not God’s will for you to go to Cashel,” said it. “Guaire, king of Connaught, is in trouble at Cill mic Duach. Go you to the place where he is; for it is for you that God has appointed to help him.” And the chariot took the road to Cill mic Duach, and it made Deirg-dherc dry before it like any plain. And two of them met him, and begged guidance of him. “Woods and bogs are between you and Cill mic Duach,” said they, “and if you are of God’s people, let the way itself smooth itself for you.” “God is able for that,” said Maedoc; and he made a level plain of the bog, so that they came to Cill mic Duach. And Maedoc healed Guaire by the grace of God, and revealed to him that he would be thirty full years in the kingship of Connaught, and three of them in trouble; and heaven for him after death as the reward of his bounty and his mercy.

²⁹ One day as Maedoc was hearing lessons of a student, he saw a golden ladder coming down beside him; and Maedoc went up the ladder. And when he had gone, the student asked him what way he had gone. “Colum Cille after his death,” said he, “with the glory and honour of the household of heaven coming to meet him,” said he, “and to magnify him with them I went.”

³⁰ One day a company came with guile and craft to beg alms of him. And they left their garments hidden and concealed; and that was revealed to Maedoc; and he sent for the garments, and gave them in alms to other poor men; and they went from Maedoc without clothing, without alms.

³¹ Brannam son of Eochu, king of Leinster, slew Saranus, who was of Leinster. “Grievous to me,” said Maedoc, “the head of the poor, and the protector of the weak; and may the hand that struck that noble man fall off.” Maedoc went to Ferns, and went upon Brannam’s grave. “Arise,” said he, “in the name of Jesus, and govern your kingdom.” Brannam comes out of the grave, and went with Maedoc. “Do not bring me back upon the brittle world,” said he, “let me go to heaven now.” He made his confession to Maedoc, and he gave him leave to go to heaven.

³² Saranus then lay upon Brannam’s grave with bitter repentance and heavy sighing. His hand fell off, as Maedoc had asked before; and he was well thereafter until he died thereafter.

³³ Once as Maedoc was sowing his barley-seed, a young man came to the field. “I am needy,” said he, “and my lord has a heavy tribute on me; and I desire to get alms.” And he gave him the barley that was in his bosom, having made gold of it. He brought the gold to the king. “Where did you get the gold?” said the king. “Maedoc gave it me,” said the young man. “Take your dues with you,” said the king, “and bear you the gold to Maedoc.” Maedoc put the gold back into his barley, and it grew like any barley.

³⁴ One day as Maedoc was building a church, and found no craftsman to shape it. And he blessed the hand of a man of his people named Goban, and he built the church with wondrous carvings and with wondrous gravings, whose like was not, and no prize for craftsmanship was won from that Goban during his time.

³⁵ Once as Maedoc was washing in a river, one came behind him, and put his two hands on him, and left him in the pool to be drowned. Maedoc went ashore thereafter without a wet spot on hair or clothing of him. “Reward my malice, clerk,” said he. “It is my wish that God should forgive you,” said Maedoc, “and but for that word, the earth would swallow you. Do repentance, for you shall die the fourth day from today for the deed you have done.” And it was fulfilled.

³⁶ One day when a thief stole a sheep of Maedoc’s flock, the thief that ate the sheep went into the church to take an oath therein; as he took the oath, the sheep’s ears came out through his mouth.

³⁷ When there was a noble man in Rome of Latium in paralysis, and the saints of the city could not help him; and he came to Ireland to seek Maedoc, having heard of his miracles; and Maedoc had died before him, and he went into the churchyard where Maedoc was buried, and found help at once by the grace of God and Maedoc.

³⁸ There was a man in trouble in Leinster thirty years, who saw a vision — a chariot coming from heaven; an aged clerk therein, and a young woman. “Who are you?” said the young man. “I am Maedoc,” said the clerk, “and Brigid here. Tomorrow is my day, and in the east is Brigid’s day today; and we have come down to magnify the glory of Jesus on our own days. And be you ready,” said he, “you shall die the third day, and you shall have the heavenly kingdom for your soul.” That holy man, Fintan his name, went to Kildare on Mag Life, the church of Brigid; and told the people the vision he had seen, and himself died the third day, as Maedoc had revealed to him, and went to heaven.

³⁹ Moling was ordained bishop in Ferns after Maedoc, and no man could sleep in Maedoc’s bed. “I will come to sleep therein,” said Moling. He went into the bed, and was troubled and sickened, and could not sleep therein, until he earnestly prayed Maedoc to help him; and he got it at once through Maedoc’s prayer for him. Moling left the bed, and said that it was not fitting for any man living to go into it.

⁴⁰ And though Maedoc went to heaven, his miracles ceased not on earth. For the blind and the deaf and the lame and all the sick besides are healed by his earth, and by his clothing, and by his relics. And though we have told some of the miracles of Maedoc, it is not their fulness we have told. On the second day of the month of February Maedoc went into the fellowship of angels and archangels, into the fellowship of the holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. FINIT.