¹ Here begins the Life of Saint Aed, Bishop and Confessor.

² The most blessed Bishop Aed, son of Bricht, was born of a noble lineage of Ireland, that is, from the seed of Conn Cétchathach, who reigned over Ireland at Tara for twenty years in great peace and abundance. The mother of Bishop Aed, moreover, was from Munster, that is, from the region of Muscraige Tíre, and she too was already of sufficiently noble birth. When she was near to giving birth to Saint Aed, a certain prophet came beside her house and said to his companions: “There is a woman of this house who is pregnant, whose time to give birth has come. If the child whom she bears in her womb should be born tomorrow at the morning hour, he will be great before God and before men, in heaven and on earth, and his name and memory will endure throughout all Ireland for generations.” Hearing this, a certain young woman immediately came and reported it to her mistress, who was then beginning to labor. She said: “Truly, unless he comes forth through my side, he will not leave my womb until that hour comes.” And she sat upon a stone and remained seated upon it until the morning hour, enduring the pains of childbirth. God worked this great wonder at the birth of the infant Saint Aed. For when his mother, exhausted at the morning hour, gave birth, the head of the infant fell upon the stone and made a hollow in it according to the shape of his head; and even to this day that stone remains thus hollowed, and the water that is in that hollow heals the ailments of all who believe. And having received the washing of baptism, Saint Aed was brought up in Munster, in the region of his mother, from his infancy until his youthful age, clothed in secular dress. For his parents wished him to live a secular life; but the blessed boy Aed, with divine grace breathing within him, preserved himself whole in soul and body from unlawful secular deeds.

³ One day, while the blessed boy Aed was walking alone in the wilderness, he came upon a small cell on a hidden and remote island, where he found two holy elder abbots, namely Brendan of Birr and Cainnech, reading the Gospel beneath the shade of trees; and as the saints were speaking with one another, they saw the boy approaching them. When Saint Brendan saw him, he rose up to meet him and received him with joy. Saint Cainnech, however, reproved the blessed Brendan for rising at the arrival of an unknown boy. To him Saint Brendan said: “Do you not see with him what I see?” Saint Cainnech said: “Truly, I see nothing with him.” Brendan said: “Behold, he is filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and a host of angels surrounds him on every side; although today he is a secular boy, he will nevertheless be a holy bishop and a great pillar of the Church.” Afterwards the saints and the blessed boy Aed blessed one another, and he returned from them with joy.

⁴ The blessed boy Aed was taught by no master in his childhood in the liberal arts, nor instructed in letters, nor trained in ecclesiastical discipline, until the time of his adolescence; but, as we said above, among ordinary people he was nourished in Munster by the grace of God, whole in body and soul. When, therefore, he had become an adolescent, he went to his homeland, the region of Meath, to seek a portion of his paternal inheritance. But his brothers gave him no share, for immediately after the death of their father, while the boy remained in a foreign land, they divided it among themselves; and this displeased their kinsmen. Seeing this, the blessed young man Aed seized a young woman, the daughter of a powerful man, and carried her with him to Munster, so that by this injury his brothers, being distressed, might give him his inheritance in exchange for the girl. After the girl was seized, Aed came with his companions beside the monastery of the holy bishop Ilund, who, having left the world, ruled monks. When the holy elder Bishop Ilund saw Aed standing outside, apart at a distance from the crowd, and the angels of God with him, he said to one of his disciples: “Go, and tell that young man who stands apart on the road to come aside to me for a little while.” When the blessed Aed heard the message of the holy man of God, he came humbly to the bishop. And the bishop said to him: “Why do you seek, my son, by force an earthly paternal inheritance? For behold, you have a Father whose inheritance is heaven and earth and all creatures, who will give you an inheritance far greater and better in heaven. Therefore do not seek by injustice the land of mortals, but release this girl freely to her parents, and place your neck under the yoke of Christ.” The blessed Aed answered him, saying: “Whatever you say to me, father, I am ready to do.” And then the girl was sent back to her home; and all that the blessed Aed had in the world he left behind with a willing heart, and he remained with Saint Ilund in his monastery, obeying all his commands and diligently learning letters and writings from him.

⁵ On another day his holy master said to the blessed Aed: “My son, since the brothers are occupied with other tasks, go and plow for us during these days.” The blessed boy Aed replied: “I will be obedient to all your commands.” One day a certain man came to him, telling him that he lacked one ox for his plow. Then the blessed Aed, taking pity on the needy man, said to the boy who was guiding the plow ahead of him: “Wait for a while, brother.” And while he waited, the compassionate Aed unyoked one ox from his own plow and gave it to the needy man. After this, he himself plowed with only three oxen; and while on one side an ox bore the yoke, on the other side divine power wondrously supported and drew the yoke. In the same way Saint Aed gave his plowshare to another needy man; and afterward he began to plow without a plowshare, but divine power split the earth before him. Seeing such great miracles wrought through his foster-son, the holy bishop Ilund said to him: “O my son, you perform great miracles; therefore you ought to be a master and not a disciple. Go, then, to the region of your mother, and build there a cell in honour of Christ.” Saint Aed answered, saying: “It is necessary for me, father, to do whatever you command.” Then the blessed Aed set out with certain disciples assigned to him and founded a monastery called Enach Midbreuin; and there he remained for a long time and performed great works of power.

⁶ At one time the king of Munster gathered a great army, intending to bring the descendants of Niall under his rule. When the king of the descendants of Niall heard this, he was greatly afraid; and gathering his own army, he sent Saint Aed to request peace for that year between the maternal and paternal peoples. But as Saint Aed was going to the camp of the Munstermen, the wheel of his chariot was broken on a level road; and yet the chariot ran without hindrance on the other wheel beneath the saint of God, upheld by a divine command. The crowds, marveling greatly at this, received the saint of God with glory and honour; nevertheless, he was not able to obtain peace from the king. And as Saint Aed returned from the ungrateful king, immediately the king’s dear counselor died, and the earth swallowed two of his horses. Then the king, struck with fear, called Saint Aed back, and going out to meet the saint, he prostrated himself on the ground three times before the man of God. And the holy man said to the king: “Three kings will come from your seed.” The king said to him: “You have, father, the peace of this year.” “I will always have peace from you,” said the saint, “because your power will not grow any greater.” And when Saint Aed was asked by the king and his people, he raised up that man and one of the horses; but he left the other horse in the earth, and a pool of water filled that place, which in Irish is called Loch Gabre, and in Latin the Lake of the Horse. Then through Saint Aed the name of Christ was magnified by many.

⁷ After this, the most holy Aed was called to the region of Meath, his homeland, and was ordained bishop; and for a time he still dwelt in Munster, and built cells and monasteries in both regions. One day, when the holy bishop had many reapers at work, a great rain fell upon the land; yet not a single drop of rain fell upon Saint Aed’s grain field, and the drops were seen to scatter here and there, avoiding the crop as if they were afraid of it. Seeing this miracle, they magnified the grace of Christ with Aed.

⁸ A certain wealthy man in Munster was a dear friend of the holy bishop and offered him many gifts and lands. At the man’s request, the holy pontiff Aed promised to offer the sacrifice when the end of his life should come. But the wealthy man died while Saint Aed was far away from him. Perceiving this in spirit, Saint Aed hastened quickly toward him and sent his servant ahead, saying to him: “Go quickly to the dead man and say into his ear: shall I go to him, or will he come to me?” And immediately, at the voice of the bishop’s messenger, the dead man rose up alive and well; and signing himself, he came to Saint Aed the bishop. And the saint said to him: “Do you wish to remain still in this life, or to go now to heaven?” Choosing then to depart to heaven, he received the Lord’s communion from the hand of Saint Aed the bishop, and there he fell asleep in peace.

⁹ When Saint Aed the bishop came to the cell of holy virgins, they received him with great joy. As the virgins were preparing supper for the holy bishop, they could find no drink for him at that time except water. And the bishop said to them: “Bring us water from a pure spring.” And when Saint Aed the bishop blessed the water, it was turned into sweet and strong wine. Giving thanks, the holy pontiff was satisfied with that wine together with his people, and the holy virgins with theirs. And three times the grace of God, through Saint Aed the bishop, changed water into wine.

¹⁰ A certain man, having many animals before him on the road, by some mishap lost control of them, and they fled from him in confusion; nor was he able to gather them again. As the wretched man wept, the compassionate bishop Aed came along the road; and the man tearfully said to him: “Lord bishop, I have lost my animals without cause.” Then the blessed bishop Aed, taking pity on him, dismounted to the ground and prayed to God; whereupon the man’s livestock returned to him from various places, and not a single one of them was missing. Afterward that man departed, blessing the holy bishop, together with his now-gentle animals.

¹¹ Once, while Saint Bishop Aed was traveling, he met two lepers on the road and gave to the petitioners the two horses of his chariot as alms. When his disciples reproached the bishop for this, he said: “Let us wait here for certain men who are coming a long way behind me, leading two good horses for me.” And when those men offered the horses to the holy bishop, those who were with him marveled at his charity and prophecy, giving thanks to Christ.

¹² When the holy bishop came to the monastery of holy virgins called Druim Ard, he was received by them with great joy. As the man of God looked upon them, he recognized that one of them had then fallen into sin. And she, knowing that the holy bishop was aware of her sin, confessed her fault before them all and performed penance.

¹³ Certain robbers beheaded three men on the road by which Saint Bishop Aed was traveling that day; but by a divine command those robbers were restrained and could not move from there until the holy bishop came to them. Rebuking them, the holy pontiff moved them to repentance of heart, and the man of God released them by his word. Wishing to wash the heads of the slain with their own blood, he found no water nearby. Then, blessing the surface of the ground, a clear spring burst forth, which remains there to this day. And the most holy bishop Aed joined the heads of those who had been slain to their bodies and said with a loud voice to them before all: “In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, rise now and come to us.” At the word of the bishop they rose up joyful and whole, blessing Christ and their bishop.

¹⁴ A certain man who was suffering severe pain in his head came to Saint Aed and said, “O holy one of God, I am greatly afflicted with pain in my head; pray for me.” The bishop said to him, “In no way can this pain leave you unless it comes upon me; but you will receive a great reward if you endure it patiently.” He replied, “Lord, the pain is beyond my strength.” Saint Aed said, “Let the pain of your head, O man, come into my head.” And immediately the pain descended into the head of the holy bishop, and that man went away healed, giving thanks. Thus the servant of Christ took another’s suffering upon himself, in order to help his neighbor and to endure suffering for Christ as a kind of martyrdom. And afterward many, invoking the name of Saint Aed, are healed of headaches, as has been proven in this matter. A certain holy virgin, suffering very greatly from a headache, invoked the name of Saint Aed while she was far from him, and immediately she was healed of the pain in her head, remaining free from it until her death.

¹⁵ The queen of the king of Tara, that is, of Diarmaid son of Cerball, named Mugain, who was born in Munster, was barren and had no children. She asked Saint Aed that she might have a son. The saint said to her, “You will have, lady queen, a son who will be a glorious king.” And she bore a son, namely Áed Sláine, who became a great king of Tara, born through the prayer of Saint Aed the bishop.

¹⁶ The blessed bishop Aed came to certain holy virgins who were under the care of Saint Ciarán the abbot. The virgins had prepared a meal for their patron Saint Ciarán, which they gave instead to Saint Aed the bishop. But the bishop, knowing that the virgins were in difficulty and that Saint Ciarán was nearby, said to them, “Set out the vessels of your food and drink as they were before, and they will be filled in the same way.” And so they were found to be. And the meal, restored by God through the grace of Saint Aed, was again given to Saint Ciarán by the blessed virgins.

¹⁷ At another time the holy elder Aed came to the cell of other virgins and sat upon a stone before the door of the cell. And the holy bishop was taken up into heaven before them all, and after two hours he was set down again upon the same stone, and all of them greatly marveled. The chasuble, however, which the blessed bishop left in that cell at that time, at the request of the virgins, remains there to this day with great honour.

¹⁸ A certain cruel soldier abducted a virgin, intending to take her as his wife; but when he reached the house of that man with her, the virgin immediately died. When Saint Aed heard this, he went to him and rebuked him for his bold wrongdoing. The man then did penance and offered himself to the bishop to take the monastic habit, and afterward he was a faithful monk under the care of the bishop. And Saint Aed the bishop said to the dead virgin, “Rise, daughter, and come with us to your cell.” She immediately rose from death, and all rejoiced with her in Christ. Once, while the brothers were digging around the monastery of Saint Aed, they found a stone that could not be removed from its place by any force. When Saint Aed saw this, he commanded the stone before the brothers to move down to another place; and immediately, at the word of the holy bishop, the stone descended to another location. Saint Aed blessed it, and through the blessing of the holy bishop, healing is given by God to some who come to it.

¹⁹ There were very wicked robbers on an island in the middle of a lake, who caused great harm to the surrounding region. Saint Aed the bishop wished to drive them away from there, but he was unable to do so. He said to them, “This lake will obey me.” And on the following night the lake left its place and went into the region of Connacht, and stood there in a certain field; and it is called in Irish Loch na h-Aidche, that is, “the Lake of the Night,” because it arrived there during the night. For a certain prophet named Becc had said, “A lake of water will come here by night because of the command of Saint Aed the bishop.”

²⁰ A certain man was being compelled by his lord, a magician, to repay his debt, namely a herd of pigs. He came to Saint Aed so that the saint might ask his lord for a delay on his behalf. But the magician refused to grant this. Saint Aed the bishop said to him, “I will repay the debt for him.” When the magician received the pigs from the holy bishop, he went away rejoicing to his house and shut the pigsty over the pigs. In the morning he found the pigsty closed, but the pigs were not there. Then he realized that the art of magic has no power against Christianity.

²¹ At one time the leader of Tethba came to ravage a certain people in the region of Meath. The inhabitants of that people asked Saint Aed to go out to meet him and to seek peace from him. When the leader heard this, he said to his army, “Let us go quickly, before Saint Aed the bishop comes to us.” When the man of God learned this, he made the sign against them. As they entered a certain river on the boundary between that people and the region of Tethba, their horses stood motionless in the ford until the holy bishop came to them. He said to them, “Turn back, good men, lest something worse happen to you; for neither you nor your horses will be able to go any farther from here.” Then they did penance, were released, and returned empty-handed to their own land, glorifying the holiness of the most blessed Bishop Aed.

²² While the holy elder Aed was walking along the road, a sorrowful man met him and said, “Lord, I have ten cows, and behold, now all their calves have been devoured by wolves, except one.” The holy bishop said to him, “Gather the mud that clings to my staff, mix it with water, and sprinkle the cows and the living calf with it. When you do this, the cows will love it greatly and will give their milk.” And so it happened. Over this, the man and his household rejoiced greatly, for they were not grieving so much over the calves as over the cows and their milk.

²³ The parents of an only son came to Saint Aed, asking him to seek out that only son whom the king of Meath was holding in chains in order to put him to death. The holy elder went with them to the island of the lake of Lough Lebáin, where the king was; but the holy bishop was not permitted to enter the island. For there was an order from the king that the man of God should not be allowed onto the island. When Saint Aed learned this, he walked upon the water as though it were dry land and went with dry feet to the island to the king. When the king saw the great miracle done before him, he handed over the prisoner to the holy bishop. The servant of God blessed the king and restored the man to freedom, while all gave thanks to God.

²⁴ A cruel and wretched man once cut another man’s throat near Saint Aed. The driver of the holy bishop said to him, “May your hand perish and fall from you, because you did not show honour to the saint of God.” And Saint Aed the bishop said, “You have spoken well to this miserable man; for at this very hour he would have died, if you had not spoken these words. For when a human being wishes to take vengeance, God does not; therefore, since you have spoken thus, God has granted him a respite of this year for repentance; but when this year is completed, on this very day he will die.” And so it happened. The blessed elder Bishop Aed went to Duke Báithen in order to free a certain free woman whom the duke was forcing into slavery. The proud duke said to him, “In no way will I release her.” The holy man said to him, “If you were to see the one who urges this upon you, you would release her at once.” The duke said, “Indeed, I will release her if I see him.” The saint replied, “You will not be able to endure the terror of his face.” But the duke pressed him strongly, and the saint made the sign over him and those with him; immediately a demon appeared before them, and they were terrified and became like dead men, and only with difficulty were they restored to life by the prayers of the holy bishop. And thus he freed that woman from slavery.

²⁵ When Saint Aed the bishop entered the house of a certain soldier in which there was stolen property, the master of the house rejoiced at the coming of the holy elder. As they spoke together, the soldier saw that Saint Aed was always looking toward a corner where the stolen goods were hidden. When he asked the man of God why he kept looking at that place, he said to him, “Do not inquire, my son.” But the soldier begged him earnestly, and the saint said, “There is stolen property there, and demons are licking it and playing over it.” The man said, “Show them to me, lord bishop.” The saint said, “Do not look upon the foul demons.” But when the man persisted insistently, the man of God showed him the demons; and when he saw their forms, he came close to death, and only with difficulty did he regain his life through the prayer of the saint.

²⁶ A certain duke of Munster, resisting Saint Aed the elder in some matter, suddenly lost the light of his eyes and became blind. Later, doing penance, he offered great gifts and lands to Saint Aed; and immediately, when the man of God prayed for him, his eyes were opened and he received his sight again.

²⁷ The concern of the holy elder Aed was greatly directed toward freeing people from prisons and from unjust slavery. He sought from a certain king a young woman whom the king unjustly condemned; but the king refused to release her. For kings were harsh and cruel toward Saint Aed, yet by divine prompting they were compelled to do his will. And the saint said to that young woman, who was then present, “Follow us, daughter.” At this word she immediately followed the saint of God. Yet no one from the king’s army saw her following the man of God through the midst of the crowds. When the holy man departed from the camp, he sent her home free. At this the king and others were greatly astonished.

²⁸ Certain men, full of malice, met Saint Aed on the royal road called Slighe Assail and killed one of his household whom he loved, as the man passed before him. Leaving that road, the holy man went away sorrowful in great grief and stood in another part of the plain. And behold, an angel of the Lord appeared there and said to him, “If you had not come here from that place as you did, the earth would have swallowed all of them before you, and a fire would have been kindled there that would have remained unextinguished until the day of judgment as a sign of vengeance; nevertheless, they will soon perish by a most terrible death.” And so it happened to them all.

²⁹ When certain women wished to wash their heads on the night of the Lord’s Day, Saint Aed said to them, “What do you wish to do?” They said to him, “We wish to wash our heads.” The saint said to them, “Do not do this, for it is the night of the Lord’s Day.” But they did not obey the holy bishop and washed their heads. In the morning, when they arose, all the hair fell from their heads. When they saw this, they wept and came sorrowfully to Saint Aed and did penance before him. The holy bishop blessed them and said, “Bear your disgrace today; and tomorrow, when you wash, your heads will be covered with new and wondrous hair.” And so it happened.

³⁰ At one time Saint Aed the bishop came to the island called Bo Finde, that is, “the White Cow,” which is in Loch Rí. Saint Ríoch, the abbot of that place, received him with honour. For there is a renowned monastery on that island, named after the island itself. The abbot set a great meal of meat before the holy bishop. But the blessed bishop Aed did not wish to eat meat, and he blessed the meats, and they were changed into bread, fish, and honey. When they saw this miracle, they ate with the bishop, giving thanks to Christ.

³¹ Saint Aed the bishop visited Saint Henan the hermit, who lived in the place where there is now a famous monastery in his honour, called Druim Rath. The most blessed Henan asked Saint Aed to accept hospitality with him; but he had nothing except vegetables and water. When the holy bishop saw this, he smiled and said to the servant of Saint Henan, “Go, brother, and serve us with sufficient food.” When the brother returned to bring some vegetables, he found his kitchen filled with every kind of food. All who saw and heard this gave glory to God, saying, “Wonderful is God in his saints”.

³² The holy elder Bishop Aed went to visit the most blessed Lasrean, who governed many monks on an island situated in Loch Erne, which the Irish call Daimh Inis, that is, “the Island of Cattle.” Saint Aed found the blessed father Lasrean and his brothers working outside, and he said to them, “What work shall I do for you?” Saint Lasrean said to him, “Your task is to move this piece of wood from its place.” That wood was very large and long fixed in the ground. Then Saint Aed, in the name of Christ, commanded the wood to leave its place. Immediately that great piece of wood was lifted up like a bird, and leaping away it hurled itself into the sea. When they saw this miracle, they gave praise to God.

³³ When Saint Aed began to build a monastery in a certain place, an angel of the Lord said to him, “You must not build a cell here.” Saint Aed said, “Where then should I?” The angel replied, “The stronghold of that man has been given to you by the Lord; there, through you, many souls will go to heaven.” When that wealthy man, the lord of that stronghold, heard this, he was greatly displeased and swore that he would never give his stronghold to Saint Aed. One day, when the holy bishop entered that stronghold, the man fled from his own fortress so as not to see the holy bishop, and immediately he was struck with a grave illness unto death. Saint Aed said to his companions, “Bring him to me.” When he had been brought, the saint said to him, “Trust in the Lord and do penance.” Then the wealthy man offered to God and to Saint Aed that stronghold with all that belonged to it. Whereupon Saint Aed said, “Choose now whether to remain here alive and healed from this illness for a time, or to depart now to heaven.” Choosing immediately to go to heaven, he received the holy sacrifice from the bishop and there died happily. And in that stronghold the holy bishop established a monastery, which is called by the name of Saint Aed.

³⁴ A poisonous cistern appeared through a裂 in the earth in that region, and smoke went forth from it, bringing deadly pestilence to people and livestock. Then the inhabitants of that region asked Saint Aed the bishop to help them against that plague. The man of God went with them to that place and blessed the cistern in the name of God; and from that hour the smoke vanished from it, and afterward it caused no harm. Because of this, great joy arose among that people, giving thanks to God through his saint.

³⁵ At one time the most blessed Bishop Aed promised a certain brother, who asked him, that he would go with him together to heaven, that he would come with him to the kingdom of Christ. When the day came for the most holy Bishop Aed to depart from this world, he said to the brother, “Prepare yourself, brother, to depart with me to heaven.” But the brother was unwilling at that time to leave this world. Then a certain rustic came at that very hour to visit the holy elder Bishop Aed and said to him, “If only you would say to me, holy bishop, ‘Come with me into paradise’”. The shepherd of the Church, Saint Aed the bishop, said to him, “Prepare yourself, good man, and lie down with me on this bed.” Doing so, the man, with a joyful heart, died happily at that hour together with the most blessed Bishop Aed. Saint Columba of Iona, seeing this spiritually on the island of Iona, said to his brothers, “Our brother, the holy elder Bishop Aed, has just accomplished a great and firm work. For behold, he is leading with himself to heaven a sinner who was undeserving, with no power of demons able to resist him.” And the most blessed Bishop Aed, together with his rustic, following Christ with his thief, departed to heaven among the choirs of angels singing sweet songs on the fourth day before the Ides of November, in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs glory from every creature, together with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, who lives and reigns without end, forever and ever. Amen.

³⁶ Here ends the Life of Saint Aed, Bishop and Confessor.