It was in the nineties of the last century I think that there
were some reports in the newspapers – not the serious ones – about dinosaur s
still living in the jungle in Africa. Of course no scientist believed this, but
stories of unknown monsters still living somewhere have kept the imagination of
the public. We only need to think of the Yeti or terrible snowman in the Himalaya
or the Bigfoot in North America. Somehow a completely explored and explained
environment is boring and there is a yearning for something spectacular,
unexplained and mysterious, something that defeats science and scientists. The
most famous example is of course Nessie, the monster of Loch Ness. The first
reference is In Adomnán’s Vita Sancti
Columbae, a hagiography of the life of St Columba (521-597), written about
century later. Part of a hagiography was the performance of miracles by a saint
and this is exactly what Columba does: he prevents amongst other miracles
monster eating a man crossing the river Ness. Indeed, the river Ness, not the
lake.
Miracles had the function of proofing that a man or woman
was a saint indeed, working under the guidance of God and served to strengthen
the faith of the readers. This is expressis
verbis stated in this text: ejusdem
miraculi magnitudine, quod et ipsi viderant, compulsi, Deum magnificaverunt
Christianorum `compelled by greatness of this miracle, which they
themselves had watched too, they praised the god of the Christians’.
There is also another point: for mediaeval Christian
historians and hagiographers all history was sacred history in the sense that
God had a hand in the course of history and through his miracles he showed his
power.
A miracle story in a religious text is a literary topos, one might say a pia fraus, and not history. Looking for
a rational explanation is therefore a waste of time and it betrays a lack of
understanding of such texts: they want to be understood as miracles and as an
extraordinary intervention in an ordinary world. Searching for a monster in
Loch Ness is as hopeless as wondering what kind of whale had swallowed Jonah.
As for the latter: some 18th century rationalistic thinkers thought
that Jonah in fact stayed for three days some pub, called `At the Whale’, or had
boarded a ship called `The whale’!
Miracles are best left where they belong: in texts. But
still, somehow in my more romantic moments, may be in the depth of Loch Ness…
Adomnán, Vita
Sancti Columbae, Liber 2, Caput 28: De Cujusdam Aquatilis Bestiae Virtute
Orationis Beati Viri Repulsione
Alio quoque in tempore, cum vir beatus in Pictorum
provincia per aliquot moraretur dies, necesse habuit fluvium transire Nesam: ad
cujus cum accessisset ripam, alios ex accolis aspicit misellum humantes homunculum;
quem, ut ipsi sepultores ferebant, quaedam paulo ante nantem aquatilis
praeripiens bestia morsu momordit saevissimo: cujus miserum cadaver, sero
licet, quidam in alno subvenientes porrectis praeripuere uncinis. Vir e contra beatus, haec audiens, praecipit
ut aliquis ex comitibus enatans, caupallum, in altera stantem ripa, ad se
navigando reducat. Quo sancti audito praedicabilis viri praecepto, Lugneus
Mocumin, nihil moratus, obsecundans, depositis excepta vestimentis tunica,
immittit se in aquas. Sed bellua, quae prius non tam satiata, quam in praedam
accensa, in profundo fluminis latitabat, sentiens eo nante turbatam supra
aquam, subito emergens, natatilis ad hominem in medio natantem alveo, cum
ingenti fremitu, aperto cucurrit ore. Vir tum beatus videns, omnibus qui
inerant, tam barbaris quam etiam fratribus, nimio terrore perculsis, cum
salutare, sancta elevata manu, in vacuo aere crucis pinxisset signum, invocato
Dei nomine, feroci imperavit bestiae dicens,` Noles ultra progredi, nec hominem
tangas; retro citius revertere.’ Tum vero bestia, hac Sancti audita voce,
retrorsum, ac si funibus retraheretur, velociori recursu fugit tremefacta: quae
prius Lugneo nanti eo usque appropinquavit, ut hominem inter et bestiam non
amplius esset
quam unius contuli longitudo. Fratres tum, recessisse videntes bestiam,
Lugneumque commilitonem ad eos intactum et incolumem in navicula reversum, cum
ingenti admiratione glorificaverunt Deum in beato viro. Sed et gentiles
barbari, qui ad praesens inerant, ejusdem miraculi magnitudine, quod et ipsi
viderant, compulsi, Deum magnificaverunt Christianorum.
Pictorum provincia:
the Picts were the original inhabitants of Scotland. Little is known about
their language, but in all likelihood it was Celtic, though not the predecessor
of Gaelic Celtic spoken in Scotland today.
moror moratus sum:
to stay, delay
ripa: shore,
bank
accola (m.!):
neighbour
misellum homunculum: a poor fellow (Note the
double diminutive. Diminutives are rar more frequent in Mediaeval and Vulgar
Latin than in Classical Latin.)
humo: to burry
sepultor (m.):
burier
ferebant: the
verb fero can have the meaning `to
tell, relate’
praeripio: to
snatch away
morsus –us
(m.): bite
mordeo momordi
morsum: to bite
sero licet:
though too late
in alno
subvenientes porrectis praeripuere uncinis: coming to aid in a boat (alnus) seized (praeripuerunt) him with outstretched hooks
e contra: in
reaction (actually: contrary to what he was expected to do)
preacipio praecepi
praeceptum: to order
enato: to swim
away
caupallus: a
small boat (normal spelling caupulus)
ad se navigando
reducat: he should bring it back to him by sailing (or rowing)
praedicabilis:
praiseworthy
obsecundo: to
obey
excepta tunica:
decency in front of a saint!
Bellua: (water) monster
quae prius non tam
satiata, quam in praedam accensa:
which rather than not satiated, was eager for prey
latito: to
hide, lurk
eo nante: while
he (Lugneo) was swimming
natatilis: swimming creature
alveum: bed of
a river, river
fremitus –us
(m.): loud noise
curro cucurri
cursum: (here) to approach quickly
nimius: very
much
omnibus… perculsis:
an abl.abs. with a relative clause
fratribus:
monks
percello perculi
perculsum: strike down, discourage
salutare
(adjective! from salutaris)…crucis pinxisset signum:
he made (litt. `painted’) the saving sign of the Cross
citius:
quickly
retrorsum:
back
funis –is:
rope
eo usque …ut:
so close, that
appropinquo (+
dat.): to approach
contulus:
small pole
commilito –onis
(m.): comrade
incolumis –is:
unharmed
Translation by W. Reeves (1857)
How an aquatic monster was driven off by virtue of the
blessed man's prayer
ON another occasion also, when the blessed man was living
for some days in the province of the Picts, he was obliged to cross the river
Nesa (the Ness); and when he reached the bank of the river, he saw some of the
inhabitants burying an unfortunate man, who, according to the account of those
who were burying him, was a short time before seized, as he was swimming, and
bitten most severely by a monster that lived in the water; his wretched body
was, though too late, taken out with a hook, by those who came to his
assistance in a boat. The blessed man, on hearing this, was so far from being
dismayed, that he directed one of his companions to swim over and row across
the coble that was moored at the farther bank. And Lugne Mocumin hearing the
command of the excellent man, obeyed without the least delay, taking off all
his clothes, except his tunic, and leaping into the water. But the monster,
which, so far from being satiated, was only roused for more prey, was lying at
the bottom of the stream, and when it felt the water disturbed above by the man
swimming, suddenly rushed out, and, giving an awful roar, darted after him,
with its mouth wide open, as the man swam in the middle of the stream. Then the
blessed man observing this, raised his holy hand, while all the rest, brethren
as well as strangers, were stupefied with terror, and, invoking the name of
God, formed the saving sign of the cross in the air, and commanded the
ferocious monster, saying, ‘Thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man; go
back with all speed.’ Then at the voice of the saint, the monster was
terrified, and fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes,
though it had just got so near to Lugne, as he swam, that there was not more
than the length of a spear-staff between the man and the beast. Then the
brethren seeing that the monster had gone back, and that their comrade Lugne
returned to them in the boat safe and sound, were struck with admiration, and
gave glory to God in the blessed man. And even the barbarous heathens, who were
present, were forced by the greatness of this miracle, which they themselves
had seen, to magnify the God of the Christians.
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