08 Works, Today, May 16th is St. Brendan's day, his Story - #136

St. Brendan the Navigator

St. Brendan, (born c. 484/486, Tralee, now in County Kerry, Ireland—died 578, Annaghdown, County Galway; feast day May 16), was a Celtic saint, monastic founder, abbot, and hero of legendary voyages in the Atlantic Ocean. Reputedly raised and educated by Abbess St. Ita at her boys’ school, he later studied under Abbot St. Jarlath of Tuam. After becoming a monk and priest, he was entrusted with the abbey of Ardfert and subsequently established monasteries in Ireland and Scotland, the chief one being Clúain Ferta Brénaind, founded in 561. He is called Brendan of Clonfert to distinguish him from several namesakes.

Unknown artist

Saint Brendan of Clonfert, circa 1460

University of Augsburg, Germany (image)

On the Kerry coast, Brendan built a currach-like boat of wattle, covered it with hides tanned in oak bark and softened with butter, and set up a mast and a sail. He and a small group of monks fasted for 40 days, and after a prayer on the shore, embarked in the name of the Most Holy Trinity.

St. Brendan embarked in the name of the Most Holy Trinity

Brendan voyaged to the Hebrides and to western Scotland and perhaps to Wales and Brittany. Later, possibly as early as the 8th century, Brendan was immortalized as the hero of a legendary Christian tale of sea adventure. Brendan makes an astonishing Atlantic journey with other monks to the “Promised Land of the Saints” (Canary Islands), which he reaches after a prolonged search. St. Brendan’s Island, somewhere in the Atlantic and long sought by sailors, was believed in Christopher Columbus’s time to have been sighted by inhabitants of the Azores, probably the effect of mirage. More on St. Brendan

Artist unknown

St. Brendan and his Brethren Setting Sail

Rev. Denis O'Donoghue, St. Brendan the Voyager (Dublin: Brown & Nolan, 1893) frontispiece

Brandaen's voyaged around the world for 9 years. The journey began as a punishment by an angel who saw that Brendan did not believe in the truth of a book of the miracles of creation and saw Brandaen throw it into a fire. The angel tells him that truth has been destroyed. 

Unknown artist

Judas Iscariot frozen on one side and burning on the other

Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison

On his journeys Brandaen encounters the wonders and horrors of the world, such as Judas Iscariot frozen on one side and burning on the other; people with swine heads, dog legs, and wolf teeth carrying bows and arrows; and an enormous fish that encircles Brandaen's ship by holding its tail in its mouth. More on Brandaen's voyage

St. Brendan and the whale

"Ancient sea legends and Medieval bestiaries claimed that the whale was as big as an island and grew bushes on its backside. It was said that mariners, mistaking the creature for land, would anchor their ships to its side, come ashore, and light fires. The beast, feeling the heat of the fires would plunge into the sea taking hapless crews and ships to their watery deaths. These whale legends became a warning against the wiles, cunning, and traps of the Devil who drags unsuspecting sinners down to Hell. . . ." More on this work

A sea creature approaches the boat, but God shifts the sea to protect the men. Another sea creature comes, chops the first into three pieces, and leaves. The men eat the dead sea creature.

German School, (15th century)

St. Brendan and the Siren,  c. 1499

Colored Woodcut

The Bridgeman Art Library

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