St. Columba and His Book

ST. COLUMBA AND HIS BOOK KATHLEEN CUFFE MACKENZIE BATTLES have been fought and brave and innocent men have died for many foolish reasons-for the beauty of women, for love of false glory, for economic greed or to gain territory, for a fancied insult to a flag, for Jenkins's Ear, for the theft of a bucket; now and then in the cause of civilization and liberty. But perhaps only once was a battle fought for a book. Only in a country where books were -once prized more than glory, more than power, did a Prince and a Saint steal a book and go to war for its s~ke. Some time in the -dawn of Christianity St. Finnian of Moville had returned from the continent bringing with him his translation of the Psalms. His pupil, known as Columcille to his countrymen, but as St. Columba to a wider world, envied St. Finnian the possession of the translation. He begged Finnian to allow him to make a copy for himself. Finnian niggardly refused the request of Columcille whose haughty nature-had never learned to take no for an answer. _ A copy he would have. Night after night he stole into the cell where Finnian kept his book and by rushlight began to copy it. It was almost finished when one night Finnian"desiring to look at his book, found the thief at work. Columcille felt no remorse at being caught and refused to give his h3:rdly earned copy to Finnian, saying that he would take the matter up with Diarmit, the High King of Ireland. But the Brehon laws were just and Diarmit administered them well. He gave ·a verdict against his kinsman in these famous words: "To every cow its calf, to every book its son-book, therefore the copy 0' Columcille belongs to Finnian." Passionate anger flooded 'the soul of Columcille. Gathering his priestly robe about him, hiding in its folds his copy of Finnian's book, he fled over the hills to his cousins the provincial Kings of . Cinel Connaill and Cine! Eoghain and asked them to rise against / their over-lord. The O'Donnells were never loth to go to war, and a great battle was fought ;:Lt Drum-cliff where three thousand men laid down their lives for a book. Then, and only then, did Columba repent his, theft. His re~orse was so great that he resolved to go into exile and win as many souls to God as he had lost in the civil war of his making. 274 ST. COLUMBA AND HIS BOOK 275 The land of the Picts, called Alba by the Irish and,known as rude Caledonia to Agricola and his army, was not far away. Not long before a colony of Irish Scots had settled there under the leadershlp of Columba's Uncle, Fergus Mor. At first the colony had prospered but on its further encroachment into Alba the ,Pi~ts had risen against it, and Fergus Mar having died, its weak king had submitted to the over-lordship of the Pictish King. 'To nourish the colony back to life was one reason for Columba choosing Alba for his field of work. Taking twelve disciples with him, he. bade farewell to Erin. As the frail coracle bore him over the waves, Columba's sad heart broke into song. How swiftly is the speed of my coracle Its ster~ towards Derry; I griev'e at my errand o'er the noble sea Travelling to Alba of the Ravens. His pain at leaving his home was such that he felt that wherever he found a haven his eyes must not rest on Ireland. He landed at Islay, Oronsay and Colonsay, but scanning the horizon he could still see the 'blue line that meant Ireland. The little boat went on until he came to the Island we know as Iona but known to the Gaels as I or Hy. Once more he landed to find that at last he had turned his back on the land he loved. Although no trace of Columba's monastery is seen, it is not difficult for tho~e of us who have played among...