Voyage of St Brendan

tr. O’Donoghue, 1893

9. The Three Choirs of Saints

The three choirs of saints

WHEN those days had elapsed, St. Brendan ordered them to load their boat with the skins and water-vessels filled from the fountain, and with a supply of herbs and roots also, as much as may be needful; for the saint, since he was ordained a priest, eat of nothing in which had been the breath of life. Having thus laden the boat, they set sail in a northerly direction. One day they saw an island afar off, when St. Brendan said to the brethren: “On that island, now in view, there are three classes of people: boys, young men, and elders; and one of our brothers will have his pilgrimage there.” The brethren asked him which of them it was; but he was loath to tell; when, however, they pressed the question, and seemed grieved at not being told, he said: “This is the brother who is to remain on this island.” He was one of the monks who had come after the saint from his own monastery, about whom he had made a prediction when they embarked in their own country. They then drew near to the island, until the boat touched the shore.

The island was remarkably flat, almost level with the sea, without a tree or anything that waved in the wind; but it was of wide extent, and covered over with white and purple flowers.¹ Here, as the man of God had told, were three troops of monks, standing apart, about a stone’s cast from each other, and keeping at this distance asunder when they moved in any direction. One choir, in its place, chanted: “The saints shall advance from virtue to virtue; God shall be manifest in Sion;” and then another choir took up the same chant; and thus they chanted unceasingly. The first choir was of boys, robed in snow-white garments; the second was of young men, dressed in violet; and the third of the elder men, in purple dalmatics.

When the boat reached the landing-place it was the fourth hour; and at the hour of sext, all the choirs of monks sung together the Psalm: “May God have mercy on us, and bless us” (Ps. lxvi.), to the end; and “Incline unto my aid, O Lord;” and also the psalm, “I have believed, therefore have I spoken” (Ps. cxv.), with the proper prayer. In like manner, at the hour of none, they chanted three other psalms: “Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord” (Ps. cxxix.); “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Ps. cxxxii.); and “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion” (Ps. cxlvii.). Again, at Vespers, they sung the psalms: “A hymn, O Lord, becometh Thee in Sion” (Ps. lxiv.); “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (Ps. cii.); and “Praise the Lord, ye children; praise ye the name of the Lord” (Ps. cxii.); then they chanted, when seated, the fifteen gradual psalms.

After they had finished this chanting, a cloud of marvellous brightness overshadowed the island, so that they could not see what was visible before; but they the voices, without ceasing, in the same chant until the morning-watch, when they sung the psalms: “Praise the Lord from the heavens” (Ps. cxlviii.); “Sing unto the Lord” (Ps. cxlix.); and “Praise the Lord in his saints” (Ps. cl.); and then twelve psalms, in the order of the psaltery, as far as the psalm: “The fool saith in his heart” (Ps. xiii.). At the dawn of day, this cloud passed away from the island, and then the choirs chanted the three psalms: “Have mercy on me, O Lord” (Ps. l.); “The Lord is my refuge” (Ps. lxxxix.); and, “O God, my God” (Ps. lxii.). Again, at the hour of tierce, they sang three uther psalms: “Oh, clap your hands, all ye nations” (Ps. xlvi.); “Save me, O God, by Thy name” (Ps. liii.); and, “I have loved, because the Lord will hear the voice of my prayer” (Ps. cxiv.), with the Alleluia. Then they offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Immaculate Lamb, and all received the Holy Communion with the words: “This Sacred Body of the Lord and the Blood of our Saviour receive unto life everlasting.”

When the Holy Sacrifice was ended, two members of the choir of the young men brought a basket full of purple grapes, and placed it in the boat of the man of God, saying: “Partake of the fruit of the isle of the Strong Men, and deliver to us our chosen brother; then depart in peace.” St. Brendan then called this brother to him, and said: “Give the kiss of peace to your brethren, and go with those who are inviting you. I say to you, that in a happy hour did your mother conceive you, because you have deserved to abide with so holy a community.” St. Brendan then, with many tears, gave him the kiss of peace, as did also the brethren and said to him: “Remember, my dear son, the special favours to which God has preferred thee in this life; go thy way, and pray for us.” Bidding them all farewell, the brother quickly followed the two young men to the companies of the saints, who, on seeing him, sang the verse: “Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity;” and in a higher key intoned the Te Deum laudamus (“We praise Thee, O God”); and then, when all had embraced him, he was admitted into their society.

St. Brendan set sail from the island, and when mealtime had come, he told the brethren to refresh themselves with the grapes they got on the island. Taking up one of them, and seeing its great size, and how full of juice it was, he said, in wonder: “Never have I seen or read of grapes so large.” They were all of equal size, like a large ball, and when the juice of one was pressed into a vessel, it yielded a pound weight. This juice the father divided into twelve parts, giving a part every day to each of the brethren; and thus for twelve days, one grape sufficed for the refreshment of each brother, in whose mouth it always tasted like honey.

When those days had passed, St. Brendan ordered a fast for three days, after which a resplendent bird flew towards the boat, bearing in its beak a branch of an unknown tree, on which there was a cluster of very red grapes; and dropping it near the man of God, flew away. Then he said to the brethren: “Enjoy this feast the Lord hath sent us;” and the grapes being as large as apples, he gave some to each of them; and thus they had food enough for four days, after which they resumed their previous fasting.

Three days after, they saw near at hand an island covered all over with trees, closely set, and laden with such grapes as those, in surprising abundance, so that all the branches were weighed down to the ground, with fruit of the same quality and colour, and there was no tree fruitless or of a different kind in the whole island. The brethren then drew up to the landing-place; and St. Brendan, leaving the boat, walked about the island, where the fragrance was like that of a house stored with pomegranates; the brethren the while remaining in the boat awaited his return, and the wind laden with those odours blew towards them, and so regaled them with its fragrance, that they heeded not their long fast. The venerable father found on the island six fountains, watering the greenest herbage and vegetables of divers kinds. He then returned to the brethren, bringing with him some samples, as first-fruits of the island: and he said to them: “Leave the boat now, and fix up your tent here; be of good cheer, and enjoy the excellent fruits of this land which God has shown to us.” And thus for forty days they feasted on the grapes, and herbs, and vegetables watered by those fountains.

After that period, they embarked again, taking with them some of the fruits of the island, and sailed along as the winds shaped their course, when suddenly there appeared flying towards them the bird called Gryphon. When the brethren saw it, they cried out to the holy father: “Help us, O father, for this monster comes to devour us.” But the man of God told them to fear it not, for God was their helper. And then another great bird came into view, and in rapid flight flew against the Gryphon, engaging it in a combat, that seemed for some time of doubtful event; but at length, tearing out its eyes, it vanquished and slew it; and the carcass fell into the sea, in the sight of all the brethren, who thereupon gave thanks and praises to God; while the bird which gained the victory flew away, whence it had come.

They went to the island of St. Ailbe, to celebrate the Christmas festival, and afterwards taking leave of the abbot, with mutual blessings, they sailed about the ocean for a long time, taking rest only at Easter and Christmas on the islands before mentioned.

The Gryphon and the Dragon

A flaming griffin in the sky,
With fearful hearts they now espy
With crooked claws to seize, I ween,
And flaming wings and talons keen;
And o’er the ship he hovereth low,
And vainly may the strong wind blow;
More swift is he, than barque more strong.
And fierce he chaseth them along,
But, lo! a dragon takes his flight,
With outstretched neck, and wings of might:
A flaming dragon he, and grim,
And toward the griffin beareth him.
And now the battle furiously
In mid air rageth fell to see,
Sparks from their teeth fly thick around,
And blows, and flames, and many a wound
Is given. The pilgrims anxiously
Gaze up; oh! which shall victor be?
The griffin’s huge—the dragon slight,
But far more lightsome for the fight;
And lo! the griffin in the sea
Falls dead. The dragon victory
Hath won—O then they joyed outright,
And thanked the God of power and might.

Anglo-Norman Trouvere.

Notes

Calthus, the Marigold.