The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-10-18

Will the narQy a. and the fierce
Vikings OF the North.
1t is to this period that st. Brendan
belongs. His adventures were widely
heralded in Europe during the Middle
Ages, particularly in Spain, where the
mystical Isle of st. Brendan'' was
called San Borondon, and it was also
known to the Portuguese, who be-
lieved it to be the refuge of their
king, Don Sebastian.
The story OF st. Brendan and its
influence OF the public mind may
have had much to do with establish
ing in the mind of Columbus that faith
in the existence of a land to the west
ward and may have Influenced Queen
Isabella to equip him for the venture.
The belief was early prevalent in
Ireland that there was a land to the
west, somewhere in the "Old Sea-" as
the Atlantic Ocean was called, and
legends of Hy-Brasil, the Isle of En-
chantment, and other wonderful
phenomena of the sea, were common
along the western coast of Ireland.
According to tradition, the saints and
holy men of the Arran Islands could
allay storms and quiet the turbulence
OF the wave by means of their pious
in~vocations.
st. Brendan was born in Kerry,
near Tralee, and when an infant, was
placed in the care of st. TIA, a woman
OF great piety and force of character.
HnF influences nxynv hSc nhSlIIA@l 49,
marked and was a guide to him in
his maturer years. He afterward re-
ceived instruction from Bishop Ercus,
and also studied under st. Jarlath of
Tuam. He founded a monastery and
built a church at Ardfert and became
famous for his learning and piety. st.
Brendan is said to have been in
fuenced in his nautical voyage by a
previous voyage of his cousin Barin-
thus. After a preliminary cruise along
the coast to the Islands of Arran,
delving into the lore of the western
seas, he returned to Kerry and deter
mined to undertake a voyage Of dis
covery, impelled by the strong desire
of winning souls to Christ. This is
said to have been in the year $40,
nearly a thousand years ahead of Co
lumbus and almost five hundred years
before the voyage of Lief Ericsson,
the Norseman.
In a boat made of wattles, over
which OK skins were stretched, and
made waterproof with pitch and tai
low, st. Brendan set sail from a bay
beneath Brendan Hill, and steered his
course toward the southwest in order
to meet the summer solstice. After a
long and rough voyage he came to
summer seas, where he was carried
along without the aid Of sail or oar,
according to the account, "for many
a long day" His vessel was brought
to shore in an unknown land, probably
near the coast of Virginia. Here,
landing, he and his companions, un-
dismayed by their surroundings,
marched steadily into the interior for
fifteen days, and then came to a large
river flowing from east to west, evil
IDENTIFY the Ohio, and when he was
about to cross, it is related, he was
accosted by a person of noble
presence, who told him he had gone
far enough, that further discoveries
were reserved for other men, who
would in due time come and Chris
tianize all that pleasant land. 1t is
said he remained away seven years,
but his other adventures on this
voyage are unknown. After his return
he established a college of 5000
monks, and died in the Gath year of
his age. Such is the story of st.
Brendan as related in a Latin legend
and referred to by numerous authors.
No account of his adventures appears
to have been published by himself,
and time and the destructive bigotry
of man have blotted out all but the
most meager details of his achieve
ments. His adventures are becoming
associated with fable and tradition,
like the deeds of the heroes of Ossian,
and the enchanted monarchs of old,
who still await the day of their liberia
ton. No practical results grew out of
his discoveries, and it remained for
the great Columbus to lead the way
for the civilization and colonization of
a new world.