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30/01/2017

Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain ag innse dhuinn mu Naomh Mhunna. Series of letters written for people starting to learn Gaelic.

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Mon 30 Jan 2017 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 612

Tha Cill Mhunnu, no Kilmun ann an Còmhghall. Tha e co-cheangailte ri Munnu, seann naomh Ceilteach. Ach cò bha ann am Munnu? Uill, bha far-ainm air na naoimh. B’ e Finten ainm-baistidh Mhunnu.

Tha an sgoilear Gilbert Márkus air leabhran inntinneach a dhèanamh air Munnu. ʼS e Brilliant Flame ainm an leabhrain. Tha e a’ dèanamh iomradh air aithris mu Mhunnu ann am Beatha Chaluim Chille, a chaidh a sgrìobhadh le Eònan, naoidheamh aba Ì. ʼS e ‘Finten’ a chanas Eònan ris.

Rugadh is thogadh Finten ann an Èirinn. Bha e ag iarraidh a dhol a dh’Eilean Ì mar eilthireach. Bha e airson coinneachadh ri Calum Cille. Thachair e ri dithis mhanach às Eilean Ì. Bha naidheachd aca mu Chalum Cille. ‘Tha e air a dhol gu Crìosd anns na beagan làithean a dh’fhalbh,’ thuirt iad.

Thuit Finten don làr. Bha e a’ caoineadh. An dèidh greis, dh’fhaighnich e, ‘Cò dh’fhàg Calum Cille às a dhèidh mar fhear-leantainn?’

‘Baithéne, dha robh e na oide,’ fhreagair na manaich.

‘Ma cheadaicheas an Tighearna,’ thuirt Finten, ‘thèid mi gu Baithéne. Ma ghabhas e rium, bidh e na aba dhomh.’

Nuair a ràinig e Eilean Ì, chaidh Finten air beulaibh Bhaithéne. Chaidh e air a ghlùin. Dh’iarr an t-aba air èirigh. Chuir e ceistean air an fhear òg.

Dh’aithnich an t-aba gum b’ e seo an duine air an do rinn Calum Cille fàidheadaireachd. ‘Tha mi a’ toirt taing do Dhia gun tàinig thu,’ ars an t-aba. ‘Ach, gu dearbh, cha bhi thu nad mhanach an seo.’

Rinn an naidheachd sin Finten brònach. ‘Tha e coltach nach eil mi airidh air a bhith nam mhanach,’ thuirt e.

‘Chan e nach eil thu airidh, a mhic,’ thuirt an seann duine. ‘Ach chan urrainn dhomh a dhol an aghaidh stiùireadh Chaluim Chille. Aon latha, thuirt e rium, “Goirid às dèidh dhomh an saoghal seo fhàgail, thig bràthair às Èirinn – fear Finten mac Thalchain. Bidh e ag iarraidh a bhith na mhanach dhut. Ach chan fhaod e a bhith na mhanach dhut.”’ Carson a thuirt Calum Cille sin? Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath sheachdain.

The Little Letter 612

Cill Mhunnu, or Kilmun, is in Cowal. It’s connected to Munnu, an old Celtic saint. But who was Munnu? Well, the saints had a nickname. Finten was Munnu’s baptismal name.

The scholar Gilber Markús has written an interesting booklet about Munnu. The booklet is called ‘Brilliant Flame’. It gives an account of a report about Munnu in Vita Columbae, which was written by Adamnan, the ninth abbot of Iona. Adamnan calls him ‘Finten’.

Finten was born and raised in Ireland. He was wanting to go to Iona as a pilgrim. He was wanting to meet Columba. He came upon two monks from Iona. They had news of Columba. ‘He has gone to Christ in the last few days,’ they said.

Finten fell to the ground. He was weeping. After a while, he asked, ‘Whom did Columba leave after him as a successor?’

‘Baithéne, to whom he was teacher,’ the monks replied.

‘If the Lord permits,’ said Finten, ‘I shall go to Baithéne. If he accepts me, he will be my abbot.’

When he reached Iona, Finten appeared in front of Baithéne. He went on to his knee(s). The abbot asked him to get up. He posed questions of the young man.

The abbot recognised that this was the man of whom Columba had prophesied. ‘I give thanks to God that you came,’ said the abbot. ‘But, certainly, you shall not be a monk here.’

That news made Finten sad. ‘It appears that I’m not worthy of being a monk,’ he said.

‘It’s not that you’re not worthy, son,’ said the old man. ‘But I can’t go against the command of Columba. One day, he said to me, “Shortly after I depart this world, a brother will come from Ireland – a man called Finten, son of Talchan. He will want to be your monk. But he cannot be your monk.”’ Why did Columba say that? I’ll tell you next week.

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  • Mon 30 Jan 2017 19:00

All the letters

Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)

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