Chapter 4 - Early Christian Ireland Flashcards
What is the story of St. Patrick?
- Came from some part of Roman Britain (possibly Wales)
- Captured at 16 during Irish warrior raid, brought to Ireland + worked minding sheep
- Escaped after 6 hard years of slavery, returned home + became priest
- Claimed he heard voices in a dream telling him to return to Ireland to convert Irish to christianity
- Probably went back to Ireland around 432 AD + remained until death in 461 AD
- Faced some opposition at fist, not welcomed by Druids
- Went about converting Irish in very clever way; first the kings, believing nobles + rest of tuath would them follow example of leader
What are monasteries, and when did they first spread to Ireland?
Religious communities where monks devoted their lives to prayer and work
Around 50 years after St. Patrick’s death
Briefly describe monasteries + give a few examples
- Monks didn’t want to live close to places of power + wealth, sought to devote lives to God by living simple life
- First Irish monastery set up by St. Enda on Inis Mór, Aran Islands
- At first monks set up monasteries in v. isolated areas away from any distractions (e.g. Skellig Michael)
- V. little soil on Skellig Michael, monks grew a few herbs in earth brought pit from mainland in wicker baskets + lived on milk + cheese from goats, fish + meat from sea birds
- Later on became great centres of learning, large monasteries established at Clonmacnoise + Glendalough (attracted lots of students like modern universities, in time small towns grew beside)
Talk about the buildings in a monastery
- Earthen bank/stone wall (similar to rath) usually surrounded monastery
- Within this are was an oratory (small, rectangular church) where the monks prayed +a refectory, where meals were taken
- Each monk had own hut - usually wood, but stone in west of Ireland with corbelled roof (beehive huts)spent most of day here praying + studying the gospels
- Some had round tower, used to store valuables + as place of refuge in time of attack
- Larger monasteries also contained a guesthouse (apart from monks quarters, usually beside entrance)
- Self-sufficient
Discuss the arts and crafts in monasteries
- Monks called scribes produced hand-written copies of religious books (manuscripts) where they wrote down the gospels, psalms + stories of Celtic heroes (sagas) (Book of Kells is most famous in Ireland, 8th/9th century + is copy of gospels)
- Stone masons built high crosses (large decorated crosses) - used to mark graves/places in centre of monastic settlement (e.g. St. Muireadach’s Cross, Louth)
- Metal workers most skilled - made beautiful silver chalices decorated with coloured stone and gold wires (art of twisting + weaving gold wire = filigree work)(e.g. Armagh Chalice)
What clothes did monks wear?
Made from course undyed wool
Simple white tunic
Cape and hood over tunic
Leather sandals on feet
How are manuscripts made?
In the scriptorium on think sheepskin (parchment) or calfskin (vellum)
Used quill + ink made from herbs/plants
What are the four simple instructions followed by monks?
Pray daily
Fast daily
Study daily
Work daily
Why did some Irish monks feel it was their duty to travel to Europe?
To save the Christian faith my establishing monasteries as centres of faith + learning as following the collapse of the Roman Empire, large parts of Europe were attacked by pagan tribes such as the Huns and the Vikings
Known as missionaries
Who was Ireland’s best known missionary?
St. Colmcille (a.k.a. Columba)
Born in Garten, Donegal
Founded monasteries in Derry + Durrow, then on Iona (Scotland)
Monastery on Iona became one of most important learning centres in Europe over time
Name four great Irish missionaries and one achievement of theirs
St Colmcille –> Iona
St Columbanus –> Luxeuil, France
St, Fergal + St. Killian –> spread gospel in Germany
