Youth and Upbringing of Saint Columba

Abstract

Early Medieval Ireland was a scene of intense activity of numerous clergymen, whose life hugely influenced Irish history. Some of these figures are commemorated in an extensive textual legacy − usually in the form of legends or hagiographic works. One of such persons is Saint Columba − an Irish monk living in the 6th century. The oldest text about the history of his life, Vita Sancti Columbae, composed by Adamnan, brings valuable information about the abbot's life. This literary resource constitutes vital research material as it offers an insight, among other things, into the image of the Iro-Scottish ideal of sanctity, as exemplified by the profile of the main protagonist. Columba's exceptional traits manifested themselves already in his youth − or in his prenatal stage, to be precise. Vita contains a lot of examples to prove the magnificence of the monk. The majority of the descriptions contained in the book display features that are typical of this kind of literary source. These typical motives include prophecies as for future acts of the saint-protagonist, description of the miracles he performed and of the education he obtained in a number of monastic communities. Irish monks experienced an enormous need to pursue their intellectual peregrinatio in order to shape their spirituality. The example of the story of Saint Columba's youth can be used to highlight the textual elements that were fundamental in depicting the protagonist in a hagiographic text.