BY ROGER WATSON
Saint Columba achieved the seemingly impossible in converting Scotland from its Druidic pagan ways to Christianity in the sixth century. Travelling across the Irish Sea to Scotland and travelling between the Western Isles of Scotland on treacherous seas in open boats, he faced other dangers on land.
Warlike kings, bloodthirsty druids and even the Loch Ness Monster – its first recorded sighting – stood in his way. But by his many miracles and words to the wise, he gave the early church a firm footing in Scotland, and this is reflected in the many churches, both Catholic and Protestant, that bear his name to this day.
The exploits and adventures of Saint Columba and his small band of Celtic followers is told by Andrew Symon in a book, written for young people but equally to be enjoyed by older people, Columba’s Travels: The Seven Sands of Iona. Published by Wild Goose Publications, the publishing company of the Iona Community, this beautiful book tells the story of the founder of that community.
Columba, referred to throughout the book by his followers as ‘Abbot Father’ arrives from Ireland, whence he had been banished for dropping a political clanger, and first establishes a community on Iona. This becomes a base for his evangelising mission to the various tribes of Scotland.
In Symon’s rendition, Columba has died. The brothers of the early community on Iona are prevented from burying their master by a storm which confines them to the warmth and shelter of a building where Columba lies on a platform awaiting burial. Using the device of tales being told about the deceased at a wake, Symon uses the storytellers to portray key aspects of Columba’s mission.
The book should have been prefaced with a trigger warning ‘contains depictions of the Irish dialect’ as Symon uses this to emphasise the origins of the original band of monks and to portray the banter between the story tellers and between Columba and his followers. Thus, many ‘churneys’ are made to the far reaches of the west of Scotland and there is a lot of ‘dis’ and ‘dat’ about one thing or another.
In fact, Columba would have spoken Celtic. He was also educated in Latin, the lingua franca of the Church at that time. But the dialect is used to good effect and adds a particular charm to the tales.
There are many scenes in the book of the small band of brothers arriving on distant islands and shores of the mainland in a boat and coracles with Columba at the prow brandishing his cross and a copy of the bible. His followers nearly always get the wobbles, but Columba shows his utter trust in God by showing no fear and proceeding to land and to encounters with some less than friendly folk.
Clearly, Columba was not a man to be messed with. He carried no sword and offered no defence when faced with hostile bands of druids and soldiers when he arrived on some new shore. But he was not harmless and, in addition to effecting some miraculous cures and demonstrating that he could read the elements, he also cursed the occasional recalcitrant person who would proceed to die on the spot.
I would like to think that he knew they were going to die anyway, as cursing to death is neither one of the cardinal or the theological virtues nor a gift of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, his apparent ability to control life and death gave him great kudos among the druids who understood this language. I guess Columba’s tactics to convert the druids to Christianity were that he had to out-druid the druids.
The book is not illustrated as such, but it is prefaced by a sketch map of the west coast and isles of Scotland and a map of Iona on which the seven sands of the subtitle are shown. The book is also prefaced with a dramatis personae of the Celtic characters who both recount and appear in the tales.
It would be nice to think that this eminently readable and entertaining book could find its way into schools and libraries, especially in Scotland. There are few enough stories of true heroism and faith these days, but this is one of them.
Andrew Symon, is author of the Jack Shian trilogy, he has also written for young people and is published by Black & White Publishing.
Roger Watson is a Registered Nurse and Editor-in-Chief of Nurse Education in Practice.