Voyage of St Brendan

tr. O’Donoghue, 1893

4. They Visit Sheep-Island, and Celebrate the Easter Festival

They visit Sheep-Island, and celebrate the Easter festival

WHEN the boat touched a landing-place, the man of God ordered all to disembark, he being the last to leave the boat. In making a circuit of the island, they saw great streams of water flowing from many fountains, full of all kinds of fish. St. Brendan said to the brethren: “Let us here perform the divine office, and sacrifice unto God the Lamb without spot, for this day is the festival of the Lord’s Supper;” and they remained there until Easter Saturday.

In the island they found many flocks of sheep, all pure white, so numerous as to hide the face of the land. Then the saint directed the brethren to take from the flocks what was needful for the festival; and they caught one sheep, which, being tied by the horns, followed at their heels, as if it were tame; and he also told them to take one spotless lamb. When they had obeyed those orders, they prepared to celebrate the office of the next day; and there came to them a man with a basket of hearth-cakes and other provisions, which he laid at the feet of the man of God, prostrating himself three times, and saying, with tears: “Oh, precious pearl of God, how have I deserved this, that thou shouldst take food at this holy season from the labour of my hands.” St. Brendan, then raising him up from the ground, said: “My son, our Lord Jesus Christ has provided for us a suitable place wherein to celebrate His holy resurrection.”

Afterwards he proceeded to perform the “ministering to the servants of God,”¹ and to prepare what was needful for to-morrow’s festival. When the supply of provisions was taken into the vessel, the man who brought them said to St. Brendan: “Your boat can carry no more now, but after eight days I will send you food and drink sufficient until Pentecost.” Whereupon the man of God said to him: “How can you know for certain where we will be after eight days?” and he replied: “This night you will spend on that island you see near you, and to-morrow also until noon; then you will sail on to the island not far from it towards the west, called the “Paradise of Birds,” and there will you abide until the octave of Pentecost.”

St. Brendan asked him also why the sheep were so very large on that island, larger even than oxen; and he told him that they were so much larger there than in the lands known to St. Brendan, because they were never milked, and felt not the stress of winter, having at all seasons abundant pasture.

They then went on board their vessel, and having given and received parting blessings, they proceeded on their voyage. When they drew nigh to the nearest island, the boat stopped ere they reached a landing-place; and the saint ordered the brethren to get out into the sea, and make the vessel fast, stem and stern, until they came to some harbour; there was no grass on the island, very little wood, and no sand on the shore. While the brethren spent the night in prayer outside the vessel, the saint remained in it, for he knew well what manner of island was this; but he wished not to tell the brethren, lest they might be too much afraid. When morning dawned, he bade the priests to celebrate Mass, and after they had done so, and he himself had said Mass in the boat, the brethren took out some uncooked meat and fish they had brought from the other island, and put a caldron on a fire to cook them. After they had placed more fuel on the fire, and the caldron began to boil, the island moved about like a wave; whereupon they all rushed towards the boat, and implored the protection of their father, who, taking each one by the hand, drew them all into the vessel; then relinquishing what they had removed to the island, they cast their boat loose, to sail away, when the island at once sunk into the ocean.

Afterwards they could see the fire they had kindled still burning more than two miles off, and then St. Brendan explained the occurrence: “Brethren, you wonder at what has happened to this island.” “Yes, father,” said they; “we wondered, and were seized with a great fear.” “Fear not, my children,” said the saint, “for God has last night revealed to me the mystery of all this; it was not an island you were upon, but a fish, the largest of all that swim in the ocean, which is ever trying to make its head and tail meet, but cannot succeed, because of its great length. Its name is Jasconius.”

When they had sailed beside the island, where they had already been, for three days, and reached the end thereof, they saw towards the west another island, not far off, across a narrow sound, which was very grassy, well-wooded, and full of flowers; and they bore away towards its landing-place.

Then Brandan said: “Brothers know well
Wherefore this strange mischance befel,
No land was that but monstrous beast
Whereon you sought to hold your feast.
Nor marvel thus why this should be,
Hugest of all are fish in sea,
For they were formed by heaven’s great King
Before all other earthly thing.”

Anglo-Norman Trouvere.

Notes

The “New Commandment” of the washing of their feet.