Adrian of May
Encyclopedia
Saint Adrian of May was a martyr-saint of ancient Scotland
, whose cult
became popular in the 14th century.
saint and martyr
. He is held by some to have been an Irish
monk
and bishop
, with the Gaelic
name of Ethernan, who, though he might have been the Bishop of St. Andrews, was drawn to remote locations and had built a series of monasteries and hermitages on the Isle of May
(which is five miles out to sea in the Firth of Forth
) and along the coast of Fife
. Later he withdrew from his see of St. Andrews due to the invading Dane
s and took refuge on the island. It is also held that he might have been a missionary monk from what is now Hungary
, perhaps even a member of the Hungarian royal family.
What is known is that about A.D. 875, marauding Viking
s invaded the island of May. They then slaughtered the entire population of the monastery, traditionally numbered at six thousand six hundred. The bodies of Ethernan/Adrian and the other monks were buried in what is now a huge burial cairn
, possibly of pre-Christian
origin, measuring thirty meters (nearly 100 feet
across) and made up of an estimated 1.5 million fist-sized cobblestone
s. The island was then abandoned for centuries.
of Scotland gave the island to Reading Abbey
in Berkshire
, England
, at which point, the island again became a religious center. The English monks started the erection of a small monastery dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, with a shrine to St. Ethernan. Early building was hampered due to raiding parties by the Scandinavians settling on the nearby island of Orkeny
. The privations and isolation of the location finally led the monks to transfer the island in some manner to the Bishop of St. Andrews in A.D. 1288.
Shortly thereafter, in 1296, war broke out between the Kingdoms of Scotland and England over territorial claims along the border between the two realms. This was paralleled in a legal fight between the abbey and the bishop over who actually owned the island. Initially, the abbey was confirmed as the lawful owner. This, however, was overturned in 1313 and the island was declared a part of the diocese
. In consequence of this, English forces attacked the island and leveled the monastery. After the conclusion of hostilities, the island then became an important symbol of national pride, and pilgrimages to May became a common feature of religious life for the Scottish people. The practice arose that pilgrims would pick up stones at the nearby beach and place them on the cairn as a remembrance of their visit, and as a request for prayers by the holy martyrs. This accounts for the current size of the cairn.
took hold in the 16th century, public devotion to the saints, and thus pilgrimages to the site, came to a halt and the Protestant bishop of St. Andrews soon decided to sell the island into private ownership. Slowly the island sank into ruin, with most of the surviving monastic buildings disappearing. Recently the island has become the site of archaeological excavations seeking the remains of the original monastic community which died at the hands of the Vikings.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, whose cult
Cult (religious practice)
In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings , its theology or myths, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety. Cult in this primary sense is...
became popular in the 14th century.
Life and martyrdom
Little is known of the life of this ScottishScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
saint and martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
. He is held by some to have been an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
and bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, with the Gaelic
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
name of Ethernan, who, though he might have been the Bishop of St. Andrews, was drawn to remote locations and had built a series of monasteries and hermitages on the Isle of May
Isle of May
The Isle of May is located in the north of the outer Firth of Forth, approximately off the coast of mainland Scotland. It is 1.8 km long and less than half a kilometre wide...
(which is five miles out to sea in the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
) and along the coast of Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
. Later he withdrew from his see of St. Andrews due to the invading Dane
Dane
- General :* Someone from the Kingdom of Denmark, or of Danish descent** Dane, a Danish national, resident or citizen ** Dane, one of the Danish people** Dane, a member of the Danes...
s and took refuge on the island. It is also held that he might have been a missionary monk from what is now Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, perhaps even a member of the Hungarian royal family.
What is known is that about A.D. 875, marauding Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
s invaded the island of May. They then slaughtered the entire population of the monastery, traditionally numbered at six thousand six hundred. The bodies of Ethernan/Adrian and the other monks were buried in what is now a huge burial cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
, possibly of pre-Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
origin, measuring thirty meters (nearly 100 feet
United States customary units
United States customary units are a system of measurements commonly used in the United States. Many U.S. units are virtually identical to their imperial counterparts, but the U.S. customary system developed from English units used in the British Empire before the system of imperial units was...
across) and made up of an estimated 1.5 million fist-sized cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
s. The island was then abandoned for centuries.
Veneration
In 1145, King David IDavid I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
of Scotland gave the island to Reading Abbey
Reading Abbey
Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, at which point, the island again became a religious center. The English monks started the erection of a small monastery dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, with a shrine to St. Ethernan. Early building was hampered due to raiding parties by the Scandinavians settling on the nearby island of Orkeny
Örkény
Örkény is a small town in Pest county, Hungary, south of Budapest.-History:The mediaeval village was formed beside the ancient Pest-Constantinople highway. Today this is one of the most important roads of Hungary...
. The privations and isolation of the location finally led the monks to transfer the island in some manner to the Bishop of St. Andrews in A.D. 1288.
Shortly thereafter, in 1296, war broke out between the Kingdoms of Scotland and England over territorial claims along the border between the two realms. This was paralleled in a legal fight between the abbey and the bishop over who actually owned the island. Initially, the abbey was confirmed as the lawful owner. This, however, was overturned in 1313 and the island was declared a part of the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. In consequence of this, English forces attacked the island and leveled the monastery. After the conclusion of hostilities, the island then became an important symbol of national pride, and pilgrimages to May became a common feature of religious life for the Scottish people. The practice arose that pilgrims would pick up stones at the nearby beach and place them on the cairn as a remembrance of their visit, and as a request for prayers by the holy martyrs. This accounts for the current size of the cairn.
Post-Reformation
When the Scottish ReformationScottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
took hold in the 16th century, public devotion to the saints, and thus pilgrimages to the site, came to a halt and the Protestant bishop of St. Andrews soon decided to sell the island into private ownership. Slowly the island sank into ruin, with most of the surviving monastic buildings disappearing. Recently the island has become the site of archaeological excavations seeking the remains of the original monastic community which died at the hands of the Vikings.