Cathróe of Metz
Encyclopedia
Saint Cathróe was a monk
and abbot
. His life is recorded in a hagiography
written soon after his death by a monk at the monastery of Saint Felix
at Metz
, where Cathróe was abbot. Miracle
s of healing were attributed to Cathróe during his life, and he was considered a saint after his death.
As well as the information it contains on events in Lotharingia
and Germany
, and on attitudes of the time, Cathróe's life is of particular interest to historians for the light it sheds on southern Scotland
in the 10th century.
, more specifically Old Cumbric name, the first element of which represents Cumbric Cat "battle". However, following John Colgan's lead, David Dumville favours a Goidelic
etymology. He points out that the personal name Cathróe is attested in Old and Middle Irish and can be explained as a compound meaning "battle-field" (Cath, cognate with Welsh cat, + róe).
Cathróe was born circa
900. His father's name is given as Fochereach, a nobleman, his mother was Bania, who came from a similar background. After the birth of a brother with the Goidelic name Mattadán, Cathróe was fostered with his paternal uncle Beanus (Saint Bean; there were several Gaelic saints of this name).
, at Armagh
, where he seems to have learned both Latin
and Greek
. He returned to Scotland, to teach in his uncle's monastery. Visions persuaded Cathróe to leave Scotland as a pilgrim. The hagiographer tells us that "the king that ruled the land, Constantine
by name, hastened to hold back [Cathróe]". Cathróe entered the "house of the blessed Brigit", presumed to be the monastery dedicated to Saint Brigid of Kildare
at Abernethy. "A certain abbot, called Maelodair [Máel Odran]" persuaded King Constantine to allow Catroe to leave, and to help him on his journey. "Then all emulously rendered assistance with gold and silver, with raiment and horses' and they sped [Cathróe] with God's blessing; and conducted by the king himself he came to the Cumbrians' land
." The writer tells us that King Dovenaldus
ruled the Cumbrians, and that he was Cathróe's kinsman. The king escorted Catroe to Loidam Civitatem (read as Leeds
or Carlisle), "which is the boundary between the Cumbrians and the Northmen".
In York
, Cathróe was welcomed, the writer claims, by King Eric
, whose wife was a relative of Cathróe's. This is problematic as Eric Bloodaxe is not thought to have ruled York at the time of the journey, and Eric's wife Gunnhild
was said to be Norwegian.
for several years, until Adelbero, Bishop of Metz, gave him the administration of St Felix's Abbey in Metz
.
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 abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
. His life is recorded in a hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
written soon after his death by a monk at the monastery of Saint Felix
Saint Félix
Saint Felix the Hermit was a 9th century fisherman and hermit, who is venerated as a saint in Portugal.-Legend:Felix was from Villa Mendo, an ancient Roman villa that was rediscovered in the 20th century, having been buried under sand dunes in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal. Felix could catch no fish,...
at Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, where Cathróe was abbot. Miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s of healing were attributed to Cathróe during his life, and he was considered a saint after his death.
As well as the information it contains on events in Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and on attitudes of the time, Cathróe's life is of particular interest to historians for the light it sheds on southern Scotland
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...
in the 10th century.
Origins
One clue to Cathróe's background, his name, has also proved to be a stumbling block. In his Life, it is commonly spelt as Cathroe, but other forms are given such as Cadroe (heading) and Kaddroe (3x), which come closer to those used later at Metz (Cadroe, Kadroe). His biographer explains it as meaning "a soldier in the Lord's camp(s)" (bellator in castris Dominis). Some scholars have proposed that what the continental monks heard and transcribed was a BrythonicBrythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
, more specifically Old Cumbric name, the first element of which represents Cumbric Cat "battle". However, following John Colgan's lead, David Dumville favours a Goidelic
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
etymology. He points out that the personal name Cathróe is attested in Old and Middle Irish and can be explained as a compound meaning "battle-field" (Cath, cognate with Welsh cat, + róe).
Cathróe was born circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
900. His father's name is given as Fochereach, a nobleman, his mother was Bania, who came from a similar background. After the birth of a brother with the Goidelic name Mattadán, Cathróe was fostered with his paternal uncle Beanus (Saint Bean; there were several Gaelic saints of this name).
Pilgrimage
Bean sent his nephew to study in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, at Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
, where he seems to have learned both Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
. He returned to Scotland, to teach in his uncle's monastery. Visions persuaded Cathróe to leave Scotland as a pilgrim. The hagiographer tells us that "the king that ruled the land, Constantine
Constantine II of Scotland
Constantine, son of Áed was an early King of Scotland, known then by the Gaelic name Alba. The Kingdom of Alba, a name which first appears in Constantine's lifetime, was in northern Great Britain...
by name, hastened to hold back [Cathróe]". Cathróe entered the "house of the blessed Brigit", presumed to be the monastery dedicated to Saint Brigid of Kildare
Brigid of Kildare
Saint Brigit of Kildare, or Brigit of Ireland , nicknamed Mary of the Gael is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba...
at Abernethy. "A certain abbot, called Maelodair [Máel Odran]" persuaded King Constantine to allow Catroe to leave, and to help him on his journey. "Then all emulously rendered assistance with gold and silver, with raiment and horses' and they sped [Cathróe] with God's blessing; and conducted by the king himself he came to the Cumbrians' land
Kingdom of Strathclyde
Strathclyde , originally Brythonic Ystrad Clud, was one of the early medieval kingdoms of the celtic people called the Britons in the Hen Ogledd, the Brythonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England. The kingdom developed during the post-Roman period...
." The writer tells us that King Dovenaldus
Domnall III of Strathclyde
Dyfnwal III was ruler of the Kingdom of Strathclyde for some period in the mid tenth century, and the son of one of his predecessors, Owen I of Strathclyde....
ruled the Cumbrians, and that he was Cathróe's kinsman. The king escorted Catroe to Loidam Civitatem (read as Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
or Carlisle), "which is the boundary between the Cumbrians and the Northmen".
In York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, Cathróe was welcomed, the writer claims, by King Eric
Eric Bloodaxe
Eric Haraldsson , nicknamed ‘Bloodaxe’ , was a 10th-century Scandinavian ruler. He is thought to have had short-lived terms as the second king of Norway and possibly as the last independent ruler of the kingdom of Northumbria Eric Haraldsson (Eric, anglicised form of ; died 954), nicknamed...
, whose wife was a relative of Cathróe's. This is problematic as Eric Bloodaxe is not thought to have ruled York at the time of the journey, and Eric's wife Gunnhild
Gunnhild Mother of Kings
Gunnhild konungamóðir or Gunnhild Gormsdóttir is a character who appears in the Icelandic Sagas, according to which she was the wife of Eric Bloodaxe . Many of the details of her life are disputed, including her parentage...
was said to be Norwegian.
Later career
Cathróe was abbot of WaulsortWaulsort Abbey
Waulsort Abbey was a Benedictine monastery located at Waulsort now in Hastière in the province of Namur, Belgium.The monastery was founded in 946 by Scottish monks. Saint Maccallin and Saint Cathróe were the first two abbots. Saint Forannan was also subsequently abbot of Waulsort.The abbey was...
for several years, until Adelbero, Bishop of Metz, gave him the administration of St Felix's Abbey in Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
.