Saint Columba the Virgin
Encyclopedia
- See Columba (disambiguation)Columba (disambiguation)Columba was an Irish Christian saint who evangelized Scotland.Columba may also refer to:-People:* Columba the Virgin* Columba of Sens* Columba of Spain* Columba of Rieti* Columba of Terryglass-Given name:...
and St ColumbSt Columb-People:*Columba, also known as St Columb of Scotland*Saint Columba the Virgin, also known as St Columb of Cornwall-Places:In Northern Ireland*St Columb's Cathedral, Derry*St Columb's College, DerryIn Cornwall, UK*St Columb Canal*St Columb Major...
for other uses.
Saint Columba the Virgin is a female saint with dedications in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and other Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic regions. She probably lived in the 6th century.
She became a Christian when the Holy Ghost appeared to her in the form of a dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
. The 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...
word for dove is 'columba'.
The Legend
The legend of Saint Columba, the Virgin, is recorded in a manuscript in the University LibraryCambridge University Library
The Cambridge University Library is the centrally-administered library of Cambridge University in England. It comprises five separate libraries:* the University Library main building * the Medical Library...
of Cambridge, written by Nicholas Roscarrock in the reign of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
and he says he gathered it from local information.
This states that Columba was the daughter of King Lodan and Queen Manigild, both pagans, and that to escape marriage with another pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
prince she took ship for Cornwall and was followed by the prince. She landed at Trevelgue Head and was chased through the forest which is now Porth Beach, and fled up the valley, past Rialton and Treloy until she was captured at Ruthvoes
Ruthvoes
Ruthvoes is a settlement in central Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated in the parish of St. Columb Major approximately two miles south of St Columb Major village and 6½ miles east of Newquay....
, two miles south of St Columb Major
St Columb Major
St Columb Major is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as St Columb, it is situated approximately seven miles southwest of Wadebridge and six miles east of Newquay...
. There the prince cut off her head, and where the blood fell a spring gushed forth and the water following the course of her flight made the still un-named river which empties itself at St Columb Porth
Porth, Cornwall
Porth is a sea-side village near Newquay in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Notable residents have included:* Sir Richard Tangye* Sir Basil Tangye, Bart. * Derek Tangye, author, grandson of Sir Richard...
.
Analysis
This legend bears many parallels with the legend of Saint Columba of Sens and the Greek legend of ArethusaArethusa (mythology)
For other uses, see ArethusaArethusa means "the waterer". In Greek mythology, she was a nymph and daughter of Nereus , and later became a fountain on the island of Ortygia in Syracuse, Sicily....
a nereid
Nereids
In Greek mythology, the Nereids are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris, sisters to Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon and can be friendly and helpful to sailors fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father...
(a water nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
). Arethusa, like Columba was a maiden, she preferred to remain chaste. During the course of her adventures, she decided to take a dip in the welcoming water. But as soon as she entered the river, she realized that she was not alone. For the god of this particular river (who was named Alpheus) was roused by the sight of Arethusa, and immediately fell in love with the nymph. Arethusa fled the advances of Alpheus. However, Alpheus was not so easily deterred - the god of the river simply assumed the form of a hunter and pursued his chosen prey. Some versions of the story say that Arethusa was chased over the sea, all the way to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. Finally, she found refuge on the Island of Ortygia
Ortygia
Ortygia is a little island and it is the historical centre of the city of Syracuse, Sicily. The island, also known as Città Vecchia , contains many historical landmarks...
(which is near Syracuse
Syracuse, Italy
Syracuse is a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in...
), where she called upon the goddess Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
to rescue her. Artemis responded by transforming the nymph into a spring or fountain. And this is how the nymph Arethusa became identified with a now legendary spring.
Columba is a popular 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...
name and Sabine Baring-Gould
Sabine Baring-Gould
The Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould was an English hagiographer, antiquarian, novelist and eclectic scholar. His bibliography consists of more than 1240 publications, though this list continues to grow. His family home, Lew Trenchard Manor near Okehampton, Devon, has been preserved as he had it...
thought she was really a man. David Nash Ford suggests her parents, Lodan and Manigild, are corrupt forms of Lot
King Lot
Lot or Loth is the eponymous king of Lothian in the Arthurian legend. He is best known as the father of Sir Gawain. Such a ruler evidently first appeared in hagiographical material concerning Saint Kentigern , which feature a Leudonus, king of Leudonia, a Latin name for Lothian...
and Morgause
Morgause
Morgause , known in earlier works as Gwyar or Anna, is the sister or half-sister of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. In her earliest appearance she is Arthur's full sister by Uther Pendragon and Igraine; Gwyar is her name and she is the mother of Gwalchmei...
of Arthurian legend
Matter of Britain
The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the body of literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and its legendary kings, particularly King Arthur...
.
Veneration
Dedications to Saint Columba the Virgin include:- St Columb MajorSt Columb MajorSt Columb Major is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Often referred to locally as St Columb, it is situated approximately seven miles southwest of Wadebridge and six miles east of Newquay...
, Cornwall - St Columb MinorSt Columb MinorSt Columb Minor is a village on the north coast of Cornwall, UK. St. Columb alone by default refers to the nearby St. Columb Major.At one time St Columb Minor used to be the main settlement in the area, but it has now been encroached upon by its larger neighbour Newquay. The National School in the...
, Cornwall - CulboneCulboneCulbone is a hamlet consisting of little more than the parish church and a few houses, in the parish of Oare in the Exmoor National Park, Somerset, England. As there is no road access it is a two-mile walk from Porlock Weir, and some four miles from Porlock itself.The village is situated in a...
, SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and originally:
- PlougoulmPlougoulmPlougoulm is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-References:** -External links:*...
, Brittany
In St Columb Major and Minor, her feast day is on 11 and 15 November respectively.
See also
The following CelticCeltic Christianity
Celtic Christianity or Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of Christianity that were common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages...
saints have similar legends in that they were all maidens who were pursued and killed by pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
s. All suffer decapitation
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
where springs or wells then miraculously gushed forth from the spot.
- Saint Columba of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- Saint ColumbaSaint Columba of SpainSaint Columba of Spain, or Columba of Cordova , was a nun who was born in Cordoba, Spain and died around 853.She was a nun at Tabanos, near Cordoba, but was driven from there by the Moorish persecution in 852. She took refuge in Cordoba, where, being called on to deny Christ by the Muslims, she...
of SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... - Saint ElunedSaint ElunedSaint Eluned was a 5th century female Welsh saint from Brecon.-Life:...
of WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... - Saint UrithUrithUrith , was a south-western Brythonic maiden, slain, possibly in the early 8th century and subsequently revered as a saint. The name is still common in the English county of Devon.-History:Urith is a fairly obscure figure...
of ChittlehamptonChittlehamptonChittlehampton is a village and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon in England. According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 820....
, DevonDevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with... - Saint Winefride of FlintshireFlintshireFlintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
in WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
For a variation of the beheading legend see Saint Decuman