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Saint Malo (saint)
Encyclopedia
Saint Malo was the mid-6th century founder of Saint-Malo
in Brittany
, France
. He is one of the seven founder saints of Brittany.
Details of Malo's career are preserved in three medieval
'Lives' which seem to include incidents associated with several different people of similar names. Despite this confusion, it appears that Malo was born about the year 520, probably in Wales
.
His name may derive from the Old Breton
mac'h (warrant) and luh (light).
. However, serious doubt has been cast on the authenticity of this section of his life. He is said to have been one of those specially selected by that holy man for his oft-described voyage.
It was traditionally from Llancarfan Abbey that Saint Brendan and his disciple, Malo, with numerous companions set forth for the discovery of the "Island of the Blest
". He then put to sea on a second voyage and visited the Island of Cézembre
, in the seaward front of St Malo, where he tarried for some time. Supposedly, Maclovius was a dead giant, who Brendan revived with his holiness. Brendan than baptized him, before allowing him to return to being dead. It was supposedly on the occasion of his second voyage that he evangelized the Orkney Islands
and the northern isles of Scotland
. It is remarkable that Saint Brendan also laboured at Cézembre where he is said to have had a hermit's cell on a precipitous rock in the sea, whither he often retired. This may be the derivation of the association between the two men, although Baring-Gould
suggested that, in this case, Brendan is a mistake for Branwaladr.
, opposite St Malo, Malo placed himself under a venerable hermit
named Aaron
, on whose death in 544, he succeeded to the spiritual rule of the district subsequently known as St Malo, and was consecrated first Bishop of Aleth.
In old age the disorder of the island compelled saint Malo to leave, but the people soon begged the saint to come back. On his return matters were put right, and the saint, feeling that his end was at hand, determined to spend his last days in solitary penance. Accordingly he proceeded to Archambiac, a village in the diocese of Saintes, where he passed the remainder of his life in prayer and mortification. His death, reported in Archingeay
(in the same diocese) is chronicled on 15 November, a Sunday, in the year 621 (although this may have been a different saint named Marcoult).
is one of the seven stages in the Tro Breizh
("Tour of Brittany", in Breton
), a pilgrimage celebrating the seven founding saints of Brittany.
Indirectly, the Spanish
name of the Falkland Islands
, Islas Malvinas, can be traced to Saint Malo, as it is derived from the French
name, Îles Malouines, named by Louis Antoine de Bougainville
in 1764 after the first known settlers, mariners and fishermen from the port of Saint-Malo.
Pontoise Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Malo. Lesmahagow Priory
is also dedicated to him, in the Latin form of his name Machutus.
The place-name Saint-Maclou
also refers to him.
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, France
France
The 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...
. He is one of the seven founder saints of Brittany.
Details of Malo's career are preserved in three medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
'Lives' which seem to include incidents associated with several different people of similar names. Despite this confusion, it appears that Malo was born about the year 520, probably in Wales
Wales
Wales 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...
.
His name may derive from the Old Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
mac'h (warrant) and luh (light).
Voyages with Saint Brendan
Malo is said to have been baptized by Saint Brendan and to have become his favourite discipleDisciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
. However, serious doubt has been cast on the authenticity of this section of his life. He is said to have been one of those specially selected by that holy man for his oft-described voyage.
It was traditionally from Llancarfan Abbey that Saint Brendan and his disciple, Malo, with numerous companions set forth for the discovery of the "Island of the Blest
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
". He then put to sea on a second voyage and visited the Island of Cézembre
Cézembre
Cézembre is an island in the Ille-et-Vilaine département of France, near Saint-Malo. The island is uninhabited, with a surface area of approximately 18 hectares , a length of 750 meters, and a width of 300 meters....
, in the seaward front of St Malo, where he tarried for some time. Supposedly, Maclovius was a dead giant, who Brendan revived with his holiness. Brendan than baptized him, before allowing him to return to being dead. It was supposedly on the occasion of his second voyage that he evangelized the Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
and the northern isles of 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...
. It is remarkable that Saint Brendan also laboured at Cézembre where he is said to have had a hermit's cell on a precipitous rock in the sea, whither he often retired. This may be the derivation of the association between the two men, although 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...
suggested that, in this case, Brendan is a mistake for Branwaladr.
Breton evangelist
At AlethSaint-Servan
Saint-Servan is a town of western France, in Brittany, situated 2 miles from the ferry port of St Malo. It is renowned for its lovely shops and restaurants....
, opposite St Malo, Malo placed himself under a venerable hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
named Aaron
Saint Aaron
Saint Aaron of Aleth was a mid-sixth century hermit, monk and abbot at a monastery on Cézembre, a small island near Aleth, opposite Saint-Malo in Brittany, France. Some sources say that he was born of British stock in Armorican Domnonia.Aaron was a Welshman who lived in solitude near Lamballe and...
, on whose death in 544, he succeeded to the spiritual rule of the district subsequently known as St Malo, and was consecrated first Bishop of Aleth.
In old age the disorder of the island compelled saint Malo to leave, but the people soon begged the saint to come back. On his return matters were put right, and the saint, feeling that his end was at hand, determined to spend his last days in solitary penance. Accordingly he proceeded to Archambiac, a village in the diocese of Saintes, where he passed the remainder of his life in prayer and mortification. His death, reported in Archingeay
Archingeay
Archingeay is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Poitou-Charentes region in southwestern France.-Population:-History:The origin of name might be the Roman general Arcantius, who visited the place.Archingeay was a prosperous place in the past, due to its thermal source near the...
(in the same diocese) is chronicled on 15 November, a Sunday, in the year 621 (although this may have been a different saint named Marcoult).
Veneration
Due to its famous founder, the city of Saint-MaloSaint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
is one of the seven stages in the Tro Breizh
Tro Breizh
Tro Breizh is a Catholic pilgrimage that links the towns of the seven founding saints of Brittany. These seven saints were Celtic monks from Britain from around the 5th or 6th century who brought Christianity to Armorica and founded its first bishoprics.The tour originally was a month-long ...
("Tour of Brittany", in Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
), a pilgrimage celebrating the seven founding saints of Brittany.
Indirectly, the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
name of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, Islas Malvinas, can be traced to Saint Malo, as it is derived from the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
name, Îles Malouines, named by Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of James Cook, he took part in the French and Indian War and the unsuccessful French attempt to defend Canada from Britain...
in 1764 after the first known settlers, mariners and fishermen from the port of Saint-Malo.
Pontoise Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Malo. Lesmahagow Priory
Lesmahagow Priory
Lesmahagow Priory was a medieval Tironensian monastic community located in modern South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was founded after John, Bishop of Glasgow and King David I of Scotland granted lands at Lesmahagow to Kelso Abbey with which to establish a new priory. It remained a dependency of Kelso...
is also dedicated to him, in the Latin form of his name Machutus.
The place-name Saint-Maclou
Saint-Maclou
Saint-Maclou is a commune in the Eure department in Haute-Normandie in northern France.It has two chateaux within its boundaries: the chateau de St Maclou-la-Campagne just outside the village, and the Chateau du Mont...
also refers to him.
See also
- Blessed Julian MaunoirJulian MaunoirJulien Maunoir , was a French-born Jesuit priest known as the "Apostle of Brittany". He was beatified in 1951 by Pope Pius XII and is commemorated by the Roman Catholic Church on 29 January and 2 July....
, "Apostle of Brittany"