The Writings of Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland/The Story of Patrick and the Royal Daughters

by Tirechan

 

III.—THE STORY OF PATRICK AND THE ROYAL DAUGHTERS.

HE following story, which is given in Tirechan's collection, found in the Book of Armagh, bears internal evidence of its antiquity and genuineness. 'The naïveté of the questions asked by the girls about God and His sons and daughters' is one of these striking evidences, for they are, as Whitley Stokes observes, 'questions which no mere legend-monger ever had the imagination to invent.' The narrative is quite superior to the surroundings in which it occurs in Tírechán (Rolls Tripartite, p. 314), or in the later Tripartite Life (pp. 99 ff.). We have translated it from the former, adding in the notes the more important readings found in the Tripartite Life.

 

But thence went the holy Patrick to the spring which is called Clebach,^[1] on the sides of Crochan,^[2] towards the rising of the sun, before the rising of the sun, and they sat beside the springs. And behold two daughters of Loegaire,^[3] Ethne the fair, and Fedelm the ruddy, came to the spring in the morning, after the custom of women, to wash,^[4] and they found a holy synod of bishops with Patrick by the spring.^[5] And they did not know from whence they were, or of what shape, or of what people, or of what region. But they thought that they were men of the side, or of the terrestrial gods, or an apparition.^[6] And the daughters said to them—

'Whence are ye, and whence have ye come?'

And Patrick said to them—

'It were better that you would confess our true God than to inquire about our race.'

The first daughter said, 'Who is God? And where is God? And of what is God? And where is His dwelling-place? Has your God sons and daughters, gold and silver? Is He ever-living? Is He beautiful? Have many fostered His Son? Are His daughters dear and beautiful to the men or the world? Is He in heaven or on earth? In the sea? in the rivers? in the mountains? in the valleys? Tell us how is He seen? How is He loved? How is He found? Is He in youth? or in age?'^[7]

But holy Patrick, full of the Holy Spirit, answering, said—

'Our God is the God of all men, the God of heaven and earth, of the sea, and of the rivers; the God of the sun and of the moon, of all the stars; the God of the lofty mountains and of the lowly valleys; the God over heaven and in heaven and under heaven. He has His dwelling towards heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things which are in them. He inspires all things, He gives life to all things, He surpasses all things, He supports all things. He kindles the light of the sun, He strengthens the light of the moon at night for watches;^[8] and He made springs in the arid land, and dry islands in the sea; and the stars He placed to minister to the greater lights. He has a Son co-eternal with Himself and like unto Himself. The Son is not younger than the Father, nor is the Father older than the Son. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not separated. I truly desire to unite you to the Heavenly King, since ye are daughters of an earthly king. Believe (on Him).'

And the daughters said, as if with one mouth and heart—

'How can we believe on the Heavenly King? Teach us most diligently, so that we may see Him face to face. Point out to us, and we will do whatsoever thou shalt say to us.'

And Patrick said: 'Do you believe that the sin of your father and mother is taken away by baptism?

'They replied: 'We do believe it.'

[Patrick] 'Do you believe that there is repentance after sin?'

[Daughters] 'We do believe it.'

[Patrick] 'Do you believe that there is a life after death? Do you believe in the resurrection in the day of judgment?'

[Daughters] 'We do believe it.'

[Patrick] 'Do you believe in the unity of the Church?'

[The Daughters] 'We do believe it.'

And they were baptized, and [Patrick placed] a white garment^[9] on their heads.

And they begged to see the face of Christ.

And the saint said to them: 'Unless you shall have tasted death, you cannot see the face of Christ, and unless you shall receive the sacrifice.'^[10]

And they replied: 'Give to us the sacrifice, that we may see the Son our spouse.'

And they received the Eucharist of God, and they slept in death. And they placed them in a bed covered with one mantle, and their friends made a wailing and a great lamentation. . . . And the days of the wailing for the daughters of the king were ended, and they buried them by the spring Clebach, and they made a round ditch in the likeness of a ferta [a grave], because so the Scotic men and Gentiles used to do. But, with us it is called relic, that is, the remains and feurt.

 

The latter few lines of the story are slightly different in the Tripartite Life. It will be observed that the doctrine set forth with regard to the two sacraments is somewhat questionable. But it must be remembered that errors on those points were prevalent in the Church of the fifth century. The story in general is one of considerable beauty, and is worthy to be preserved as a genuine fragment of a striking missionary incident in the early part of that century.

 

 

1. Cliabach. (Trip.)
2. Cruachan. (Trip.)
3. 'Loegaire, son of Niall.' (Trip.)
4. 'to wash their hands.' (Trip.)
5. 'the maidens found beside the well the assembly of clerics in white garments, with their books before them.' (Trip.)
6. 'And they wondered at the shape of the clerics, and thought that they were men of the elves or apparitions.' (Trip.) Dr. Whitley Stokes' note on Tírechán is, 'Firu síde, "males of the síde" or terrestrial gods, corresponding, perhaps, with the θεοὶ χθόνιοι or Inferi.'
7. The questions are somewhat transposed in the Tripartite Life, but are substantially identical.
8. This is a conjectural translation. The Latin is [lunæ] lumen noctis ad [MS. et] notitias valat.
9. The white garment of baptism worn for eight days by the newly-baptized in the ancient church. See Coroticus, p. 68. Some Roman Catholic writers have endeavoured to explain this that the virgins took the veil, but that is not the meaning. See Dr. Todd's St. Patrick, p. 456.
10. Instead of 'the sacrifice,' the Tripartite Life has, 'unless ye receive Christ's body and His blood.'