Saint Blathmac () was a distinguished Irish monk, born in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

about 750 AD. He is known as "Blathmac, son of Flann", to distinguish him from the poet and monk Blathmac mac Con Brettan. He was killed and became a martyr in

Iona Iona (; , sometimes simply ''Ì'') is an island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there are other buildings on the island. Iona Abbey was a centre of Gaeli ...

, about 825. His biography was written by

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

, the Benedictine Abbot of Reichenau (824–849), and thus the story of his martyrdom has been handed down.

Early life

Blathmac, the

scion Scion may refer to: Horticulture *Scion (grafting), in horticulture, the upper part of a combined plant Arts, entertainment, and media Characters *Atlantean Scion, a device in the ''Tomb Raider'' video game series *Scion, avatar of the warrior en ...

of a noble family, early showed a religious turn of mind. Strabo describes him as a warrior prince, and "a future king of his people" who gave up his patrimony to enter religious life.Breen, Aidan. "Blathmac", ''Dictionary of Irish Biography''
/ref> His name was Latinized ''Florentius'' (from the Irish word '' bláth'' meaning "flower").

Career

He became the

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

of an Irish monastery, and in 824 left to join the community of monks at

which traced itself to

Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...

. He was serving as prior or acting abbot in the absence of Diarmait of Iona, who had taken most of the community to Kells for safety. Anticipating yet another viking raid, Blathmac had what remained of the relics of Columba hidden. Not long afterwards the

Danes Danes (, ), or Danish people, are an ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. History Early history Denmark ...

ravaged the island. One morning, as he was offering

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

, the

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

n rovers entered the monastic church. Blathmac refused to point out the relics or the Brecbannoch of St Columba, which were the object of plunder. In retaliation he was hacked to pieces on the altar steps. His body was afterwards reverently interred at the scene. Miracles are claimed to have been wrought through his intercession. The date of his death is given by the "

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luin� ...

" as 825, although Mabillon places it thirty-six years earlier.

References

External links

Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blathmac, Saint 750s births 835 deaths 9th-century Christian saints 8th-century Irish abbots 9th-century Irish abbots Medieval Irish saints Scottish Catholic martyrs