Helias of Cologne (died 1040) was an Irish

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 ...

and musician.

Background

Helias was a native of what is now

County Monaghan County Monaghan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of Border Region, Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town ...

, apparently been a

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

at the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

of Muckno which is now the parish around the town of Castleblayney. Trithemius states that he led "a most austere life, and was on that account an object of hatred to wicked men, who feared his reproof."

Cologne

Helias was elected abbot of Great St. Martin Church,

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, in 1015. In the same year, he became ruler of St. Pantaleon's; both monasteries would remain under his rule till his death in 1040. He was a "bosom friend and counsellor" of St. Heribert, Archbishop of Cologne.Heribert died in 1021. Heribert's biographer Landberth wrote about his death: "when this illustrious prelate felt his end approach, he sent for his beloved Helias, who prepared him for death, and administered to him the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, and all the final consolations of the Church." Helias was succeeded by Mariolus or Molanus, who died in 1061.

Archbishop Pilgrim

The archbishop of Cologne

Pilgrim The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as ...

, Heribert's successor, has an inveterate dislike for the Irish monks and for Helios in particular. Departing on a

pastoral The pastoral genre of literature, art, or music depicts an idealised form of the shepherd's lifestyle – herding livestock around open areas of land according to the seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. The target au ...

visit, he vowed to expel them all upon his return. Helias is said to have prayed to God that if it was his will, they would depart but if not, Pilgrim would never return to Cologne. Pilgrim died at Neomagnus in 1036. However, the story is believed to be more legend than fact. Helias is said to have established a good relationship with Pilgrim's successor Herman II.

Rule as abbot

According to Hogan, Helias ran both "St. Martin and St. Pantaleon's, with the greatest success. He was remarkable, however, for uncommon strictness in the enforcement of discipline. A French monk of St. Pantaleon having written, without permission, a neat copy of the Missal for the use of the community, Helias burned it, lest others should presume to act without previous licence. He died in the odour of sanctity, and was buried in the chapel of St. Benedict, with the

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

: ''Haec tumuli fossa conduntur Praesulis ossa/Heliae miri mirificique viri.''archive.org
Full text of ''The Irish ecclesiastical record''
/ref>

Musician

Helias was a skilled musician, and is held to be the first to introduce Roman chant to Cologne.

Jean Mabillon Dom Jean Mabillon , (; 23 November 1632 – 27 December 1707) was a French Benedictine monk and scholar of the Congregation of Saint Maur. He is considered the founder of the disciplines of palaeography and diplomatics. Early life Mabillon w ...

was of the opinion that he was the ''Stranger and Pilgrim'' to whom Berno of Reichenau dedicated ''The Laws of Symphony and Tone''. Reichenau itself was founded in 724 by the Irishman Pirminius.

References

External links

* archive.org
''The Irish ecclesiastical record''
* standingstones.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Helias of Cologne 1040 deaths 11th-century Irish abbots Irish expatriates in Germany Christian clergy from County Monaghan 11th-century Irish writers Medieval Irish musicians Medieval European scribes Irish scribes Year of birth unknown 11th-century German writers 11th-century German clergy Irish-language singers People from Castleblayney