Saint Fillan was a sixth-century Scottish

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 ...

active in

Fife Fife ( , ; ; ) is a council areas of Scotland, council area and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in Scotland. A peninsula, it is bordered by the Firth of Tay to the north, the North Sea to the east, the Firth of Forth to the s ...

. His feast day is 20 June.Mackinlay, James Murray. ''Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs'', W. Hodge & Company, 1893, p. 81 et seq
/ref> Fillan of Pittenweem is not to be confused with the later Fillan of Munster, who settled at Strath Fillan.Scott, Archibald Black. ''The Pictish Nation, Its People & Its Church'', T. N. Foulis, 1918, p. 355, n.†
/ref> Fillan of Pittenweem worked in Aberdour, (where the parish church bears his name), as well as in Forgan. On the top of Dunfillan near Comrie was a rocky seat where, according to tradition, Fillan sat and gave his blessing to the country 'round. Up until the eighteenth century, there was a belief that sitting there could be beneficial for rheumatism of the back. A stone basin at the bottom the hill, was known as "Fillan's Spring", whose water was said to cure sore eyes. According to historian and antiquary

William Forbes Skene William Forbes Skene Writer to the Signet, WS FRSE Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, FSA(Scot) Doctor of Civil Law, DCL Legum Doctor, LLD (7 June 1809 – 29 August 1892), was a Scotland, Scottish lawyer, historian and antiquary. He co-found ...

, the village of St Fillans, on the eastern end of Loch Earn, takes its name from him. Fillan of Pittenweem died at the ''disert'' of Tyrie near

Kinghorn Kinghorn (; ) is a town and parish in Fife, Scotland. A seaside resort with two beaches, Kinghorn Beach and Pettycur Bay, plus a fishing port, it stands on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, opposite Edinburgh. Known as the place where K ...

St Fillan's Cave

St Fillan's Cave, situated in Cove Wynd, Pittenweem has long been associated with Fillan. The cave has flat rocks that are presumed to have been used as beds and a small spring of "

holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...

" at its rear and a well. The cave was a stopping off point for pilgrims on their way to

St Andrews St Andrews (; ; , pronounced ʰʲɪʎˈrˠiː.ɪɲ is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourth-largest settleme ...

or St. Ethernan's shrine on the

Isle of May An isle is an island, land surrounded by water. The term is very common in British English. However, there is no clear agreement on what makes an island an isle or its difference, so they are considered synonyms. Isle may refer to: Geography * Is ...

. Antiquarian Robert Sibbald says that in 1100,

Edgar, King of Scotland Edgar or Étgar mac Maíl Choluim ( Modern Gaelic: ''Eagar mac Mhaoil Chaluim''), nicknamed Probus, "the Valiant" (c. 1074 – 8 January 1107), was King of Alba (Scotland) from 1097 to 1107. He was the fourth son of Malcolm III and Margaret o ...

gave Pittenweem to the

Culdees The Culdees (; ) were members of ascetic Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England in the Middle Ages. Appearing first in Ireland and then in Scotland, subsequently attached to cathedral or collegiate ...

. Later,

David I of Scotland David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Scottish Gaelic, Modern Gaelic: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th century ruler and saint who was David I as Prince of the Cumbrians, Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 112 ...

granted the monks of the Priory of St. Mary the Virgin on the

the manor of Pittenweem, where they erected the Priory of St. Adrian over the ancient cave associated with Saint Fillan. A stairway was built by the monks of the priory from the cave, ending in a vaulted cellar in the Priory grounds. The cave was also used by smugglers for some time, and as a store room for local fisherfolk (Pittenweem has been a fishing village since the time of early

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

settlement and later a harbour was constructed). It served as a prison during the witch hunts of the 17–18th centuries and was used as a rubbish tip which probably resulted in its disappearance for some time. The cave was rediscovered about 1900 when a horse ploughing in the Priory garden fell down a hole into it. It was rededicated as a place of worship by the Bishop of St. Andrews in 1935.Sharp, Mick, ''The Way and the Light'', Aurum Press Ltd, 2000. It has since been refurbished and opened to visitors as of October 2000, and is owned by the Bishop Low Trust. It is entrusted to St John's Scottish Episcopal Church in Pittenweem,East Neuk Episcopal Churches "St John's"
and is open to the public. Image:Cove Wynd and St Fillan's Cave, Pittenween - geograph.org.uk - 150644.jpg, Cove Wynd and St Fillan's Cave Image:Stfillans_cave_internal_hi.jpg, St Fillan's Cave showing internal structure and altar.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Filan, Saint Christian saints in unknown century Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Scottish Benedictines Benedictine saints Fife Medieval Scottish saints Scottish Roman Catholic priests

St Fillan's Cave

See also

References