The Culann Chronicles, Book 2, Picts' Plight Read online

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  And so to continue our story:

  Culann has recovered from his injury suffered at the hands of the Angles and Britons, thanks to the treatment received from Sister Fea, at the Celtic Monastery Infirmary on the island of Lios mór (Lismore). Culann and his companion the young Picti warrior, Fergus mac Ciniod, are escorted on to Iona by none other than the Abbot of Iona, Cumméne Find. There they proudly delivered their invaluable collection of twelve codexes’ (books) from Lindisfarne Abby.

  Colmán of Lindisfarne resigns as Abbot after the Synod of Whitby and travels to Iona. He and many Celtic monks from Lindisfarne who do not wish to remain under the orders of the Church of Rome accompany him. They arrive just before the celebration of Christmas in 664.

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  Chapter 1 – Fergus’ Discovery

  Fergus stood, waited a few heartbeats then quietly walked off. “What’s got into him?” asked one student. ~ “He’s a Pict you fool.” was the reply

  Fergus began attending classes as a student at Iona, following on from his three years at Lindisfarne. He and Culann were treated as celebrities after news spread of their epic journey from Lindisfarne through hostile Angle and Pictish territory to deliver the important codex (books) to Iona. Culann seemed embarrassed with the attention and sought solitude when possible to exercise his injured arm. Fergus however thrived on all the attention he received from monks and students alike.

  Sister Fea remained on Lios mór, patiently waiting, for Culann to return. Iona was not a joint monastery like Lios mór with monks and nuns.

  It was ten days before Christmas. Fergus was relating the part of his journey through Pict country between classes, when one of the listening local students asked “What do you think Fergus of the Pict slaves captured by King Domangart [1] on his recent raid north into the Hebridean islands?” [1] Domangart, son of Domnall Brecc – King of Cenél nGabrán and over king of Dál Riata, died 673.

  Fergus was suddenly still. After a few seconds pause he asked “What Pict slaves?”

  “Domangart just returned from a very successful raid up north. My uncle told me he captured many Picts and much booty,” related the student.

  “What will happen to the Picts?” asked Fergus quietly.

  “Why they are slaves and will be sold or given to his cohorts,” said the student as others nodded.

  “Do you know where they are now?” asked Fergus.

  “Why yes, they would be at Dunadd, Domangart’s main fort. It’s just down the coast in Argyll.”

  Fergus stood, waited a few heartbeats then quietly walked off.

  “What’s got into him?” asked one of the students.

  “He’s a Pict you fool,” responded a colleague.

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  Culann was standing in the Smithy, pushing the bellows vigorously up and down with his right hand. The two smiths alongside were joking as they hammered heated iron, happy that some of their heavy work was being done by Culann, as he exercised his injured arm.

  “Well, we are honoured today brother.” laughed one of the smiths as he saw the slight red headed figure enter the doorway. “We have not just one hero at or humble shed, but two. Welcome Fergus. This is a nice warm place out of the rain, yes?”

  Fergus nodded greetings and walked next to Culann who smiled at his young friend. “Hello Fergus, I haven’t seen you since Abbot Colmán arrived last week. How have you been?”

  Fergus stood embarrassed, shifting his weight from one foot to another. “Brother Culann,” he said quietly, “I have a problem.”

  “Your problems are my problems Fergus. Tell me and we will see how to solve it.”

  Fergus related his news that the local King Domangart had returned from a successful raid in the northern islands with much booty and a number of Pictish slaves. “I cannot leave my kin to be slaves Culann; yet I have no means to buy their freedom.”

  Culann ceased pumping the bellows and put his arm around Fergus shoulder. “Don’t worry my friend. We will solve this. Let’s go and talk to Brother Bryan. He knows the local leaders and their customs better than anyone I know.” Nodding to the two smiths he led Fergus from the Smithy to the scriptorium in search of Brother Bryan.

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  The scriptorium was almost deserted, with the monks attending None (mid-afternoon prayer). Fergus, accompanied by Culann, related details of the northern raid to Brother Bryan who was sitting silently on a stool. “I too am offended Fergus by this act of barbarism. I suggest we talk direct to Abbot Cumméne. If I’m not mistaken he entered yonder room earlier. Let us see if he is still there,” said Bryan, as he ushered them to a room at the far end of the scriptorium.

  After knocking discreetly they were bid ‘Enter’ and found Abbot Cumméne in deep discussion with Colmán of Lindisfarne. “Oh I beg your pardon sirs, we will come back later when you have finished,” apologised Bryan.

  “Nonsense Brother Bryan, please enter and bring your honoured guests with you. We have had little time to talk with Brother Culann and young Fergus, both of whom, we owe a great deal,” said Cumméne standing and waiving them to seats in from of his desk.

  “Amen,” murmured Colmán smiling.

  Bryan, Culann and Fergus sat at the designated seat which in fact was a rough wooden bench. As senior of the trio Bryan began, explaining how Fergus was deeply offended by the raid of King Domangart which resulted in capturing a number of Picts as slaves.

  There was silence after Bryan finished. Abbot Cumméne sat stoking his chin thoughtfully. Eventually he commented “I understand your concern my friends, however King Domangart, son of Domnall Brecc – king of Cenél nGabrán, is a very influential man. He commands the loyalty of one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, kingdoms of the Dál Riata Irish Gaels. We must ask ourselves is it in Iona’s best interest to antagonise such a man, over a handful of Pictish captives?”

  Culann snorted “I was not aware the Celtic Church at Iona bent its knee to any mortal man; be he Irish, Picti or Anglo.” Fergus grinned in gratitude.

  Abbot Cumméne drew in his breath at this outrageous response, from a mere monk, but prudently said nothing, no doubt in view of Culann’s current high standing at Iona.

  Colmán of Lindisfarne tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile and enquired of the Abbot, “Pray tell me my good Cumméne, have you sent any missions north into the land of the Picts?”

  Brother Bryan raised his eyebrows, at Colmán’s clever diplomacy, as he was aware the former Abbot of Lindisfarne knew quite well, such missions had taken place many times over the past one hundred years.

  “Well yes,” responded Cumméne, “we have sent numerous delegations to the northern isles. The first ones were instigated by our beloved Saint Columba when he first set up our monastery. We currently have a small permanent monastery on the Eilean a' Cheò ‘isle of the mist.’ (known today as the Isle of Skye) But why do you ask?”

  “If that is the case my good Cumméne, we must assume that many, if not all the Picts inhabiting those islands are Christians.” Again Bryan noticed that Colmán was addressing Cumméne as an equal, even though he had resigned his post of Abbot of Lindisfarne, and in fact Lindisfarne was a daughter monastery to Iona, the acknowledged pre-eminent center of the Celtic church. What Bryan found amazing was that Cumméne accepted the arrangement.

  “Your assumptions may be correct Colmán, but what significance does it have regarding our current problem. The kings of Dal Riata have been raiding those northern islands for slaves since, . . . since, King áedán last century.”

  “Saint Patrick.”[2] said Colmán.

  “Saint Patrick?” queried Cumméne, mystified. [2] Patricius, the 5th century Romano-British missionary, now known as Saint Patrick, who successfully converted many of the Celts of Northern Ireland to Christianity.

  Colmán spread his hands and leant forward to explain. “Saint Patrick wrote a very famous letter in the 5th century, addressed to th
e warriors of Coroticos, who I understand, occupied the coastal area just down from Iona, in what we now call Argyll. He was very upset because these warriors had enslaved Irish Christians, some of whom Patrick had baptised himself. (Patricius, Ep., 2,15)

  "Patrick angrily accused the Coroticos of apostasy." (Latin apostata was borrowed from the Greek word meaning ‘deserter’ or ‘turncoat’. In ecclesiastical Latin it was used to denote one who forsakes Christianity).

  “Saint Patrick, as you all know, was the first recorded person to speak out against slavery. It behoves us to speak out against slavery, particularly to Celtic Kings who need the endorsement of the Celtic Church on Iona to rule.” concluded Colmán with much feeling.

  “Well said” applauded Cumméne with a sly smile “and I believe you Colmán, with your eloquence and undoubted knowledge of history, should be the one to deliver this message to King Domangart.”

  “Thank you Cumméne for your belief in my humble skills.” said Colmán with bowed head. “May I request Brothers Bryan and Culann with young Fergus, be allowed to accompany me?”

  “Of course, of course. You choose your companions well my friend. Brother Bryan knows King Domangart, Brother Culann can keep you safe and Fergus can communicate with his fellow Picts. When do you wish to start?”

  Colmán looked at his potential travel companions and enquired “Is tomorrow soon enough?” They all nodded. Culann sat almost in a state of shock. This was the first time an Abbot, let alone a former Abbot, had asked his approval for anything.

  “Then it is agreed then.” said Colmán. “We will leave at first light tomorrow.”

  And that is how Fergus arranged, in the company of three other monks, to visit the stronghold of one of the most powerful Dál Riata Kings, and request the King give up his Pictish slaves – something that Iona had not done during the one hundred and one years since its inception by Saint Columba.

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  Chapter 2 – To Dunadd

  The dim morning light found our four colleagues in a large curach (traditional Irish wood-framed boat covered in animal skin or hides) manned by four sailors. The island of Iona disappeared behind them as they made their way first south, using oars. The sail was hoisted to take advantage of the prevailing south-easterly winds, to sail between the island of Scarba and Jura.

  By mid afternoon as they were about to turn due south into the Sound of Jura, the sailors pointed to a large flock of sea birds circling a ring of white water. “That’s the Corryvreckan whirlpool laddies.” shouted one of the sailors pointing to the maelstrom off their bow. “The birds are feeding on the fish brought to the surface by the whirlpool. Very nasty place for God fearing sailors. We try to keep well away.”

  Back to the oars again as the curach turned south down Jura Sound, with the island on their right, and the mainland on the left.

  The sun was setting as the boat turned into a small mainland bay. They sailed up to the top end and then entered a small river which the sailors navigated expertly despite its meandering course. The shoreline was dominated by the rocky outcrop high off to the left. It was dark when the sailors helped their passengers disembark onto a long rough wooden jetty. “Welcome to Dunadd.” said Brother Bryan rubbing his arms in an endeavour to get warm. The ground about was wet and marsh-like “These sailors will await our return.” advised Bryan as he then greeted a group of village people swarming around the new arrivals.

  After discussions with one of the elders, Bryan advised that they would stay overnight in one of the official guest houses. The elder would arrange for them to meet with King Domangart on the morrow in his great hall dominating the rocky outcrop above.

  They were led up a long path to a group of wattle and daub huts clustered around the main entrance to the hill fort above. The elder, who carried a lighted torch, indicated they should enter one hut near the center. The weary travellers dropped their duffle bags, containing a change of clothes and eating utensils, on the rush covered floor. Culann also had his sword carried inconspicuously on his back under his cloak as well as his strong wooden staff. Fergus had his sword which he kept in plain view.

  After they had refreshed themselves at the nearby river Abb, Colmán conducted Compline (night prayers) outside their hut. His service was attended by many of the villagers and Culann noted, also quite a number of warriors.

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  2.1 – A Little Bit of Background

  Brother Bryan related how the angel, holding the glass book, whipped Saint Columba

  Before they retired Brother Bryan gave them some background on King Domangart and the importance Dunadd had in the history of the Dál Riata. (The collective name of possibly four groups of Irish warriors from the Northern Ireland Scotti tribe, that invaded and settled the west coast of Scotland in the 5th to 7th century. The name Dál Riata is derived from Old Irish. Dál means ‘portion’ or ‘share’ [as in 'a portion of land’] and Riata or Riada is believed to be a personal name. Thus, Riata's portion.)

  “When Saint Columba took exile from Ireland in the year of our Lord 563, he visited one of the main rulers of Dál Riata, King Conall, here at Dunadd.

  “I’m sorry Fergus, are you comfortable if I speak Irish Gael?” asked Bryan.

  “No problem Sir.” replied Fergus with pride “I learnt Gael at Lindisfarne, along with Latin and a little Greek”

  “Excellent!” smiled Bryan “Columba was looking for a suitable place to locate his monastery from where he could conduct his missionary work. King Conall offered him a number of islands, but Columba rejected many of them because from their peaks he could still see the coast of Ireland.”

  “Why did that matter?” enquired Fergus.

  “Saint Columba realised that the task of converting the Dál Riata Gaels and the much more numerous Picts to Christianity, would be long and difficult. He knew that there would be times when their spirits would be low. If he could see the fair coast of Ireland, he and his helpers may succumb to temptation and return home without fulfilling their mission.

  “However when he saw Iona, which the Pictish people called ‘I’ meaning ‘island’ in their language, he knew that was his place. It was removed from the Irish horizon, was centrally located to many of the Hebridean islands and even though it was quite small, was very fertile.

  “Saint Columba was very successful in converting many of the Gaels and Picts as far away as Fortriu,” nodding at Fergus, acknowledging his tribe’s location (on the East coast near Inverness). “In 576 King Conall was killed. A new leader was needed, ideally one endorsed by the church as well as the local Gaelic warrior nobility.

  “As you are aware in Celtic kingship, the crown doesn’t automatically pass to the eldest son. Duncan mac Conall, son of the late king was one of the three men claiming the throne. The other two were sons of the former king, Gabrán of Kintyre; Ewan, the eldest and well liked, and; Áedán, wilful, aggressive and no friend of his brother.

  “Columba favoured the former King’s eldest son Ewan, as he was a committed Christian. As it happened Duncan mac Conall was killed in a raid, so that narrowed the field to the two brothers. One evening as he slept, Columba was visited by an angel who showed him a book with pages made of glass. On those pages was written the King List of the Cenél nGabrain (Cenéla ‘kingroups or dynasties’ who claimed descent from Gabrán mac Domangairt).

  It contained Conall of course plus his predecessor Gabrán, but instead of the eldest son Ewan, was written Áedán. Columba refused to endorse Áedán as he considered him to be young, aggressive and not a good Christian. The angel whipped Columba and left. Columba woke with wealds on his body. The next night the angel again returned in a dream, showed Columba the book and still our revered Saint did not agree. The angel whipped him again and left. On the third night Columba realized that this must be God’s will, so he agreed to endorse Áedán.

  “And so it was that all the warrior nobility and
much of the Dál Riata population came to Iona to witness Saint Columba anoint Áedán as King. Was Columba’s initial reluctance in anyway influenced by a foreshadowed knowledge that Áedán’s grandson, Domnall Brecc, who was killed in 643 after a disastrous reign in which he effectively lost all the gains made by the family Gabráin over the previous five generations? I suspect that is something we will never know. However all the Dal Riata kings since then have deemed it necessary to be anointed by Iona.”

  Bryan paused for a moment, but his enrapt audience in that small candle lit hut, entreated him to carry on. “Dunadd had been an important place,” he continued “for the Pictish kings that inhabited this area, long before we Gaels arrived. On the plateau above there are two unusual rock formations. One is a small depression that looks like a bowl carved out of the rock. Near it is a large carved footprint. It is believed that the Picts when choosing their king, filled the footprint with earth. The new king placed his foot in it, signifying he was to rule over not just the area, but the earth and the people who lived on it. Afterward, we assume his foot was washed in water from the carved stone bowl. So you see this place has a lot of historical significance.”

  When it became apparent that Bryan was not adding more to his story, the monks and Fergus rolled themselves in their cloaks and slept.

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  2.2 - In the Hall of the Dál Riata King

  A gasp went up from all present as Culann raised the newly acquired Gladius sword above his head. The girl still knelt, eyes shut, hands held out in front. The sword suddenly slashed down at the girl’s body and with a loud thunk hit the bench

  After Lauds prayer next morning, Colmán, Bryan, Culann and Fergus were led up the steep rock faced defile to the citadel known as Dunadd (fort on the river Add). Culann noticed four rock walls at different levels as they climbed the defile toward the top. “This place would be very easy to defend.” he commented.