COLUMBA AND THE CRANE
Posted: 16.06.26 in Articles category
One of the most famous of the Celtic saints is the 6th century Irish missionary, Colmcille (aka Columkille) from Donegal. He is probably better known by his name Scottish name, Columba, as he is most associated with the Scottish island of Iona where he founded the original abbey in 563/4 AD. Mention Iona nowadays and people are as likely to recall the Iona Community which was founded in 1938 in Glasgow by the Christian visionary and social reformer, Rev George MacLeod.
In the 7th century the ninth Abbot of Iona, Adomnan, wrote a hagiography of Columba, simply entitled ‘Life of Colmcille’. Many of the Columban stories he cited testified to Columba’s gentleness including one about offering shelter and protection to a large and very tired bird blown in from across the Irish Sea. That tale was retold in the book, ‘The Wonders of Ireland’ by Patrick Weston Joyce published in 1911.
“During his whole life Columkille retained his affection for his native land and for everything connected with it. One breezy day, when he was now in his old age in Iona, a crane appeared flying from the west towards the island: it was beaten about by the wind, and with much difficulty it reached the beach, where it fell down quite spent with hunger and fatigue. And the good old man said to one of his monks: -
“That crane has come from our dear fatherland, and I earnestly comment it to thee: nurse and cherish it tenderly till it is strong enough to return again to its sweet home in Scotia.”
Accordingly, the monk took the bird up in his arms and brought it to the hospice and fed and tended it for three days till it had quite recovered. The third day was calm, and the bird rose from the earth till it had come to a great height, when resting for a moment to look forward, it stretched out its neck and directed its course towards Ireland.”
When I first read the story about Columba and the crane, I presumed the bird in question was probably a grey heron. However, that was before I researched into the history of cranes in Ireland and discovered that they were still breeding in the country in the 16th century – a whole millennium after Columba. That said, I am unconvinced that the intended significance of the tale was the identity of the bird, more a matter of demonstrating the Celtic saint’s kindliness to birds and other animals as God’s fellow creatures.
We remember Columba particularly in June as his Feast Day is on the 9th – the date of his death in 597 AD. By a strange coincidence 9 June this year might also be remembered by one local birdwatcher who reported a Crane flying low along a shopping street in Newcastle during that afternoon!