Set foot on the island of Iona and you are immediately immersed in an undeniable spiritual atmosphere which would, you think, be corrosive to the views of hardened atheists. But there is another layer of otherworldly significance here, or perhaps underworldly influence. For to walk here is to walk on the remains of umpteen kings from many nations.
The number of rulers buried here is disputed, and the numbers will be considered in future posts. But one initial, surprising fact is that the first king recognised as being laid to rest here was neither Gael nor Pict, nor even a Briton of Strathclyde, let along a Viking: he was in fact a northern English ruler.
Ecgfrith son of Oswiu had been overlord of the southern Picts and had led his warband into their territory when they attempted to cast off Northumbrian rule in the year 685. Against him was Pictish ruler Brude (or Bridei), a son of Beli, the British king of Strathclyde. The English were lured into a fatal place and their king was slaughtered. Some of the Northumbrians survived and escape, others were captured, but it was a decisive victory for the Picts. (Further details can be read in my Angus blog: The Battle of Dún Nechtain, A Rearguard Action in Defence of Dunnichen).
It was believed that Ecgfrith's remains were taken to Iona for burial, possibly because members of his family had close connections with the religious community there. But the fact has recently been disputed by the historian James Fraser who ingeniously suggests that the ruler was interred in 'Columba's other island', Icolmkill in the Firth of Forth. Whichever fate befell his body, the attitude of the Irish church on mainland Ireland was not so forgiving. In the year before his death a senior Northumbrian noble had taken a fleet and seriously ravaged the eastern seaboard of Meath. The motives are not entirely clear, but may have involved the presence of exiled British warriors from the north of Britain there. Some of those affected in the Irish church were instilled with the desire for revenge and watched events in Pictland with great interest as news of the Northumbrians riding north filtered back to them. Recent history had made them partisan and they weren't supporting the English in their venture, as one early surviving poem makes clear:
Almost nothing else is known of the victory of Nechtansmere, except that he was styled in some sources 'king of Fortriu' (in northern Pictland) and that he died eight years after his decisive victory. But there is a curious account of him buried in the 10th century Irish Life of St Adamnan of Columba. It seems that Bruide's body was also carried to Iona for internment (one wonders if he was to be buried next to the man he had killed?). According to the hagiographical tradition:
Regardless of the mysteries, it may well be fact that victor and conquered lie close by each other in the quiet island rest of Iona.
The number of rulers buried here is disputed, and the numbers will be considered in future posts. But one initial, surprising fact is that the first king recognised as being laid to rest here was neither Gael nor Pict, nor even a Briton of Strathclyde, let along a Viking: he was in fact a northern English ruler.
Ecgfrith son of Oswiu had been overlord of the southern Picts and had led his warband into their territory when they attempted to cast off Northumbrian rule in the year 685. Against him was Pictish ruler Brude (or Bridei), a son of Beli, the British king of Strathclyde. The English were lured into a fatal place and their king was slaughtered. Some of the Northumbrians survived and escape, others were captured, but it was a decisive victory for the Picts. (Further details can be read in my Angus blog: The Battle of Dún Nechtain, A Rearguard Action in Defence of Dunnichen).
It was believed that Ecgfrith's remains were taken to Iona for burial, possibly because members of his family had close connections with the religious community there. But the fact has recently been disputed by the historian James Fraser who ingeniously suggests that the ruler was interred in 'Columba's other island', Icolmkill in the Firth of Forth. Whichever fate befell his body, the attitude of the Irish church on mainland Ireland was not so forgiving. In the year before his death a senior Northumbrian noble had taken a fleet and seriously ravaged the eastern seaboard of Meath. The motives are not entirely clear, but may have involved the presence of exiled British warriors from the north of Britain there. Some of those affected in the Irish church were instilled with the desire for revenge and watched events in Pictland with great interest as news of the Northumbrians riding north filtered back to them. Recent history had made them partisan and they weren't supporting the English in their venture, as one early surviving poem makes clear:
Iniu Feras Bruide Cath
Today Bruide gives battle
over his grandfather’s land [or, for his grandfather's heritage]
unless it is the command of God’s son
that it be restored.
Today Oswiu’s son was slain
in battle against iron [blue?]swords
even though he did penance,
it was penance too late.
Today Oswiu’s son was slain,
Who used to have dark drinks [black draughts?]
Christ has heard our prayer
That Bruide would save Brega [?]
Almost nothing else is known of the victory of Nechtansmere, except that he was styled in some sources 'king of Fortriu' (in northern Pictland) and that he died eight years after his decisive victory. But there is a curious account of him buried in the 10th century Irish Life of St Adamnan of Columba. It seems that Bruide's body was also carried to Iona for internment (one wonders if he was to be buried next to the man he had killed?). According to the hagiographical tradition:
The body of Bruide, son of Bile, king of the Cruithnigh, was brought to Ia, and his death was sorrowful and grievous to Adamnan, and he desired that the body of Bruide should be brought to him into the house that night. Adamnan watched by the body till morning. Next day, when the body began to move and open its eyes, a certain pious man came to the door of the house, and said, ‘If Adamnan’s object be to raise the dead, I say he should not do so, for it will be a degradation to every Cleric who shall succeed to his place, if he too cannot raise the dead.’ ‘There is something of right in that,’ replied Adamnan. ‘Therefore, as it is more proper, let us give our blessing to the body, and to the soul of Bruide.’ Then Bruide resigned his spirit to heaven again, with the blessing of Adamnan, and the congregation of Ia. [Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots, and Other Early Memorials of Scottish History, ed W. F. Skene, H. M. Register House, Edinburgh, 1867, 122-3.]What does the story mean? Possibly nothing more than a passing nod to the realisation that the age of miracles beloved by the early Church was finished. After the story comes a poem, which may be very much earlier than the prose and perhaps even an echo of a composition written by Adamnan himself:
Many wonders doth he perform,
The king who was born of Mary,
The above translation was given, somewhat inaccurately, by Skene. A more accurate translation was given by M.O. and A. O. Anderson in their edition of the Life of St Columba (1961, 96-97):He takes away life,Death of Bruide son of Bile:It is rare, it is rare,After ruling the northern kingdomThat a hollow stick of withered oakIs about the king of Alcluaith.
The King that is born of Mary performs many wonders : life to a scuapan in Mull, death to Brude, Bile’s son. It is strange, it is strange, that after his being in the kingship of the people a block of hollow withered oak should be about the son of the king of Ail-Cluaithe.The meaning of scuapan is something like 'little sheaves', but what it alludes to is unclear. Probably it is not a person's name, but whether it alludes to harvest time, a once known incident, or something else, is not now known.
Regardless of the mysteries, it may well be fact that victor and conquered lie close by each other in the quiet island rest of Iona.
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