Máel Ruba
Encyclopedia
Máel Ruba Máelrubai (Old Irish spelling), Maol Rubha (MoRubha/MaRuibhe) (Scottish Gaelic spelling), or Malruibhe (642–722), sometimes Latin
ised as Rufus, is a saint
of the Celtic Church
. Originally from Bangor
, County Down
, Ireland
, he was a monk
and founded the monastic community of Applecross
in Ross, one of the best attested early Christian monasteries in what is now Scotland
.
, King of Ireland
, on the side of his father Elganach. His mother, Subtan, was a niece of Saint Comgall
(d. 597 or 602) of Bangor
. Máelrubai was born in the area of Derry
and was educated at Bangor. In 671, when he was thirty, he sailed from Ireland
to Scotland
with a group of monks.
For two years he travelled around the area, chiefly in Argyll
, perhaps founding some of the many churches still dedicated to him, before settling at Aporcrosan (Applecross
) in 673, in Pictish territory in the west of Ross opposite the islands of Skye
and Raasay
. Thence he set out on missionary journeys: westward to the islands Skye
and Lewis
, eastward to Forres
and Keith
, and northward to Loch Shin
, Durness
, and Farr
.
Both Máelrubai's voyage to 'Britain' and his foundation of Applecross are recorded in contemporary Irish annals, implying that they were considered of great significance at the time. Máelrubai's monastery was a major Christian
centre and instrumental in the spread of both Christianity
and Gaelic
culture amongst the Picts
of northern Scotland
.
The succession of the abbots ceases to be recorded in the Irish annals during the course of the ninth century. It is likely that this is the result of (unrecorded) raids by Vikings.
A setting of two small stones in the graveyard at Applecross is still pointed out as the (supposed) site of his grave.
vikings, probably at Teampull, around nine miles up the Strathnaver
from Farr, where he had built a cell; and was buried near the River Naver, not far from his cell, where his grave is still marked by "a rough cross-marked stone". However, 722 is far too early for Scandinavian raiders to have been involved, as the first historically recorded Viking attacks on Britain and Ireland date to the 790s.
Another tradition, found in the Aberdeen Breviary, is that he was killed at Urquhart and buried at Abercrossan. This is probably a mistake arising from a confusion of Gaelic
place-names.
The most reliable sources, contemporary Irish annals, merely record that he 'died' at Applecross in his 80th year.
.
Máelrubai's name has given rise to numerous corruptions; for example in Keith
, he is referred to as "St Rufus", and in other parts of Scotland, his name was variously rendered as "Maree" (as in the Loch), "Summereve" (i.e., St Maol Rubha) etc. Because his feast day was on August 25 http://www.maccolin.com/STMAOLRU.HTM, folk etymology led some people to confuse "Summereve's Fair" with a secular fair celebrating the season.
In the 17th century the Presbytery of Dingwall was disturbed by reports of several rituals, evidently of pagan origin, such as the sacrificing of bulls, on an island in Loch Maree. These revolved round a debased memory of Máelrubai, whose legacy had perhaps become mixed with an ancient pre-Christian cult of 'God Mourie'.
On 5 July 1898, Pope Leo XIII restored his feast for the Church in Scotland, to be kept on August 27.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
ised as Rufus, is a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
of the Celtic Church
Celtic Christianity
Celtic Christianity or Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of Christianity that were common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages...
. Originally from Bangor
Bangor, County Down
Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, he was a monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
and founded the monastic community of Applecross
Applecross
The Applecross peninsula is a peninsula in Wester Ross, Highland, on the west coast of Scotland. The name Applecross is at least 1300 years old and is not used locally to refer to the 19th century village with the pub and post office, lying on the small Applecross Bay, facing the Inner Sound, on...
in Ross, one of the best attested early Christian monasteries in what is now Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Life
Máelrubai was descended from NiallNiall of the Nine Hostages
Niall Noígíallach , or in English, Niall of the Nine Hostages, son of Eochaid Mugmedón, was an Irish king, the eponymous ancestor of the Uí Néill kindred who dominated Ireland from the 6th century to the 10th century...
, King of Ireland
King of Ireland
A monarchical polity has existed in Ireland during three periods of its history, finally ending in 1801. The designation King of Ireland and Queen of Ireland was used during these periods...
, on the side of his father Elganach. His mother, Subtan, was a niece of Saint Comgall
Saint Comgall
Saint Comgall, an early Irish saint, was the founder and abbot of the great Irish monastery at Bangor , who flourished in the sixth century.-Life:...
(d. 597 or 602) of Bangor
Bangor, County Down
Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...
. Máelrubai was born in the area of Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
and was educated at Bangor. In 671, when he was thirty, he sailed from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with a group of monks.
For two years he travelled around the area, chiefly in Argyll
Argyll
Argyll , archaically Argyle , is a region of western Scotland corresponding with most of the part of ancient Dál Riata that was located on the island of Great Britain, and in a historical context can be used to mean the entire western coast between the Mull of Kintyre and Cape Wrath...
, perhaps founding some of the many churches still dedicated to him, before settling at Aporcrosan (Applecross
Applecross
The Applecross peninsula is a peninsula in Wester Ross, Highland, on the west coast of Scotland. The name Applecross is at least 1300 years old and is not used locally to refer to the 19th century village with the pub and post office, lying on the small Applecross Bay, facing the Inner Sound, on...
) in 673, in Pictish territory in the west of Ross opposite the islands of Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
and Raasay
Raasay
Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance...
. Thence he set out on missionary journeys: westward to the islands Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
and Lewis
Lewis
Lewis is the northern part of Lewis and Harris, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The total area of Lewis is ....
, eastward to Forres
Forres
Forres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
and Keith
Keith, Moray
Keith is a small town in the Moray council area in north east Scotland. It has a population of around 4,500....
, and northward to Loch Shin
Loch Shin
Loch Shin is a loch in the Scottish North West Highlands. To the south is the small town of Lairg. The loch is the largest in Sutherland, runs from the north-west to the south-east and is 17 miles long....
, Durness
Durness
Durness is a huge but remote parish in the northwestern Highlands of Scotland, encompassing all the land between the Moine to the East and the Gualin to the West...
, and Farr
Farr, Highland
Farr is a Parish in the county of Sutherland in the Scottish council area of the Highland. The parish also includes a small hamlet named Farr...
.
The monastery at Applecross
The Gaelic name of Applecross, "A' Chomraich", 'The Sanctuary', derives from an area of inviolate ground which surrounded the monastery in ancient times. Its limits were originally marked by crosses. Unfortunately, only a fragment of one of these has survived, within the farmyard at Camusterrach, south of Applecross village.Both Máelrubai's voyage to 'Britain' and his foundation of Applecross are recorded in contemporary Irish annals, implying that they were considered of great significance at the time. Máelrubai's monastery was a major Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
centre and instrumental in the spread of both Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
culture amongst the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
of northern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
The succession of the abbots ceases to be recorded in the Irish annals during the course of the ninth century. It is likely that this is the result of (unrecorded) raids by Vikings.
A setting of two small stones in the graveyard at Applecross is still pointed out as the (supposed) site of his grave.
Death
According to local tradition, on his last journey he was killed by DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
vikings, probably at Teampull, around nine miles up the Strathnaver
Strathnaver
Strathnaver or Strath Naver is the fertile strath of the River Naver, a famous salmon river that flows from Loch Naver to the north coast of Scotland...
from Farr, where he had built a cell; and was buried near the River Naver, not far from his cell, where his grave is still marked by "a rough cross-marked stone". However, 722 is far too early for Scandinavian raiders to have been involved, as the first historically recorded Viking attacks on Britain and Ireland date to the 790s.
Another tradition, found in the Aberdeen Breviary, is that he was killed at Urquhart and buried at Abercrossan. This is probably a mistake arising from a confusion of Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
place-names.
The most reliable sources, contemporary Irish annals, merely record that he 'died' at Applecross in his 80th year.
Cult
Máelrubai was, after St. Columba, perhaps the most popular saint of north-west Scotland. At least twenty-one churches are dedicated to him, and Dean Reeves enumerates about forty forms of his name. His death occurred on 21 April, and in Ireland his feast has always been kept on this day; however, in Scotland (probably owing to the confusion with St. Rufus) it has always been kept on August 27. There are several locations named after Máelrubai such as Loch MareeLoch Maree
Loch Maree is a loch in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. At long and with a maximum width of , it is the fourth largest freshwater loch in Scotland; it is the largest north of Loch Ness. Its surface area is ....
.
Máelrubai's name has given rise to numerous corruptions; for example in Keith
Keith, Moray
Keith is a small town in the Moray council area in north east Scotland. It has a population of around 4,500....
, he is referred to as "St Rufus", and in other parts of Scotland, his name was variously rendered as "Maree" (as in the Loch), "Summereve" (i.e., St Maol Rubha) etc. Because his feast day was on August 25 http://www.maccolin.com/STMAOLRU.HTM, folk etymology led some people to confuse "Summereve's Fair" with a secular fair celebrating the season.
In the 17th century the Presbytery of Dingwall was disturbed by reports of several rituals, evidently of pagan origin, such as the sacrificing of bulls, on an island in Loch Maree. These revolved round a debased memory of Máelrubai, whose legacy had perhaps become mixed with an ancient pre-Christian cult of 'God Mourie'.
On 5 July 1898, Pope Leo XIII restored his feast for the Church in Scotland, to be kept on August 27.
Areas where he was celebrated
- ApplecrossApplecrossThe Applecross peninsula is a peninsula in Wester Ross, Highland, on the west coast of Scotland. The name Applecross is at least 1300 years old and is not used locally to refer to the 19th century village with the pub and post office, lying on the small Applecross Bay, facing the Inner Sound, on...
and the Loch BroomLoch BroomLoch Broom is a sea loch located in northwestern Ross and Cromarty, in the former parish of Lochbroom, in the west coast of Scotland. The small town of Ullapool lies on the eastern shore of the loch...
area. - Keith, MorayKeith, MorayKeith is a small town in the Moray council area in north east Scotland. It has a population of around 4,500....
, sometimes referred to anciently as "Kethmalruff" - Loch MareeLoch MareeLoch Maree is a loch in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. At long and with a maximum width of , it is the fourth largest freshwater loch in Scotland; it is the largest north of Loch Ness. Its surface area is ....
, which has Isle MareeIsle MareeIsle Maree is an island in Loch Maree, Scotland.It has the remains of a chapel, graveyard, holy well, and holy tree on it, believed to be the 8th century hermitage of Saint Maol Rubha , who founded the monastery of Applecross in 672. The same island also contains ancient stands of oak and holly...
/Eilean Maree in it. The island has a well dedicated to the saint. - DingwallDingwallDingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
and TainTainTain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
, in Easter RossEaster RossEaster Ross is a loosely defined area in the east of Ross, Highland, Scotland.The name is used in the constituency name Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, which is the name of both a British House of Commons constituency and a Scottish Parliament constituency...
both of which held fairs celebrating the saint. - AmulreeAmulreeAmulree is a small hamlet in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It lies in hilly country on the A822 road, 1 km east of Loch Freuchie in Strathbraan, 8 km west of Dunkeld and 10 km north of Crieff.Its parish church contains copies of records of the large number of people who stayed there...
("Ath Maol Rubha" = St Maol Rubha's Ford), PerthshirePerthshirePerthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south... - AshaigAshaigAshaig is a hamlet, situated adjacent to Upper Breakish and Lower Breakish near Broadford on the island of Skye, Scotland. For administrative purposes, it lies in the Highland Council area.-Airfield:...
, on the Isle of Skye