Saturday 3 May 2008

Burial Most Royal

A poem by BT's mother. The Isles of the Sea, in the Firth of Lorn, are where St Columba first landed from Ireland. The grave of his mother, Eithne, is on a little hill outside the sanctuary area.



Burial Most Royal

He brought her to the Islands of the Sea,
That royal daughter of the Leinster kings,
And buried her outwith the sanctuary -
An Abbot's ruling had ordained these things.

But I believe Columba thought it meet
And right to lay her reverently down,
With many misty islands at her feet,
And bracken at her head a golden crown.

He left her there, the gentle, good and wise,
(Praying, I think, that God would show her grace)
Wrapped in the radiant light of seas and skies,
And with the sunset's glory in her face.


Moyra Macleod

9 comments:

  1. To die for, I agree! Gorgeous photo.

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  2. Thanks Laura. I'm afraid I'm not even responsible for the piccie, which I liberated from some site ages ago, so can't even give a credit.

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  3. Be proud - that's nice work.

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  4. The wonderful Moyra strikes again.

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  5. Thanks guys. She could write, couldn't she?

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  6. Lovely Poem.
    The Firth of Lorne...and the pub in Ardfern is named The Galley of LORNE...
    I visited the St Columbus cave near Lochead - magnificent. Where is this grave exactly?

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  7. Thanks, Foofy. It's not so far from Ardfern. West of Shuna is Luing, west of Luing are Eilean Dubh Mhor and Beag, west of those are the Garvellachs, or Isles of the Sea. Beautiful part of the Inner Hebrides.

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  8. Lovely, fascinating.
    Was she the Moyra Charlton who wrote Pendellion, one of the magic books of my childhood?
    Hilary Clare

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  9. Hilary - Sorry...I've only just found this comment buried in a 'needs moderation' cache. Yes, she was indeed. So glad you loved Pendellion; not one of her best known books.

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