Bangor, Light of the World, 13: Comgall of the Cruthin

Posted on May 7, 2014 by
The founder of Bangor, Comgall, was born at Magheramorne, County Antrim, in 517 AD, of the people of the Cruthin. He lived in that old kingdom which Milchu had ruled, known now as Dalaradia. His father was Setna, a Pictish warrior, and his mother was known as Briga. Dalaradia (North-West, Mid and South Antrim ) was one of the main sub-kingdoms of Ulster, the others being Dalriada (North-East Antrim), Dal Fiatach (North Down and Ards) and Iveagh (South Down). From the fourth century onward Ulster had consisted only of that territory now comprised by the present counties of Down, Antrim, the eastern part of Londonderry and northern Louth.
 
At the height of its extent of power and influence the kingdom had stretched as far south as the Boyne River but, due to continual invasion by the Southern Gaels under their kings, the Ui Neill and their alleged descendants, the above territory only retained the right to the name of Ulster. Donegal (Venniconia) had been completely Gaelicised and the autonomous Cruthin dynasties driven east where they maintained their independence, due no doubt to the proximity of the major Pictish (Caledonian Cruthin) kingdom in what is now known as Scotland.
 
Having shown great promise in his early years of a vocation to the Christian ministry, Comgall was educated under St. Fintan at Clonenagh, and is also said to have studied under Finnian at Clonard and Mobhi Clairenach at Glasnevin. Following his ordination as a deacon and priest by Bishop Lugidius, Comgall was imbued with a great missionary zeal and founded in Dal Fiatach the great monastery of Bangor, under the patronage of Cantigern, Queen of Dalaradia, whose life he had saved. To distinguish it from the other Bangors in the British Isles it became known as Bangor Mor, which is to say, Bangor the Great.
 

The monastic settlement itself and its Rule were very similar to the Community of Righteousness in Palestine and consisted of a large number of huts made of wattles which were like stakes with clay and mortar. These huts were situated around the church or oratory with its refectory, school, scriptorium and hospice. The whole establishment was surrounded by a vallum which consisted of a rampart and ditch.

Life at Bangor was very serve. The food was sparse and even milk was considered an indulgence. Only one meal per day was allowed and that not until evening. Confession was held in public before the whole community and severe acts of penance were observed. There was silence at meal times and at other times conversation was restricted to the minimum. Comgall himself was extremely pious and austere and it is said that he rose in the middle of the night to recite psalms and say his prayers while immersed in the nearby steam.

The strength of the community lay in its form of worship. The choral services were based on the antiphonal singing from Gaul, introduced into the West by Ambrose of Milan in the fourth century. Bangor became famous for this type of choral psalmody and it spread from there throughout Europe. The glory of Bangor was the celebration of a perfected and refined Laus Perennis and in singing this the Cruthin of Bangor entered into a convenant of mutual love and service in the Church of Jesus Christ. Because of the 3,000 students and monks in Bangor and its daughter churches, it was possible to have a continuous chorus of the Divine Praise sung by large choirs which were divided into groups, each of which took regular duty and sang with a refinement not possible when St. Martin was organising the raw recruits of Gaul.

The Cursus Psalmorum in the Divine Office may be exhibited conveniently in tabular form as follows:

Name of Office : Hour : No. of Psalms
1. Ad Secundam Prime 6 am 3
2. Ad Tertiam Terce 9 am 3
3. Ad Sextam Sext Noon 3
4. Ad Nonam None 3 pm 3
5. Ad Vespertinam Vespers 6 pm 12
6. Ad initium Noctis 1st Nocturn 9 pm 12
7. Ad medium Noctis 2nd Nocturn Midnight 12
8. Ad Matutinam 3rd Nocturn with Lauds or Matins 3 am 24 or 36 (Mon, – Fri.) 36 to 75 (Sat., Sun.)

This shows that the Bangor Rule drew a distinction between Saturday and Sunday nights and the other five nights of the week. On each of these two nights from 1 November to 25 March 75 psalms were sung, Ad Matutinam, with 25 anthems, each anthem being said after three psalms, so that the whole psalter was recited every week during those two nights. From 25 March to 24 June the number of psalms was diminished weekly by one anthem and three psalms, so that on mid-summer day there remained about 12 anthems and 36 psalms. Then, as the nights drew longer, each week brought an additional anthem with three additional psalms so that by 1 November the total was reached again of 25 anthems and 75 psalms. This was the rule for Saturdays and Sundays. The rule for the other five nights seemed to be as follows: it was laid down that 24 or 36 psalms were to be said Ad Matutinam. The full number was 36 but in the shorter summer nights only 24 psalms were to be recited.

This arrangement of the Cursus Psalmorum in the Church in Ireland was unique and interesting, pointing again to an Eastern origin. The psalms were assigned to each of the day hours which were to be followed by a number of devotions in the form of versicles including collects (i) for our sins; (ii) for all Christian people; (iii) for persons consecrated to God in the grades of the ministry; (iv) for those who give alms; (v) for our enemies. This whole arrangement would have been difficult to carry out under any circumstances and in any place. If practicable in the warm nights of southern Gaul it must have been almost intolerable in the chilly nights in Ireland.

To be continued

© Pretani Associates 2014

 

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