Saints Columba and Comgall: Adventurers in hagiographic intertextuality

Abstract

The Life of St Columba includes an entry wherein Columba travels to the court of king Bridei of Pictland, interesting here because of its appropriation and expansion in the longer version of the Life of St Comgall. Comparisons of the portrayal of Saints Columba and Comgall in the other’s Life indicates the continued desire for a collegial and positive relationship between the two saints and their respective communities. The manipulation of the entry to increase the renown of Comgall is evidenced by the increased drama of the story and the placement of Comgall front and centre. Through an analysis of the two Lives, the Life of St Comgall can potentially be linked to the foundation of a monastery in Leinster, mentioned in the final section of the Life. This monastery is suggested to be that of Ullard in the territory of Uí Dróna, where a new church was built in the twelfth century, possibly corresponding with the creation of the Life.