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New Medieval Books: The Life of St Brendan and His Prayer

The Life of St Brendan and His Prayer

Translated by Gordon Barthos

Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies
ISBN: 9780888443120

St Brendan the Navigator is one of the most famous saints from the Early Middle Ages. This book translates his Vita, which recounts Brendan’s life, and a prayer of protection that he supposedly created.

Excerpt:

Saint Brendan was one of the most celebrated figures of the medieval era. The chief memorials in Latin to his life, legend, and legacy – the Vita Sancti Brendani, the Navigatio Sancti Brendani, and the Oratio Sancti Brendani – portray Brendan as a saintly hero and as an icon of the Gaelic west who was identified with its people, their struggles, and their aspirations over the long arc of Irish history. Beginning with evidence from the Irish annals for Brendan himself, and proceeding to the surviving manuscript sources, the discussion below touches on the contents, structure, themes, and style of the version of the Vita chose from translation in this volume, one which incorporates the Navigatio. The discussion moves on to the Oratio attributed to Brendan, reportedly composed when he was at sea, and ends with a note on the translation.

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Who is this book for?

If you are interested in either saints in the Middle Ages, or early medieval Irish history, this book will be a very important source. Even those with a broader interest in medieval Christianity will find this to be a very enjoyable read.

The translator:

Gordon Barthos is a journalist and scholar who is interested in Irish hagiography.

You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website

You can also buy this book from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

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