An old legend, long accepted as history, but rejected altogether by modern critics, makes this saint the bearer of the relics of St. Andrew from Patras in Achaia to Scotland in the fourth century. The story relates that Rule, when engaged in his duties as custodian of the apostle's shrine, was favoured with a Heavenly vision, in which an angel commanded him to set aside certain of the relics—among them an arm-bone and three fingers of the Apostle—and to conceal them for a time in a certain spot indicated. Another vision later on directed the holy man to set sail with the relics in a north-westerly direction "towards the ends of the earth," and when the vessel should be in danger of shipwreck on a northern coast to recognise that as a sign that a church should be built near that spot in honour {150} of St. Andrew, where the relics should be enshrined. St. Rule is said to have carried out the command in company with many fellow voyagers, and to have founded the church of St. Andrew's, where he lived more than thirty years after his landing. A cave on the sea coast hard by still bears his name. He is said to have retired there for prayer. The old church of St. Rule, with its quaint, slender tower, was the first cathedral of the city, which formerly bore the saint's name.
Most modern historians identify St. Rule with an Irish abbot of similar name who is honoured on this day. He was a contemporary of St. Kenneth, and probably ended his days at St. Andrews, after labouring there as a missionary. St. Rule is the patron of Monifieth, Forfarshire; of Meikle Folia, near Fyvie, Aberdeenshire; and of Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire, where an ancient fair, held on the second Tuesday in October as late as the beginning of last century, was known as "Trewell Fair." There was a chapel of St. Rule at St. Cyrus (formerly called Ecclesgreig) in Kincardineshire. {151}
21 St. Mund or Fintan-Munnu, Abbot, A.D. 635, He was born in Ireland, and was a contemporary of St. Columba. He bears the character of being the most austere of all the Irish saints, and suffered grievously from bodily infirmities with the greatest resignation. Crossing over to Scotland, he dwelt for a time upon an island of Loch Leven, still called after him by the title of Eileanmunde.
A more important foundation was afterwards made by this saint at Kilmun, north of the Firth of Clyde, in Argyllshire. An old burial ground still marks the site of the monastery founded by St. Mund; the hills and wooded glens which surround the spot make up a scene of striking beauty. A small bay in the vicinity is called "Holy Loch." It is a matter of dispute whether the title came from its proximity to St. Mund's foundation or from a shipload of earth from the Holy Land, destined to form part of the foundation of a church in Glasgow, and reputed to have been sunk in a storm near that spot.
It is said that St. Mund made application to Baithen, St. Columba's successor at Iona, to be {152} received as a monk of that monastery, but that Baithen advised the saint to return to Ireland and found a monastery there. The holy abbot gave this advice on account of a prophecy of St. Columba, who had foreseen St. Mund's desire, and had declared that God willed that saint to become abbot over others and not the disciple of Baithen.
It was owing to this advice that St. Mund returned to his native land and founded Teach-Mun (Tagmon) in Wexford, which became famous under his rule.
Mediaeval documents mention the saint's pastoral staff as preserved in Argyllshire; its hereditary custodian held a small croft at Kilmun; it may have been in honour of this saint that a fair was held at that place for eight days during April as alluded to in records of 1490. No trace of the above relic now remains. In Ireland this saint is known as St. Fintan-Munnu; but Mundus or Mund is the title which appears in Scottish records.
26—St. Bean, Bishop, llth century.
This saint was venerated at Fowls Wester {153} and Kinkell, both in Perthshire. His well is pointed out at the former place, and his fair is held there. St. Bean is inserted in the calendar of the Breviary of Aberdeen, but few particulars of his life are known to us. Tradition makes him Bishop of Mortlach, in Banffshire, though the existence of such a see is not generally admitted. St. Bean, probably resided at Morlach of which he became patron (in succession to St. Moluag see—June 25); he is said to have ruled a monastery of Culdees there. An ancient stone effigy, in existence in the eighteenth century in Mortlach Church, was supposed to represent the saint; nothing of the kind is now to be seen. Balvenie, in the neighbourhood, is thought to be derived from Bal-beni-mor ("dwelling of Bean the Great"). The feast of St. Bean was restored to Scotland by Leo XIII.
St. Eata, Bishop, A.D. 686.