St Columba and Doran

Aristocrat, poet, miracle-worker, diplomat, politician but most of all Irish-born Columba (who died on the 9th of June 597) is remembered as the saint who founded the Abbey of Iona and who along with his twelve companions spread the message of Christianity throughout the Highlands and Islands. To celebrate the anniversary one of the most renowned Celtic saints, here is a short anecdote recorded on the 8th of January 1951 by Calum Maclean from the recitation of John MacDonald of Highbridge, Brae Lochaber, about St Columba and his brother Doran:

 

Bha bràthair aig Calum Cille ris an abradh iad Dòran. ’S e Dòran a bh’ aca air. Agus ma bha Calum Cille na dhuine math, bha Dòran an rathad eile. Bhiodh e a’ fiachann ri feadhainn a mhealladh agus innseadh dhaibh agus ga chur an aghaidh Calum. Ach cha robh sin gu diubhar. ’S ann a’ leanachd Calum Cille a bha a h-uile duine. Agus bha an chùis glè mhath gus an robh iad ga thìodhlacadh, a’ tìodhlacadh Dòran. Agus ’s ann an sin a dh’aithnich iad dè ’n duine a bh’ ann. Bha iad ga chur a sìos fon talamh agus thàinig glaodhadh a-mach às an uaigh agus thuirt e:

“Na bi sibh-se a’ creidsinn na chluinneas sibh. Chan eil Irinn na àite idir cho dona. ’S e th’ ann àite math.”

“Ma-tà,” thuirt Calum Cille is e na sheasamh air taobh na h-uaigh, “cuiribh ùir air sùil Dòran mun labhair e tuillidh còmhradh.”

 

And the translation goes something like this:

 

Columba had a brother called Doran; that’s the name they had for him. And if Columba was a good man then Doran was the complete opposite. He would try to deceive others by telling lies and turning them against St Columba. But that didn’t really matter as everyone followed St Columba. Everything was well until they buried Dòran and it was then that they knew what kind of a man he was. They were lowering him into the ground when a cry came out of the grave and he said:

“Don’t believe what you hear as hell is not a bad place at all. In fact it’s a good place.”

“Well,” said St Columba who was standing by the grave, “then put soil over Dòran’s eyes before he speaks anymore.” 

 

A different and a fuller version of this tale was collected by Fr Allan McDonald (1859–1905), styled Maighstir Ailein, a fellow Lochaber man, when he was a resident priest in Eriskay. In this particular version Doran’s motivation is completely different for he volunteered to be buried alive so the Iona could be saved. It was the ultimate sacrifice that he was willing to make for the sake of his brother, Columba:

 

Bha Dobhran bochd a bhrathair ann an iomall an t-sluaigh. Thain’ e nall agus sheas e air culaibh Chaluim-chille a bhrathair agus thuirt e gun robh esan uile dheonach a bhi air a thiodhlacadh uile bheo fo’n talamh air chumhnanta gu’n gabhadh an I togail do Chaluim-chille a bhrathair naomh, agus e toirt creideas do Chaluim-chille gu’m biodh anam sabhailte le ordadh Dhia.

Arsa Calum-cille, ’ged nach ’eil brathair agam ach Dobhran bochd tha mi toilichte gur e a dheonaich a dhol dha’n t-sloc.’ Agus nach motha na sin a chite a bhiast a tighinn thun a chladaich gu brath.

Rinneadh an sloc seachd airdead duine. Nuair a chunnaic Dobhran an t-sloc thionndaidh e ri Calum-cille, ’s dh’iarr e mar fhabhar ceann a chuir air an t-sloc agus esan fhagail na sheasamh cho fada ’s a thogradh Dia fhagail beo.

Fhuair e iarrtas, a chuir sios beo dha’n t-sloc. Dh’fhagadh an so e.

Thainig Calum-cille is thoisich e air an I ’s bha e fichead la ag obair ’s bha an I a dol air aghaidh uamhasach. Bha e toilichte an ghnothach a bhi dol leis.

Ann an ceann an fhichead latha ’nuair a bha h-uile ni air thuairim a bhi dol air aghart gu math, thuirt e gu’m bu choir sealltain de chrioch a chaidh air Dobhran bochd, agus an sloc fhosgladh.

Bha Dobhran a coiseachd air urlar an t-sluic. ’Nuair a chunnaic Dobhran gu’n do dh’fhosgladh an t-sloc ’s a mhuthaich e ’n saoghal gu leir mu choinneamh thug e cruinn leum as gu bial an t-sluic ’s chuir e dha bhois air bial an t-sluic gu h-ard. Chroch e e-fhein ris an t-sloc. Bha lianadh mhor reidh suas ’o ’n I agus moran luachrach oirre. Na chunnaic Dobhran dhe’n luachar dh’fhas e ruadh agus tha am barr beag ruadh sin air an luachar riamh.

Dh’eubh Calum-cille ’s e thall–‘Uir, uir, air suil Dhobhran mu’n faic e’n corr dhe’n t-saoghal ’s dhe ’n pheacadh.’ Chuir iad an uir air agus thill iad a dh’ionnsaidh an cuid obrach. ’S cha deachaidh car an aghaidh Calum-cille tuilleadh gus an d’fhuair e crioch air I.

 

And the translation goes something like this:

 

Doran his poor brother was at the outskirts of the assembly. He came over and stood at the back of Columba, his brother, and he stated that he was more than willing to be buried alive so that Iona could be built for his holy brother Columba, and he gave belief to Columba that his soul was safe by God’s will.

Columba said, ‘I although I have only one brother in poor Doran I am pleased that he is willing to go into the pit.’ And even better than that the beast will never be seen again coming ashore.

The pit was dug down seven times the height of a man. When Doran saw the pit he turned towards Columba and asked him a favour: for the pit to be covered over and to be left standing as long as God was willing to keep him alive.

He received his wish – to be put alive into the pit. He was left like that.

Columba went over and he began work on Iona. He spent a score of days working and Iona was making good progress. He was pleased that things were working out so well.

At the end of the twentieth day was everything was more or less going well, he said that he should go over and see what had happened to poor Doran and so opened up the pit.

Doran was pacing up and down on the pit bottom. When Doran saw that the pit has opened he noticed the whole wide world was in view and he leaped up to the pit mouth and he put both his hands on the pit opening. He hung there in the pit. There was a large, smooth green up from Iona which contained plenty of rushes. That which Doran saw of these rushes turned red and from then on they still have small patches of red on their tops.

Columba shouted over by – ‘Soil, soil, on Doran’s eyes before he sees the rest of the world and it sins.’ They placed soil over him and they then returned to their work. Nothing ever went against Columba until Iona was completed.

 

References:

Fr. Allan McDonald (of Eriskay), ‘Calum-Cille agus Dobhran a Bhrathair’, The Celtic Review, vol. V (1908–09), pp. 107–09

SSS, NB 7, pp. 616–17

 

Image:
St Columba / Calum Cille / Colmcille potrayed as an Apostle to the Picts at King Bridei’s Fort