[MR] Wikipedia (and other sources): Saint Mungo

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends, Especially Fellow Scots,

Today marks the traditional feast day for Saint Mungo, founder, first
bishop, and patron saint of Glasgow (d. 1614):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Mungo .

His proper name is Saint Kentigern, but Mungo was a pet name by which is he
is better known. Mungo probably comes from the Cumbric/Welsh still spoken
in formerly Roman parts of Scotland during the dark ages, and variously is
said to mean "Dear One" or "Beloved Friend".

Setting aside the usual miracles and legends (which are represented by the
fish with the ring, the tree, the bird and the bell on Glasgow's heraldic
arms: https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Glasgow ),
Saint Mungo is known to have re-evangelized the area around what is Glasgow
in the 6th century. The modern city grew from his monastery, and he was the
area's first bishop. The present Glasgow Cathedral contains what is
believed to be his intact tomb, and likely covers the site of Saint Mungo's
original church: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Cathedral and
http://www.glasgowcathedral.org.uk .

The Cathedral was one of Scotland's principal pilgrimage sites during the
middle ages. An elaborate shrine was constructed in the choir above
Saint Mungo's actual tomb which is/was below in the undercroft. After
worshiping at the shrine, pilgrims were directed into the undercroft for
more devotions where the actual tomb was located. The shrine and tomb
furnishings were destroyed during the Protestant reformation circa 1560,
but the tomb and its slab were left intact. Maybe the Calvinists still had
a soft spot in their hearts for the saint. Local Protestant guildsmen later
successfully defended the church building against further attacks by
iconoclasts. Curiously, today the church is home to a congregation in the
Kirk of Scotland, spiritual descendants of the same Calvinists who
destroyed the shrine. Although it is still called Glasgow Cathedral, it
technically is no longer a cathedral since it has no bishop. The Kirk of
Scotland does not have bishops.

And now for a brief personal story. When Lady Sarah and I visited Scotland
in 2017, Saint Mungo's Cathedral was high on our must-see list. We visited
in our garb for a better feeling of what pilgrimage was like (to the
delight of the docents). I was sitting on a bench in front of the actual
tomb slab contemplating Saint Mungo's life approximately from where this
photograph was taken:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Mungo#/media/File:Stmungotomb.JPG . It
was the day before Easter Sunday, and the church was abuzz with activity
for services the next day. Suddenly the organist directly above my seat
open up with a hymn which reverberated all through the crypt. Wow, what a
spiritual hit! "O.K. God, I get it!"

Saint Mungo is my favorite saint. Although I use his name in the SCA, the
name is not actually derived directly from the saint. I chose the name and
justified it to the heralds from a distant relative I discovered among my
Napier ancestors. Only later did I learn about Saint Mungo and his
Cathedral.

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆