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

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Friends,

Big oops! Before you all bombard my in-box, Mungo died in 614. I read this
over three times and missed that mistake. The perils of low-level dyslexia,
ADD/HA or advancing age; likely all three in my case. And to think I used
to be a professional editor. (Sheesh!)

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆


On Sun, Jan 13, 2019 at 5:36 AM Garth Groff and Sally Sanford <
mallardlodge1000 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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  🦆
>