[8] Hīs fīnītīs tribus versibus, ecce ingēns bēlua, ab occidente, iuxtā illōs trānsībat obviam alterī bēstiae; quae statim irruit bellum contrā illam, ita ut ignem ēmīsisset ex ōre suō. [9] At vērō senex frātribus suīs ait: “Vidēte, fīliolī, magnālia Redēmptōris nostrī; vidēte oboedientiam bēstiārum creātōrī suō. [10] Modo expectātē fīnem reī: nihil enim ingeret nōbīs haec pugna malī, sed prō glōriā Deī reputābitur.” [11] Hīs dictīs, misera quae persequēbātur famulōs Chrīstī interfecta est in trēs partēs cōram illīs, et altera reversa est, post victōriam, quō ībat.
[12] Alterā vērō diē vīdērunt īnsulam procul, arbustam valdē et spatiōsam. [13] Appropinquantibus vērō illīs ad ipsīus lītus atque ascendentibus dē nāvī, vīdērunt posteriōrem partem illīus bēluae quae erat interfecta. [14] Ait Sānctus Brendānus: “Ecce, quae voluit vōs dēvorāre, ipsam dēvorābitis. Vōs expectābitis multum tempus in hāc īnsulā. [15] Levātē ergō vestram nāviculam altius in terram et quaerite locum in istā silvā ubi tentōrium vestrum possit stāre.” [16] Ipse sānctus pater praedēstināvit locum illīs ad habitandum.
notes
After Brendan's prayer (apparently involving three separate Biblical verses) another monster appears, from the west, and attacks the first one. Brendan says that this proves that God has sent a savior. The good monster cuts the bad one up into three sections, and departs. Some days later they come to another island, covered in trees, and find the end section of the dead monster. Brendan says that this will provide food, and tells them to find a place to camp.
The episode is clearly symbolic of (roughly) the fight between good and evil for human souls. I am not aware of any obvious antecedent for a good sea monster, other than Iasconius (Chapter 10).
[8] ingēns bēlua ... trānsībat obviam alterī bēstiae: the ingēns bēlua (the good one) crossed the path of the alter bēstia (the bad one). obviam (adverb) can take a dative (OLD 1a).
irruit bellum contrā illam: “rushed a war against her (it)”; not a CL idiom.
[10] nihil ... malī: = haec pugna enim ingeret nihil malī nōbīs.
[11] misera: i.e., altera bēstia.
interfecta est in trēs partēs: “was killed (and chopped) into three parts.”
quō ībat: CL would be quō īsset.
[12] vīdērunt: the subject is “Brendan’s followers,” supplied from the mention of the famulī Chrīstī in 16.11, or from the context more generally.
īnsulam ... arbustam valdē et spatiōsam: the island has been identified as Greenland or part of Canada, but Wooding regards the suggestion as “at best lame.”
[13] Appropinquantibus ... illīs ... atque ascendentibus ..., vīdērunt: in CL the subject of the ablative absolute would not be the subject of the main verb.
vocabulary
| fīniō fīnīre fīnīvī fīnītus | to finish 8 |
| versus versūs m. | line (of poetry) |
| bēlua –ae f. | beast |
| occidēns –entis | the west (the land of the setting sun) |
| iūxtā | next to (prep. + acc.) |
| obviam (adv.) | in the way, so as to meet |
| bestia –ae f. | beast, creature |
| inruō –ere –ruī | to rush in |
| contrā | against; towards, in the direction of [OLD 14a] |
| ēmittō ēmittere ēmīsī ēmīssus | to send out |
| fīliolus –ī m. | little son, dear son 9 |
| magnālia –ium n. pl | great works or deeds (LL) |
| redēmptor –ōris m. | a contractor, farmer |
| oboedientia (obed–) –ae f. | obedience |
| bestia –ae f. | beast, creature |
| creātor –ōris m. | a creator, founder |
| modo | only, just; now, just now (at the present time); just now (in the immediate future) [OLD 5b] 10 |
| ingerō –ere –gessī –gestus | to heap over, pour over; force (something) upon someone [OLD 3] |
| malum malī n. | evil, calamity |
| prō | for, on behalf of (prep. + abl.) [OLD 3]; in view of, to judge from (+ abl.) [OLD 16b] |
| reputō reputāre reputāvī reputātus | to impute, ascribe (LL) |
| persequor persequī persecūtus sum | to pursue 11 |
| famulus –ī m. | servant |
| Christus –ī m. | Christ |
| corām | face to face; in the presence of, in front of (adv. or prep. + abl.) |
| arbustus –a –um | tree-covered 12 |
| valdē | powerfully; intensely, exceedingly |
| spatiōsus –a –um | wide, spacious, large |
| appropinquō appropinquāre appropinquavī | to approach, draw near 13 |
| bēlua –ae f. | beast |
| dēvorō dēvorāre dēvorāvī dēvorātus | to swallow, devour 14 |
| levō levāre levāvī levātus | to lift up15 |
| nāvicula –ae f. | boat (ML); (CL) small boat |
| altē | aloft, on high |
| tentōrium –iī n. | tent |
| stō stāre stetī statum | to stand; to stand firm [OLD 3a] |
| praedestinō –āre –āvī –ātum | determine beforehand 16 |
| habitō habitāre habitāvī habitātus | to inhabit |