[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.

    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.

    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
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