[1]      Igitur sānctus Brendānus, cum nāvigāsset contrā merīdiem iter septem diērum, appāruit illīs in mare quaedam fōrmula quasi hominis sedentis super petram, [2] et vēlum, ante illum, ā longē quasi mēnsūrā ūnīus sagī, pendēns inter duās forcellās ferreās; et sīc agitābātur flūctibus sīcut nāvicula solet quandō perīclitātur ā turbine. [3] Aliī ex frātribus dīcēbant quod avis esset, aliī nāvim putābant. Vir Deī, cum audīsset eōs intrā sē cōnferentēs tālia, ait: “Sinite contendere; dīrigite cursum nāvis usque ad illum locum.”

[4]     Cum vērō vir Deī illūc appropinquāsset, restitērunt undae, in circuitū quasi coāgulātae, et invēnērunt hominem sedentem suprā petram, hispidum ac dēfōrmem; [5] et undae ex omnī parte, quandō effluēbant ad illum, percutiēbant eum usque ad verticem, et, quandō recēdēbant, appārēbat illa petra nūda in quā sedēbat īnfēlīx ille. [6] Pannus quoque, quī ante illum pendēbat—aliquandō ventus minābat illum ā sē, aliquandō percutiēbat eum per oculōs et frontem.

    Judas.  They see a rock with a figure sitting under a cloth suspended from two forks and blown by the wind.  The monks don't know what they're looking at, but, coming closer, they see an ugly and unkempt man. who tells them that he is Judas.  The cloth is sometimes blown away from him and sometimes it hits him in the face.

    Although there was a rich tradition of post-Biblical stories about Judas, the account here has details not attested elsewhere.  Most importantly, Judas here gets days off from eternal damnation, just as the neutral angels get to spend Sundays and holy days as birds (11.17).  The idea of a respite from damnation has its origins in Judaism and a feeling that the Sabbath should be a day of rest even for the dead, but the concept was never orthodox Christian doctrine.  Our author's immediate source was probably the Visio Pauli.

    [1] Igitur sānctus Brendānus, cum nāvigasset: = Igitur, cum sānctus Brendānus nāvigāsset.

    appāruit illīs: it appeared to Brendan and also his followers.

    [2] ā longē quasi mēnsūrā ūnīus sagī: “in length about the measure of a single cloak.” ā longē in CL means “from a distance” (OLD longē 2b). If ablative, mensūrā would be an ablative of degree of difference (AG § 414); it could also be mēnsūra, nominative, in a kind of apposition with vēlum.

    sīc agitābātur: the subject is vēlum.

    [3] Aliī ex frātribus: “some of the brothers”; alius in CL would be quīdam; see on 22.6.

    [4] restitērunt undae in circuitū quasi coāgulātae: either the waves around the rock were miraculously calmed, to make it easier for Brendan to land (Orlandi and Guglielmetti), or they congealed to make it harder (O’Meara).

    invēnērunt: the subject is now Brendan and his followers.

    [5] undae ... percutiēbant eum usque ad verticem: the waters had just been calmed, but our narrator describes Judas as he normally was on the rock, with the waves hitting him all the way to the top of his head.

    īnfēlīx ille: the subject is held to the end of the sentence; this may or may not be a reflection of Irish.

    [6] Pannus quoque, quī ante illum pendēbat: pannus here is another word for the vēlum hanging in front of himanother “nominative absolute,” or anacolouthon, since the subject changes, temporarily, to ventus.

    aliquandō ventus minābat illum ā sē: = aliquandō ventus minābat illum (pannum) ā sē [= hominem].

    aliquandō percutiēbat eum: = aliquandō (pannus) percutiēbat eum.

    nāvigō nāvigāre nāvigāvī nāvigātus

    to go by ship, sail; to row1

    contrā

    against; towards, in the direction of (OLD 14a)

    merīdiēs merīdiēī m.

    noon; the south

    septem; septimus –a –um

    7; 7th

    fōrmula –ae f

    shape, outline (OLD 1b)

    petra –ae f.

    a rock, crag

    vēlum vēlī n.

    sail; curtain; cloth2

    mēnsūra –ae f.

    (proper) amount; the full extent or amount (OLD 4b)

    sagum –ī n. or
    sagus –ī m.

    cloak; curtain (LL)

    pendeō pendēre pependī

    to hang

    forcella forcellae f.

    pitchfork

    ferreus –a –um

    made of iron

    nāvicula –ae f.

    boat (ML); (CL) small boat

    perīclitor perīclitārī perīclitātus

    to be in danger (from) (OLD 4)

    turbō (turben) turbinis m.

    whirlwind

    sinō sinere sīvī situs

    to allow3

    contendō contendere contendī contentus

    to argue (OLD 8e)

    dīrigō (dērigō) –ere –rēxī –rēctus

    to make straight, direct, guide

    ūsque

    until (often with ad or dum)

    illic illaec illuc

    there; in that place (illīc); to that place illūc)4

    appropinquō appropinquāre appropinquavī

    to approach, draw near

    restō restāre restitī

    to remain, be left; to stop, stay put

    circuitus –ūs m.

    circuit, circle; outer edge, perimeter (OLD 5)

    coāgulō –āre –āvī –ātus

    to curdle; collect

    petra –ae f.

    a rock, crag

    hispidus –a –um

    shaggy, hairy

    dēfōrmis dēfōrme

    ugly

    effluō –ere –xī

    to flow out, slip away5

    percutiō percutere percussī percussum

    to strike, kill

    ūsque

    until (often with ad or dum)

    vertex verticis m.

    the crown of the head (OLD 2)

    petra –ae f.

    a rock, crag

    īnfēlīx īnfēlīcis

    unfortunate, unhappy

    pannus –ī m.

    a scrap of clothing (OLD 2)6

    pendeō pendēre pependī

    to hang

    minō mināre mināvī

    to push (ML; CL to drive animals)

    percutiō percutere percussī percussum

    to strike, kill

    per

    through; by means of (OLD 14)

    article Nav
    Previous
    Next