Clann-an-oistir

The 'Clann-an-oistir' (from the Latin ostuarii) were the doorkeepers to the monastery of Iona.

Clann-an-oistir
TypeDoorkeepers of the Monastery of Iona
Location
  • Iona, Scotland

The first of the family came over from Ireland with Colum Cille, but when they caused the displeasure of that saint, he invoked a curse on them, by which it was decreed that never more than five of his clan should exist at the same time. Accordingly, when a sixth was born, one of the five was to look for death, which always happened until the race was extinguished. A female who died about the middle of the 18th century in Iona was the last person who could trace a lineage to the doorkeepers of this monastery.

References

    • This article incorporates text from Dwelly's [Scottish] Gaelic Dictionary (1911). (Clann-an-oistir)

    See also


    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.