The Latin Passage or Life of *Fursey (monk and missionary in Ireland, Britain and Gaul, ob. c. 649) records the saint's visions, travels and death, and his burial at Péronne (north-east Gaul). Written probably in Gaul, c. 653/57.
E06313
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives
Literary - Other
The Passage or Life of Blessed Fursey (Transitus/Vita beati Fursei, BHL 3209, CPL 2101)
Summary:
(1) On Fursey's infancy, which was 'flashed with evident sacred portents of diverse miracles' (huius uiri infantia sacris quibusdam miraculorum praesagis apparentibus fulgebat). (2-3) How he built a monastery; and how, on the way to visiting his father's house, he became ill and experienced an angelic vision. (4) On his return from his vision, whereupon his companions told him he had been lifeless from evening to morning; how he then received communion, and continued in his sickness.
(5-15) On his second vision. How, protected by angels, he saw many demons, together with Satan, and great fires; how, among hosts of his angels, he spoke with two 'venerable men of his province' (uenerabilis uiros illius prouincia), the prelates Beoan and Meldan, who reassured him on his request that the end of the world was not near, although the human race was due to be scourged with famine and disease. How Beoan and Meldan admonished the 'princes... and most Christian doctors of the church' (principes... et doctores ecclesiae christianissimis), and spoke against the evil of pride; and how Beoan gave Fursey further advice on proper conduct, and ordered him to 'announce the word of God to the princes of this land of Ireland', especially regarding the need for repentance before death. (16) How Fursey recognised - and was partly scorched by - a man in the fire, who had bequeathed Fursey his garments before he died (uestimentum propriam moriens perdonauit). How the Devil (diabolus antiquus serpens) then accused Fursey of being party to the man's sins for having received his gifts, and how the angel guarding the saint told him not to accept the gifts of unrepetant sinners: 'Preach therefore unto all, that repentance may be done and received by a priest even unto the last hour; but nothing of the sinner's property shall be received, nor shall his body be buried in a holy place' (predica ergo omnibus quod paenitentia agenda et a sacerdote suscipienda usque in extremum horam sed tamen nihil substantiae eius suscipiendum nec corpus in sancto sepeliendum est).
(17-18) How Fursey returned to his body, and he preached what he had seen to all the people of Ireland (omnibus populis scottorum); how he was 'famous for divine virtues' and exorcised demons (diuinis uirtutibus clarus et obsessis enim corporibus daemonibus fugiebat). (19) On his third vision, on the year's anniversary of the second: how an angel came to him and foretold that he would preach for twelve years.
(20) How after ten years preaching he 'could not bear the multitude of people' and, understanding that some, through 'envy' were moving against him, he left Ireland for Britain, and came to 'Saxony' (per britanias in saxonia transuectus est), where he was taken up by King Sigibert and 'tamed the hearts of the barbarians' (barbarum mitigat cor). (21) On his fourth angelic vision, after twelve years' teaching was complete; how it prompted him to build a monastery in a fortification (in quodam castro), which was enriched by King Anna and his nobles, 'faithful unto Saint Fursey' (sancti fursei fideliter rex gentis illius anna ac nubiles quique tectis et muneribus adornarunt). (22) How he left control of the monastery to his brother Foillan, and joined his other brother, Ultan, for a year as a hermit.
(23) How he was was summoned to a great council by the king and his leaders, whereupon he understood that Christianity and the monastic order were threatened in the province, prompting him to leave for Gaul, where he was received by King Clovis and Erchinoald. How he built the monastery called Latiniacum (Lagny-sur-Marne); and how, not long after, while journeying with the king, he became ill and died.
(24) How Erchinoald 'kept' (retenta) Fursey's body for the church he was 'grandly building for himself' (sibi magnopere construxit) in the villa Perrona (Péronne); and how the body remained unharmed (inlaesus) even though it was a thirty-day wait until the dedication of the church. 'Reverently it was laid near the altar, according to custom (iuxta morem prope altare reconditur), and there did it remain for nearly four years.' On its subsequent translation to a new shrine: 'Now a little shrine was built on the east side of the altar of the church. And there, after so many years, the immaculate body was conveyed by bishops Eligius and Audoperth, without any putrefaction' (constructur uero ad orientaliem ecclesie altaris partem domuncolam ibi post tot annos inmaculatum corpus reuerentissimis sublectus episcopis eligio et audopertho transfertur sine ulla putridine). The author closes by remarking that Fursey's 'merits are bright with divine virtue' for those who seek him 'with right faith' (rectam fidem petentibus merita illius clariscunt diuinis uirtutibus).
Text and translation: Rackham 2007, 2-59.
Summary: B. Savill.
Ceremony of dedication
Cult PlacesCult building - independent (church)
Burial site of a saint - other
Descriptions of cult places
Non Liturgical ActivityConstruction of cult buildings
Renovation and embellishment of cult buildings
MiraclesMiracle during lifetime
Miracle after death
Miracles experienced by the saint
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation
Assumption/otherworldly journey
Exorcism
Unspecified miracle
RelicsBodily relic - entire body
Transfer, translation and deposition of relics
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Monarchs and their family
Foreigners (including Barbarians)
Aristocrats
Angels
Demons
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Relatives of the saint
Source
Nine manuscripts of the Passage or first Life (Vita Prima) of Fursey survive, of which the earliest is London, British Library, Harley 5041, fols 79–98 (eighth-century, northern Francia). The Passage was probably composed shortly after the saint's translation to his new shrine (domuncola) at the east side of the altar at Péronne (ch. 25, c. 653). The work was known by Bede, who incorporated parts of it into his Ecclesiastical History (731).See also the Nivelles Supplement to the Life of Fursey (E06314).
Discussion
The Passage is well known as an early example of Christian visionary literature. It does not, however, offer much in terms of evidence for cult until its closing description of Fursey's interment at Péronne.The Frankish bishop Eligius (ch. 24) and Fursey's brother Foillan (chs. 22, 24) appear elsewhere in our database as saints (S02032, S02399), but are not presented as objects of cult in this text, which was probably composed within their lifetimes.
Bibliography
Editions:Vita s. Fursei, ed. B. Krusch, MGH Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum, IV (1902), 423-51 (omits visions).
Vita s. Fursei, in W.W. Heist, ed., Vitae sanctorum Hiberniae ex codice olim Salmanticensi nunc Bruxellensi, Subsidia Hagiographica 28 (Brussels, 1965), 37–55.
Transitus beati Fursei, trans. O. Rackham (Norwich, 2007) (transcription of Harley MS, with English translation).
Benjamin Savill
18/06/2019
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S02398 | Fursey/Fursa/Furseus, monk and missionary in Ireland, Britain and Gaul, ob. c. 649 | Furseus | Certain |
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