Holy Relics

[Canadian Livingstone]

It was a tradition among the Welsh, Irish and Scotish in the celtic church that after the death of an important church leader such as Saint Patrick, Columba, Moluag and Fillan that certain relics such as their crozier, sacred bell or a holy book would take on a special religious significance to the clergy and worshipers and would be passed on to hereditary keepers or guardians referred to over the ages as dewar or deoradh. The pastoral staff in the hands of a bishop or abbot was a important symbol of power and authority and originated with the early church. The Dewar with his bachuil also held a position of respect and authority among the people of his parish as a representative of the Bishop and the Church. In case of Saint Molaug and Saint Fillan their pastoral staff, crozier or bachuil as it was known in gaelic was considered to have supernatural and miraculous powers of healing including the ability to help protect those in battle. These hereditary keepers of the staff went into battle with their clan or as bearers of the staff for a more powerful clan whom they had formed a bond or friendship with. In the case of Clan Livingstone, the Baron of Bachuil as guardian of Saint Moluag Staff was likely at one time or another a signifer or standard bearer in battle for the McDougalls and the Campbells who considered Moluag a patron saint. An ancestor of Baron Livingstone chief of Highland Clan MacLea probably a lay abbot in the church on the Island of Lismore was appointed to be the heriditary custodian of the bachuil of Saint Moluag. (In the early Celtic church many of the clergy were not required to be celibate.) This Dewar or Deoradh was responsible for the safety and security of the bachuil and in return received privileges from the church including a hereditary land grant and the title of Baron of Bachuil. Saint Moluag was considered to be a Saint of healing, so no doubt the ancient Barons with bachuil in hand, followed the Saint's legacy administering to the needs of the sick. With this great symbol of church authority, the Baron also collected tithes for the parish, but as a doer or almoner of the cathedral he also charitable giving out alms to the poor as Saint Moluag and the monastery had done before him. This was considered to be an important responsibility of the early Barons and as such it is worthy to note that the site of the old family residence is referred to in gaelic as "Larach taigh nan doera". Alexander Carmichael observed in his book "Carmina Gadelica" published in 1900 that the Campbells of Bail-an-deor in Lorn were almoners to the Priory of Airdchattan and one of them was referred locally as "An Deora Mor" the big almoner. The Bishop of Argyll left the Island of Lismore in the late 1400's for another location and by the time of the reformation in the 1500's the cathedral was already in a state of decline. These events must of had a significant impact on the Barons of Bachuil.

[Kyle2 MacLea]

A very nice article, Donald! I hadn't known about all the examples of hereditary items of Saints among the various clans, just the Bachuil and maybe one other one.

[Canadian Livingstone]

Hi Kyle, This is more me trying to piece the whole Bachuil scenario together in my head. A diamond in the rough I am afraid and in serious need of editing. I have been studying the history of other highland clans and comparing them with the Maconlea/Livingstones. Every once and while some interesting tidbit of information appears that is insightful. I was wondering if in the late 1400's/early 1500's the ancestor of Baron Livingstone owned the land the Bishops Palace at Achnadun on the Island of Lismore? regards Donald

[Bachuil]

Dear Donald, An interesting article, but it must be understood that we are the Coarbs

[Canadian Livingstone]

Dear Niall, Your quite right. Celibacy was not inforced in the Celtic church and as a result a number of highland clans can claim descent from an early abbot or coarb. Well into the middle ages, I was surprised to find that even the Church of Rome turned a blind eye to to it for the longest time in their relations with Scottish church. In the case of your ancestor it stands to reason that upon the death of Moluag that a non celibate coarb possibly even a relative of Molaug received his ceremonial staff and all the power and privileges that Molaug had possessed in his rhelm. As you mentioned earlier, the land that the coarb of Saint Moluag and his early descendants inherited would have been extensive, in the days long before the Campbells took control of Argyll and most of the Baron of Bachuil's holdings. If one traces the origins of the Barons of Bachuil and the highland MacDhunsliebhes to a 6th century abbot or coarb of Saint Moluag then the only question for me is how do you reconcile this notion with the theory that our MacDunsliehbe ancestors arrived in Scotland in the 12th or 13th centuries from Ulster either as descendants of the Dhunsliebhe that settled in Cowal or Knapdale or as descendants of the other McDhunsliebhe clan that came to Scotland probably fleeing the Norman occupation of Ulster.

[Bachuil]

Yes, Donald, there are many descended from Abbots - MacNab is the obvious. The Dunsleve question is the most difficult to reconcile.