April 16th - Magnus - the Martyr of Orkney
Linda
The story of Magnus Erlendsson - Orkney's Saint Magnus - begins in earnest
in 1098 - a time when the Orkney earldom was divided between two brothers -
Earls Paul and Erlend. Magnus was the eldest son of Earl Erlend, while his
cousin, Hakon, was the son of Paul.
In 1098, the Norwegian king Magnus "Barelegs" arrived suddenly in Orkney,
where he unseated both earls and made his son, Sigurd, overlord of the
islands. Earl Paul and Erlend were instructed to go to Norway, where they
both died before winter's end.
With Sigurd in place as 'king', King Magnus left Orkney on a raiding
expedition, making sure he had Hakon and the 18-year-old Magnus with him.
Heading down the west coast of Scotland, the raiders travelled as far south
as Anglesey.
According to the sagas, during the voyage south, the young Magnus would not
take up the sword to fight during the raids. When the Vikings attacked the
Welsh rulers of Anglesey, Magnus refused to participate. Instead, he chose
to remain on board the ship singing psalms - overtly Christian behaviour
that did not please the Norwegian King, who disliked Magnus intensely and
regarded him a coward.
This episode, although it sets up the saintly image of Magnus perfectly,
could have a number of explanations.
It is possible that the account is a later addition, specifically introduced
to highlight Magnus' piety. The lack of references to Magnus in other
historical accounts of the voyage has prompted suggestions that his
inclusion in the Orkneyinga Saga version of events was purely fictional.
However, if we assume that Magnus was indeed part of the raiding party, his
refusal to fight could have been for political reasons other than spiritual.
The historian William Thomson points out in his New History of Orkney, that
Magnus had a "surprisingly frequent involvment in Welsh affairs".
Whatever the truth, the Orkneyinga Saga goes on to explain that Magnus
escaped from the king's ship one night and swam to the shore of Scotland
where he had to 'disappear' until the death of King Magnus in Ireland in
1102. We know little about this time in hiding.
By the time Magnus reappears in the Orkneyinga Saga, Sigurd Magnusson had
returned to Norway to become joint king, leaving Magnus' cousin Hakon in the
position of earl.
A few year later, and after making representations to the Norwegian throne,
Magnus was granted his share of the earldom. At first there was a good
relationship between the two earls and their reign, from 1105 until 1114,
was said to be a just and pleasant one.
However, this "Golden Age" did not last.
The Orkneyinga Saga is not clear on the reason the two earls turned on each
other, relating only that men of "evil disposition" began stirring trouble
between Hakon and Magnus. Hakon, says the saga, was jealous of Magnus'
popularity and therefore "was more disposed to listen to these miserable
men".
Whatever their motives, these agitators succeeded in creating enmity between
Magnus and Hakon, so much so that they drew up for battle at a "thing" - an
assembly - on the Orkney Mainland. The site of this meeting has been
suggested as being Tingwall (from the Old Norse thingvollr - Assembly Field)
in the West Mainland parish of Rendall.
Neutral parties managed to avert hostilities and persuaded the two earls to
make peace. A further meeting was arranged to finalise this treaty, with the
earls to meet on Egilsay at Easter, each bringing only "two ships and an
equal number of men".
At the allotted time, Magnus set out for Egilsay with the agreed number of
men.
Approaching the island in calm water, says the saga, a great wave rose up
and struck Magnus' ship. This it recounts was taken to be an omen of the
earl's death.
"No wonder that you are surprised by this," said Magnus to his men, "Indeed,
I take this as a foreboding of my death."
Magnus was the first to arrive on Egilsay where he waited for the arrival of
his cousin. When eight warships came into view later that day it became
clear that treachery was afoot.
Hakon and his men landed on Egilsay the following morning. After first
ransacking the church, Hakon sought out Magnus, who had "gone to another
part of the island, to a certain hiding place".
Magnus was duly captured and brought before an assembly of local chieftains.
There, the saga stresses that Magnus was concerned only for the welfare of
his deceitful cousin's immortal soul.
As such Magnus made three suggestions that would save Hakon from breaking
his oath by killing an unarmed man. The first, that Magnus would go on a
pilgrimage and never return to Orkney was rejected as was the second, that
he be exiled to Scotland and imprisoned.
The final suggestion was that Hakon should:
"have me mutilated in anyway you choose, rather than take my life, or else
blind me and lock me in a dungeon"
Hakon deemed this acceptable but the assembly would not allow it. They leapt
to their feet and announced that one of the earls had to die. The chieftains
had had their fill of joint-rule in Orkney.
Hakon smugly informed the dissenters that as he preferred ruling and was not
ready to die, Magnus should be slain. Magnus put forward no argument so "was
doomed to death".
Informing his followers that they were not to die defending him, Magnus
stepped forward to accept his fate.
Hakon then ordered Ofeig, his standard-bearer, to carry out the killing but
the warrior refused angrily. Enraged, Hakon turned to his cook, Lifolf, and
instructed him to kill Magnus.
Lifolf wept loudly but Magnus spoke comforting words and forgave him for the
acts he must carry out:
"Be not afraid, for you do this against your will and he who forces you sins
more than you do."
Magnus then knelt before Lifolf and asked to be struck hard on the head,
rather than beheaded like a common criminal:
"Stand thou before me, and hew on my head a great wound, for it is not
seemly to behead chiefs like thieves. Take heart, poor wretch, for I have
prayed to God for thee, that He be merciful unto thee."
Lifolf struck the blow and cleaved the Earl's skull in two.
According to the Orkneyinga Saga this act took place "1,091 winters after
the birth of Christ" but this date does not tie in with documented events
and is definitely incorrect. Magnus was killed many years later - on April
14 in either 1115, 1116 or 1117.
Shortly after Magnus' death the miracles began. The Orkneyinga Saga recounts
that the site of Magnus murder was originally rocky and overgrown, but after
his death "God showed that he had suffered for righteousness' sake" and the
area was miraculously transformed into a green field.
Earl Magnus was buried at Christchurch in Birsay, the church his
grandfather, Thorfinn Sigurdsson, had built. The exact location of this
church is uncertain. Although it has been suggested that it was on the
Brough o' Birsay, recent investigations would seem to favour a location near
the current St Magnus Kirk in the current Birsay village.
Wherever he was laid to rest, from the day of Magnus' burial a bright
heavenly light was said to have been seen above his grave. This holy light
was supposedly accompanied by a heavenly fragrance.
Before long, as the Cult of Magnus grew, other stories began to spread, each
detailing the miraculous happenings around about the Earl's gravesite.
The Orkneyinga Saga recounts in great detail the numerous miraculous
healings that resulted from visits to the Magnus' grave.
Initially, the Bishop of Orkney, William the Old, tried to suppress the
growing cult, dismissing the alleged miracles and warning that it was
"heresy to go about with such tales".
But then, in an episode described in the Orkneyinga Saga, Bishop William
became convinced of Magnus' holiness after he was struck blind in his Birsay
cathedral.
Falling upon Magnus' grave and praying the bishop's sight was restored by
the power of the earl's remains.
Intriguingly the bishop's change of heart followed a visit to Norway.
Although the saga makes no mention of the purpose of this journey, the
historian William Thomson suggests that in Norway the bishop had met with
the future Earl Rognvald, the man who would later found St Magnus Cathedral
after seizing control of the Orkney earldom.
If this were so, Bishop William's sudden promotion of the cult of Magnus
could have had political reasons - Rognvald's plans to acquire the earldom
centred on the popularity of the Magnus cult.
Whatever the reason, 21 years after their burial, Bishop William had Magnus'
remains exhumed, washed and tested in consecrated fire. Their holiness
confirmed, Magnus was proclaimed a saint and his remains enshrined above the
Birsay kirk's altar.
The relics stayed in Birsay "for a long time" until Magnus supposedly
appeared to a Westray man, Gunni, in a dream. Magnus told Gunni that Bishop
William should be told that Magnus wished to leave Birsay and move east to
the growing town Kirkjuvagr - or Kirkwall as we know it today.
This Version Taken From:
http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/stmagnus/
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A prayer composed by Pope Pius XII, to Our Lady of Lourdes:
Immaculate Virgin of Lourdes, in compliance with thy loving invitation, we
kneel before thee in the lowly grotto where thou didst appear in order to
point out the way of prayer and penance to those who had strayed, and to
distribute to those sorely beset by bitter anguish the graces and marvels
of thy queenly bounty.
Accept, compassionate Queen, the praise and prayers which all peoples and
nations address to thee with confidence.
O shining vision of Paradise, dispel the shadows of error from our minds
with the light of Faith. O mystical Rose, comfort dejected souls with the
heavenly fragrance of Hope. O inexhaustible source of lifegiving waters,
refresh our barren hearts with the waves of Divine Love.
Grant that we, thy children, strengthened in affliction, protected in
danger, and supported in our struggles, may so love and serve thy Divine
Son as to merit eternal joys at the foot of thy heavenly throne. Amen.
Imprimatur: Francis Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop of New York; Nov 26, 1958.