table of contents celtic monasteries in 7th century list of characters place names prayers illustrations prologue chapter 1 - in the beginning ad 645 1.1 the fianna 1.2 the cattle raid 1.3 manhood chapter 2 - wicklow hills 2.1 st brigids chapter 3 - you may call me fea 3.1 the wedding march 3.2 the long road back 3.3 king sigmalls response 3.4 retribution 3.5 an ignominious end chapter 4 - fateful meeting 4.1 hot heads and hard questions 4.2 the road north 4.3 the enchanted isle 4.4 ardslignish chapter 5 - fergus 5.1 the gaining of wisdom chapter 6 - celtic church versus rome 6.1 the novice nun 6.2 physicians and medicine 6.3 the plague 6.4 aftermath 6.5 jura 6.6 visiting curachs chapter 7 - to lindisfarne 7.1 on to whitby 7.2 lios mr chapter 8 - synod of whitby 8.1 return to lindisfarne 8.2 abbot colmns decision 8.3 two selfish men chapter 9 - st abbs 9.1 north ber-wick 9.2 abernethy 9.3 to dumbarton 9.4 lugs lookout 9.5 loch earn 9.6 veridis insula chapter 10 - culann 10.1 lios mor infirmary 10.2 saving lives 10.3 a proper job about the author end notes bibliography * * * * celtic monasteries in 7th century list of characters aebbe < # > abbess of kirk hill ( st abbs ) , sister of king oswy [ 615 - 683 ] alhfrith < # > > - son of king oswy art - cattle herder - irish hero means bear bec - monk at st ninians breuse - leader of fianna , raised culann bryan - monk at iona ciniod of fortriu - picti chieftain - fergus father colmn < # > - abbot of lindisfarne [ 605 - 676 ] culann - fianna and warrior monk cummne < # > - abbot of iona [ d 669 ] daire - monk at iona - scribe danan of alba - chieftain of picti alba - brother of sirona - river tay decca - head sister of jura eamon - monk at iona - scribe eanflaed < # > princess from kent , married king oswy [ b 626 - d after 685 ] ecne - abbot of jura - means poetry , wisdom , inspiration eogan mac cairill - irish king and enemy of sigmall fea - daughter of king sigmall fergus mac ciniod - picti of fortriu - firth of moray flann - fianna accompanied culann to derry - means red blood gille dhu - picti chieftain , lasairs uncle galen of pergamon < # > greek physician 129 - 199/217 ( disputed ) giona - irish king , potential father-in-law of fea harbondia - abbess of st brigids of kildare hilda < # > - abbess of whitby [ 614 - 680 ] hesus - monk at jura , left-handed , speaks greek father jowan - abbot at lios mor kerhanagh - unprincipled irish chieftain lasair - picti heroine - means flame lien - fianna warrior medros - cattle herder - obscure celtic god associated with cattle sister mish - nun at st brigids who mentored young fea morann - monk at iona , later abbot of ardslignish mullo - head monk at st brigits scriptorium odras - childhood friend of fea osgar - leader of fianna after breuse oswald < # > - king of northumbria [ d 641 oswy or oswiu < # > - king of northumbria [ 612- 670 ] pamp - irish bard , also known as ; pampinus pronuntio - bard at sigmalls court - see pamp above ruad - abbot of abernethy sigmall - irish king - feas father sirona - fergus mother , sister of danan of alba slane - blind monk in charge of scriptorium at jura sutugius - gaullist monk at st brigids tamara - sister at st brigids , young milk maid - means river nymph una - sister at st brigids .