CONCERNING BLESSED AMNICHADUS, ENCLOSED MONK, AT FULDA.
Year 1043.
CommentaryAmnichadus, Recluse at Fulda in Germany (B.)
[1] Between Franconia and Hesse, well-known provinces of Germany, lies the forest of Buchonia, which has received its name from the beech tree, which grows there in the greatest abundance, and is called buche or buchbaum by the Germans. At Fulda, the birthday of B. Amnichadus, In it, on the river Fulda, a monastery was founded by S. Boniface the Bishop, and itself called by the name of Fulda; whose antiquities our Christoph Brouwer has encompassed in four books. In that monastery, among other holy men, there lived in the eleventh century Amnichadus the Scot, who spent many years enclosed in a cell most holily, and died on this thirtieth day of January. On which day Wion writes thus: In Buchonia, in the monastery of Fulda, the deposition of S. Amnichadus the Scot, an enclosed monk; at whose death, to declare his merits, visions of heavenly lights appeared, and psalmody divinely sent forth was heard at his sepulchre. Hugo Menard, Benedict Dorgany, John Wilson in the English Martyrology, and David Camerarius, book 3, On the Piety of the Scots, have the same; all of whom absolutely write him as a Saint, as also a certain manuscript Calendar of the Saints of the Order of S. Benedict, and Ferrari in his general Catalogue of Saints. The name varies: the name variously written, most call him Amnichadus, Camerarius also Annichadus; the cited manuscript, Ammechadus; Marianus, Annuchadus; Florence of Worcester, Animchadus; Ferrari here Amnicardus, but on the Kalends of February, Annachardus, perhaps thinking him different; George Conn, Ammichabus; Brouwer, Amichadus.
[2] He died in the year 1043, at which year Marianus Scotus writes thus: Annuchadus, Scot and recluse, died on the third day before the Kalends of February, in the monastery of Fulda: above whose sepulchre lights were seen and psalmody heard. Above him, I Marianus Scotus, enclosed for ten years, standing over his feet, daily sang Masses. So the published Marianus, but it is established that the text was mutilated by copyists, from Florence of Worcester, who died in the year 1119, thirty-one years after the death of Marianus; for he writes at the year 1043 thus: He was a Scot, a monk in Ireland, Animchadus, a Scottish monk and recluse, died at Fulda, above whose sepulchre Marianus, the author of this Chronicle, standing enclosed at his feet for ten years, sang Mass; who also related these things about the aforesaid Animchadus. He himself, he says, when he was in Ireland on the island which is called Keltra, on a certain day when certain Brothers had arrived, by the permission of his senior, named Kortram, he showed them hospitality. And when some had gone out after the meal, those who had remained sat warming themselves at the fire, and asked him to drink, and when he was unwilling without permission, they compelled him. At length he consented; but first he sent from that drink to his senior as a sort of blessing. But on the next day, being questioned by him for a slight fault, he goes into exile at the order of his Abbot: whence he had sent that drink, he related all that had happened: and immediately, for this fault alone, the senior ordered him to leave Ireland. Which he humbly fulfilled, and thus coming to Fulda, living holily as an enclosed recluse, as I said above, he died. This Tigernach, my senior, related to me, when I had committed a certain small fault in his presence.
[3] Also in my hearing, while I was enclosed at Fulda, a certain most religious monk of that same monastery, the dead man blesses a monk: named William, asked the above-mentioned Animchadus, already buried, to bless him: and, as he afterward confirmed to me, that same night he saw in a vision Animchadus standing in his sepulchre, shining with exceeding brightness, and with outstretched hand blessing him; and I too spent that whole night filled with a honey-sweet fragrance. These things Marianus says.
[4] So Florence. This Tigernach, the master of Marianus, is far other than the one whom the Carthusians of Cologne record on 4 April; praised by various writers: for that one was a contemporary of S. Brigid, as is evident from her life. George Conn, book 1, On the State of Religion among the Scots, writes that Amnichadus was born of no ignoble place in Scotland. The same is found in Wilson's Martyrology. Trithemius includes him among the illustrious men of the Order of S. Benedict, and calls him a Saint, book 3, chapter 244. He also mentions him in the Chronicle of Hirsau. Our Christoph Brouwer, book 1, Antiquities of Fulda, chapter 20, writes thus about him, treating of Abbot Richard: He himself entered upon his office after the beginning of the Emperor Henry's reign; why he was summoned to Fulda? and when he learned that monks of S. Benedict who were strangers from across the sea had come from Scotland to Germany with a remarkable zeal for a more perfect life and severity of discipline, he took care that, to shake off the torpor of his own men and to kindle virtue by example, he might summon many monks of the Scottish nation to Fulda; and by their attentive studies of life and doctrine, revive the ancient piety and erudition among his own. This Marianus Scotus did not pass over in silence, who also celebrates the monk Amichadus the Scot, famous in the monastery of Fulda for the sanctity of his life, at the year of Christ 1043, in which he also died. For he, enclosed there more strictly in the ancient manner, lived with such a reputation for holiness he shines with miracles, that above his sepulchre heavenly lights were seen, and voices of angelic psalmody were heard.