ON ST. TREMORUS OR TREMORIUS, MARTYR, IN ARMORICAN BRITTANY,
IN THE SIXTH CENTURY
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY
Tremorus, martyr, in Armorican Brittany (S.)
BY C. D. S.
[1] The whole legend of St. Tremorus An ancient veneration, certainly older than the sixteenth century, is shown by the legendary of Tréguier written in the fifteenth century, which is kept in the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris among the Latin codices, marked with the number 1148, and by the breviary or sanctorale of Quimper, of which, if Fr. Plaine is to be credited, a single copy is known, kept in the Bollandist library at Brussels Plaine, Vie inédite de S. Corentin (Quimper, 1886), p. 6, note 1. In the same legendary and sanctorale is presented the Legend of St. Tremorus, which is excerpted almost word for word from the Life of St. Gildas, often published, and most recently by the distinguished Theodor Mommsen MG., Auctores antiquissimi vol. XIII, pp. 91 – 106. The distinguished Ferdinand Lot, who recently examined it carefully [Mélanges d'histoire bretonne. VII. La Vie de saint Gildas, in Annales de Bretagne, vol. XXIII (1908), pp. 274 – 92], probably judged that it was written by Vitalis, abbot of Rhuys (1038 – after 1067), it is excerpted from that part of the Life of St. Gildas not before the year 1045, and, as it seems, between the years 1060 – about 1067; that in composing the last part (cc. 32 – 45), which is about matters of a more recent age and even of the eleventh century itself, Vitalis related above all what he had either seen himself or heard from contemporary witnesses; but that in narrating the history of Gildas older monuments, and written ones, were available to him concerning what Gildas had done in England (cc. 1 – 15), while no document of this kind was used in the middle part (cc. 16 – 31), in which the deeds of Gildas in Armorican Brittany are related, but that Vitalis related there what was handed down by common report in those places; which report, after so many centuries, is plainly altogether uncertain and deserving of no credit. which does not deserve credit, To popular fables especially must certainly be reckoned what is narrated in cc. 20 – 25 On these cf. ibid., pp. 293 – 96, even if Vitalis mixed into the narrative certain names of men taken from Gregory of Tours and from the chronicle called Fredegar's, by which some appearance of true history might seem to accrue to it.
[2] with a closing clause added that is even more fabulous. The same part of the Life, namely cc. 20 – 25, was copied out entire by the one who put together that legend which the legendary of Tréguier and the breviary of Quimper present, except that he added an altogether different closing clause. For the writer of the Life of Gildas, after briefly relating that the mother of Tremorus spent the rest of her life, after bearing her son, in a certain monastery of virgins, subjoined these few words about Tremorus himself: But her son, he too illustrious for virtues and miracles, completed with a blessed end the blessed life he had led; which certainly indicate a monastic life, and that not so short, or rather show that no memory of Tremorus survived beyond the veneration with which he was honoured as a saint. But the author of the legend of Tréguier or Quimper says that he was killed by his wicked father when quite young, while he was giving his labour to learning letters, and thence was distinguished with the glory of martyrdom. A worthy end indeed of that whole popular fiction, as it seems, which no other document supports besides this narrative.
[3] From what time, One testimony remains to be brought forward, from which it is proved that the cult of St. Tremorus was already celebrated at the beginning of the tenth century. Among the remains of saints, namely, which on the occasion of the incursions of the Normans in the tenth century were translated from Brittany to Paris together with the body of St. Magloire, there is mentioned part of the precious bodies of Melorius and Tremorius and Abbot Wiganto [In Mabillon, Annales O. S. B., vol. III, p. 720; A. de la Borderie, Miracles de S. Magloire, in Mémoires de la Société historique et archéologique des Côtes-du-Nord, 2e sér., vol. IV (1891), p. 329].
[4] in what places, These monuments of the cult of St. Triphina and St. Tremorius are indicated by Arthur de la Borderie Études historiques bretonnes, 1re série (Paris, 1884), p. 325. Namely, in the church of the village of Laniscat (dép. Côtes-du-Nord), dedicated to St. Gildas, the history of St. Triphina is seen painted. With the name of Triphina herself are distinguished a church and a certain village (Sainte-Tréphine, dép. Côtes-du-Nord), where the bodies of the saint and of her son St. Tremorus are said to rest. Finally, in the town of Carhaix (dép. Finistère), St. Tremorus is said to have been the patron of the ancient collegiate church.
[5] on what day the saint is venerated. The memory of St. Tremorus is recalled on the 8th day of November not only in the legendary of Tréguier and in the breviary of Quimper, of which see no. 1, but also in the fifteenth-century calendar of the monastery of Saint-Magloire at Paris [F. Duine, Bréviaires et missels des églises et abbayes bretonnes de France (Rennes, 1905), p. 217] and in some more recent martyrologies, e.g. that of Paris of the year 1727 and that of Évreux of the year 1752.
THE LEGEND OF ST. TREMORUS
Tremorus, martyr, in Armorican Brittany (S.)
BHL Number: 8312
From the Paris codex, Bibliothèque Nationale lat. 1148 (= 1) and the printed breviary of Quimper (= 2). Cf. Preliminary Commentary, no. 1.
On St. Tremorius, martyr. 8th of November.
Life of Gildas, c. 20. Lesson I. — Now there was in those days a certain tyrant named Cognomerus [Gregory of Tours names Chonomor, a count of Brittany in the sixth century, Historia Francorum, book IV, c. 4. Vitalis, abbot of Rhuys, found a man or men of the same name both in the Life of St. Samson, in which there is talk of the tyrant Canmorus (Acta Sanctorum, July vol. VI, p. 586, book I, c. 59), and above all in the ancient Life of St. Paul of Léon (BHL 6585), which Vitalis not only read but himself published in a contracted form (BHL 6586), and in which (c. 8) King Mark is praised, whom they call by another name Quonomorius (ed. Cuissard, in Revue celtique, vol. V, p. 431; cf. ed. Plaine, Analecta Bollandiana, vol. VI, p. 226, where Quonomonus is wrongly written)] in the upper parts of the region of Brittany, [That to the tyrant Cognomerus, accustomed to cut the throats of his pregnant wives,] led astray by perverse cruelty and diabolical fraud. He was accustomed, whenever he learned that his wife had conceived in her womb, at once to cut her throat. For he had received an answer from the devil that he was to have a son who would prevail over the same Cognomerus. And when he had now killed many women sprung of noble lineage, their parents began to be much saddened over this and to keep themselves further away from him. And so no man of any discretion adhered to him in anything, either in conversing or for the sake of any business, nor directed messages to him, so as not to become a sharer in his malice. Seeing himself, then, despised by all, he sends word to St. Gildas that he should hear the petition of his words. But the holy man Gildas, perceiving the craftiness of his malice, by no means gave him assent, but moved far away from him, lest in any way through conversation with him the nobles and princes of that region should be utterly deceived.
Nerocus, count of Vannes, betroths his daughter Trifina, long refused, Lesson II. — And the aforesaid tyrant himself, not being able to attain what he sought, sent to Nerocus, the noble count of Vannes [Warocus, a count of Brittany, of whom Gregory of Tours often speaks (Historia Francorum, book IV, c. 16; book V, c. 26; book IX, c. 18; book X, c. 9. In gloria martyrum, c. 60), and also the Chronicles called Fredegar's, book III, cc. 77, 80 (from Gregory)], bidding him give him as wife his daughter named Trifina. When Count Nerocus had heard this, he at once replied to his messengers: "How could I give her to the sword of your wicked lord to be killed? Have I not heard of the slaughter he has made of the women who were joined to him in marriage? By no means will I do it. For my daughter shall not incur death, while I am able to keep it away from her." Life of Gildas, c. 21 " The messengers, then, having returned to the aforesaid evildoer, reported to him what Nerocus had said. He, however, not ceasing to pursue what he had begun, sends again and again to Nerocus, saying: "Whatever hostages or sureties you wish I will give you; only do what I ask." Nerocus answered him: "Your petition is vain and you labour in thinking to no purpose. For unless you give me the blessed man Gildas as surety, you will never obtain what you seek, because I will hand her over to no one except through his hand." And he soon dispatched messengers to blessed Gildas, asking him to come as quickly as possible and receive the girl from her father's hand on his faith as intermediary and hand her over to him as wife in lawful marriage.
stands surety Lesson III. — And so the holy man, refusing their words, St. Gildas; answered, saying: "You know that your lord is most crafty and perverse with tyrannical savagery. If I consent to him and he makes me surety, and afterwards kills the girl, I have fallen into grave sin before God and her parents, since through my procuring they would have been led astray and would suffer the bereavement of a most dear child. But yet I will set out with you and discuss the wishes of both, namely of the parents and of him who sent you to me." Then, coming together with them, he found that the princes had assembled together for a cause of this kind. And while they were speaking with one another among themselves about this matter, the girl's father said to blessed Gildas: "If you receive my daughter by your hand, I will trust you and hand her over to you. But if you will not receive her, he here shall never have her." And when blessed Gildas had received an oath from Cognomerus that he would do her no harm, he said to Nerocus: "Hand her over to me, and I, protected by the power of God, will restore her to you safe." And so the aforesaid tyrant received her from the hand of St. Gildas to be joined to himself in marriage.
whom Lesson IV. — So blessed Gildas returns to his monastery, powerful in illustrious virtues. The wedding, then, having been completed, Life of Gildas, c. 22. the tyrant began to cherish his bride and treat her in a friendly way. But as soon as he knew that she had conceived in her womb, he thought to kill her in his usual manner. But fearing greatly the oath which he had made to blessed Gildas, he said to himself: "I cannot deceive the holy man." For he feared to incur the wrath of God if he should try to kill with the wicked sword the woman whom he had received from the hand of the man of God. But the devil on the other hand ministers an occasion to him, asserting that he ought not to fear the holiness of the holy man Gildas so much as to give up, like a timid man of no daring, carrying into effect what he had decided to do, on account of some monk. Meanwhile the 〈woman〉, perceiving by many indications his mind raging against her because she was pregnant, terrified with fear, turned secretly to flight. killed by Cognomerus When her evildoing husband learned this, inflamed now with greater anger, he pursued her, and finding her hidden by the road under the foliage, he cut her throat with his own sword, and going away left her body there, headless, and the head placed beside it.
Life of Gildas, c. 23. Lesson V. — Her father, then, hearing what had befallen his daughter, struck with great grief, soon sent in great haste to blessed Gildas, saying: "Give me back my daughter, because it was on account of your intercession that I handed her over. Know that he received her in marriage from your hand, and has cut her throat with his own sword. grieving," Greatly moved over this, the holy man came as quickly as possible to a certain little fortification where the aforesaid tyrant lived, wishing to hear from him whether he had killed his wife, as rumour reported. But the tyrant, as soon as he perceived that blessed Gildas was approaching, ordered the doorkeeper of the house by no means to let the holy man come in to him. For he knew that he had offended against God and St. Gildas by killing his wife. But although he was not ignorant of this, he nevertheless disdained to beg the saint of God to obtain from God by his prayers that he would give him a contrite and humbled heart to do penance for the evil he had done.
the house of the tyrant Lesson VI. — When, then, St. Gildas had long knocked at the tyrant's door and no one opened to him, but rather he was mocked by those who were inside, he prayed to the Lord that, if his life was not to be changed for the better, he would deign to put an end to his malice. His prayer then completed, going round the whole fortification in which the most wicked tyrant lived, he took a little earth and threw it upon that dwelling; being thrown down, which at once, God willing it, collapsed entirely. But the tyrant was not yet extinguished, although he was gravely injured. Then the holy man Gildas went away to the place where the lifeless corpse of the slain woman, who had a child in her womb, lay. Life of Gildas c. 24.
he raises from death, Lesson VII. — And at once blessed Gildas, shedding tears, bending his knees on the ground, prayed to God, saying: "Lord God, who formed man from the slime of the earth, I call upon you, that you may hear me [The prayer is much longer in the Life of St. Gildas; the writer of the legend contracted it, as also other things in this lesson]." And the prayer made, he took the head and joined it to the headless body, saying: "Trifina, I say to you, rise and stand upon your feet." And she at once rose up, sound and unharmed by any corruption, as if she had been roused from sleep.
he restores her to her parent, Lesson VIII. — Then blessed Gildas led her to her father and, taking her right hand, handed her over to him, saying: "Behold the deposit which you gave me. Guard her as a daughter, and have the child which she carries in her womb carefully nourished, when it is born, until it comes to the age of understanding." But she said under oath: "That I will never leave you, father." Blessed Gildas answered her: who would afterwards live in a monastery of virgins. "It is not permitted for a woman to follow a monk in any way. But stay meanwhile in your father's house until you give birth, and when you have given birth, we will bring you into a monastery of virgins, so that you may lead a life of chastity with the other virgins." Then the word of the man of God pleased her, and she remained in her father's house a few days.
Life of Gildas c. 25. Lesson IX. — Not long after, the time having been completed, when blessed Trifina had given birth to her son, it was announced to blessed Gildas; who ordered the boy to be baptized, and had his own name given him, and had him nourished until he could do without his nurse's milk. Trifina's son Tremorius, And then he handed him over to a faithful teacher to be instructed in the liberal studies of letters; and he caused his mother to remain in a monastery of virgins together with the other handmaids of God. She afterwards, serving God in chastity, leading her life to God in fasts and prayers, at last, called by the Lord vocato 2., rested in peace with a blessed end. Her son too, who was first named Gildas, was called by the Britons Tremorus. an outstanding boy, He, while still in his boyish years, was always of good disposition, humble, modest, chaste and illustrious for every honesty of manners. In the studies too of the liberal arts the grace of the Holy Spirit filled him beyond the measure of nature. Having been taught in a short time, he wonderfully surpassed the highest teachers. And the life which he had led with virtues and innumerable miracles he completed with a blessed end. he is slaughtered by his wicked father. For on a certain Sunday, when he was walking about for recreation after Mass with his companions in the manner of scholars near Quimper, the aforesaid tyrant, his most wicked father Cognomerus, cut off his head with a sword. But Tremorius, lifting his head from the ground, presented it with his own hands upon a certain stone, where his church is now built. And so by a happy martyrdom
on the sixth day before the Ides of November he passed to the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.