The Life of St Columba
St Adomnan's Life of
Columba is not completely reliable (It
is first literature to make reference to the Loch Ness Monster), but it
does give an insight to Arthur in the following excerpts:
On the Battle of the Miathi.
At another time, after the lapse of many years from
the above-mentioned battle, and while the holy man was in the Iouan
island (Hy, now Iona), he suddenly said to his minister, Diormit, "Ring
the bell!" The brethren, startled at the sound, proceeded quickly to
the church, with the holy prelate himself at their head. There he
began, on bended knees, to say to them, "Let us pray now earnestly to
the Lord for this people and King Aidan, for they are engaging in
battle at this moment." Then after a short time he went out of the
oratory, and, looking up to heaven, said, "The barbarians are fleeing
now, and to Aidan is given the victory, sad one though it be." And the
blessed man in his prophecy declared the number of the slain in Aidan's
army to be three hundred and three men.
Prophecy of St. Columba regarding the Sons of King
Aidan.
At another time, before the above-mentioned battle,
the saint asked King Aidan about his successor to the crown. The king
answered that of his three sons, Artur, Eochoid Find, and Domingart, he
knew not which would have the kingdom after him. Then at once the saint
prophesied on this wise, "None of these three shall be king, for they
shall fall in battle, slain by their enemies; but now if thou hast any
younger sons, let them come to me, and that one of them whom the Lord
has chosen to be king will at once rush into my lap." When they were
called in, Eochoid Buide, according to the word of the saint, advanced
and rested in his bosom. Immediately the saint kissed him, and, giving
him his blessing, said to his father, "This one: shall survive and
reign as king after thee, and his sons shall reign after him." And so
were all these things fully accomplished afterwards in their time. For
Artur and Eochoid Find were not long after killed in the
above-mentioned battle of the Miathi; Domingart was also defeated and
slain in battle in Saxonia; while Eochoid Buide succeeded his father on
the throne.
The important points from this text are:
* It confirms that Arthur mac Aidan never made it to king
* It confirms that
Arthur mac Aidan was a seasoned warrior
