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Cloistered
in a stone cell at the monastery of Saint Brigit, a sixth-century Irish nun
secretly records the memories of her Pagan youth, interrupting her assigned
task of transcribing Augustine and Patrick. She also writes of her fiercely
independent mother, whose skill with healing plants and inner strength she
inherited. She writes of her druid teacher, the brusque but magnetic Giannon,
who first introduced her to the mysteries of written language. But disturbing
events at the cloister keep intervening. As the monastery is rent by vague and
fantastic accusations, Gwynneve's words become the one force that can save her
from annihilation.
Declaration
I,
Gwynneve, a sinner quite uncultivated and the least of all the faithful and
utterly despicable to many, appeal to Saint Brigit or the goddess Brigit,
whatever it is her wish to be called. I pray that she, being the guardian of
poets, will bless me with honest and strong words.
I
am what is called a
cele
de
near
the age of barrenness, when a woman's womb becomes useless and hairs sprout on
the chin. I reside in one of a cluster of hives made of stone at Brigit's
church, a place of plain beauty but always cold and damp except in summer, when
the wind is green. It is a constant temptation for me to pause in my work and
stand outside on the hill to see the valley and the waves of hills beyond.
I
live and work most days and nights in my
clochan
with
one waxen candle to light the parchment. I labor like an insect beneath its mud
dome transcribing scripture, since I am one of a few nuns who are literate. I
am fast at my work, for my teacher, Giannon the Druid, was an expert at the
magic of words and taught me both thoroughness and impatience. I have just now
completed a transcription of
sciathluireach.
There
are only a few more hours before the bell will ring for lauds at dawn, but I do
not want to sleep. I do not sleep deeply or long some nights, but linger in a
netherworld between thought and bestial images. The dead will sometimes speak
to me. An agitation overtakes me. At these times it
soothes
me to write. The relentless thoughts about what I have witnessed and heard find
some peace when I turn them into marks on parchment. I cannot keep silent about
some occurrences and observations, nor in fact would it
be
proper to do so. It is a holy duty to know the truth and tell it.
The
truth has a volume much larger than one person's body and soul. I am small both
in body and soul but will try to be like the ant who carries many times its own
weight. Those who read these pages, have mercy on me.
Beati
immaculati in via.
The
cross of Saint Brigit be under my feet.
The
mantle of Mary be about my shoulders.
The
protection of Michael over me, taking my hand.
In my
heart, the peace of the Son of Grace.
In my
soul, the protection of all good spirits in this
fierce
and beautiful land.
Maegmel
Posted November 5, 2010
This book makes you think, I had originally bought it because I thought that it was more along the historical fiction lines, while it is a historical fiction book, it might as well be true because not only is it moving (the ending was so tragic it almost made me cry), but more importantly it makes you think about a period of history that is so often forgotten....
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 3, 2006
Gwynneve, the pagan nun, recounts her life with honesty, humor, loss, joy and fear. She is caught between her pagan upbringing and the Christian faith that is sweeping over her native Ireland. Her words are simple yet laden with complex thoughts and emotions. Her perspective is innocently logical and she clings to it right up until her end. Gwynneve's poignant manuscript is beautifully written and a testament to all the ordinary lives that lived and died during the Dark Ages.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 21, 2003
A very fine read and excellent story portraying the rugged life of a monastic Irish woman. It seems so real to be fiction and I would like to bet it is non fiction in part.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Vranitzky
Posted March 29, 2013
The Abiding Wisdom of a Sixth Century Woman
I consider Confessions of a Pagan Nun to be a wisdom book. It is among the most beautiful books I have ever read. Set in early 6th Century Ireland, approximately 50 years after St. Patrick's Declaration, it is a portrait of the final transition from Pagan to Christian Ireland. A novel, it purports to be the confessions of Gwynneve, long an apprentice to one of the last Druid priests (a master of languages) and now a Catholic nun at the Convent of St. Brigit. She writes of both her past life and her present life, in alternating chapters. For her, having lived her life as a Pagan, and having converted to Christianity more by choice than conscience -- a necessary survival move -- she begins to discover a deep commonality between her old Pagan beliefs and her new Christian beliefs. In the course of this profoundly life-affirming but ultimately tragic novel, what she finally unearths within the bottomless precincts of her own mind, heart, and spirit is a profound womanly wisdom and understanding. The ending made me weep long and hard. There's magic here, in the oldest, best senses -- the magic of life itself, and the healing magic of storytelling, in its ability to powerfully remind us of that fact.
ouch2om
Posted May 10, 2010
It's a short novel and a bit difficult to get into, but I feel very rewarding. It's told from the perspective of a woman who was raised Pagan and chooses Christianity, but struggles with her upbringing and current choices. It helps with a bit of perspective about that time period.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.cuivre
Posted August 7, 2009
I Also Recommend:
This book's voice is poetic, its point is true, and its historical aspects are fascinating. This book caught my eye in the library, I read it nodding my head, and I have just bought it to add to my permanent bookshelves.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 12, 2007
Captivating w/ an elegantly humane voice. This is a book that all who struggle with the faith of now and that of their ancestors should read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 2, 2002
If you are Irish, Catholic and a woman you will be fascinated by this novel that reads like a non-fiction journal. This story will enlighten you to the religious traditions that existed before the Catholic Church became prominent in Ireland. It is magical, intriguing and speaks of justice vs injustice. This wonderful read will urge you to learn more about your pagan roots.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 2, 2001
I had to keep reminding myself that this book was fiction-- not an ancient artifact discovered in some long-forgotten Irish nook or cranny. If you are intrigued by all things medieval, Ireland, philosophy, religion, women's history, or great story-telling, this is a must-read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 18, 2001
This book appeals to the mind and the heart. It's an escape that takes you somewhere enriching, somewhere that makes you think and feel. It's set in the Dark Ages of Ireland and written as though a woman's journal of her struggles with human suffering and religious doubt. There's a lot here. It's a short book, but a lot happens, from passionate love to loss and revelation. I wanted more.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 5, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted July 9, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted February 15, 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Cloistered
in a stone cell at the monastery of Saint Brigit, a sixth-century Irish nun
secretly records the memories of her Pagan youth, interrupting her assigned
task of transcribing Augustine and Patrick. She also writes of her fiercely...