Editing Ninian (section)

==Traditional story==
The earliest mention of Ninian of Whithorn is in a short passage of ''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum|The Ecclesiastical History of the English People]]'' by the [[Northumbria]]n monk [[Bede]] in {{circa|731}}. The 8th-century poem ''[[Miracula Nyniae Episcopi]]'' records some of the miracles attributed to him. A ''[[Vita Sancti Niniani|Life of Saint Ninian]]'' (''Vita Sancti Niniani'') was written around 1160 by [[Ailred of Rievaulx]], and in 1639 [[James Ussher]] discusses Ninian in his ''Brittanicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates''. These are the sources of information about Ninian of Whithorn, and all provide seemingly innocuous personal details about his life. However, there is no unchallenged historical evidence to support any of their stories, and all sources had political and religious agendas that were served by their accounts of Saint Ninian (discussed below).

Tradition holds that Ninian was a [[Britons (historical)|Briton]] who had studied in [[Rome]], that he established an episcopal see at the ''[[Candida Casa]]'' in Whithorn, that he named the see for [[Martin of Tours|Saint Martin of Tours]], that he converted the southern [[Picts]] to [[Christianity]], and that he is buried at Whithorn. Variations of the story add that he had actually met St Martin, that his father was a Christian king, and that he was buried in a stone sarcophagus near the altar of his church. Further variations assert that he left for [[Ireland]], and died there in 432. Dates for his birth are derived from the traditional mention of St Martin, who died in 397.

===Bede ({{circa|731}})===
[[Image:The Venerable Bede translates John 1902.jpg|thumb|''[[Bede|The Venerable Bede]] translates John'', by [[James Doyle Penrose|J. D. Penrose]], c. 1902.]]

[[Bede]] says that Ninian (whose name he only renders in the ablative case ''Nynia'') was a [[Britons (historical)|Briton]] who had been instructed in [[Rome]]; that he made his church of stone, which was unusual among the Britons; that his [[episcopal see]] was named after [[Martin of Tours|Saint Martin of Tours]]; that he preached to and converted the southern [[Picts]]; that his base was called ''Ad Candidam Casam'', which was in the province of the [[Bernicia]]ns; and that he was buried there, along with many other saints.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Bede|731|pp=271, 273}} Book III Chapter IV, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=azApAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA271 When the nation of the Picts received the faith]''</ref>

[[Image:Saint.Aelred.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Saint Ailred (or Aelred), from an 1845 book.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Forbes|1874|p=frontispiece}} ''The Historians of Scotland: The Lives of S. Ninian and S. Kentigern''</ref>]]

===Aelred ({{circa|1160}})===
Leaving aside the stories regarding miracles, in the ''[[Vita Sancti Niniani]]'' [[Aelred of Rievaulx|Aelred]] includes the following incidental information regarding Saint Ninian: that his father was a Christian king; that he was consecrated a bishop in Rome and that he met Saint Martin in Tours; that Saint Martin sent masons with him on his homeward journey, at his request; that these masons built a church of stone, situated on the shore, and that on learning of Saint Martin's death, Ninian dedicated the church to him; that a certain rich and powerful "King Tuduvallus" was converted by him; that he died after having converted the Picts and returned home, being buried in a stone sarcophagus near the altar of his church; and that he had once travelled with his brother, named "Plebia".<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Forbes|1874|pp=1–26}} ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=0K8uAAAAMAAJ&pg=1 The Life of S. Ninian by Ailred]''</ref>

Aelred said that in addition to finding information about Ninian in Bede, he took much additional information for his ''Life of S. Ninian'' from a source written in a "barbarous language"; there is no further information about this text. Aelred wrote his ''Life of S. Ninian'' sometime after spending ten years at the Scottish court and thus had close connections both to the Scottish royal family and to [[Fergus of Galloway]] (who would resurrect the [[Bishop of Galloway|Bishopric of Galloway]]), all of whom would have been pleased to have a manuscript with such a glowing description of a Galwegian and Scottish saint. His work is what Thomas Heffernan refers to as a "sacred biography", probably intended for a politically ambitious audience.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Dowden|1894|pp=23–32}} In ''The Life of St. Ninian''</ref><ref>Thomas Heffernan, ''Sacred Biography: Saints and their Biographers in the Middle Ages,'' Oxford University Press, 1992.</ref>

===Ussher (1639)===
[[Image:James Ussher by Sir Peter Lely.jpg|thumb|[[James Ussher]], Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland.]]

[[James Ussher]] wrote that Ninian left Candida Casa for ''Cluayn-coner'' in Ireland, and eventually died in Ireland; that his mother was a Spanish princess; that his father wished to regain him after having assented to his training for an ecclesiastical state; that a bell comes from heaven to call together his disciples; that a wooden church was raised by him, with beams delivered by stags; and that a [[harp]]er with no experience at architecture was the builder of the church. He adds that a smith and his son, named respectively "Terna" and "Wyn", witnessed a miracle by Ninian and that the saint was granted lands to be called "Wytterna".<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Forbes|1874|p=iv–v}} ''Introduction to the Life of S. Ninian''</ref><ref>{{Harvcolnb|Ussher|1639|pp=199–209, 228, 251}} – claims regarding Ninian in his ''Life of Ninian'', in Latin</ref>

In addition, [[William Forbes Skene|Skene]] attributes the "traditional" date of Ninian's death (16 September 432) ultimately to Ussher's ''Life of Ninian'', noting that the date is "without authority".<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Skene|1887|pp=3–4}} In ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=oJoQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA3 The Churches in the West]''</ref>

Ussher's contribution is often disparaged,<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Newman|Hutton|1845|p=11}} "The Irish life referred to by Archbishop Ussher does not appear entitled to much consideration" in ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=k-wOAAAAIAAJ St. Ninian's early days]'', for example; and elsewhere in the book.</ref><ref>{{Harvcolnb|Hardy|1862|p=44}} "The Irish Life was written long after Ninian's death, by an author of little discretion, who wished to adjust the conduct of the Saint to the usages of his own time." in the ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=4CUJAAAAIAAJ footnote]'', for example.</ref> as he both invented fictitious histories and misquoted legitimate manuscripts to suit his own purposes.<ref>for example, see {{Citation
|last=Bridgett
|first=Thomas Edward
|contribution=Catholicity of North-Britons
|contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NdoCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA55
|title=History of the Holy Eucharist in Great Britain
|volume=I
|publisher=C. Kegan Paul & Co
|date=1881
|location=London
|page=55 (footnote)
}} – Ussher printed a manuscript of the letters of [[Alcuin]], which contained a request for the intercession of Saint Ninian; however, Ussher edited the manuscript to change parts of it, and among his changes was the omission of Alcuin's request, but leaving other parts of it intact.</ref><ref>{{Citation
|last=Lawrie
|first=Archibald Campbell
|year=1905
|contribution=Letter of Alcuin to the Monks of Candid Casa, A.D. 782–804
|contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wuxJAAAAMAAJ&pg=1
|title=Early Scottish Charters Prior to A.D. 1153
|publisher=James Maclehose and Sons
|publication-date=1905
|location=Glasgow
|pages=226–27
}}</ref> Still, he had access to legitimate manuscripts, and he has contributed to some versions of the traditional stories.

===Other sources===
Others who wrote of Saint Ninian used the accounts of Bede, Aelred, or Ussher, or used derivatives of them in combination with information from various manuscripts. This includes [[John Capgrave]] (1393–1464), John of Tinmouth ({{floruit|{{circa|1366}}}}), [[John Colgan]] (died {{circa|1657}}), and many others,<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Hardy|1862}} throughout the book</ref> up to the present day.

The anonymously written 8th-century hagiographic ''[[Miracula Nyniae Episcopi|Miracula Nynie Episcopi]]'' (''Miracles of Bishop Ninian'') is discounted as a non-historical account, and copies are not widely extant.<ref>{{Citation
|last=Koch
|first=John T.
|year=2005
|contribution=Ninian, St.
|title=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia
|publisher=ABC-CLIO
|publication-date=2005
|page=1358
|isbn=978-1-85109-440-0
}}</ref>
{{Clear}}