Baring-Gould’s sources: The day of the death of S. Budoc was Dec. 8, but the festival is transferred to Dec. 9, in the diocese of Dol, on account of the 8th being the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. In the diocese of L&n the Feast of S. Budoc was formerly observed on Nov. 18. The Gallican Martyrology of Saussaye on Nov. 19. Authorities: — A Life of the Saint in the L&n and Dol Breviaries, and in Legendaries used by Albert le Grand. Lobineau is angry with Le Grand for his Life, and says it is "remplie de fables,” but the "fables” are in the Breviary.1] The legend of S. Budoc of Dol is one of those delightful tales with which the long winter evenings over the fireside were wiled away in the Middle Ages, and which, from the mouths of minstrels and professional reciters passed into the sanctuary, and losing its poetic form, was read in prose in cathedral and church choirs, as a narrative of facts to be believed. The story ranks with “ Pierre de Provence and the Beautiful Maguelonne,” “ Hirlanda,” “ Robert the Devil,” “ The Seven Sons of Aymon,” “ Genoveva of Brabant,” “ Caesar Octavianus,” and “ Fortunatus and his Wishing Cap.”
1 Ak an amusing instance of critical incapacity, it is worth while quoting M. D. L. Miorcec de Kerdanet, editor of the edition of Albert le Grand published in 1837, “ Cette legende n'est point un conte... elle a toutes ses preuves dans la tradition et dans les actes des iglises de Dol et de Lion.” S. Btuioc \ Once upon a time in the days of old, the count of Goelo, in Brittany, sought in marriage Azenor, daughter of the count of L^on, who lived at Brest. The beautiful Azenor, “ tall as a palm, bright as a star,” consented to his proposals, and the marriage was solemnized with great pomp, “ with seafights in the gulf and the port, and all sorts of pastimes to exhibit the public rejoicings, during the fifteen days that the wedding lasted.” The count and his wife chose as their residence Castel-Audren, near a large mere full of fish. They had not been married a year before the mother of Azenor died, and her father married again. The stepmother was, it may be at once conjectured, of the type usual in tales of this sort.1 The new countess of L^on was filled with envy of the beauty, virtue, and good fame of the countess Azenor, and she resolved to compass her ruin. She began accordingly to instil suspicion of Azenoris chastity into the minds of both her husband and father. The poison of suspicion had its desired effect. The count of Goelo shut up his wife in a tower that commanded the mere, and forbade her to speak to any one. In her tribulation, the maligned countess prayed to the Holy Bridget of Ireland, her patroness. The stepmother, not satisfied with the incarceration of Azenor, but thirsting for her blood,2 gave her calumnies further shape and consistency. The count of Goelo assembled all his barons and council to judge his wife, accused of adultery. The unfortunate Azenor was brought into the hall for trial, and " seated on a little stool in the midst of the floor.” The heads of the accusation were read out, and she was asked what she had to answer. She sobbed and declared her innocence. But in spite of 1 '* Matrera habuit novercam, Nequitue plenam, per quam Prodiit calumnia.” — Proper of Dol.
Azenom summopere si tie ns," &c.—Ibid, there being no evidence for her conviction, she was condemned to be sent back in disgrace to her father at Brest. The count of L^on tried her, and she was sentenced to death by being put into a barrel and cast into the sea, to be carried wherever the winds and tides listed. The sentence was executed. The barrel floated five months on the ocean, tossed up and down.1 The barrel swam along the Cornish coast, doubled the Land’s End, and drifted towards Ireland. During the five months’ voyage, Azenor was supplied with victuals by an angel, who poked them in to her through the bung-hole. Whilst in the barrel, moreover, Azenor became a mother, the angel and S. Bridget assisting her as medical attendant and midwife.8 As soon as the babe was bom she made the sign of the cross on his brow, made him kiss the crucifix, and waited her opportunity for getting him baptized. The child began to talk even in the cask, before they came ashore.3 At last the barrel was rolled ashore at Aberffraw, or Youghal harbour, in Ireland, in the county of Cork. An Irish peasant, thinking he had found a barrel of wine, when he saw this cask stranded, after performing capers expressive of his delight, got a gimlet and was proceeding to tap the barrel, that he might sit and drink his full of its contents, when the babe from within shouted, “ Don’t hurt the cask.” “ And, pray, may I ask, who may you be there inside ? ” 1 "Hoc parato judido Mensibus quinque, dolio Mari mansit devia." — Proper of Dot " Tandem peperit filium Azenor, intra dolium Quftdam ut in regift.
Ubi, cum luce splendidfi Ministrans sancta Brigitta Dabat necessaria.** — Hymn in Lfton Breviary. lobiscum esL*’ — Lect. Brev. Lfton.
S. Budoc. inquired the Irishman, withdrawing the gimlet. “ I am a child desiring baptism,” replied the babe. “ Go at once to the abbot of this monastery, to which this land belongs, and bid him come and baptize me.”1 The Irishman tore off to Youghal, and gave the message to the abbot. “ You are deceiving me,” said the abbot. “ And is it likely I should be telling your reverence of my find on the sea shore,” answered the man, “ if there had been anything better than a baby in the barrel ? ”
The abbot went down to the shore, stove in the cask, and extracted the countess of Goelo and her son.2 The child was baptized and named Budoc, and was educated by the abbot of YoughaL In the mean time the wicked stepmother had fallen very ill, and being at the point of death, confessed that she had fabricated the accusations against Azenor, and that they were wholly destitute of truths When she had made this confession, she died. The count of Goelo, filled with grief at having sent away his wife on a false charge, started on an extensive and somewhat vague expedition in quest of the barrel. His good luck led him to Ireland, and he disembarked at Youghal, where he was happily reunited to his wife, and made acquaintance with his son. The count then had a stately ship got ready, and prepared to return to 1 “ Infans ab intus loquitur: Ne dolium lania.
Piscator, mirans auditu, Retulit: Qui est ibi tu? Baptizandus sum eja. Vade, inquit, quae vidisti Die abbati det ut Christi Mihi baptismalia.” — Lect. Brev. Lion.
image of a mother and child, and the story was told there that a great piece of wood had been washed ashore, and the prior was informed in vision that inside it was a Madonna and child.— 44 Monasticon Hibernicon " of Archdall, ©d. by Dr. Moran, t. i. p. 151- One is led to suspect in the story of Budoc a trace of the myth of Vclund in the Wilkina Saga.
Brittany with his wife and child. But unfortunately the seavoyage had upset his constitution, and he died before he was ready to embark. Azenor, not caring to return to Brittany, dismissed the servants of her husband, and devoted herself to good works, prayer, and the care of her son. Budoc, at an early age, resolved on embracing the religious life, and was invested with the monastic habit by the abbot of Youghal. According to another account, Azenor returned to Brittany and built a convent on the headland of Raz, bededicated to S. Azenor are seen at Languengar. Women drink from that of Clesmeur to augment their supply of milk. A young man once took a draught from the holy well, and to his horror found his breasts swell and fill with milk. His tears, his prayers, his burning shame softened the saint, and she kindly suffered the fountains of his bosom to fail.
It is possible that the Azenor of these springs and the ruined convent at Raz may be different from the mother of S. Budoc.
S. Budoc, after the death of his father and mother and that of the abbot, was elected to rule the monastery of Youghal. On the decease of the king of Ireland, the natives raised him to the temporal and spiritual thrones, making him at once sovereign of all Ireland and archbishop of Armagh.1 For two years Budoc exercised the fatiguing duties of his double rule, and he then convoked the estates of his realm to announce his resignation. But the Irish were wild with despair. They surrounded the palace and watched lest he should attempt to escape. But one night as he was praying in his metropolitan [the archbishop who heads a group of dioceses] church, an angel bade him go to the sea-shore, take boat, and cross to Brittany. 1 He is unknown to Irish historians. “ Ab Hibernise populo Rex et Archiepiscopus desideratissirae nominatur, exoptatur, deligitur.” — Brev. Leon. Iff * S. Budoc.
He left his palace, found the guards asleep, or drunk, came to the shore, but found there no boat, only a stone trough. He boldly stepped into this, and it floated him across the sea to Porspoder in the diocese of Lion.1 The natives drew the stone coffer out of the water, and built a chapel and hermitage for the holy man.
Having spent a year at Porspoder, Budoc, who could not endure the roar of the waves, had his stone box mounted on a cart, and having yoked two oxen to it, resolved to follow the cart, and settle wherever the oxen halted. The cart broke down at Plourin, and there Budoc settled down for a short while. But he could not remain there long. His remonstrances with certain nobles who had acted in a disorderly manner obliged him to depart, and he went to Dol, where he was well received by S. Maglorius, the bishop, who soon after resigned his see in favour of Budoc. The saint ruled the church of Dol about twenty years, and died in the early part of the seventh century.
Probably the only element of truth in this long story is, that he was a hermit at Porspoder, and then at Plourin, and was afterwards made bishop of Dol.
1 " Erat autem illi velut area lapidea qusedam, concava petra, in qua noctu jacere solitus erat, quam, angeli ministro, mart proximam conspexit; cujus suasu, tanquam navi quad am usus, transfretavit.” —Brev. L£on. “ Habebat quamdam petram viridem, velut arcam... et audivit vocem angeli, dicentis: Pone te super petram. Mox obedivit vod angeli, et petra, velut navigium, portavit cum supra mare.” — Brev. Dol. The origin of the legend of saints boating in stone troughs, which is not uncommon among Breton saints, probably was this. In ancient Celtic mythology, the dead were supposed to be shipped across the western sea to Glasinis, the Isles of the Blessed, and they were often buried in boats in which to make the necessary voyage. The Christian abbots and bishops were buried in stone coffins, and among the vulgar it was said of them that they shipped to the Blessed Land in boats of stone.
[Dec. xo. December io. SS. Carpophorus, P.M., and Abundius, D.M. at Spoleto; SS. Eulalia and Julia, VV. MM. at Merida; a.d. 303. SS. Menas, Hkrmogbnks, and Eugraphius, MM. at AlexanSS. Msrcurius and Comp., MM. at Lentini; circ. a.d. 3x3. S. Mklchiades, Pope at Rome; a.d. 314.
S. Genellus, M. at Ancyra; arc. a.d. 362. S. Dkiniol, B. of Bangor; 7 th cent. S. Sandocus, B. of Vienne; circ. a.d. 650. The Translation of the Holy House to Loreto, a.d. 1294.
