ST FOTHAD AND HURKYNDORATH
FOTHADH and HURKYNDORATH
Among the records of Bishops of Alban (Scotland) there appear two men named Fothadh.
Fothadh 1 (915-953 AD) (Surnamed "NA CANOINE" or "of the Canon"). son of Bran, was a monk of Fahan-Mura, County Donegal, Ireland, at the close of the eighth century.
He became bard, a counsellor, and tutor to Aedh Oirnidh (the dignified), Ard Righ (High King) of Ireland who ruled from 794 to 818. Fothadh 1 is specially venerated in the Irish Church from the fact that, in 804, when he accompanied King Aedh in his expedition against the Leinstermen, he obtained from that monarch exemption of the clergy forever from military service. His literary gifts were so highly thought of that St. Aengus submitted his "Felire" to him for his approval, and in return, Fothadh 1 presented St. Aengus with a copy of his "Remonstrance", addressed to King Aedh.. This "Remonstrance", which was really a rhymed judicial opinion protesting against the conscription of ecclesiastics, was known as a canon or decree, and hence Fothad 1 was ever after called "Fothad na Canoine". He was appointed to the See of St Andrews in Alban, received the Isle of St Servanus as the Bishop of St Andrews and Bishop of Alban.
The exact date of the foundation of the See of St. Andrews is, like many others in the earliest history of the Scottish Church, difficult, if not impossible, to fix. That there were bishops in the country now called Scotland, and exercising jurisdiction in the district where the city of St. Andrews afterwards arose, as early as the eighth or ninth century, is practically certain. We may, however, take 908, the year of the famous assembly at the Moot hill of Scone, as that in which a Bishop of St. Andrews (Cellach) first appears in history, vowing, in association with the king (Constantine), to "protect the laws and discipline of the Faith, and the rights of the churches and of the Gospel". In the two most ancient and authentic lists that have come down to us, those given by Wyntoun, Prior of Lochleven, and by Bower of Inchcolm in his "Scotichronicon", Cellach is called the first Bishop of St. Andrews. For two centuries the bishops bore Celtic names -- Fothad, Maelbrigd, Maelduin, and the like. The death of Fothad II (1093) marked the close of the Culdee period of the history of the See (of which scanty records and still scantier material traces remain) and enabled the claim by the See of York to progress with the appointment 10 years later of Bishop Turgot (Queen Margaret's Norman Confessor). Turgot was succeeded by Eadmer, a Benedictine monk of Canterbury; and Eadmer by Robert, a canon regular of St. Augustine, who founded at St. Andrews in 1144 the cathedral priory for canons of his own order.
Fothadh 1 gifted a superb silver case to the See, to contain the Gospels, and had his name inscribed thereon. The inscription read:
"hanc evangelii thecam construxit ariti forhet qui scottis summus episcopis est".
and the case remained at St Andrews until the time of Wyntoun and Bower. In the year 945 AD he was banished from his See by King Indulphus of Alba. The reason for this banishment is not recorded and he lived only a further 8 years afterwards.
Fothadh 11 (1059-1093 AD) son of Malmykel, was the last of the Celtic Bishops of Alban.
When he took up his appointment to serve the Church at Hurkyndorath (Auchterderran) is not recorded but the fact that he was appointed as Bishop of St Andrews in 1059 AD is recorded in a Charter which records the gift of the Church and lands at Hurkyndorath to St Servanus (St Serf) and the Keledi (Culdee) hermits of St Serf's island in Lochleven a few miles to the north-west.
His Charter or Grant reads:
"De ecclesia de Hurkyndorath, 1059 " Modach (Fothadh) filius Malmykel, vir plissimae recordationis Episcopus Sancti Andree, cujus vita et doctrina tota Regis Scotorum felicitas est illustrate contulit Deo et Sancto Servanno et Keledeis heremetis apud Insulam Lochluen (Loch Leven) in schola virtutum ibidem degentibus Ecclesiam de Hurkyndorath. Iste sunt antique prestaciones et canones quas prefati ecclesie solvebant antiquitus scilicet triginta panes decotos cum antique mensura farina apposite et triginta caseos quorum equilibet facit chudreme et octo male de braseo et dirchide male et " chedhar male".
" Concerning the Church of Auchterderran, 1059." - Fothad, son of Malmykel, a man most devoutly remembered, Bishop of St Andrews, by whose life and teaching the whole Kingdom of Scotland gladly and with enlightenment betook itself to God, transferred the Church of Auchterderran with perfect freedom to St Servanus and devoutly and honourably gave its lands to the Culdee hermits living on the Island in Lochleven in the school of virtue there (St Serf's). There are old offerings and canons which the Church used to pay in other times, particularly thirty loaves of bread with old measures of flour and equal measures of "cheese".
Fothad's tenure as Bishop was to last throughout the reign of Malcolm Canmore and during this time, the entire rights of the Church of the Culdees passed into the hands of the Bishop of St Andrews. Having held the position of Bishop of Alban for a period of 34 years, he died in 1093.
In the early part of last century it was discovered that his most important act was in the spring of 1069 when he officiated at the marriage of King Malcolm to Margaret, the Hungarian Princess, at the Abbey in Dunfermline (then known as Queen Margaret's Church). Fothad II., as Bishop of St. Andrews, performed the interesting ceremony. He was "ane man of great pietie and learning." Wyntoun, who chronicles the occurrence, calls this bishop "a cunnand man," i.e., "wise and learned man.".
Wyntoun notices the nuptials in the following lines ;-
"Malcolm oure Kyng than tyl hys wyf
Weddyd Saynt Margret wyth hys lyf,
On lele Spowsal he thowcht to lede,
Departyd qwhyle thai suld be wyth Dick
Of Saynt Andrewys the Byschape than
The Secund Fothwck, a cunnand man
Devotely mad that Sacrament
That thai than tuk in gud intent," &c.
(Wyntoun's "Orygynal Cronikil, Scot." vol.ii.p.269.)
Queen Margaret exercised a most powerful influence on the Church in Scotland and was instrumental in changing the form of worship used from Culdee to Roman.
DUNFERMLINE ABBEY.
In Dunfermline Abbey today a visitor will see a splendid stained glass window in the south transept depicting in the upper panel Queen Margaret dispensing charity to the poor and needy and in the lower panel, Bishop Fothadh officiating at the marriage ceremony of the King and Queen.
There is very little information recorded about Bishop Fothadh 11, but by local proclamation he was considered to be a "Saint" and consequently became the Patron Saint of the Parish of Auchterderran. The Mission Church in Cardenden Road (erected in March 1910 as an overspill from the Parish Church but now sadly demolished due to flood damage caused by old mine workings) was named "St Fothad's" after him. The memorial stone of this Church was laid with Masonic honours by Andrew Goodall Esq. J.P. of Glasgow, a native son of Auchterderran, and there was a large turnout of the general public. The Rechabites, Shepherds, Juvenile Templars and Freemasons (Lodge St Fothad's, Auchterderran No 1059, consecrated in 1909) turned out in full regalia and took part in the opening ceremony of the new Church. Auchterderran Boy Scots lined the approach to the door.
HURKYNDORATH.
In 440 AD, St Serf made his home on the island in Loch Lomond and began to spread his message of Christianity through the ancient parish named around 500 AD after the luxuriant Oak Forest which covered the valley at that time. This forest was populated by wild boar which provided both sport and food and as the celtic word for a wood is "Dorath" and that for a pig is "Hyrkyn", the area naturally was known as "Hyrkyndorath" or "Hurkyndorath", meaning "The Oak Wood where there are Pigs". (this later changed to "Auchterderran" meaning "the upper land of the Oak Wood")
St Serf constructed many churches, chapels or cells throughout the district, beginning with Kirkness and Hurkyndorath.
The medieval church stood virtually unaltered for over 300 years until it was transferred by Bishop Fothad to the Culdees living on Loch Leven.
The Church had additions made to it in the 1600s of transepts and nave which were demolished 100 years later to provide materials for the Auchterderran Kirk of that day. Many changes have been made since then to give us the splendid Parish Church of today
When the nave to the present-day church was added in 1930, the 17thCenturyNorman window (which had been part of the 11th Century chancel) was installed and consecrated at a ceremony in the church on Sunday, 21st March that year. The masonry of this window now encloses beautiful stained glass, the design of which was influenced by Brother Rev Dr McNeill Houston, author of the History of the Parish of Auchterderran and a Founder Member of Lodge St Fothad's, Auchterderran, Fife No 1059
There is also a window depiction of Bishop Fothad in his full vestments holding his Pastoral Staff and giving the Blessing and since the State is subservient to the Church, King Malcolm and Queen Margaret are shown in a medallion at the foot of the window.
This window was designed, made and installed into St Fothad's Church in Cardenden Road by Mr Alexander Gilfillan D.A., A.M.G.P. and gifted by him to the Church. Mr Gilfillan was a senior lecturer at Jordanhill College in Glasgow and he made an intensive study of the vestments and other details before presenting a draft of the window to the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland for their approval. To show the association of St Fothad with the parish, the window is embellished with oak leaves and acorns representing the ancient Oak Wood. At a Dedication service in the Church in July 1950 the window was unveiled by the artist's mother, Mrs R.S. Gilfillan.
When St Fothad's Church was closed and scheduled for demolition, the window was removed and installed into its present position in Auchterderran Parish Church in 2001 when the Church took the title of Auchterderran St Fothad's Parish Church.