Bethóc, Prioress of Iona facts for kids
Bethóc ingen Somairle was an important woman who lived a long time ago, in the 1200s. She was a prioress, which means she was in charge of a group of nuns. People believe she was the very first prioress of the Iona Nunnery in Scotland. Bethóc was the daughter of a powerful leader named Somairle mac Gilla Brigte.
Bethóc: A Leader on Iona
Starting the Nunnery
Bethóc's brother, Ragnall mac Somairle, was a big supporter of religious places. Around the year 1203, he helped start the Benedictine Iona Abbey. Later, he also founded an Augustinian nunnery on the island of Iona. We don't know the exact dates when these places were built.
What We Know About Bethóc
Old family stories and writings tell us about Bethóc. The Book of Clanranald says she was a "black nun." The History of the MacDonalds says she was the prioress of Iona.
An old stone on Iona also helps us know about her. Around 1695, a writer named Martin Martin saw a message carved in Gaelic on this stone. It said, "Behag nijn Sorle vic Ilvrid priorissa." This means "Prioress Bethóc, daughter of Somairle, son of Gilla Brigte." This carving was still clear enough to read in the 1800s.
Another old book, the Red Book of Clanranald, also mentions Bethóc. It says, "Beathag, daughter of Somerled, was a religious woman and a Black Nun. It is she that erected Teampall Chairinis in Uist." This means she built a church in Uist.
Some people have pointed out that when Bethóc was prioress around 1203, the islands were still under Norse rule. This means Vikings were in charge. However, many Norse families had already become Christian by then.
The Iona Psalter
Historians think that Bethóc might have owned a special book called the Iona Psalter. A psalter is a book of psalms, which are religious songs or poems. This book is now kept safe in the National Library of Scotland.
The Iona Psalter is an illuminated manuscript. This means it has beautiful pictures and decorations drawn by hand. It seems to have been decorated in Oxford in the 1200s. If this book was made for a prioress on Iona, we don't know for sure if it ever actually made it to the island.
