Monan (saint) facts for kids

Saint Monan was an early Christian missionary who lived a very long time ago, likely in the 500s. He was probably from a group of people called the Gaels. We don't know much for sure about his life. People believe Monan lived at a monastery in a place called Pittenweem for a while. Later, he moved to a small cave in a place then known as Inverey, which is now called St Monans in Fife, Scotland.

Stories About Saint Monan

Most of what we know about Saint Monan comes from a very old book called the Brevarium Aberdonense. This book was printed in Edinburgh between 1509 and 1510. While this old account has some parts that might not be completely accurate, it says that Saint Monan was a friend of Saint Adrian.

Monan and Saint Adrian

The Aberdeen Breviary claims that Monan was with Saint Adrian on the Isle of May when Adrian was killed. After this sad event, Monan supposedly went to Inverey in Fife. There, he built a small chapel. This chapel was later rebuilt by David II of Scotland, a king who ruled from 1329 to 1371. King David rebuilt it after he recovered from battle injuries. He believed Saint Monan had helped him get better. Today, this place is known as St Monans.

Other Accounts of His Life

Another writer named Alban Butler also followed the Aberdeen Breviary. He wrote that Monan was a helper of Adrian. Butler believed Monan survived a Viking attack in 874, but was later killed at Inverey. However, some other stories say that Monan was killed at the same time as Adrian on the Isle of May.

A historian named William Forbes Skene had a different idea. He didn't agree with the Aberdeen Breviary. Skene thought that Saint Monan might actually be a bishop from Ireland named Moinenn. He suggested that many Scottish church leaders left Ireland because of attacks by a Viking leader named Thorgest. They found safety with Kenneth MacAlpin, an early Scottish king. Skene believed they brought Monan's holy items (relics) with them. He also pointed out that both Monan and Moinenn share the same special day, March 1st.

Chapels Dedicated to Monan

Besides the chapel at St Monans, there was another old chapel dedicated to Saint Monan. This chapel was located at Portmoak and was there sometime before the mid-1000s. This chapel belonged to a group of early Christian monks called the Culdees. The name Portmoak comes from "Port of St Moak," which was another name for Saint Monan. This port was on Loch Leven.