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Adomnn of Iona

Iona Abbey

SaintAdomnn of Iona (627/8-704) was abbot of Iona (679-704), haio!a"he!, statesman and

#$e!i#a$ $awye!% he was the a&tho! of the most im"o!tant 'itaof Saint o$&mbaand "!om&$ato!of the *aw of Inno#ents+ A "o"&$a! an$i#isedfo!m of his name is Saint &nan f!om the ae$i#.aomh Adhamhnin+

*ife

Adomnn was a des#endent of o$mn ma# Stna,a #o&sin of Saint o$&mbaand the an#esto!,th!o&h his son Ainmi!e, of the ins of en$ onai$$+ 1e was the son of3nn ma# inne by

onat, a woman f!om the (no!the!n) 5 .i$$ $ineae nown as the en$ nnda+ Adomnnsbi!th"$a#e is not nown, a$tho&h it is "!es&med that he was bo!n in the te!!ito!y of his in-

!o&", the en$ onai$$, whose te!!ito!y $ay in mode!n o&nty onea$+ Some of Adomnns

#hi$dhood ane#dotes seem to #onfi!m at $east an &"b!inin in this a!ea+It is tho&ht that Adomnn may ha:e be&n his monasti# #a!ee! at a o$&mban monaste!y#a$$ed !&im &amma, b&t any o$&mban fo&ndation in no!the!n I!e$and o! $ iata is a

"ossibi$ity, a$tho&h &!!ow is a st!one! "ossibi$ity than most+ 1e "!obab$y ;oined theo$&mban fami$ia (i+e+ the fede!ation of monaste!ies &nde! the $eade!shi" of Iona Abbey) afte!b&t a!o&nd the yea! 640+ Some mode!n #ommentato!s be$ie:e that he #o&$d not ha:e #ome to

Iona &nti$ sometime afte! the yea! 669, the yea! of the a##ession of Abbothene:e! o! whe!e:e! Adomnn !e#ei:edhis edation, Adomnn attained a $e:e$ of $ea!nin !a!e in a! Aeno!the!n &!o"e+ It hasbeen s&ested by A$f!ed Smyth that Adomnn s"ent some yea!s tea#hin and st&dyin at&!!ow,and whi$e this is not a##e"ted by a$$ s#ho$a!s, !emains a st!on "ossibi$ity+In 679, Adomnn be#ame the ninth abbot of Iona afte! o$&mba+ Abbot Adomnn en;oyed af!iendshi" with ?in A$df!ith of .o!th&mb!ia+ In 684, A$df!ith had been stayin with Adomnn inIona+ In 686, afte! the death of A$df!iths b!othe! ?in #f!ith of .o!th&mb!ia and A$df!ithss#ession to the inshi", Adomnn was in .o!th&mb!iaon the !e@&est of ?in hitby+ede im"$ies that this $ed to a s#hism at Iona, whe!eby Adomnn be#ame a$ienated

f!om the Iona b!eth!en, and went to I!e$and to #on:in#e the I!ish of the oman datin+ edesa##o&nt is howe:e! !a!e$y be$ie:ed by histo!ians wo!in in the a!ea, a$tho&h it is #$ea! that

Adomnn did ado"t that oman datin, and mo!eo:e!, "!obab$y did a!&e the #ase fo! it inI!e$and+In 697,it is ene!a$$y be$ie:ed that Adomnn "!om&$ated the in Adomnin, meanin $ite!a$$ythe anons o! *aw of Adomnn+ he in Adomnin was "!om&$ated amonst a

athe!in ofI!ish, a$ atan and Di#tishnotab$es at a $o#ation nown as i!!+ It is a set of$aws desined, amon othe! thins, to &a!antee the safety and imm&nity of :a!io&s ty"es ofnon-#ombatant in wa!fa!e+

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often !ea!ded, howe:e! d&bio&s$y, as a "!oto-ty"e fo! the ene:a on:entionand the 5ni:e!sa$e#$a!ation of 1&man ihts+>o!s

Adomnns most im"o!tant wo!, and the one fo! whi#h he is best nown, is the 'ita o$&mbae

(i+e+ *ife of o$&mba), a haio!a"hy of Ionas fo&nde!, Saint o$&mba+ he so&!#e is by fa!the most im"o!tant wo! w!itten in medie:a$ S#ot$and, and is a :ita$ so&!#e fo! o&! now$edeof the Di#ts, as we$$ as a !eat insiht into the $ife of Iona and the ea!$y medie:a$ ae$i#mon+ 1owe:e!, the 'ita was not his on$y wo!+ Adomnn a$so w!ote the t!eatise e *o#isSan#tis(i+e+ Fn 1o$y D$a#es), an a##o&nt of the !eat h!istian ho$y "$a#es and #ent!es of

"i$!imae+ Adomnn ot mh of his info!mation f!om a

A$so att!ib&ted to him is a ood dea$ of ae$i# "oet!y, in#$&din a #e$eb!ation of the Di#tish?in!ideis :i#to!y of the .o!th&mb!ians at theatt$e of &nni#hen+Adomnn died in 704, and be#ame a saint in S#ottish and I!ish t!adition, as we$$ as one of the

most im"o!tant fi&!es in eithe! S#ottish o! I!ish histo!y+ 1is death and feast day a!e#ommemo!ated on Se"tembe! 2G!d+ A$on with St+ o$&mba, he is ;oint "at!on of the io#ese ofa"hoe, whi#h en#om"asses the b&$ of o&nty onea$in the no!th west ofI!e$and+

ib$io!a"hySha!"e, i#ha!d, Adomnn of IonaH *ife of St+ o$&mba, (*ondon, E99=), ""+ 4G-6=Smyth, A$f!ed, >a!$o!ds and 1o$ymen, (*ondon, E984)

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