The Voyage of Saint Brendan, In a Modern English Version by Simon Webb

by Simon Webb

'After eight days they came within view of an island which was very rugged and rocky, and covered over with slag. There were no trees or other plants, but the island was full of blacksmiths’ forges. Brendan said to his brothers, ‘I have a bad feeling about this island. I have no wish to go ashore, or even approach it, but the wind is driving us directly towards it, as if we are supposed to go there...’'

The Voyage of St Brendan, first written down over a thousand years ago, recounts the strange adventures of a sixth-century abbot and his crew of monks, as they wander the oceans for seven years in their sturdy leather boat.

This edition also contains translated extracts from biographies of Brendan written in Latin and Irish, an introduction and suggestions for further reading.

(Not to be confused with The Voyage of St Brendan by William Caxton, also published by the Langley Press.)

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2014

Reviews

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The classic mythological story of the sea voyage of Saint Brendan retold in modern English. A must read for all lovers of Anglo-Saxon classics.

[Rev James · Rating 5 out of 5]

St Brendan's travels

Being a sailor, St Brendan is the patron saint of sailors I always wanted to read about his travels. It was an interesting read

[Catherine Corman · Rating 5 out of 5]

'How,' asked Brendan, 'can a spiritual flame burn a real thing?'

-Simon Webb, The Voyage of Saint Brendan

[Mary Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the type of book I had thought that The Ecclesiastical History of Bede would have been.
Very good.

[Heather Cawte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting at all! I assumed this would be a dry account of the good deeds which caused Brendan to be made a saint. What I found was a wild fantasy of magical islands, camps on the back of great fish, and dramatic escapes from slag-hurling blacksmiths. Simon Webb's modern English version is so easy and fluent to read, I had finished the story before I realised. Thoroughly recommended!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern English version, drawing on medieval latin texts, telling the story of the sixth century Irish abbot, St Brendan of Clonfert. Having previously encountered Brendan in Frederick Buechner's excellent novel, and as a precursor to Tim Severin's book about reenacting Brendan's voyage (which may have historically seen Brendan land in North America), this book was a pretty good lark. Brendan jumps in a little leather-clad boat with a bunch of monks and sails around a group of islands for about seven years having some weird/freaky/amusing(?) adventures (told with typical medieval dryness and understatement) while looking for the heaven-like island of the Land of the Promise of the Saints. On the way they encounter such things as an enormous fish named Jasconius which they mistake for an island (and spend the night on), a flock of birds that are actually nice but fallen angels who somehow got caught up in the whole business of getting thrown from heaven with Lucifer, and blacksmith dwarfs who hurl burning slag at Brendan's boat. Who could ask for more?