Celtic Saints and Animal Stories: A Spiritual Kinship

Abstract

In Celtic Saints and Animal Stories, Edward C. Sellner weaves together various known, and many less well-known, stories of animals in the hagiographies of the Celtic saints. His goal is to illuminate the relationships, what he terms a “spiritual kinship” between the saints and animals. Sellner's work will find an audience with those interested in theology and the Celtic saints in general. But it has a wider appeal to those interested in animals and spirituality. Written in a popular, rather than an academic, tone, it is full of enchanting stories of the lives of saints and animals to delight well beyond an academic audience.This short work is divided into three sections: a comprehensive introduction, the stories of the saints, and a conclusion. The introduction situates the stories within the Celtic worldview and explores the ancient Celts’ connection with animals. Sellner introduces the reader to the world of mystics and storytelling as foundational to Celtic Christianity.The stories of the saints are divided into sections on “The Holy Trinity of Celtic Saints,” who are Patrick of Armagh, Brigit of Kildare, and Columcille of Iona, and another section on “And the Others,” the others being the largest part of the book, covering 17 saints. Each piece on a saint begins with a summary of biographical details and their feast day, before Sellner selects a few examples of the saint's relationship to animals. For example, in his treatment of St. David of Wales, Sellner focuses on the prophecy of his greatness and how it was linked to “a stag, fish, and a hive of bees” (p. 60). Most noteworthy, David founded a monastery where no animals were used for labor, and the monks kept a simple vegetarian diet. That the Patron Saint of Wales led a vegetarian monastery may come as a surprise to many, but this is just one of the interesting stories in this insightful book.While some saints seem to have closer connections to animals than others, and some are more proactive in their protection of animals—Kevin of Glendalough, for example, saves a free-living boar from hunters (p. 77)—the stories as a whole illustrate a culture of concern for animals within the Celtic Christian tradition. Sellner argues that the impact of the Celtic saints is much more extensive than might be assumed. For example, he traces the spiritual kinship with animals through not just the Celtic lands, but through monasteries administered by Irish monks, such that this attitude to animals is seen in the lives of Hildegard of Bingen, St. Disibod, and St. Francis of Assisi, who grew up in the part of Italy where Christianity was brought by St. Columban (pp. 93–94). Columban apparently went into the forest to pray and called the animals to him, and the animals would accompany him in his devotions (p. 54).The central argument of the book is that the Celtic saints exemplify a spiritual kinship with animals. Gently but profoundly, he demonstrates how a closer union with God ought to result in a greater communion with God's other creatures. The relationship between the saints and animals is one of reciprocity “that transcends species-differences so that all benefit in the circle of life. Kindness, compassion, loving respect on the part of the saints elicits from their creature-partners trust, caring, and love—which in turn increases the happiness of everyone” (p. 96). Sellner concludes with reflections upon what this kinship might mean in terms of our ethical treatment of animals. He suggests that “Patrick's protection of innocent deer . . . might challenge those who consider hunting ordinary” and that “from Brigit's concern for a terror-stricken boar and a flock of wild ducks, we might consider how animals are treated today in labs and factory farms” (p. 97). The ethical questioning is posed in the same gentle, spiritual tone as the rest of the book, and as such, Sellner mostly leaves it to the stories of the saints to enlighten rather than expound on the moral treatment of animals.In short, Sellner's book is a delightful look at the world of Celtic saints and animals, shining a light on some of the positive, overlooked narratives about animals found within the Christian tradition. It is an excellent primer to the riches of animal-friendly spirituality.