I have a question concerning one of the "Mo" saints whose feast day,
coincidentally, is today. Darerca (active mainly in Armagh in the
5th/6th centuries) is most commonly known as Moninne or Monenna, but
she has many other names (largely due to conflation with other and
often non-Irish saints), including Sárbile, Modwenna, Morwenna,
Merwinne, Medana, Monya, Merryn, Midnat, Etaoin,and Edana. Her more
reliable vita notes that she was also known as Monenna, but otherwise
says nothing of her other names and refers to her consistently as
Darerca. Her Life by Conchubran conflates her with non-Irish saints
(especially Modwenna) and uses Monenna. According to the Félire
Óengusso her name became Moninne because a poet fasted against her in
order to be restored to speech and the first thing he said was "nin
nin;" hence she was called Mo-ninne. Nin has several possible
meanings, including ash-tree, a wave of water, a cloud, and a dire,
none of which elucidate the matter much to my mind ("my
ash-tree"?)--perhaps somebody else could help?
Maeve
>In the summer recess, I thought I might endeavour to compile a list of some
>of the more obscure Celtic saints, known today only by their hypocoristic
>names:
>For instance, there would seem to be a reference to a Welsh St Pedr (Peter)
>in Mo-ped of Llan Bretta.
>Would any of the learned list members care to contribute to this enqiry?
>Any suggestions containing the Do- Mo- Ma- or To- prefixes would be of
>interest.
>The best might be eligible for the Keats and Chapman Memorial Tankard Award.
>
>Cheers, and have a good summer,
>
>Henry Gough-Cooper.
>
>visit the Scottish Place-Name Society website at
>http://www.st-and.ac.uk/institutes/sassi/spns/index.htm
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