March 2: Gerald of Wales, Pt. 2

Gerald mentions St. Brendan on page 61, in a section in which he describes an island where corpses never putrefy and where there are no mice.

Do you think there is allegorical potential in this island’s lack of mice? If so, what would the allegory be? What could mice stand for in medieval times, and what could the lack of mice mean to Gerald? Do you think it is significant that Gerald says this island is consecrated by Saint Brendan? How do the non-putrefying corpses fit into this, if at all?

3 thoughts on “March 2: Gerald of Wales, Pt. 2

  1. I am not completely sure what to make of the mice on this island, but I feel as though mice here are supposed to represent pestilence or filth around Ireland. Since this spot was said to be consecrated by Saint Brendan, I the mice cannot live here. I think there are two reasons why this is important: 1) its a mystery that Gerald can use as an allegory, and 2) it presents the reader with a powerful work of Christianity that not only shows the potential of a Papal run Ireland, but also would attract the Papal eye to Ireland. In this way, it almost seems like a persuasion stunt, although, Gerald claims not to be doing these things.

  2. Unlike many other parts of Ireland that Gerald presents, Aren is consecrated by Saint Brendan and free of mice, a species considered a pest. I think a lot of significance is held in his statement that not only do mice not breed there, but if brought over will instantly dive into sea and drown themselves, as if the island is a land of divinity that is above the typical laws and rationale of nature. Going with that, corpses also do not decay as they do on any other Earthly surface. This has allegorical potential to be symbolic of Heaven or some sort of Paradise where one cannot die (in Heaven your soul never dies), only stregthened by the idea that pests simply cannot be there.

  3. Mice could symbolize sin or temptation, as they are small and it’s easy for them to subtly invade a place until it is lousy with them, and they quickly eat resources and damage things like clothing or tools, etc, just as sin corrupts all kinds of aspects of the spiritual life. It makes sense that an island like this which is depicted as holy would be inimical and fatal to mice, if they represent sin, since sin and death are so closely connected in Christianity. The lack of mice would represent the spiritual purity of a place undefiled by sin. It’s interesting that the island being consecrated by Brendan kind of reflects the legend of Saint Patrick driving away snakes from Ireland. Both are islands, both associated with saints, and both void of a particular animal.

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