Saint Ninian

Ninian is a Christian saint, first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland. For this reason, he is known as the Apostle to the Southern Picts, and there are numerous dedications to him in those parts of Scotland with a Pictish heritage, throughout the Scottish Lowlands, and in parts of Northern England with a Northumbrian heritage. He is also known as Ringan in Scotland, and as Trynnian in Northern England. Ninian's major shrine was at Whithorn in Galloway, where he is associated with the Candida Casa (Latin for 'White House'). Nothing is known about his teachings, and there is no unchallenged authority for information about his life. Ninian's identity is uncertain, and historians have identified the name "Ninian" with other historical figures. A popular hypothesis proposed by Thomas Owen Clancy, a researcher and professor of Celtic studies, posits that Ninian can be identified with three other historical figures: Saint Finnian of Moville, Saint Finnian of Clonard, and Saint Finbarr of Cork. Linguistic variations across the territories associated with each saint have provided evidence that the Ninian preserved in literary tradition originated from this individual. This article discusses the particulars and origins of what has come to be known as the "traditional" stories of Saint Ninian. The Southern Picts, for whom Ninian is held to be the apostle, were the Picts south of the mountains known as the Mounth, which cross Scotland north of the Firths of Clyde and Forth. In the 4th century, the southern boundaries of their territory were with British kingdoms. In his Letter to Coroticus, Saint Patrick mentions 'apostate Picts'. Patrick is generally considered to be a 5th century individual and Ninian is conventionally taken to have been 4th/5th century. By 681, the southern Picts were firmly Christian and Northumbria established a bishopric at Abercorn, under Bishop Trumwine.