#religious figure

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

Thomas Wenski American Prelate

[scotianostra]

March 10th is traditionally viewed as the feast day of St Kessog - the patron saint of Scotland prior to Andrew.

It’s not often we go back over 1500, but Kessog was an important religious figure back then, and is considered to have been patron saint of Scotland before we were even a nation, and certainly before St Andrew

We know precious little about Saint Kessog, also known as MacKessog, Kessock or MacKessock, but it was a long-standing tradition in the Celtic Church that he was murdered by pagans on March 10, 520, and that date remains his feast day even now.

As is always the case in the days before any sort of written historical record was made in Scotland, much of what we do know about Kessog is based on oral tradition – which by its nature tends towards the legendary and even the mythical.

There is no doubt, however, that Kessog existed and that he was a Christian missionary mainly in the lands we know as the Lennox, around Dumbarton, but almost everything else about him must be taken on trust though, as we shall see, there are considerable clues about him scattered around Scotland.

Tradition has it that Kessog was born into a royal family of Munster in Ireland, perhaps the King of Cashel, around the year 460.

One of the myths about him concerns a supposed incident in his childhood. The sons of a number of princes who were visiting the king were drowned in a swimming accident that may well have been caused by Kessog, who was the only survivor.

Nothing daunted, the boy took to his knees and prayed all night, and in the morning the drowned children were restored to life, thereby averting likely wars with the various princes.

He was destined for a holy life, and as a youngster he came under the influence of St Patrick who would then have been in his 70s. Patrick had by then created hundreds of churches and other Christian institutions across Ireland, and is said to have personally baptised 100,000 people.

Patrick sent Kessog to the monastery of another saint, Mo Chaoi, often written as Malachoi, which was located at Nendrum in County Down. Mochaoi, whose real name was Caolan, had been sent by Patrick to found the monastery which lasted until the Vikings sacked it in the 10th century.

Having been ordained a monk and then a bishop, it was decided that Kessog should go to the land of the Scoti, the Irish tribes who had made their home in what is now Argyll, creating a kingdom which is known as Dalriada.

It is not known why Kessog then struck east into the “debatable lands” between the Scots, the Picts and the Britons of the Kingdom of Strathclyde headquartered at Dumbarton. But if he was indeed a disciple of Patrick then there is an obvious connection, for despite all claims to the contrary, the most favoured location for the birth and youth of Patrick is Old Kilpatrick on the River Clyde just 10 miles from Loch Lomond which lay at the heart of the lands of Lennox. Indeed Lennox derives from Levenax, pertaining to the River Leven which courses from Loch Lomond to the River Clyde.

It is not plausible that Patrick decided to send a missionary to an area he would have known well in his childhood?

The Lennox would not become a recognised earldom until many centuries later, but Kessog appears to have become the apostle of the Lennox area, preaching the Christian faith all around Loch Lomond and through into Perthshire and as far north as modern Inverness. If that was the case, then he preached the gospel to the Picts 40 years earlier than Columba.

I wrote earlier about the clues to Kessog and where he worked, and those clues are place names. The saint is said to have founded a monastery on an island in Loch Lomond, Inchtavannach, which means island of the monk’s house. Local tradition has it that Inchtavannach’s highest point Tom nan Clag, the hill of the bell, got its name from Kessog installing a bell on the summit which with he summoned monks and laity to prayer. Certainly there was a bell associated with Kessog as it was listed in the funeral investitures of the Earldom of Perth as late as 1695.

Going north, a hill near the River Teith in Perthshire is known as Tom na Chessaig or Hill of Kessog, and there were mediaeval churches named after Kessog in Auchterarder and Comrie.

South Kessock in Inverness, North Kessock on the Black Isle and the Kessock Bridge on the north side of Inverness are named after him, reflecting the long tradition that the saint preached thereabouts.

Kessog’s successful mission to the people around Loch Lomond angered the local pagans possibly led by druids. They are said to have either killed Kessog themselves or bribed mercenaries to do it.

The place of his martyrdom is traditionally at Bandry Bay near Luss village on the Lochside – well known as the location for Glendarroch in STV’s Take the High Road soap. A cairn of stones marked the site of his death for centuries.

Luss has long been associated with Kessog, as he founded a church there in 510. The church was later named after him and an effigy of the saint dating from before the Reformation can be found in the church.

There is also St Kessog’s RC Church and St Kessog’s Primary School in Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond.

So plenty of local Lennox connections to Kessog but was he patron saint of Scotland?

The cult of Andrew developed fairly late in Christian life in Scotland, and it is known that Robert the Bruce, for one, had a particular veneration for Kessog.

The Bruce took refuge at Luss in 1306 and was cared for by a local laird. As king he would later grant a charter to John of Luss “for the reverence and honour of our patron, the most holy man, the blessed Kessog”.

In 1323 the king made the church of Luss and its surroundings a place of sanctuary “to God and the blessed Kessog”, as the charter states.

Scottish soldiers in the War of Independence also shouted the saint’s name as a battle cry, and relics of Kessog were said to have been carried into battle by the Scots.

In one modern respect Kessog is up among the top Scottish saints – along with Andrew, Ninian, Magnus, and Mungo, he has an oil field named after him in the North Sea.

The Clanranald Trust for Scotland head office have their HQ in rhe former St. Kessog's Church in Callander.

[wouldyourecognizethisperson-poll]

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Voting ended onOct 5, 2025

[gonehome333]

december ‘25

[triple-pupil]

IT'S FINALLY DONE, AFTER MONTHS OF SUFFERING, HAVE-

Archangel Michael

The Archangel.

Chief of Powers, Guardian of the people of Israel/The Chosen People, Demon Hunter, brother of Gabriel, Warriors against "Princes".

Further layers in his design below. He has wings, just not represented in this piece. Here are examples with them.

Wings have these colors on the inside because he wipes his sword on them.

I really need to research more on this figure.

I got sm on him and you have no idea the energy I spent researching his clothes.

[luminousnineart]

I'm not a religious person, myself, but I'd like to share a piece I am working on for a family member, regardless. I've struggled with whether or not to share this one as I tend to believe that the people who follow this man do more harm than good to others, but I am proud of my progress here. I have been fairly distracted by daily life these days, but I imagine the piece should be done within a month or so. :) A few next steps I plan to take include taking in the bridge of the nose just a bit and extending the inner corner of the eye presented on the right side of this photo, perhaps lengthening the beard a smidge (undecided), and of course getting to work on the eyes, hair, and throat. I may deepen the color of the lower lip with a glazing pass, as well.

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Edit 07.10.23: Another update on weekend yeezus progress (third photo). Definitely going to be changing some things about that hair, I think. Eyes will be next. Nearly had a meltdown over the throat shadow (which I have come to like for the most part but may tweak just a bit). Welcome to art! 😂 I do wish that I had access to my full scope of supplies at present though, as this is a painting that would be much better suited with some glazing. ESPECIALLY for that throat shadow. But alas, I am making do with the supplies that I have.

[rainbowhitter]

Far in the cold north there is a town which is habited by witches. In the town's heart a small church is located: The church of the cursed souls, where the High Priestess lives. Giving up her sight she is unable to see people or world around herself but her sacrifice was not in wane, for she now is able to see the soul of the living, evil and good. With the magic gifted by nature and powers upon she will help the desperate and cursed but be aware, everything has it's price. To cure something, you must give something up, like something is to die if something is to be born and so the balance of the world of living shall stay the same.

[thewondermentofillustration]

Almeida Júnior - Capuchin Monk, 1874, oil on cardboard José Ferraz de Almeida Júnior (1850 – 1899) was a Brazilian artist and designer. Júnior enjoyed painting the people and their lifestyle of regional Brazil. Júnior's career began when the head priest of Church of Our Lady of Candelária in Itu recognised Júnior's talent and raised money for him to study at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts (1869). After completing his studies, Júnior returned to Itu and set up a studio. In 1876, Emperor Pedro II was so impressed with Júnior's work that he provided financial support, enabling Júnior to study in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts. Junior eventually returned to Brazil in 1882 where he opened a studio in São Paulo and taught art privately.