OENGUS (Aengus, Latinized Aengussius, Aeneas), Saint. - Irish monk called "the Culdee" (v. CULDEI), b. at Clúain-Ednéch (Clonenagh, in Leix), d. there on 11 March 824. Educated in the local monastic school, after a period of eremitical life he moved to Tamlachta (Tallaght), becoming a disciple of the founder St. Maelruan, with whom he collaborated on the Martyrology of Tallaght (of the Irish saints), completed ca. 790. After the death of his master (792) he returned to his original retreat of Dísert-Oengusa. Ancient writers call him abbot and bishop of Clonenagh, where he was buried.

O. is famous for his Martyrology, called Félire ("Cortologio") Oengusso, in Celtic verse of six syllables, grouped in quatrains. Besides the martyrology properly so called, the poem has a prologue of 340 verses and an epilogue of 566, in which the method followed is explained, the saints in general are praised, and the triumph of the people of God in Ireland is proclaimed. The Félire was finished around the year 800. The saints commemorated in it, though partly foreign, especially if martyrs, are predominantly of the country (the last, on 7 July, being St. Maelruan), so that "the work is truly a testimony to the unified national character of the old Irish Church" (Kenney). Also attributed to O. is the Saltair na Rann ("Psalter of the Quatrains"), the longest Irish religious poem (over two thousand quatrains, in 162 compositions), with themes drawn from the Old and New Testament; but it seems that verse 8009, with the author's name (O. cèle Dé), is an interpolation; in any case the poem contains at least additions that go down to the 10th century.

Bibliography4 works

BIBL.: the best critical edition of the Félire is that of Wh. Stokes, London 1905. What is known of O. is derived mainly from the Poem on O. (of 13 quatrains, reproduced, with English translation, by Wh. Stokes, ibid., pp. XXIV-XXVI) and from the two prose prefaces added to his martyrology (ibid., pp. 2-15, with translation). Studies: J. Colgan, Acta SS. Hiberiae, I, Louvain 1645, pp. 579-83, and in Acta SS. Martii, II, Antwerp 1668, pp. 85-88; J. F. Kenney, The Sources for the early History of Ireland, I, New York 1920, pp. 471, 479-82, 736 ff.; H. Leclercq, Martyrologe, n. XVI, in DACL, X, coll. 2612-15; G. Prampolini, Storia universale della letteratura, II, Turin 1934, p. 575, Igino Cecchetti

@incollection{ec9_oengus_aengus_latinizzato_aeng, author = {Cecchetti, Igino}, title = {Oengus (Aengus, latinizzato aengussius, aeneas), santo}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IX}, pages = {78--79}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/oengus-aengus-latinizzato-aengussius-aeneas-santo} }

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Oengus (Aengus, Latinized Aengussius, Aeneas), Saint

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