Died at Lothian (Lestalryk), 4th or 8th century. Saint Triduana is
connected with the mission of Saint Regulus
(f.d. March 30) to carry the
relics of Saint Andrew
(f.d. November 30) to Scotland. She is said to
have been an abbess and to have lived with two companions at Roscoby
(Forfarshire).
Her shrine at Restalrig near Edinburgh was an important pilgrimage
centre until it was completely destroyed on December 21, 1560, by
Scottish Deformers. The site of her well here has been excavated. It
reveals the former positions of a two story building, a chapel, and
piscina built over the well itself. A portion of the 1487 collegiate
church, which was endowed by at least three kings, remains. There is a
second shrine beside Saint Tredwell's Loch at Papa Westray in the
Orkneys.
She is invoked for cures of eye diseases because of a belief that she
plucked out her beautiful eyes and gave them to a local prince who was
attracted to her because of them. Triduana is the patroness of
Caithness (Kintradwell). Aberdeen claims some of Triduana's relics
(
Benedictines,
Farmer).
-oOo-
More on the Saint:
ST. TRIDUANA devoted herself to God in a solitary life at Rescobie in Angus
(now Forfarshire). While dwelling there, a prince of the country having
conceived an unlawful passion for her is said to have pursued her with his
unwelcome attentions. To rid herself of his importunities, as a legend
relates, Triduana bravely plucked out her beautiful eyes, her chief
attraction, and sent them to her admirer. Her heroism, it is said, procured
for her the power of curing diseases of the eyes. Many instances are related
of such miracles worked after her death.
St. Triduana died at Restalrig in Lothian, and her tomb became a favourite
place of pilgrimage. Before the Reformation it was the most important of the
holy shrines near Edinburgh. On account of this prominence her church was
the very first to fall a victim to the fanatical zeal of the Puritans. After
being honoured for a thousand years her relics were desecrated by the
destruction of her shrine. The General Assembly, decreed on December 21,
1560, that "the Kirk of Restalrig, as a monument of idolatrie, be raysit and
utterlie castin downe and destroyed." An interesting discovery was made in
1907 in connection with this church, which had long been used as a
Presbyterian place of worship after restoration. An octagonal building,
standing near, was thought to have been a Chapter House in Catholic times ;
it was filled with earth and rubbish, after having served as a burial place,
and a mound of earth surmounted it on the outside on which trees had rooted.
The Earl of Moray, superior of the village, offered to restore the church to
its original state, and, when examined by competent authorities, the
supposed Chapter House was found to be a beautiful little Gothic chapel with
groined roof supported by a central pillar, similar to the building which
once covered St. Margaret's well at Restalrig.
Further explorations proved that the little octagonal building had evidently
been raised over the miraculous well of St. Triduana, so much scoffed at by
Reformation satirists. Steps led down to the water, thus covered in, and a
chapel, which must have formed an upper story above the well, is thought to
have been the " Triduana's Aisle" alluded to in ancient documents. The
building has now been thoroughly restored after its original form and is
regarded as a valuable monument of antiquity. Thus do more enlightened ages
condemn the foolish fanaticism of bygone days !
This saint was honoured in various parts of Scotland, and her name has
undergone so many changes in the different districts as to be often
unrecognisable. It occurs under the various forms of Traddles, Tredwell,
Tradwell, Trallew, Trallen, etc.
Among these dedications are Kintradwell in Caithness and Tradlines in
Forfarshire. Near the island of Papa Westray in the Orkneys is St. Tredwell
s Loch, and on the east side of the loch is a small peninsula containing the
ruins of a little building measuring 20 feet in length and 22 feet in
breadth, known as St. Tredwell's Chapel. At Rescobie a fair used to be held
on her feast-day, but in the beginning of last century it was transferred to
Forfar. It was known as "St. Trodlin's Fair." Relics of this saint were
honoured in Aberdeen Cathedral in Catholic ages. Devotion to St. Triduana
has been revived in the modern Catholic church at Restalrig.
Source: Dom Michael Barrett, O.S.B. A Calendar of Scottish Saints (Fort
Augustus, 1919), 142-145
http://www.archive.org/details/acalendarofscott00barruoft
*Some online sources for St Triduana*
An account of the excavated wellhouse of St Triduana:
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_096/96_247_263.pdf
Some pictures of the site today:
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/6452/st_triduanas_wellhouse.html
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=15252
An article on The Legend and Shrine of St Triduana from the British Journal
of Ophthalmology:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1324296
Another article on St Triduana in Caithness:
http://www.caithness.org/atoz/churches/ballachly/index.htm
Troparion of St Keyne Tone 8
Having turned serpents to stone, thou didst give thy name to Keynsham, O
holy Keyne,/ and after thy life, resplendent with miracles,/ our Father
Cadoc ministered to thee at thy repose./ By thy prayers, O Virgin, may
we be granted great mercy.