IONA, JONA, or ICOLMKILL, one of the Hebrides; a small, but celebrated island, "once the luminary of the Caledonian regions (as Dr Johnson expresses it), whence savage clans and roving barbarians derived the benefits of knowledge and the blessings of religion." The name Iona is derived from a Hebrew word signifying a dove, in allusion to his patron Columba, who landed here in 565. See COLUMBA.—It is said to have been a seat of the druids before his arrival, when its name in Irish was Inis Drunish, or the "Druid Island." The druids being expelled or converted, he founded here a cell of canons regular, who till 716 differed from the church of Rome, in the observance of Easter and in the tonsure. After his death, the island retained his name, and was called Ycolumb cill or "Columb's cell," now Icolmkill. The Danes dislodged the monks in the 7th century, and Cluniacs were the next order that settled here.
This island, which belongs to the parish of Ross in Mull, is three miles long, and one broad: the east side is mostly flat: the middle rises into small hills; and the west side is very rude and rocky: the whole forming a singular mixture of rock and fertility.—There is in the island only one town, or rather village, consisting of about 60 mean houses. The population in 1798 amounted to about 330. Near the town is the bay of Martyrs slain by the Danes. An oblong enclosure, bounded by a stone dyke, and called Clachnan Druinach, in which bones have been found, is supposed to have been a burial-place of the Druids or rather the common cemetery of the towns-people. Beyond
the town are the ruins of the nunnery of Austin cano-
nesses, dedicated to St Oran, and said to be founded
by Columba: the church was 58 feet by 20, and the
east roof is entire. On the floor, covered deep with
cow-dung, is the tomb of the last prioress, with her
figure praying to the Virgin Mary, and this inscrip-
tion on the ledge: Hic jacet domina Anna Donaldi
Ferleti filia, quondam prioressa de Iona, quæ obiit an-
no do xiiio ejus animam Altissimi commendamus; and
another inscribed, Hic jacet Mariota filia Johannis: Lauch-
lain domini de.... A broad paved way leads hence to
the cathedral; and on this way is a large handsome cross
called Macleane's, the only one that remains of 362,
which were demolished here at the Reformation. Re-
ligious Oran, or the burying-place of Oran, is the large
inclosure where the kings of Scotland, Ireland, and
of the isles, and their descendants, were buried in
three several chapels. The dean of the isles, who trav-
elled over them 1549, and whose account has been
copied by Buchanan, and published at Edinburgh
1784, says, that in his time on one of these chapels
(or "tombs of stain formit like little chapels with one
braid gray marble or quinn stain on the gavel of ilk
one of the tombs," containing, as the chronicle says,
the remains of 48 Scotch monarchs, from Fergus II.
to Macbeth, 16 of whom were pretended to be of the
race of Alpin) was inscribed, Tumulus regum Scotiae.
The next was inscribed, Tumulus regum Hibernia, and
contained four Irish monarchs: and the third, inscribed
Tumulus regum Norvegiae, containing eight Norve-
gian princes, or viceroys of the Hebrides while they
were subject to the crown of Norway. Boetius says,
that Fergus founded this abbey for the burial-place of
his successors, and caused an office to be composed for
the funeral ceremony. All that Mr Pennant could
discover here were only certain slight remains, built
in a ridged form and arched within, but the inscrip-
tions lost. These were called Jornaire nan righ, or
"the ridge of the kings." Among these stones are
to be seen only these two inscriptions in the Gaelic or
Erse language and ancient Irish characters: Cros
Domhail fat-asich, i. e. "the cross of Donald Long-
shanks," and that of Urchine o Guin; and another
inscribed Hic jacet priores de Hy, Johannes, Hug-
nins, Patricius, in decretis olim bacularius, qui obiit
an. Dom. millesimo quingentesimo. About 300 inscrip-
tions were collected here by Mr Sacheverel in 1688
and given to the earl of Argyle, but afterwards lost
in the troubles of the family. The place is in a man-
ner filled with grave-stones, but so overgrown with
weeds, that few or none are at present to be seen, far
less any inscriptions read. Here also stands the chapel
of St Oran, the first building begun by Columba, which
the evil spirits would not suffer to stand till some hu-
man victim was buried alive; for which service Oran
offered himself, and his red grave-stone is near the
door. In this chapel are tombs of several chiefs, &c.
A little north-west of the door is the pedestal of a
cross: on it are certain stones that seem to have been
the supports of a tomb. Numbers who visit this island
think it incumbent on them to turn each of these
thrice round, according to the course of the sun.
They are called Clacha-brath; for it is thought that
the brath, or end of the world, will not arrive till the
pedestal on which they stand is worn through. Origi-
nally (says Mr Sacheverel) here were three noble
globes of white marble, placed on three stone basons,
and these were turned round; but the synod ordered
them and 60 crosses to be thrown into the sea. The
present stones are probably substituted in place of these
globes. The precinct of these tombs was held sacred,
and enjoyed the privileges of a girth or sanctuary.
These places of retreat were by the ancient Scotch law,
not to shelter indiscriminately every offender, as was
the case in more bigotted times in Catholic countries;
for here all atrocious criminals were excluded; and
only the unfortunate delinquent, or the penitent sinner,
was shielded from the instant stroke of rigorous jus-
tice. A little to the north of this inclosure stands
the cathedral, built in form of a cross, 115 feet long
by 23, the transept 70 feet: the pillars of the choir
have their capitals charged with scripture and other
histories; and near the altar are the tombs of two ab-
bots and a knight. A fragment remains of the altar-
stone of white marble veined with gray. This church
is ascribed to Maldwin in the seventh century; but the
present structure is far too magnificent for that age.
Most of the walls are built of red granite from the
Nun's island in the sound. Two parallel walls of a cov-
ered way about 12 feet high and 10 wide, reach from
the south-east corner to the sea. In the churchyard is
a fine cross of a single piece of red granite, 14 feet high,
22 inches broad, and 10 inches thick. Near the south-
east end is Mary's chapel. The monastery is behind
the chapel; of which only a piece of the cloisters re-
mains, and some sacred black stones in a corner, on
which contracts and alliances were made and oaths
sworn. East of it was the abbot's gardens and offices.
North of this was the palace of the bishop of the isles
after the separation of Man from them. This see was
endowed with 13 islands; several of which were fre-
quently taken away by the chieftains. The title of
Soder, which some explained Soter, Zoder, "the name
of Christ, or Soder, an imaginary town," is really de-
rived from the distinction of the diocese into the north-
ern islands or Norderreys (i. e. all to the north of Ar-
dnamurchan point), and the Southern or Sudereys;
which last being the most important, the isle of Man
retained both titles.
Other ruins of monastic buildings and offices may be
traced, as well as some druidical sepulchral remains.
Several abbeys were derived from this, which with the
island was governed by an abbot-presbyter, who had
rule even over bishops. The place where Columba
landed is a pebbly beach, where a heap of earth repre-
sents the form of his ship. Near it is a hill with a cir-
cle of stones called Cnoc-nan aingeal, or "the hill of
angels," with whom the saint held conference; and on
Michaelmas day the inhabitants coured their horses
round it, a remnant of the custom of bringing them there
to be blessed. In former times, this island was the
place where the archives of Scotland and many valu-
able old manuscripts were kept. Of these most are sup-
posed to have been destroyed at the Reformation; but
many, it is said, were carried to the Scotch college at
Douay in France, and it is hoped some of them may
still be recovered. In the island of Iona a schoolmaster
is established; but there is no temple for worship, no
instructor in religion, excepting the schoolmaster, unless
it is visited by the parish minister from another island.