Foundation myths: endurance in Celtolatin medieval hagiography

Abstract

This paper concerns about a very common Topic in the Medieval Latin hagiography of the Celtic lands: that serves to demonstrate the way in which the saint localizes the emplacement of his monastery (locus) or the place where he will die. Because of the great relevance of these places, the saint selects them being guided by a divine signal that is evidenced in different ways. We have called this topic INDICATION OF THE LOCVS. This topic is rooted in the classical literature, where the hero is guided in a supernatural way in order to find the emplacement where a town will be founded. The monastic literature has taken and Christianized this motif, but at the same time, has added some Celtic elements.