The Congress Logo

Our logo comprises four symbols closely associated with Glasgow’s patron saint, Kentigern (probably the Conthigirnus who died in 612/614 according to Annales Cambriae, his name derived from *Cuno-tigernos), in later Welsh tradition, Cyndeyrn Garthwys yn y Gogledd, but more familiar to Glaswegians by his pet-name of Mungo. These symbols are known affectionately as:

the tree that never grew,
the bird that never flew,
the fish that never swam,
the bell that never rang.

Not only do ‘the bird, the bell, the fish and the tree’ appear in the crest of the University of Glasgow and of the City itself, but can be spotted around the town decorating miscellaneous items, from buildings to bus-shelters and lamp-posts. The symbols first appear on seals of the Medieval bishops of Glasgow where they represent episodes in Jocelyn of Furness’s late 12th-century Vita Kentigerni.

The first two episodes occur during Kentigern’s boyhood while he is a pupil at St Serf’s monastery of Culross, Fife. The ‘bird’ is Serf’s beloved pet robin which the young Kentigern brings back to life after his fellow pupils have killed it and attempted to frame him for its murder (Vita Kentigerni, ch. 5). The ‘tree’ is now usually depicted as an oak but was originally a green branch from the hazel hedge surrounding the monastery. The young Kentigern miraculously ignited the branch and thus thwarted the other boys who had let the monastery fire go out in order to prevent him performing his duty of lighting the church lamps (ch. 6). The ‘fish’ is the salmon which, later in life, bishop Kentigern pulled out of the river Clyde and cut open to reveal a special ring belonging to the adulterous Queen Languoreth, thereby saving her from execution by her jealous husband King Rhydderch Hael (‘the generous’, fl.c.580–c.614) (ch. 36). Celticists may be familiar with this tale from the extensive discussions of the motif by James Carney in his Studies in Irish Literature and History (1955), in comparison with a similar one in Táin Bó Fraích.

The final element, the bell, is not referred to in Jocelyn’s Vita but represents a physical bell venerated at Glasgow Cathedral as a relic of the saint and rung in front of funeral processions. Kentigern’s bell survived the Reformation only to be replaced by a new ‘mort bell’ in 1641. Early images of it on episcopal seals reveal the distinctive form of a handbell of the type known throughout the early medieval Celtic-speaking world, especially Scotland and Ireland, and dating probably to the 9th century.

The hazel, the salmon, the bird and the bell were chosen for the ICCS15 logo, not only because of their strong association with Glasgow, and the University, but also because of their resonance with well-known themes of Celtic literature and tradition. 

Suaicheantas na Còmhdhalach

Tha ceithir ìomhaighean aig a bheil dlùth cheangal ri naomh Ghlaschu, Kentigern (’s cinnteach gur esan an Conthigirnus, a dh’eug ann an 612/614 a rèir Annales Cambriae, agus b’ ann bhon dualchas Chuimreach, Cyndeyrn Garthwys yn y Gogledd, a thàinig an t-ainm *Cuno-tigernos), ach bidh muinntir Ghlaschu nas eòlaiche air leis an ainm Mungo. Tha eòlas air na h-ìomhaighean seo mar: 

a’ chraobh nach do dh’fhàs, 
an t-eun nach deach air iteig, 
an t-iasg nach do shnàmh, 
an clag nach do sheirm.

Chan e a-mhàin gu bheil ‘an t-eun, an clag, an t-iasg agus a’ chraobh’ a’ nochdadh air suaicheantas Oilthigh Ghlaschu agus air suaicheantas a’ Bhaile fhèin, ach chithear iad ann an iomadh àite, air togalaichean, ionadan-fasgaidh bhusaichean agus air solais-sràide. Tha na h-ìomhaighean a’ nochdadh an toiseach air seulan fear de dh’easbaigean Meadhan-aoiseach Ghlaschu, far a bheil iad a’ riochdachadh phàirtean fa leth ann am Vita Kentigerni aig Jocelyn Fhurness bho dheireadh an 12na linn.

Tha a’ chiad dà earrainn a’ tachairt rè òige Kentigern far a bheil e na sgoilear aig manachainn Naomh Serf ann an Cuileann Ros, Fìobha. ’S e ‘an t-eun’ a’ bhrù-dhearg air an robh Serf cho miadhail agus a thug Kentigern air ais beò an dèidh dha cho- sgoilearan an t-eun a mharbhadh agus feuchainn coire a chur air fhèin airson a’ mhuirt (Vita Kentigerni, caib. 5). Bidh ‘a’ chraobh’ air a riochdachadh mar as trice na craobh daraich ach bho thùs b’ e geug ghorm bho challaid challtainn a bha a’ cuairteachadh na manachainn a bh’ innte. Le mìorbhailt, las Kentigern òg a’ gheug agus mar sin fhuair e buaidh air na balaich eile a bha air leigeil le teine na manachainn a dhol às gus stad a chur air bho bhith a’ coileanadh a dhleastanasan a bhith a’ lasadh lampaichean na h-eaglaise (caib.6). ’S e ‘an t-iasg’ am bradan a ghlac an t-easbaig Kentigern, nuair a bha e na bu shine, à Abhainn Chluaidh agus an uair a dh’fhosgail e an t-iasg, fhuair e fàinne shònraichte a bha aig Banrigh Languoreth, a bha na h-adhaltranaiche, agus le sin ga sàbhaladh bho bhith air a cur gu bàs le a fear-pòsta eudach, an Rìgh Rhydderch Hael (‘am fialaiche’, fl.c.580–c.614) (caib. 36). Bidh eòlaichean na Ceiltis gu math eòlach air an sgeulachd seo bhon fharsaingeachd dheasbadan dhen mhoitif seo le James Carney ann an Studies in Irish Literature and History (1955), an coimeas ri fear coltach ris ann an Táin Bó Fraích.

Chan eil iomradh air a’ phàirt mu dheireadh, an clag, anns a’ Vita aig Jocelyn ach tha e a’ riochdachadh clag a tha air urramachadh aig Àrd-eaglais Ghlaschu mar ghuimean an naoimh agus a bhios air a seirm air beulaibh an t-sluaigh aig tòrraidhean. Mhair an clag bliadhnaichean an Ath-Leasachaidh ach chaidh ‘clag-bàis’ ùr a chur na àite ann an 1641. Tha ìomhaighean tràtha dheth air seulan easbaigeach a’ sealltainn cruth sònraichte clag-làimhe dhen leithid air a bheilear eòlach anns na tràth meadhan-aoisean ann an sgìrean far an robhar a’ bruidhinn cànan Ceilteach, gu h-àraid Alba agus Èirinn, agus ’s dòcha gum buin e don 9mh linn.

Chaidh an calltainn, am bradan, an t-eun agus an clag a thaghadh mar shuaicheantas airson na Còmhdhalach, chan ann a-mhàin airson a’ cheangail làidir a tha aca ri Glaschu, agus ris an Oilthigh, ach cuideachd a chionn ’s gu bheil iad a’ nochdadh ann an litreachas agus cleachdaidhean Ceilteach.