Wednesday 1st August - Glasgow Cathedral and the Robin and the Red Admiral

Wednesday 1st August

Cloudy with light drizzle later on.

Glasgow Cathedral

the

Robin

the Red Admiral

We set off up Ingram Street towards the High Street

... and turned left to go up towards Glasgow Cathedral. On the way we passed a beautiful mural of The Robin:

The Robin is reference to one of St. Mungo's miracles seen on the coat of arms of Galsgow city

In the Life of Saint Mungo, he performed four miracles in Glasgow. The following verse is used to remember Mungo's four miracles:

Here is the bird that never flew

Here is the tree that never grew

Here is the bell that never rang

Here is the fish that never swam

The verses refer to the following:

• The Bird — Mungo restored life to a robin, that had been killed by some of his classmates.^[6]
• The Tree — Mungo had been left in charge of a fire in Saint Serf's monastery. He fell asleep and the fire went out. Taking a hazel branch, he restarted the fire.^[8]
• The Bell — the bell is thought to have been brought by Mungo from Rome. It was said to have been used in services and to mourn the deceased. The original bell no longer exists, and a replacement, created in the 1640s, is now on display in Glasgow.
• The Fish — refers to the story about Queen Languoreth of Strathclyde who was suspected of infidelity by her husband. King Riderch demanded to see her ring, which he claimed she had given to her lover. In reality the King had thrown it into the River Clyde. Faced with execution she appealed for help to Mungo, who ordered a messenger to catch a fish in the river. On opening the fish, the ring was miraculously found inside, which allowed the Queen to clear her name. (This story may be confused with an almost identical one concerning King Maelgwn of Gwynedd and Saint Asaph.)

In the same place was a row of beautiful Rowan Trees all bearing red berries - you know the song and pipe tune:

We got to the Parish Church on the left:

... and Glasgow Cathedral on the right:

In we went. It is certainly old - the cross was planted and the ground blessed by St. Ninian in 397. The first stone cathedral was dedicated by in 1136 in the presence of King David.

Here is the nave

Down below there is a Lower Church

Astoundingly this was filled with a Lego exhibition - seemed a really unsuitable place for such. The whole of the Cathedral was very commercialised which was a pity.