CORNISH DEDICATIONS. 397 



S. SiTHNEY, Abbot, Confessor, 



One of the Irish colony. Sithney is the Irish Setna, who 

 was a clesciple of S. Senan. The Latin form of his name is 

 Sidonius. In Bishop Stapeidon's Register, 1310 — 18, the dedi- 

 cation of Sithney Church is to 8"^ Sidninus. In that of 

 Bronescombe (1270) it is to S"^ Sidnius. In that of Grandisson 

 (1336) the church of S'" Sydnyny, (1303) S* Sidnini ; in that of 

 Stafford (1403) S' Sithnini. 



Setna was a native of Munster, and had two brothers saints, 

 Govan and Multos. His father's name was Ere, and his mother's 

 was Magna ; she was a sister of S. David. 



He attached himself very early to Senan, which is not 

 surprising, as David and Senan were intimate and attached 

 friends. 



Setna was with Senan when this saint settled on Inis Mor 

 (Deer Island), at the mouth of the Shannon, 



One day he caught a woman washing her child's linen in 

 the fountain whence he and all the community drew their 

 drinking water. This was too much for his patience ; he flew 

 into a rage and stormed at the woman, using violent language 

 and wishing her all the bad luck he could think of. With him 

 joined his fellow pupil Liberius. 



Shortly after the child disappeared, and the mother con- 

 cluded that the child had fallen over the cliffs into the sea, and 

 further, that this was due to Setna's curses. She rushed to Senan 

 and accused Setna and Liberius of having ill-wished her child 

 and thereby caused its death. Senan was very indignant with 

 his pupils, and ordered Liberius, as the elder of the two, to go 

 and do penance on a rock in the sea, and he bade Setna row him 

 out to this rock, leave him there, and not return without the 

 child's body. 



After some hours Setna found the urchin on the beach, 

 paddling in the pools, and he at once conveyed him to the mother. 

 The child had not fallen over the cliff but had strayed, and the 

 woman had rushed to conclusions prematurely and unwarrantably. 

 So Senan bade Setna go after Liberius, and take a lesson not to 

 be intemperate in his language for the future. 



