Observations placeholder
The death of Saint Columba - 9 June 597AD, Ireland: An immense pillar of fire
Identifier
028764
Type of Spiritual Experience
None
Background
Note that this is not a vision, it might be better described as a UFO
A description of the experience
William Reeves, ed. Life of Saint Columba, founder of Hy. Written by Adamn [Adomnan],
On that night when St. Columba, by a happy and blessed death, passed from earth to heaven, while I and others with me were engaged in fishing in the valley of the river Fend, which abounds in fish, we saw the whole vault of heaven become suddenly illuminated. Struck by the suddenness of the miracle, we raised our eyes and looked towards the east, when, lo! there appeared something like an immense pillar of fire, which seemed to us, as it ascended upwards at that midnight, to illuminate the whole earth like the summer sun at noon: and after that column penetrated the heavens darkness followed, as if the sun had just set.
And not only did we, together in the same place, observe with intense surprise the brightness of this remarkable luminous pillar, but many other fishermen also, who were engaged in fishing here and there in different deep pools along the same river, were greatly terrified, as they afterwards related to us, by an appearance of the same kind.'"