The Anecdotage of Glasgow - Legendary stories of the life of St. Mungo, Founder of the city of Glasgow

"The mist of ages" had obscured the actual life of the patron saint of Glasgow ere it was written, as we now have it. nearly six hundred years after he had finished his apostolic labours.

The life on which, with the exception of a fragment, all the others are now based, was written by order of Bishop Jocelin, who was appointed to the See of Glasgow in A.D. 1174.

It was compiled by a monk of Furness (who bore the same name as the bishop), not merely from the tradition, but from two prior manuscripts, giving accounts of the life and acts of the saint.

The oldest of these MS. appears to have been written in the native British language, and it is by some thought possible that the writer was St. Asaph, one of St. Mungo’s own monks, and who was appointed by him to be his successor in North Wales.

Be this as it may, the life, as we now have it, is mixed with much that is purely legendary; yet, as these monkish stories not only relate to the reputed founder of our city, but figure so prominently in its armorial insignia, they must ever be of interest to those born and living in the city of St. Mungo.

Under these considerations, it is deemed appropriate to begin this volume of Glasgow Anecdotes with these, most certainly its very earliest stories.