Helias of Cologne

Helias of Cologne, Irish abbot and musician, died 1040.

Background

Helias was a native of what is now

states that he led "a most austere life, and was on that account an object of hatred to wicked men, who feared his reproof."

Cologne

Helias was elected abbot of

He was a "bosom friend and counsellor" of St. Heribert, Archbishop of Cologne.Heribert died in 1021. Heribert's biographer Landberth wrote about his death: "when this illustrious prelate felt his end approach, he sent for his beloved Helias, who prepared him for death, and administered to him the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, and all the final consolations of the Church."^[2]

Helias was succeeded by Mariolus or Molanus, who died in 1061.

Archbishop Pilgrim

The archbishop of Cologne

.

Rule as abbot

According to Hogan, Helias ran both "St. Martin and St. Pantaleon's, with the greatest success. He was remarkable, however, for uncommon strictness in the enforcement of discipline. A French monk of St. Pantaleon having written, without permission, a neat copy of the Missal for the use of the community, Helias burned it, lest others should presume to act without previous licence. He died in the odour of sanctity, and was buried in the chapel of St. Benedict, with the epitaph: Haec tumuli fossa conduntur Praesulis ossa/Heliae miri mirificique viri.^[4]

Musician

Helias was a skilled musician, and is held to be the first to introduce

.

References

Further reading

• J. F. Hogan: Irish Monasteries in Germany, in: The Irish Ecclesiastical Record, 4th series, vol. 3 (1898), pp. 526–535.

External links

• archive.org: The Irish ecclesiastical record
• standingstones.com: The Origins of Traditional Irish Music Archived 7 December 1998 at the Wayback Machine