St. Lesmo of Glen Tanar

rdf:langString St. Lesmo of Glen Tanar

rdf:langString St. Lesmo of Glen Tanar (c. 700 – c. 780) is the name given to a holy hermit who it is believed lived in Glen Tanar Aberdeenshire Scotland in the eighth century. He is recorded by Thomas Dempster as a "saint" in the seventeenth century. His claimed Saints’ Day is 9 December. There is no reference to a Lesmo in the Aberdeen Breviary (1507). This omission raises doubts regarding Lesmo and claims for his Sainthood. Sixteen saints are recorded as being active during a period from c. 500 AD to c. 800 AD along the River Dee, Aberdeenshire. The Aberdeen Breviary lists 81 saints, including twelve associated with Deeside. Nevertheless, he is recorded by many Scottish writers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1871, a private Scottish Episcopal Church chapel was dedicated to Lesmo by Bishop Thomas Suther, Bishop of Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. The chapel was part of a grand building scheme by William Cunliffe Brooks on his new estate. The chapel has a fine stained-glass window commemorating Lesmo. Lesmo stands in front of what looks like the South side of the church. Below is the aphorism, "LUX IN EREMO"; translated as "Light in the Wilderness". It has been suggested that "LUX IN EREMO", might be code for "LUX IN ER(S)MO". A second text along the bottom of the window reads “VIXIT AD 731 COLITUR 9 DEC” “He lived in AD 731 – Commemorate him on the 9th. December”. Almost certainly the face of St Lesmo in this panel is based on a photograph or cartoon of Cunliffe Brooks. The designer of the window gave Lesmo a staff with a scallop shell on his left shoulder suggesting a pilgrim saint. The scallop shell refers to Saint James who is the patron saint of pilgrims and of the Camino de Santiago. It is unknown where the stained-glass was originally located as its current position, in the north wall, was the location of the original entrance into the chapel. Looking at the Lesmo window from the outside, the lintel contains an inscription “VENITE ADOREMUS” - “Come Ye, Let us Adore”.