Saint Serf - Saints Serf and Mungo

Saints Serf and Mungo

Saint Serf is said to have been a contemporary of St. Mungo, also known as Saint Kentigern, though if he in fact lived at the same time as Adomnán, this is chronologically impossible.

A legend states that when the British princess (and future saint) Theneva (Thenaw) became pregnant before marriage, her family threw her from a cliff. She survived the fall unharmed, and was soon met by an unmanned boat. She knew she had no home to go to, so she got into the boat; it sailed her across the Firth of Forth to land at Culross where she was cared for by Saint Serf; he became foster-father of her son, Saint Kentigern (Saint Mungo).

Another legend states that Saint Mungo restored a pet robin of St. Serf's to life. The bird had been killed by some of his classmates, hoping to blame him for its death.