This paper intens to show that the influence of the Bible on christianized
but unromanized territories was of crucial importance for the writings produced
during the first medieval centuries. We shall focus on the rhetoric
devices used in the Nauigatio Sancti Brendani, a text deeply rooted in Irish
traditions, which contains a peculiar biblical symbolism. This ranges from
the more subconscious aspects (as the very title reveals) to more realistic descriptions.
Behind its suggested reality, the metaphoric quality the author was
longing for stands, trying to reach medieval audiences throughout allegory.
We emphazise the persistent and thorough task of the author to weave the
fruit and chaff in his work avoiding therefore any interference of chance in
the final texture.
