Saint Columba and the first written mention of the Loch Ness monster around 565

9 June is the feast day of Saint Columba, one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, who lived in the 6th century. By and large, the most important thing you need to know about this much venerated Irish and Scottish saint is this: there exists a written mention of his encounter with the Loch Ness Monster, which makes him the first documented witness to the existence of the creature in Loch Ness. The meeting of the Christian preacher, founder of the first monastery in Scotland, with the monster took place around 565. Legend credits Columba with subduing, by the power of prayer, a beast that had attacked a man. The same account describes the monster's appearance, something like a large frog, and notes that, in principle, it was quite the norm for the villagers living near the lake to bury and mourn people killed by the creature we know by the name of Nessie.