The Life of Columba () is a hagiography recounting the life of Columba, the founder of Iona Abbey, written a century after Columba's death by Adomnán, one of his successors as Abbot of Iona. Adomnán (also known as Eunan), served as the ninth Abbot of Iona until his death in 704. James Earle Fraser asserts that Adomnán drew extensively from an existing body of accounts regarding the life of Columba, including a Latin collection entitled "De uirtutibus sancti Columbae", composed c. 640 A.D. This earlier work is attributed to Cummene Find, who became the abbot of Iona and served as the leader of the monastic island community from 656 until his death in 668 or 669 A.D. While the Vita Columbae often conflicts with contemporaneous accounts of various battles, figures, and dates, it remains the most important surviving work from early medieval Scotland and provides a wealth of knowledge regarding the Picts and other ethnic and political groups from this time period. The Vita also offers a valuable insight into the monastic practices of Iona and the daily life of the early medieval Gaelic monks. Background The Life of Columba is a hagiography written in the style of "saint's lives" narratives that had become widespread throughout medieval Europe. Compiled and drafted by scribes and clergymen, these accounts were written in Latin and served as written collections of the deeds and miracles attributed to the saint, both during his or her life or after death. Columba was acknowledged as a saint, thanks to the vigorous promotion of his memory, within years of his death. This was long before official 'canonization' proceedings ever took place at Rome, so Columba has never actually been canonized by Roman authorities in the way that became common later in the Middle Ages. Manuscripts The surviving manuscripts include: A Generalia 1, Stadtbibliothek Schaffhausen, Switzerland; vellum, probably written before 713, Digitized Edition at E-codices. B1 British Library Add MS 35110 (B1), folios 96v-143r, probably written before 1165. B2 British Library Cotton MS Tiberius D III (B2), folios 192r-217r, written end of 12th to early 13th century. Due to fire damage in 1731, there are missing illegible portions on every page, and six folios [Book I, ch. 2 (diebus) to 22 (genibus) and 36 (viro) to 49 (omnia quae)] are missing completely. B3 British Library Royal MS 8 D IX (B3), folios 1r-70r, written in the fifteenth or early