Dungal (fl. 811–828) was an Irishmonk,teacher,astronomer, andpoet. He was to live at Saint-Denis, Pavia, andBobbio.
He may be the same person asHibernicus exul.
Dungal was born inIreland sometime in the late 8th century. His origins within Ireland are unknown, but he may have spent his student years at the School ofBangor. At some point either side of 800 he left Ireland. By 811 he was living at themonastery of Saint-Denis, near Paris. A letter ofAlcuin appears to identify him as abishop.
In a letter, directed to Charlemagne, he answeredCharlemagne's question of why twosolar eclipses occurred in the year 810,[1] drawing on his knowledge of the teachings ofMacrobius,Pliny, and other ancient authors.[2] This letter demonstrates "a knowledge of astronomy far beyond the current ideas of his time".[3]
Dungal wrote a poem onwisdom and theseven liberal arts. In 823, Dungal was mentioned in acapitulary ofLothair. In 825 he was by imperial decree appointed Master of the School atPavia which was located in themonastery of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro. In 827 or 828, he defended theveneration of images againstClaudius,Bishop of Turin and wrote to refute some of his religious teachings at the request of the emperorLouis the Pious.
Dungal died at an unknown date after 827 or 828, probably at theMonastery of Bobbio. He bequeathed to Bobbio Abbey his valuable library, consisting of some 27 volumes,[4] among which may have been theAntiphonary of Bangor.
