St Kentigern, who is more popularly known by his pet name "Mungo", was born about the year AD 518 in Culross in Fife. From about the time of his death in 603 he was venerated as Glasgow's patron saint, and the cathedral of Glasgow was built in his honour. To this day, his figure and the symbols associated with his legend - the bell, the bird, the tree and the fish - make up the Coat of Arms of the City of Glasgow.

The legend and attributes of St Kentigern are remembered in a nonsense rhyme taught to Glasgow school children about the city's Coat of Arms:

It is the bird that never flew
It is the tree that never grew
It is the bell that never rang
It is the fish that never swam.

The Bird commemorates the pet robin owned by St Serf, which was accidentally killed by monks who blamed it on St Kentigern. He took the bird in his hands and prayed over it, restoring it to life again.

The Tree is the symbol of another incident in St Kentigern's childhood. Left in charge of the holy fire in St Serf's monastery, he fell asleep and the fire went out. However, he broke off some frozen branches from a hazel tree and miraculously re-kindled the fire.

The Bell may have been given to St Kentigern by the Pope. The original bell, which was tolled at funerals, no longer exists and was replaced by the magistrates of Glasgow in 1641. The bell of 1641 is preserved in the People's Palace.

The Fish was caught in the River Clyde. it. The Queen of Cadzow was suspected of "intrigue" by her husband as she had given his ring to a court favourite. The king, in a day's hunting, caught sight of the ring on the man's finger while resting under a tree. While the courtier slept, the king carefully drew the ring from his finger and cast it into the water, On returning home he angrily demanded to see the ring; when the Queen could not produce it he cast her into prison. In her misery she sent a messenger to Bishop Kentigern beseeching him to help her, as she had only been guilty of an act of frivolity. Kentigern was filled with compassion and sent a messenger to take a fishing rod to the spot on the riverbank where the ring had been flung into the water and instructed him to bring back the first fish he caught.

The messenger hurried to the spot and caught a salmon and brought it directly to Kentigern. Kentigern instructed him to cut open the fish and amazingly the ring was found in its belly. The messenger delivered the ring to the Queen who was able to hand it back to her doubting husband and peace was restored.

Kentigern died on January 19th in the year AD 603 and was enshrined in the lower church of the cathedral where there was an altar dedicated to his honour. His feast day is celebrated on January 13th.