Bretha Nemed Déidenach
Encyclopedia
Bretha Nemed Déidenach is the late title of an Early Irish law text dating from the eighth century.
. The only surviving copy, now part of Trinity College, Dublin MS 1317 H.2.15B, was transcribed by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. Another related text, Bretha Nemed Toísech (the first Bretha Nemed) is now British Library
MS Nero A 7.
Bretha Nemed Déidenach contains extracts of works concerning poets and bards, along with passages on such subjects as fosterage, sureties, pledge-interests and land law. Much of it is written in the alliterative rosc style in what is now called Archaic or Old Irish. Because of the difficulty of the language, the text has never been translated. In addition, in parts the text is fragmentary.
It is not known where MacFhirbhisigh obtained his exemplar, nor when or where it was transcribed. Another text in the same MS - Duil Laithne - was written at Ballymacegan, County Tipperary
, on 5 May 1643, so the Déidenach may have been copied in that period.
Portions of the text are translated in:
Overview
Bretha Nemed Déidenach ('the last Bretha Nemed) is one of the two principal surviving remnants of the celebrated Old Irish Bretha Nemed law "school", believed to have been composed early in the eighth century in MunsterMunster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
. The only surviving copy, now part of Trinity College, Dublin MS 1317 H.2.15B, was transcribed by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh. Another related text, Bretha Nemed Toísech (the first Bretha Nemed) is now British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
MS Nero A 7.
Bretha Nemed Déidenach contains extracts of works concerning poets and bards, along with passages on such subjects as fosterage, sureties, pledge-interests and land law. Much of it is written in the alliterative rosc style in what is now called Archaic or Old Irish. Because of the difficulty of the language, the text has never been translated. In addition, in parts the text is fragmentary.
It is not known where MacFhirbhisigh obtained his exemplar, nor when or where it was transcribed. Another text in the same MS - Duil Laithne - was written at Ballymacegan, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, on 5 May 1643, so the Déidenach may have been copied in that period.
See also
- Early Irish law
- Old Irish
- Cáin AdomnáinCáin AdomnáinThe Cáin Adomnáin , also known as the Lex Innocentium was promulgated amongst a gathering of Irish, Dál Riatan and Pictish notables at the Synod of Birr in 697. It is named after its initiator Adomnán of Iona, ninth Abbot of Iona after St...
- DerbfineDerbfineThe derbfine was an Irish agnatic kinship group and power structure as defined in the law tracts of the eighth century. Its principal purpose was as an institution of property inheritance, with property redistributed on the death of a member to those remaining members of the derbfine...
- Collectio canonum HibernensisCollectio canonum HibernensisThe Collectio canonum Hibernensis is a systematic Latin collection of canon law, scriptural and patristic excerpts, and Irish synodal and penitential decrees...
Editions and translation
Diplomatic edition. Critical edition.Portions of the text are translated in:
- Watkins, Calvert (1963). "Indo-European metrics and archaic Irish verse." Celtica 6: 194-249: 226, 230, 233, 236, 240.
- Ó Corráin, Donnchadh, Liam Breatnach and Aidan Breen (1984). "The laws of the Irish." Peritia 3. 382-438: 420-2.
- Breatnach, Liam (1987). Uraicecht na Ríar. The Poetic Grades in Early Irish law. Early Irish Law Series 2. Dublin. 42-57.
External links
- The Law of the Couple: translation of an Irish legal text on marriage
- Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies - School of Celtic Studies Catalogue of relevant publications
- Solarguard Brehon Precis of Fergus Kelly's A Guide to Early Irish Law
- The Brehon Laws - Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
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