Lebor na hUidre
Encyclopedia
Lebor na hUidre or the Book of the Dun Cow (MS 23 E 25) is an Irish vellum
manuscript
dating to the 12th century. It is the oldest extant manuscript in Irish
. It is held in the Royal Irish Academy
and is badly damaged: only 67 leaves remain and many of the texts are incomplete. It is named after an anachronistic legend that it was made from the hide of a cow by Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
.
meic Cuinn na mBocht, based on matching the handwriting with two marginal probationes pennae
or pen tests, in which the scribe wrote his name. A much later note elsewhere in the manuscript names Máel Muire as the person who "wrote and compiled this book from divers[e] books". His killing at Clonmacnoise
is recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters
in 1106, giving us a latest possible date and location for the main body of the manuscript. Some time later, H (named for his addition of two homilies) added a number of new texts and passages, sometimes over erased portions
of the original, sometimes on new leaves. Based on orthography
and an English loanword
, Gearóid Mac Eoin
concludes that H wrote in the late 12th or early 13th century.
After the monastery of Clonmacnoise was broken up, the manuscript came into the possession of the O'Donnell
clan of Donegal
who held it until 1359, when it and the lost Leabhar Gearr were used to ransom members of the clan who had been taken prisoner by Cathal Óg O'Connor
. Áed Ruad O'Donnell recovered the manuscript in 1470, and it remained in Donegal at least until 1631, when the compilation of the Annals of the Four Masters was completed. Its location is unknown until 1837, when it was part of a collection owned by Messrs. Hodges & Smith of College Green
, Dublin, and was cited by George Petrie in an essay on the History and Antiquities of Tara Hill. The Hodges & Smith collection, 227 manuscripts in all, was purchased by the Royal Irish Academy in 1844.
Joseph O'Longan's lithographic
facsimile of the manuscript was published by the RIA in 1870. A diplomatic edition
by R. I. Best and Osborn Bergin
, with the three hands distinguished by different typefaces, was published in 1929. Digital scans of the pages have been published on the web by ISOS (Irish Script on Screen).
Vellum
Vellum is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books. It is generally smooth and durable, although there are great variations depending on preparation, the quality of the skin and the type of animal used...
manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
dating to the 12th century. It is the oldest extant manuscript in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
. It is held in the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...
and is badly damaged: only 67 leaves remain and many of the texts are incomplete. It is named after an anachronistic legend that it was made from the hide of a cow by Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise was one of the early Irish monastic saints and Irish bishop. He is sometimes called Ciarán the Younger to distinguish him from Saint Ciarán of Saighir. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland....
.
History
The manuscript is thought to be the work of three scribes, whose handwriting was distinguished by R. I. Best in 1912 and identified with the letters A, M and H. A and M are believed to be contemporary. A began the manuscript and wrote the opening pages of several of the texts, which were continued by M, who Best identified as Máel Muire mac CéilechairMáel Muire mac Céilechair
Máel Muire mac Céilechair was an Irish cleric of the monastery of Clonmacnoise, County Offaly, and one of the principal scribes of the manuscript Lebor na hUidre....
meic Cuinn na mBocht, based on matching the handwriting with two marginal probationes pennae
Probatio pennae
Probatio pennae is the medieval term for breaking in a new pen, and used to refer to text written to test a newly cut pen....
or pen tests, in which the scribe wrote his name. A much later note elsewhere in the manuscript names Máel Muire as the person who "wrote and compiled this book from divers[e] books". His killing at Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise
The monastery of Clonmacnoise is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone....
is recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
in 1106, giving us a latest possible date and location for the main body of the manuscript. Some time later, H (named for his addition of two homilies) added a number of new texts and passages, sometimes over erased portions
Palimpsest
A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
of the original, sometimes on new leaves. Based on orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
and an English loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
, Gearóid Mac Eoin
Gearóid Mac Eoin
Gearóid Mac Eoin is an Irish academic whose studies have focused especially on aspects of Irish language, literature and history.-Background and education:...
concludes that H wrote in the late 12th or early 13th century.
After the monastery of Clonmacnoise was broken up, the manuscript came into the possession of the O'Donnell
O'Donnell
O'Donnell , which is derived from the forename Domhnaill were an ancient and powerful Irish family, kings, princes, and lords of Tír Chonaill in early times, and the chief allies and sometimes...
clan of Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
who held it until 1359, when it and the lost Leabhar Gearr were used to ransom members of the clan who had been taken prisoner by Cathal Óg O'Connor
O Connor Sligo
Ó Conchobhair Sligigh , Gaelic-Irish family and Chief of the Name.The Ó Conchobhair Sligigh were a branch of the Ó Conchobhair Kings of Connacht....
. Áed Ruad O'Donnell recovered the manuscript in 1470, and it remained in Donegal at least until 1631, when the compilation of the Annals of the Four Masters was completed. Its location is unknown until 1837, when it was part of a collection owned by Messrs. Hodges & Smith of College Green
College Green
College Green is a three-sided "square" in the centre of Dublin. On its northern side is a building known today as the Bank of Ireland which until 1800 was Ireland's Parliament House. To its east stands Trinity College Dublin, the only constituent college of the University of Dublin. To its south...
, Dublin, and was cited by George Petrie in an essay on the History and Antiquities of Tara Hill. The Hodges & Smith collection, 227 manuscripts in all, was purchased by the Royal Irish Academy in 1844.
Joseph O'Longan's lithographic
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
facsimile of the manuscript was published by the RIA in 1870. A diplomatic edition
Diplomatics
Diplomatics , or Diplomatic , is the study that revolves around documentation. It is a study that focuses on the analysis of document creation, its inner constitutions and form, the means of transmitting information, and the relationship documented facts have with their creator...
by R. I. Best and Osborn Bergin
Osborn Bergin
Osborn Joseph Bergin was a scholar of the Irish language and Early Irish literature. He was born in Cork and was educated at Queen's College Cork , then went to Germany for advanced studies in Celtic languages, working with Heinrich Zimmer at the Friedrich Wilhelm University of Berlin...
, with the three hands distinguished by different typefaces, was published in 1929. Digital scans of the pages have been published on the web by ISOS (Irish Script on Screen).
Contents
The remaining leaves of the manuscript contain the following texts, in various states of preservation:Texts from the original manuscript
- Sex aetates mundi ("The Six Ages of the World", incomplete)
- Lebor Bretnach ("The British Book": an Irish translation of the Historia Brittonum, incomplete)
- Amra Coluim Chille ("The Eulogy of Colm CilleColumbaSaint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
": a heavily annotated version of the 7th-century poem by Dallán ForgaillDallan ForgaillSaint Dallán Forgaill —also Dallán Forchella; Dallán of Cluain Dalláin; born Eochaid Forchella—was an early Christian Irish poet best known as the writer of the Amra Choluim Chille and the early Irish poem Rop tú mo baile, the basis of the modern English hymn Be Thou My Vision.-Personal...
) - Scél Tuain meic Cairill do Finnen Maige Bile ("The Story Tuan mac CairillTuan mac CairillIn Irish mythology Tuan mac Cairill was a follower of Partholon who alone survived the plague that killed the rest of his people. Through a series of animal transformations he survived into Christian times, and told the story of his people to St. Finnian....
told to Finnian of MovilleFinnian of MovilleFinnian of Movilla Abbey, Irish Christian missionary, 495–589.-Origins and life:Finnian was a Christian missionary who became a legendary figure in medieval Ireland. He should not to be confused with his namesake Finnian of Clonard...
": in which the history of the invasions of Ireland is related by a survivor of the first invasion, incomplete) - Dá brón flatha nime ("The Two Sorrows of the Kingdom of Heaven", incomplete)
- Mesca UladMesca UladMesca Ulad is a narrative from the Ulster Cycle preserved in the 12th century manuscripts the Book of Leinster and in the Lebor na hUidre. The title Mesca Ulad occurs only in the Book of Leinster version.-Manuscript sources:*Book of Leinster : p 261b-268b . Second part missing...
("The Intoxication of the UlstermenUlaidThe Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...
", incomplete) - Táin bó Dartada ("The Driving of Dartaid's Cattle", opening four lines only)
- Táin bó Flidais ("the Driving of FlidaisFlidaisFlidais is a female mythological figure in early Irish literature, including the Lebor Gabála Érenn, the Metrical Dindsenchas and the Ulster Cycle...
' Cattle, incomplete) - Immram curaig Mail Dúin ("Voyage of Máel DúinMáel DúinMáel Dúin is the protagonist of Immram Maele Dúin or the Voyage of Máel Dúin, a Christian tale written in Old Irish around the end of the first millennium. He is the son of Ailill Edge-of-Battle, whose murder provides the initial impetus for the tale.Máel Dúin is the son of a warrior and chieftan....
's currachCurrachA Currach is a type of Irish boat with a wooden frame, over which animal skins or hides were once stretched, though now canvas is more usual. It is sometimes anglicised as "Curragh". The construction and design of the currach is unique to the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland, with variations in...
", incomplete) - Fís Adomnán ("The Vision of Adomnán": a tale of the 7th century Irish saint)
- Tucait innarba na nDessi i mMumain ocus aided ChormaicThe Expulsion of the DéisiThe Expulsion of the Déisi is a medieval Irish narrative of the Cycles of the Kings. It dates approximately to the 8th century, but survives only in manuscripts of a much later date. It describes the fictional history of the Déisi, a group that had gained political power in parts of Ireland during...
("The Cause of the Expulsion of the DéisiDéisiThe Déisi were a class of peoples in ancient and medieval Ireland. The term is Old Irish, and derives from the word déis, meaning "vassal" or "subject"; in its original sense, it designated groups who were vassals or rent-payers to a landowner. Later, it became a proper name for certain septs and...
into MunsterMunsterMunster 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...
and the Death of Cormac mac AirtCormac mac AirtCormac mac Airt , also known as Cormac ua Cuinn or Cormac Ulfada , was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland...
") - Táin Bó CúailngeTáin Bó Cúailngeis a legendary tale from early Irish literature, often considered an epic, although it is written primarily in prose rather than verse. It tells of a war against Ulster by the Connacht queen Medb and her husband Ailill, who intend to steal the stud bull Donn Cuailnge, opposed only by the teenage...
("The Cattle Raid of Cooley": the oldest version of the central epic of the Ulster CycleUlster CycleThe Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...
, incomplete, contains passages interpolated by H) - Togail bruidne Dá DergaThe Destruction of Da Derga's HostelTogail Bruidne Dá Derga is an Irish tale belonging to the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It survives in three Old and Middle Irish recensions. It recounts the birth, life, and death of Conaire Mór son of Eterscél Mór, a legendary High King of Ireland, who is killed at Da Derga's hostel by his...
("The Destruction of Dá Derga's Hostel": a tale of the 1st century king Conaire MórConaire MorConaire Mór , son of Eterscél, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His mother was Mess Búachalla, who was either the daughter of Eochu Feidlech and Étaín, or of Eochu Airem and his daughter by Étaín...
, incomplete, contains passages interpolated by H) - Fled BricrennFled BricrennFled Bricrenn is a story from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Bricriu, an inveterate troublemaker, invites the nobles of the Ulaid to a feast at his new house at Dún Rudraige , where he incites three heroes, Cúchulainn, Conall Cernach, and Lóegaire Búadach, to compete for the "champion's...
("Bricriu's Feast", incomplete, contains passages interpolated by H) - Siaburchapat Con Culaind ("CúchulainnCúchulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
's Phantom Chariot": a tale of Saint PatrickSaint PatrickSaint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
, who raises Cúchulainn from hell to convince king LóegaireLóegaire mac NéillLóegaire , also Lóeguire, is said to have been a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. The Irish annals and king lists include him as a King of Tara or High King of Ireland. He appears as an adversary of Saint Patrick in several hagiographies...
to convert to Christianity, contains passages interpolated by H) - Fástini Airt meic Cuind ocus a chretem ("The prophesy of Art mac CuinnArt mac CuinnArt mac Cuinn , also known as Art Óenfer , was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland....
and his faith": in which the 2nd century king is said to have foreseen the coming of Christianity) - Echtra Condla Chaim meic Cuind Chetchathaig ("The adventure of Connla the Beautiful, son of Conn of the Hundred BattlesConn of the Hundred BattlesConn Cétchathach , son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland, and the ancestor of the Connachta, and, through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Ireland in the early middle ages, and...
": in which the 2nd century prince is lured to the otherworld by a fairy woman) - Cethri Arda in Domain ("The Four Quarters of the World", incomplete)
- Imram Brain mac Febail ("The Voyage of Bran son of Febal": a fantastic voyage tale, incomplete)
- Tochmarc EmireTochmarc EmireTochmarc Emire is one of the stories in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology and one of the longest when it received its form in the second recension . It concerns the efforts of the hero Cú Chulainn to marry Emer, who appears as his wife in other stories of the cycle, and his training in arms...
("The Wooing of EmerEmerEmer , in modern Irish Éimhear, or, erroneously, Eimhear or Éimear, daughter of Forgall Monach, is the wife of the hero Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.-Tochmarc Emire "The Wooing of Emer":...
", contains passages interpolated by H) - Compert Con CulainnCompert Con CulainnCompert Con Culainn is an early medieval Irish narrative about the conception and birth of the hero Cú Chulainn. Part of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, it survives in two major versions.-Manuscripts:...
("The conception of Cúchulainn", copied from the lost Book of Druimm SnechtaCín Dromma SnechtaiCín Dromma Snechtai or Lebor Dromma Snechtai is a now long-lost early Irish manuscript. Old Irish cín, derived from the Latin quinio "five", was a small book made of five folded vellum leaves; lebor, modern Irish leabhar, is the standard word for a book...
, contains passages interpolated by H) - Tochmarc ÉtaíneTochmarc ÉtaíneTochmarc Étaíne , meaning "The Wooing of Étaín", is an early text of the Irish Mythological Cycle, and also features characters from the Ulster Cycle and the Cycles of the Kings. It is partially preserved in the manuscript known as the Lebor na hUidre , and completely preserved in the Yellow Book...
("The wooing of ÉtaínÉtaínÉtaín is a figure of Irish mythology, best known as the heroine of Tochmarc Étaíne , one of the oldest and richest stories of the Mythological Cycle. She also figures in the Middle Irish Togail Bruidne Dá Derga . T. F...
": a mythological tale featuring AengusAengusIn Irish mythology, Óengus , Áengus , or Aengus or Aonghus , is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration...
and MidirMidirIn the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir or Midhir was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith...
of the Tuatha Dé DanannTuatha Dé DanannThe Tuatha Dé Danann are a race of people in Irish mythology. In the invasions tradition which begins with the Lebor Gabála Érenn, they are the fifth group to settle Ireland, conquering the island from the Fir Bolg....
, incomplete) - Compert Mongáin ("The conception of MongánMongán mac FiachnaiMongán mac Fiachnai was an Irish prince of the Cruthin, a son of Fiachnae mac Báetáin. Little is certainly known of Mongán's life as only his death is recorded in the Irish annals...
": a tale of a legendary prince, incomplete) - Scel asa mberar combad hé Find mac Cumaill Mongáin ocus aní día fil aided Fothaid Airgdig ("The story by which it is inferred that Mongán was Fionn mac CumhaillFionn mac CumhaillFionn mac Cumhaill , known in English as Finn McCool, was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man...
, and the reason for the death of Fothad Airgthech") - Scél Mongáin ("The story of Mongán")
- Tucait baile Mongáin ("The Cause of the Vision of Mongán")
- Inna hinada hi filet cind erred Ulad ("The places where the heads of the heroes of Ulster are": a poem)
Texts added by scribe H
- Scéla laí brátha ("Tidings of the Day of JudgementLast JudgmentThe Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
") - Scéla na esergi ("Tidings of the Resurrection")
- Aided Nath Í ocus a adnacol ("The Death of Nath ÍNath ÍNath Í, an early Irish personal name for males, may refer to:*Nath Í mac Fiachrach, 5th-century legendary king of Connacht*Nath Í of Cúl Fothirbe, saint of the Dál Messin Corb of Leinster...
and his burial", a tale of the 5th century king) - Aided Echach meic Maíreda ("The Death of Eochaid mac Maíreda": a mythological tale of the origin of Lough NeaghLough NeaghLough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...
) - Fotha catha Cnucha ("The Cause of the Battle of Knock": a tale concerning the birth of Fionn mac CumhaillFionn mac CumhaillFionn mac Cumhaill , known in English as Finn McCool, was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man...
) - Serglige Con CulainnSerglige Con CulainnSerglige Con Culainn , also known as Oenét Emire is a narrative from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It originated in the 10th and 11th centuries, and survives in the Book of the Dun Cow, which combines two earlier versions. It tells of a curse of illness inflicted upon the hero Cú Chulainn...
("The Wasting Sickness of CúchulainnCúchulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
": copied from the lost Yellow Book of Slane) - Senchas na relec ("The History of the Burial Places": an account of the resting places of a number of Irish kings)
- Genemain Áeda Sláne ("The Birth of Áed SláineÁed SláineÁed mac Diarmato , called Áed Sláine , was the son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Legendary stories exist of Áed's birth. Saint Columba is said to have prophesied his death...
": a tale of the 6th century king) - De genelogia Con Culaind ("The Genealogy of Cúchulainn")
- Cath Cairnd Chonaill ria Diarmait mac Aeda Sláni for Guari Adni ("The Battle of Carn Conaill between Diarmait son of Áed Sláine and Guaire Aidne", a tale from the Cycle of the KingsCycle of the KingsThe Cycles of the Kings, also known as the Kings' Cycles or the Historical Cycle are a body of Old and Middle Irish literature. They contain stories of the legendary kings of Ireland, for example Cormac mac Airt, Niall of the Nine Hostages, Éogan Mór, Conall Corc, Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin, Diarmait...
) - Comthoth Lóegairi co cretim ocus a aided ("The conversion of Lóegaire to the faith and his death", a tale of Saint Patrick)