Irish name, Lebor Laignech, Leabhar Laighneach. Also known as Book of Noughaval/ Oakvale, Lebor na Nuachongbála. Compiled after 1150, this codex is the second best source of Irish myth and legend after the Book of the Dun Cow. Some of the material, such as the Dindshenchas, the lore and history of places, dates from the 11th century. Also important are texts of the pseudo-history Lebor Gabála [Book of Invasions], a version of the Táin Bó Cuailnge, the Deirdre story, and the Bórama. The surviving manuscript is divided between Trinity College and the Franciscan Library, Dublin. Leinster, one of the five ancient provinces, constitutes much of eastern Ireland. First published in facsimile (Dublin, 1870), the Book of Leinster has been edited in six volumes by R. I. Best, Osborn Bergin, M. A. O'Brien, and A. O'sullivan (Dublin, 1954–83).
Book of Leinster
| Celtic Mythology: Book of Leinster |
| Wikipedia: Book of Leinster |
MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339), or the Book of Leinster (Irish Lebor Laignech), formerly known as the Book of Oughaval (Lebor na Nuachongbála), is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled ca. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin. It was previously kept at Oughaval for many generations.[1] Some fragments of the book, such as the Martyrology of Tallaght, are now in the collection of University College, Dublin.[2]
Contents |
Contents
The manuscript has 187 leaves, each approximately 13" by 9" (33 cm by 23 cm). A note in the manuscript suggests as many as 45 leaves have been lost. The book, a wide-ranging compilation, is one of the most important sources of medieval Irish literature, genealogy and mythology, containing, among many others, texts such as Lebor Gabála Érenn (the Book of Invasions), the most complete version of Táin Bó Cuailnge (the Cattle Raid of Cooley), the Metrical Dindshenchas and an Irish translation/adaptation of the De excidio Troiae Historia, and before its separation from the main volume, the Martyrology of Tallaght.
A diplomatic edition was published by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies in six volumes over a period of 29 years.
Date and provenance
The manuscript is a composite work and more than one hand appears to have been responsible for its production. The principal scribe and compiler was apparently Áed Ua Crimthainn, whose signature can be read on f. 32r (p. 313): Aed mac meic Crimthaind ro scrib in leborso 7 ra thinoil a llebraib imdaib ("Áed Húa Crimthaind wrote this book and collected it from many books").[3] In a letter copied by a later hand into a bottom margin (p. 288), the bishop of Kildare, Finn mac Gormáin, addresses him as a man of learning (fer léiginn) of the high-king of Leth Moga, the coarb (comarbu lit. 'successor') of Colum mac Crimthainn, and the chief scholar (prímsenchaid) of Leinster.
From annals recorded in the manuscript we can say it was written between 1151 and 1201, with the bulk of the work probably complete in the 1160s.
References
- ^ O Croinin, Daibhi, Prehistoric and Early Ireland (Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 978-0198217374), p. 546
- ^ Ms A3 at www.ucd.ie
- ^ Best et al., The Book of Leinster. Vol 1. xv.
Sources
- Atkinson, Robert. The Book of Leinster, sometime called the Book of Glendalough. Dublin, 1880. 1-374. Facsimile edition.
- Best, R.I., Osborn Bergin, M.A. O'Brien and Anne O'Sullivan (eds). The Book of Leinster, formerly Lebar na Núachongbála. 6 vols. Dublin: DIAS, 1954-83. Diplomatic edition.
- O'Sullivan, William. "Notes on the Scripts and Make-Up of the Book of Leinster." Celtica 7 (1966): 1-31.
External links
- Contents of the Book of Leinster
- Yahoo! translation
- Irish text: volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 at CELT
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
 | Lebor Laig(h)nech |
| Áed mac Crimthainn |
| Cin Dromma Snechtai or Lebor Dromma Snechtai |
 | What is the correct pronunciation of the word Leinster? Read answer... |
| Name the counties of Leinster in Ireland? Read answer... |
| Who is the current leinster rugby team manager? Read answer... |
 | How many counties in Leinster? |
| Who was the Gaelic king of Leinster? |
| When did the leinster plantation start? |
Copyrights:
 |
 | Celtic Mythology. A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Copyright © James MacKillop 1998, 2004. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Book of Leinster". Read more |
- Can Leinster beat Leicester?
- Who is leinster's fly half?
- What is the largest county in Leinster?
- Who is the captain of leinster rugby team?
- How many Leinster rugby supporters are there?
- 1911 census for leinster?
- Who flew the flag of Leinster?
- Winners of the Leinster cup 0809?
Mentioned in
