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Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 512 
Summary
Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson B. 512 is an Irish vellum manuscript in quarto, numbering 154 folios and written in double columns by multiple scribes in the course of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The compilation presents a diverse range of medieval texts in verse and in prose, some of which are in Latin, while the vast majority is written in the Irish language. It is a composite manuscript, consisting of five portions which were originally distinct volumes: I (fos. 101-22, 1-36, 45-52), II (fos. 53-75), III (fos. 75B-100, 37-44), IV (fos. 123-44) and V (fos. 145-54).[1]
| Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 512 | |
|---|---|
| Bodleian Library | |
| Also known as | Ancient Irish Deeds and Writings, Chiefly Relating to Landed Property, from the Twelfth to the Seventeenth Century, with Translations, Notes, and a Preliminary Essay |
| Date | 15th — 16th century AD |
| Place of origin | Ireland |
| Language(s) | Early Modern Irish |
| Material | vellum |
Contents edit
| folios | Description |
|---|---|
| 1a | Conclusion of Gein Branduib maic Echach ocus Áedáin maic Gabráin ("The Birth of Brandub son of Eochu and of Aedán son of Gabrán") |
| 1a | Poem Kailleoracht. Tonfeid, a Christ, conic muir. |
| 1a-2a | Ferchuitred Medba ("Medb's husband allowance") |
| 2b | [blank] |
| 3a-b | Poem (37 stanzas) on the Kings of Ireland from Loegaire to Brian Boru. |
| 3b | Gilla Cómáin mac Gilla Samthainde, poem beginning A andáladh anall uile (imperfect copy) |
| 4b- | Poem "Tadg og oDa […] cecinit", much faded. |
| 5a-30a | Tripartite Life of St. Patrick (Beatha Padraic), with marginalia |
| 30a | Topographical verses, beginning Crioch Midhi inn[e]osad duibh ocus crioch Breadh mborrfadach. |
| 30a | Prose notes, Torannacht ocus criocharacht na Midi ("The measurement and mering of Meath") |
| 30a | Latin notes about Risterdus Nugent (ob. 1591) and Katherine Nugent (ob. 1604) |
| 30b | English notes, much faded |
| 31a | Irish Life of St. Brigit (beginning lost) |
| 35b-36a | Accounts of six miracles attributed to St. Brigit |
| 36a | Two late stanzas, beginning Tlachtga ingen Mhodh[a] Ruith ramhaigh |
| 36b | Poem beginning Domun duthain a loinde, and note in prose. |
| folios | Description |
|---|---|
| 37a-39a | Apgitir Chrábaid ("The Alphabet of Piety") |
| 39a | Teist Choemáin Chlúana maic Treoin for scoil oc Sinchill Chille Ached ("Coeman of Cluain mace Treoin's testimony as to the young school of Sinchell of Cell Ached"). |
| 39a-40b | Irish treatise on eight deadly sins and eight chief virtues |
| 40b-41a | Regula Coluim Cille ("Rule of St. Columba") |
| 41a | Three-line paragraph, beginning Cosc mo Colmaócc maic uBéonna dond óclaicg. |
| 41a | Irish Legend of St. Gregory the Great |
| 41b-42a | Invocation of Christ, prayers to Mary, John the Child and John the Baptist |
| 42a-42b | Mugrón comarba Coluim cille ("Mugrón, a successor of St. Columba") |
| 42b-44a | Na Arrada ("The Remissions"). |
| 44a-44b | Irish Vision of Laisrén of Cluain (Connaught) |
| 44b | Note on Churches of Munster |
| folios | Description |
|---|---|
| 45a-47b | Treatise on the Psalter, with Irish note (f. 45a) dated October 1731. |
| 48a-51b | Cáin Adomnáin ("The Law of Adomnán") |
| 51b | Irish poem on the Maledictive Psalms (13 stanzas), beginning Sreth a salmaib suad slan / feib rohorddaig Adamnan. |
| 51b | Immathcor nAilella ocus Airt ("The Mutual Restoration of Ailill and Art") |
| 51b-52a | Fragment, beginning muintire. Olldam dicit. |
| 52a | Poem on ecclesiastical seasons and days, beginning A Loingsig a hEs mac nEirc. |
| 52a-52b | Fil and grian glindi hái, poem ascribed to the briugu Dá Choca, with prose preface and glosses. |
| 52b | Seven-line note, Tomus cuirp Crist arna gabail Chonsantin impir ("The measure of Christ's body when found by Emperor Constantine") |
| folios | Description |
|---|---|
| 53a-64a | Félire Óengusso, preface, part of prologue, epilogue (with notes). |
| 56b | Poem (5 stanzas) in rinnard metre, beginning Bendacht indrig [for ríg] donélaib. |
| 64a | Poem (2 stanzas) in rinnard metre, beginning Cach noem robói [for bói], fil, bias. |
| 64a | Quatrain beginning Cech noeb, cech noebuag, cech mairtir, with scribal note |
| 64b | Legend of St. Moling |
| 64b | Legend of St. Moling and the Devil |
| 64b | Scribal note |
| 65a-71a | Irish homily on the Nativity |
| 71a | Two poems, beginning: (1) Buadacht uaim dom compan an tí as iomlan a threghib (ascribed to Rod Ó Cor(n)in); (2) Ag scoith na bPluingeadach (ascribed to Brian mac Dergan). |
| 71a-75b | Irish homily on the Passion |
| 73a | Note by scribe identifying himself as Dubthach Ó Duibgennan writing for Conchobor Ó Maelchonairi. |
| folios | Description |
|---|---|
| 76a-97b | Lebor Gabála Érenn ("Book of the Takings of Ireland"), including Flathiusa hErend. |
| 97b | Note on Ireland's resemblance to Paradise, beginning Inis hErenn, tra, ro-suidigad isin fuined. |
| 97b | Triad on first three judgment in Ireland |
| 97b-98b | Scéla Túain maic Cairill do Fhinnén Maige Bile ("The Story of Tuan mac Cairill by Finnian of Mag Bile") |
| 97b | Poem (7 stanzas) about Tuan mac Cairill |
| 97b | Quatrain, beginning Dia rorannta cóicid Erenn. |
| 97b | 4 quatrains about Beltaine, Lugnasad, Samain and Imbolc |
| 99a-100b | Scéla Alexandir maic Pilip, episodes from the Irish Alexander saga. |
| 100b | Compert Conchobuir, story of Ness daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide |
| 100b | Out of place scribal note to Lebor Gabála Érenn |
| folios | Description |
|---|---|
| 101a-105b | Baile in Scáil ("The Phantom's Frenzy") |
| 105b-108a | Scéla mucce maic Dathó ("The Story of Mac Dá Thó's Pig") |
| 108a | Legend of St Patrick, Enna son of King Loegaire, and Michael the Archangel |
| 108b | Senchus muici fhéili Martain ("The tradition of the St Martinmas pig") |
| 109a-114b | Airec Menman Uraird maic Coisse The Stratagem of Urard (Irard) mac Coisse."[2] |
| 114b-115b | Erchoitmed ingine Gulidi ("The Excuse of Gulide's daughter") |
| 115b-116a | Orgain / Aided trí mac nDiarmata mac Cerrbeóil ("The Destruction / Death of the Three Sons of Diarmait mac Cerbbeóil/Cerbaill") |
| 116a-116b | Aided Maelodráin mic Dímma Chróin ("The death of Maelodrán mac Dímma Chróin") |
| 116b | Agallamh Cormaic 7 Fithil ("The Dialogue between King Cormac and Fíthel (Féigbriathrach)") |
| – | [Two leaves lost] |
| 117a-118a | Tochmarc Emire ("The Wooing of Emer"), beginning missing |
| 117b-118b | Verba Scáthaige ("The Words of Scáthach") |
| 117b-118b | Forfess Fer Fálgae ("The Siege of the Men of Fálga") |
| 119a-120b | Immram Bráin maic Febail ("The Voyage of Bran mac Febail") |
| 120b | Echtrae Connlai ("The Otherworldly Adventure of Connla the Red"), fragment |
| 121a | Poem A reilec laech Leithe Cuinn (The Graves of the Kings at Clonmacnois) |
| 121b | Poem, dialogue between Findchú and Sétna |
| 121b-122a | Note on the Besom out of Fánait |
| 122a-122b | Esnada tige Buchet ("The Songs of Buchet's House") |
| 122b | Scél Baile Bindbérlaig ("The Story of Baile the Sweet-voiced"), fragment. |
| folios | Description |
|---|---|
| 123a-139b | Lorgaireacht an tSoidhigh Naomhtha ("The Quest for the Holy Grail"), Early Modern Irish Arthurian tale, fragment. |
| 126a | Poem ascribed to St. Columba, beginning Aibhinn bith ar B[i]nn Etair. |
| 126a | Oghum consonant sísana [...]. |
| 140a | Story about Diarmait mac Cerbaill and St. Ciarán at the assembly of Tailtiu |
| 140a | Story about abbot of Drimnagh |
| 140b | Foscél ar Bannscail, story about the temptation of a confessor by a woman |
| 140b | Story of two fellow clerical students |
| 141a | Story of Columba |
| 141a | Story of King Gúaire |
| 141a | Story of the ghost of Mac Craith mac mic in-Lomanaigh |
| 141b | Story about daughter of the son of Tadg úa Cellaigh Maine |
| 141b | Two Legends about St. Moling of Luachair |
| 141b | Story of St. Comgall of Bangor |
| 142a | Story of Brenainnmoccu-Alta |
| 142a | Story of Baithín and St. Columba. |
| 142a | Story of Mochuta and the Devil |
| 142b | Story of David, Solomon and Absalom |
| 142b | Story of Mochuta |
| 142b | Irish Legend of Job |
| 143a | Scribal note dedicated to John Punket and the daughter of the Baron of Galtrim. |
| 143a | Prophetic note |
| 143a | Irish Legend of St. Patrick, King Loegaire's son and Michael the Archangel |
| 143b | Note on tidings, arguments and history: Foilsigter na focail ar tri coraib .i. scél ocus arrumainte ocus (s)tair |
| 143b | Note on a land east of Asia |
| 143b | Comrac Conculaind re Senbecc ("The Combat of Cú Chulainn and Senbecc") |
| 143b | Religious note on repentance |
| 143b | Triad Tri h-inganta Temrach ("The three wonders of Tara") |
| 143b | Irish Legend of Gregory and the widow who laughed at mass |
| 144a | Conclusion to Legend of Solomon |
| 144a | Legend of David and Solomon |
| 144a | Note on a Greek king |
| 144a | Note on pilgrimage of four Irish clerics to Rome |
| 144b | Legend of Emperor Constantine |
| 144b | Note on three gods of Danu. |
| 144b | Beginning of Esnada tige Buchet ("The Songs of Buchet's House"). Cf: f. 122a. |
| folios | Description |
|---|---|
| 145a-146b | Note on Virgin Mary |
| 147a-154b | Irish translation of De miseria humanae conditionis by Pope Innocent (fragment). |
Sources edit
Secondary sources edit
- Stokes, Whitley. The Tripartite Life of St. Patrick. London, 1887.
Further reading edit
- Best, R.I. "Notes on Rawlinson B. 512." ZCP 17 (1928): 389-402.
- Meyer, Kuno (ed.). Hibernica Minora. Anecdota Oxoniensia. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1894. Supplement (pp. ) to Stokes' description.
- Ó Cuív, Brian. Catalogue of Irish Language Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford and Oxford College Libraries. Part I. Dublin, 2001. No. 38, pp. 223–54.
External links edit
- MS Rawlinson B. 512 Images available on Digital Bodleian.
- MS Rawlinson B. 512 in the Bodleian Libraries' catalogue of Medieval manuscripts
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