Manuscript in Gaelic containing mythological verse.
Scope and Contents
A manuscript beautifully written by a single hand, large with distinctive ‘g’, strongly seriffed. Each poem begins with a large illuminated capital, and there is much decoration besides; colouring is red.
There are marginalia in later hands: ‘Amen dico vobis’ (folio 3 recto); ‘olc an litir sin agad a Eogain’ (folio 5 verso, of Adv.MS.72.1.2, folio 86 verso); ‘Ag so leabar………Briain(?) ull(?)’.
The contents are as follows.
About 25 quatrains, acephalous and largely illegible. (Folio 1 recto (page 1), column a, line 1.)
(i) ‘Mairt i Mag Turead (trelma)’, 19 quatrains. Ascription and quatrains 1-8 largely illegible; cf. dúnadh, also Uí Maine, folio174 verso, column a. (Folio 1 recto (page 1), column b, middle of the page.)
(ii) Fland Mainistreach. “Luid Iason ‘na luing loir”, 102 quatrains. On the destruction of Troy. See Mac Eoin, “Das Verbalsystem von Togail Troí”, page 198. (Folio 1 verso (page 2), column a, bottom of the page.)
(iii) “Ardri dár gabh Erind uill”, 22 quatrains. Complete. (Folio 3 verso (page 6), column a, line 1.)
(iv) [Gilla na Naemh Ó Duind.] Poem beginning (acephalous) ‘eich Eachach don Mhumhuin mhoir’, 467 lines. Dindshenchas. Ascription supplied in last verse; the first line, “Éiriu iarthur talman toirthigh”, is then given. Many alternative distiches and quatrains are embodied in the text. Cf. Adv.MS.72.1.42, folio 15 recto; Uí Maine, folio 172 recto. (Folio 4 recto (page 7), column a, line 1.)
(v) ‘Ceithri coimpertta caemha’, 31 quatrains. On procreation. Largely illegible from quatrain 12, column b. Cf. Uí Maine folio 103 verso, column b. (Folio 6 recto (page 11), column b, line 4.)
(vi) Poem of 9 quatrains, beginning ‘A..as...’, largely illegible. (Folio 6 verso (page 12), column b, line 17.)
Dates
- Creation: 14th century-15th century.
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Conditions Governing Use
Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.
Extent
6 Leaves ; Folio. 29 x 21 centimetres.
Language of Materials
Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic
Arrangement
6 Folios. (The foliation is modern).
A gathering; middle bifolium missing.
The text is written in double columns.
18th-century pagination in ink, which is added to the description in brackets.
Custodial History
Formerly Gaelic MS.XIX.
The manuscript is Kilbride number 21 by Major MacLachlan’s enumeration (‘21 Poetry’, folio 1 recto); and number 15 by Hugh Kerr’s, whose name or initials appear on every leaf.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.
Bibliography
Mac Eoin, Gearóid S. “Das Verbalsystem von Togail Troí (H. 2. 17)”, in “Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie” (Germany, 1960-1961), pages 149-223.
Physical Description
Vellum.
Many corners are perished. Folios 1 recto and 6 verso are largely illegible due to severe staining and rubbing, and the manuscript as a whole has suffered from damp-staining. It is bound by a thong.
Genre / Form
- Title
- National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
- Author
- National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division
- Description rules
- International Standard for Archival Description - General
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700
manuscripts@nls.uk