Manuscript of "Cath Fionntrágha", written by Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair.
Scope and Contents
The manuscript contains a Watermark: ‘horn’ and I D M (watermark is of type Heawood 2718-2734, Dutch & English documents 1665-1721). It is written by Alexander MacDonald (Alasdair Mac Mhaighistir Alasdair). It contains no statement of scribal identity, but script and some distinctive orthographical features are as Adv.MS.72.2.13. Some sea-runs here (pages 2-4) are strongly echoed in MacDonald’s ‘Birlinn Chlann Raghnaill’. The language is a unique mixture of Irish and Scottish Gaelic. The text is the well-known Early Modern Irish tale, embellished and overlaid with Scottish forms. Spellings frequently reflect MacDonald’s dialect. ‘19’ and ‘11 JMcH’ (misread ‘J. Nott’ by Mackinnon) appear at page 1, cf. Adv.MS.72.1.43. There are ‘20 leaves at the end awanting’ (William Forbes Skene, ‘Scroll Catalogue of the Gaelic Manuscripts in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates’, compiled in 1861); in fact another 10 pages would have seen the text complete. The good condition of the last leaf, compared to the tattered and worn state of the first, is the only positive indication that the manuscript may have originally contained more, although the text certainly breaks off very abruptly.
The contents (text) are as follows.
Cath Fionntragha. No title. Beginning “Ardri cródha cennsguil(ti)ch trénmhor ainnagi allonta dhánath gruam(a)ch dhannirra ardbheacht(a)ch tennghlioc tiolicich bhorbfhearg(a)ch dhur dhíon fhuilicht(i)ch ghuinich naimhdoil thoruinnach lánbhuadhchathach ‘s gach hiorghilib, leis na ghabhasdar flaithis ⁊ forrasmacht ar an domin mor uile go h-iomlán, o nHinia ard oirragheirc iasglionmhor oirthireghleghil fhioraoibhinn go hEirinn iatghlais oilen(i)ch, dar b(a) comhainm Dáir Donnsgiath(a)ch mac Losg(i)nn Lomghluin(i)ch”. Ends “thainig san catha mar sin naoi uairin an dé cheile ⁊ do mharbadh nóchad fear leis ar gach cuart diu” = O’Rahilly, page 1, line 1112.
Dates
- Creation: 18th century.
Creator
- MacDonald, Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, poet, ca. 1698-ca. 1770 (Scribe, Person)
Language of Materials
Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Conditions Governing Use
Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.
Extent
20 Leaves
Arrangement
40 pages.
Scribal pagination.
Custodial History
Formerly Gaelic MS.LXI.
Donald Mackintosh referred to the manuscript as follows in 1806: “Mr. Norman Macleod, son of the Rev. Mr. Macleod of Morven, gave Mr. Mackintosh a paper MS.; an ancient tale in prose, in the same [i.e. old Gaelic] characters”. (The poems of Ossian in the original Gaelic’, volume III, page 572). Mackintosh’s manuscripts passed to the Highland Society of Scotland on his death in 1808; the present manuscript is the only one in the Highland Society of Scotland collection to which the above description could refer.
The manuscript was lent to Dr John MacLeod of Kilmarnock in 1814 for his work on Highland Society of Scotland Dictionary (Ingliston MSS. A.iv.18 and a.iv.21, item 19 in each being “A Quarto M.S. in prose containing 40 pages”). MacLeod passed it on Ewen MacLachlan. It was reclaimed by the Highland Society of Scotland at the latter’s death in 1822.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the National Library of Scotland on its foundation. The property of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.
Bibliography
“Cath Finntrágha”, in ‘Mediaeval and Modern Irish Series 20’, (Dublin, 1962), edited and translated by Cecile O’Rahilly.
MacDonald, Alexander (of Ardnamurchan). ‘The Birlinn of Clanranald = Birlinn Chlann-Raghnaill’ (St Andrews, 1935).
Sinclair, John, Sir. ‘The poems of Ossian in the original Gaelic’, 3 volumes (London, 1807).
Physical Description
Paper.
Genre / Form
- Title
- National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts Adv.MS.72.2.11
- 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