798
AN GAOḊAL
O'Curry's Lectures.
ON THE
MANUSCRIPT MATERIAL OF ANCIENT IRISH HIS¬
TORY.
Lecture 1.
Delivered March 13th, 1855, at the
Catholic University, Dublin, Ireland.
Introduction — Of Learning Before St. Patrick's
Time — Of the Lost Books and What is Known
of Them — I. "The Cuilmenn." — II. The Saltair
of Tard — III. The Book of "Ua Chongbhail" —
IV. The "Cin Droma Sneachta" — V. The "Sean¬
chas Mor" — VI. The Book of St. Mochta — VII.
The Book of Cuana — VIII The Book of "Dubh¬
da-Leithe" — IX. The Saltair of Castel — Of the
Existing Collection of Ancient Manuscripts.
The first ancient book that I shall mention is
one to which I have found but one or two refer¬
ences, and which I must introduce by a rather cir¬
cuitous train of evidence.
In the time of Senchan (pron. Shencan), then
Chief Poet of Erinn, and of St. Ciaran (pron. in
English as if written Kieran), of Cluain mic Nois,
or Clonmacnoise. — that is about A. D. 580, — Sen¬
chan is stated to have called a meeting of the poets
and learned men of Erinn, to discover if any of
them remembered the entire of the ancient Tale of
the Tain bo Chuailgne, or the Cattle Spoil or Cat¬
tle plunder of Cuailgne, a romantic tale founded
upon an occurrence which is referred to the begin¬
ning of the Christian Era.
The assembled poets all answered that they re¬
membered but fragments of the Tale; whereupon
Senchan commissioned two of his own pupils to
travel into the country of Letha to learn the Tale
of the Tain, which the Saoi, or Professor, had tak¬
en to the East after the CUILMENN (or the great
book written on Skins.)
The passage is as follows: "The Files of Erinn
were now called together by Senchan Torpeist, to
know if they remembered the Tain bo Chuailgne
in full ; and they said that they knew of it but in
fragments only. Senchen then spoke to his pupils
to know which of them would go into the countries
of Letha to learn the Tain, which the Sai had tak¬
en 'eastwards' after the CUILMENN. Emine, the
grandson of Ninine, and Muirgen. Senchan's own
son, set out to go to the East." [Book of Leinster
(H. 2. 18. T. C. D.), fol. 183, a.]
This to be sure, is but a vague reference, but it is
sufficient to show that in Senchan's time there was
at least a tradition that some such book had exist¬
ed, and had been carried into Letha, the name by
which Italy in general, and particularly that part
of it in which Rome is situated, was designated by
ancient Irish writers. Now the carrying away of
this book is a circumstance which may possibly
have occurred during or shortly subsequent to St.
Patrick's time. And so, finding this reference in a
MS. of such authority as the Book of Leinster (a
well-known and most valuable compilation of the
middle of the twelfth century), I could not pass it
over here.
I remember but one other reference to a Book
known by the name of Cuilmenn; it occurs in the
"Brehon Laws," and in an ancient Irish Law
Glossary, compiled by the learned Dubhaltach
Mac Firbisigh (Duald Mac Firbis), and preserved
in the Library of T. C. D. (classed H. 5. 30.,) in
which the Seven Orders (or degrees of "Wisdom"
are distinguished and explained. (Wisdom, I should
tell you, here technically signifies history and an¬
tiquity, sacred and profane, as well as the whole
range of what we should now call a collegiate ed¬
cation.) It is in these words:
"Druimcli is a man who has a perfect knowledge
of wisdom, from the greatest Book, which is called
Caimen, to the smallest Book, which is called
'Ten words' [Deich m-Breithir, that is the Ten
Commandments; a name given to the Pentateuch,]
in which is well arranged the good testament which
God made unto Moses."
The Cuilmenn here spoken of is placed in oppo¬
sition to the Books of Moses, as if it were a reper¬
tory of history or other matter concerning events
entirely apart from those contained in the sacred
volume.
The next ancient record which we shall consider
is one about the authenticity of which much
doubt and uncertainty have existed in modern
times; I allude to the SALTAIR OF TARA, the com¬
position of which is referred to the third century.
The oldest reference to this book that I have
met with is to be found in a poem on the map of
site of ancient Tara, written by a very distinguish¬
ed scholar, Cuan O'Lochain, a native of Westmeath
who died in the year 1024. The oldest copy of
O'Lochains's verses that I have seen is preserved
in the ancient and very curious topographical tract
so well known as the Dinnsenchas (pron. nearly
Dinnshanacus), of which several ancient MS. edit¬
ions have been made from time to time. The one
from which I am about to quote is to be found in
in the Book of Ballymote, a magnificent volume
compiled in the year 1391, and now deposited a¬
mong the rich treasures of the Royal Irish Acade¬
my. The following extract from the opening of
O'Lochain's most valuable poem contains some¬
what more than an allusion to the SALTAIR of Tara:
O'LOCHAIN'S POEM ON TARA.
Temair, choicest of hills,
For [possession of] which Erinn is now devasta¬
ted,
The noble city of Cormac Son of Art,
Who was the son of great Conn of the hun¬
dred battles:
Cormae, the prudent and good,
Was a sage, a file (or poet), a prince;
Was a righteous judge of the Fene-men,
Was a good friend and companion.
Cormic gained fifty battles,
He compiled the Saltair of Temur,
In that Saltair is contained
The best summary of history:
It is that Saltair which assigns
Seven chief kings to Erinn of harbours,
They consisted of the five kings of the provinces,
The monarch of Erinn and his Deputy.
In it are (written) on either side,
What each provincial king is entitied to,
What the king of Temur in the east is entitled to,
From the king of each great musical province.
The synchronism and chronology of all,
The kings, with each other [one with another] all
The boundaries of each brave province,
From a cantred up to a great chieftaincy.
