772
AN GAODHAL.
O'CURRY'S LECTURES.
ON THE
MANUSCRIPT MATERIALS OF ANCIENT
IRISH HISTORY.
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 Cashel — Of the
Existing Collection of Ancient Manuscripts.
I believe that the tendency may be called a law
of our nature, which induces us to look back with
interest and reverence to the monuments and re¬
cords of of our progenitors; and that the more re¬
mote and ancient such monuments and records are,
the greater is the interest we feel in them. At no
period, perhaps, was this feeling of interest and
reverence for the remains of antiquity more gener¬
ally cherished than it is amongst the civilized na¬
tions of Europe in our own days. A desire to learn
and understand the manners, the habits and cus¬
toms, the arts, the science, the religion, nay, even
the ordinary pursuits of the nations of ancient
times has largely seized on the minds of living
men. and the possession of even the few relics of
ancient art which has come down to our own cen¬
tury is deemed of great value. Of how much high¬
er and more special interest and importance, there¬
fore, must it be to us to understand the language,
and through it to become acquainted with the ac¬
tions, the range of thought, the character of mind,
the habits, the tastes, and the everyday life of
those to whom in our own country those relics be¬
longed, and who have perhaps taken a prominent
part in the ancient history of the nations among
whom such vestiges of former days have been discov¬
ered! The various subjects connected with histori¬
cal and antiquarian researches in general occupy at
the present moment so prominent a place in the lit¬
erature of modern Europe, and the value and im¬
portance are so generally recognized, that it is unn¬
ecessary to make apology for undertaking here
a course of lectures such as that upon which we are
about to enter; nor is it necessary, I am sure, to
point to the usefulness in our own country, in par¬
ticular, of any new attempt to develop what may
be learned of her early history.
In all other countries these departments of knowl¬
edge are both earnestly and industriously cultivat¬
ed, and not only in all that relates to the early
state of those classic nations which have filled the
most distinguished place in the history of the world,
but also as regards nations of lesser prominence,
when as a matter, both of natural affection and
duty, the labors of the antiquarian are directed
with real and diligence to elucidate the early con¬
dition of his native land. In Ireland, however, it
is deeply to be regretted that as yet we have not
at all adequately explored the numerous valuable
monuments and the great abundance of national re¬
cords, which have been bequeathed to us by our
Celtic ancestors. But if in our days the language,
history and traditions of our country and our race,
are not prized by Irishmen as they ought to be,
we know that this has not been always the case.
Even a limited acquaintance with our manuscript
records will suffice us to show how the national
poet, the historion, and the musican, as well as
the man of excellence in any of the other arts
and sciences were cherished and honored. We find
them, indeed, from a very early period, placed in a
position not merely of independence, but even of
elevated rank, and their persons and property de¬
clared inviolate and protected specially by the law.
Thus an Ollamh pronounced "Ollav" or doctor in
"Filedecht," when ordained by the king or chief
— for such is the expression used on the occasion
— was entitled to rank next in precedence, to the
monarch himself at table.
It is very difficult to find an adequate translation
in the English language for the words Filedecht,
(pronounced nearly "filidecht" — the ch gutteral,)
and File (which is pronounced nearly "filley").
The word File (the reader will observe the pro¬
nunciation), is commonly rendered by the English
word "Poet;" but it was in fact the general name ap¬
plied to a Scholar in or Professor of Literature and
Philosophy; the art of composition in verse, or
"Poetry" being included under the former. Per¬
haps the best general name to represent the File
would be that of "Philosopher| in the Greek sense
of the word; but the term would be too vague as it
is understood in modern English. Instead, therefore
of translating Fillidecht "Philosopher" and the
File "Philosophy," the Irish words are retained in
the following pages; the Fillidecht — in the knowl
edge of which the degree of Ollamh was the high¬
est in that system of education which in Erinn
preceded the University system of after times — in¬
cluded the study of law, or history, and of philoso¬
phy properly so-called, as well as of languages, of
music, of druidism, and of poetry in all its depart¬
ments and the practice of recitation in prose and
verse: the word file taken by itself, abstractedly,
means generally a Poet, — but in connection with
the system of learning the term is applied to a
Sai (pronounced 'See'), in some one or more of
the branches of learning included in the filedecht:
so that Ollamh would be called File, and so also a
Drumeli, etc,; so also would a Freleighinn, or
Professor of classical learning, etc.
The Ollamh was not permitted to lodge, or ac¬
cept refection when on his travels, at the house of
any one below the rank of a Flaith. (The Flaith
(now pronounced nearly "Flah") was a Noble or
Landlord-Chief: a class in the ancient Irish Com¬
munity in many respects analogous to the noble
class in Germany, or in France before the Revo¬
lution of 1789, though the rights and priviliges of
the ancient Irish were by no means those of Feud¬
al law of the continent, which never prevailed in
any form in ancient Erinn.) He, that was the
Ollamh, was allowed a standing of "twenty-one
cows and their grass" in the chieftain's territory,
besides ample refections for himself and his attend¬
ants, to the number of twenty-four, including his
subordinate tutors, his advanced pupils, and his
retinue of servants. He was entitled to have two
hounds and six horses. He was, besides, entitled
to a singular privilege within his territory, that
of conferring a temporary sanctuary from injury
