Litríocht na Sean-Ghaeilge

Tá traidisiún ársa litríochta ag an nGaeilge a théann siar go dtí an séú céad CE. Ba í an Chríostaíocht a thug an scríbhneoireacht go hÉirinn an chéad lá. Cuireadh aibítir na Laidine in oiriúint don Ghaeilge agus cuireadh tús le cultúr liteartha thar a bheith bríomhar a bhí sásta tarraingt ag an am céanna ar na seantraidisiúin dúchasacha.

Suas go dtí teacht na Críostaíochta agus na litearthachta, b'iad na filí, an t-aos léinn dúchasach, a bhí i mbun réimsí na filíochta, an tseanchais, an ghinealaigh agus na miotaseolaíochta

Atlantic River God headstone machette: a replica of that on Dublin's Custom House

By kind permission of The Old Dublin Society

. Traidisiúin agus cleachtais iad sin a chuaigh siar i bhfad roimh theacht na Críostaíochta.

Is ón teangmháil sin idir an traidisiún dúchasach agus na mainistreacha, aonaid an léinn nua, a d'eascair traidisiún liteartha na lámhscríbhinní in Éirinn.

Ceist chonspóideach i measc scoláirí an lae inniu is ea na slite ina ndeachaigh scríobhaithe na mainistreacha i ngleic le hábhar dúchasach. Táthar in amhras anois faoin dearcadh -a bhí i réim go dtí seo- gurb é a bhí ar siúl ag na scríobhaithe ná cóipeáil dílis ar ábhar ársa agus mar sin gurb é atá ar fáil sa luathlitríocht ná cur síos fíreannach ar shochaí agus nósanna na réamh-Chríostaíochta in Éirinn. Is amhlaidh go bhfuil an scéal níos casta ná sin. Ach pé scéal é, níl amhras dá laghad ach go bhfuil corpus iontach litríochta fágtha le huacht againn ón tréimhse sin, idir liricí, scéalta miotaseolaíochta, scéalta laochra agus eile, a fhágann a rian go fóill ar thraidisiúin litríochta na tíre.

Ogham

Na píosaí scríbhneoireachta is luaithe dá bhfuil againn, is i nGaeilge Ársa atá siad. Baineann siad leis an ceathrú is an cúigiú céad agus tá siad scríofa i scriopt a dtugtar ogam air.

Sraitheanna de phoncanna agus línte a bhí i gceist leis an scriopt seo. Fiche siombail ar fad a bhí ann.

Scríobhadh an t-ogham go príomha ar chlocha cuimhneacháin agus ar ghalláin ach tá fianaise ann gur scríobhadh iad ar chnámh agus ar adhmad freisin. Na samplaí atá fós ar marthain, tá siad ar fáil i gcnuasaigh san Ard-Mhúsaem agus freisin ag suíomhanna difriúla ar fud na tuaithe. Tá na hiarsmaí seo níos sine ná na samplaí is luaithe dá bhfuil againn den tSean-Ghaeilge cheart. Is mar ghluaiseanna ar imill lámhscríbhinní Laidine a scríobh manaigh Éireannacha iad seo. Tá na lámhscríbhinní seo caomhnaithe go fóill ar an Mór-Roinn mar ar scríobhadh iad.

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Aibítir Ogham

Ogam writing is an ancient form of script which was used in the 3rd, 4th and 5th centuries. It was found on tall standing pillar stones dotted around the country, and is seen to be a series of lines and etches scratched into the corner of the tall stones. The script came to be recognised after it had been referred to in various manuscripts, most notably in the Tain Bó Chuailgne, a piece of literature which was found in the ancient manuscript, the Book of Leinster. From notes found in the marginalia of these manuscripts, scholars were able to decipher an alphabet of the ogam language. The alphabet is made up of a series of sounds made from running a few letters together (in the English language). Ref: pg 153, Wakeman’s Handbook of Irish Antiquities 3rd Edition by John Cooke M.A., Dublin: Hodges, Figgis, & Co., Ltd. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1

Aibítir Ogham -

Ogam Writing in Cork

Ogam writing is an ancient form of script which was used in the 3rd, 4th and 5th centuries. It was found on tall standing pillar stones dotted around the country, and is seen to be a series of lines and etches scratched into the side corner of the tall stones. The script came to be recognised after it had been referred to in various manuscripts, most notably in the Tain Bó Chuailgne, a piece of literature which was found in the ancient manuscript, the Book of Leinster. Ogam stones were usually found over graves or tombs of great men. They are also believed to have been used as territorial boundary markers, in case of disputes arising. This particular stone is inscribed with the name, Fiachra, son of Glunlegget and was found at Monataggart in Co. Cork. Ref: pg 154, Wakeman’s Handbook of Irish Antiquities 3rd Edition by John Cooke M.A., Dublin: Hodges, Figgis, & Co., Ltd. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1903.

Ogam Writing in Cork -

Liber Hymnorum Éireannach a haon

This is a sample of a piece of manuscript taken from the ancient writings known as the Irish Liber Hymnorum. This manuscript, made of vellum, was a compilation of prayers and hymns written in Latin and Irish, which were cited in the early Celtic Church. It was written in the eleventh century. It contains 34 vellum folios and an additional 3 scraps of vellum bound in at the end. The initial letters of the hymns are decoratively illuminated for the fist 31 folios, after which the style becomes less decorative and is thought to be of a much later date. Ref: The Irish Liber Hymnorum edited from the Manuscripts with translation notes and glossary, by J.H. Bernard, D.D., and R. Atkinson, LL.D., Volume 1, Test and Introduction, London, 1898

Liber Hymnorum Éireannach a haon -

Liricí na Sean-Ghaeilge

Seoda litríochta is ea liricí luatha na Gaeilge. Tá siad ar an gcuid is taitneamhaí agus is suntasaí dár gcuid litríochta uilig. Baineann an chuid is luaithe le ré na Sean-Ghaeilge. B'iad na scríobhaithe sna mainistreacha a chum agus a chóipeáil iad in imill na lámhscríbhinne a bhí á scríobh acu. An ceann is cáilúla díobh uilig, b'fhéidir, ná Pangur Bán ina ndéanann an manach comparáid idir a ghnó féin agus é ar thóir na bhfocal agus gnó a chait agus eisean ar thóir na luch. D'aistrigh Frank O'Connor go Béarla é. Grá agus moladh don dúlra agus do Rí na nDúl is téama do liricí cáiliúla eile ón ré seo.

Traidisiún na Lámhscríbhinní

Maeb agus Ailill

Sketch shows Maeb and Ailill comparing their possessions. Ultimately they discover that there collection of personal wealth is the same save

Maeb agus Ailill

Sketch shows Maeb and Ailill comparing their possessions. Ultimately they discover that there collection of personal wealth is the same save

Enlarge image

Traidisiún an-saibhir is ea traidisiún litríochta na Gaeilge Luaithe. I measc na gcineálacha difriúla téacsanna tá scéala laochais agus miotaseolaíochta, beathaí naomh, iomraimh, físeanna, annálacha, ginealaigh agus dinnseanchas chomh maith le haistriúcháin ón Laidin. Tá an litríocht seo tar éis teacht anuas chugainn i bhfoirm lámhscríbhinní. Níl ach téacs amháin i gceist i gcuid de na lámhscríbhinní ach sna cinn is luaithe is cáiliúla faightear meascán ábhair.

Is é Leabhar na hUidhre an lámhscríbhinn is luaithe atá fós ar marthain agus baineann sé leis an 12ú haois. Is cosúil gur scríobhadh é i gCluain Mhic Nóis. Is léir, áfach, ó fhianaise na teanga go mbaineann cuid den ábhar le tréimhse i bhfad níos luaithe.

Is iad na scéalta Rúraíochta na scéalta is mó cáil dá bhfuil caomhnaithe sna lámhscríbhinní. Laochscéalta iad seo a bhaineann leis an gCraobh Rua, i.e scéalta faoi Chú Chulainn agus
laochra Uladh. Is é an Táin Bó Cuailnge croílár na sraithe seo agus breathnaítear air mar phríomheipic na hÉireann. Insítear dúinn faoin gcogadh a tharla idir Cúige Uladh agus Cúige Chonnacht nuair a rinne Méabh, banríon Chonnacht, iarracht tarbh de chuid na nUltach a fhuadach. Ag deireadh an scéil maraítear an príomhlaoch Ultach Cú Chulainn.

Sna meánaoiseanna déanacha, chaill an Rúraíocht a thosaíocht agus cuireadh níos mó spéise sna scéalta Fiannaíochta. I measc na téacsanna is cáiliúla díobh seo, áirítear Agallamh na Seanórach, meascán de phrós agus filíocht, agus Tóraíocht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne.

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Liber Hymnorum Éireannach a dó

Liber Hymnorum Éireannach a dó -

Leabhar Déan Liosmór

Here are two facsimiles from the Book of the Dean of Lismore: (1) Genealogy of McGregor, by Dougal the servitor and (2) lines by Countess of Argyle. Almost all of the book, with the exception of a few latin notes is written in Gaelic and hosts a collection of Irish poetry. On page 144 the genealogy of the mcgregors was written by the brother Dougal. It outlines their line of decent from the Scottish kings. It is signed in the year 1512. Ref: The Dean of Lismore's Book; a selection of ancient Gaelic poetry from a manuscript collection made by Sir James McGregor, Dean of Lismore, in the beginning of the sixteenth century, edited with a translation and notes by the Rev. Thomas McLoughlan and an introduction and additional notes by William F. Skene Esq, Edinburgh Edmonston and Douglas 1862, Frontpiece.

Leabhar Déan Liosmór -

Clogás ciorclach agus séipéil, Cluain Mhic Nóis.

This is a photo of the ruins of Teampull Finghin, part of the ancient centre of Celtic Christianity at Clonmacnois, Co. Offaly, in Ireland. The monastic settlement was founded by St. Ciaran around 548AD. A local prince, Diarmuid ua Cerbhaill assisted the saint to erect the monastery there, and when he was elected king shortly after, he endowed the monastery with valuable riches. It was here that the book of Dun Cow and other ancient manuscripts are believed to have been written. Like most monastic sites of the Early Christian period, it was plundered by the Viking raids of the 9th and 10th centuries and again by the English Crown in Tudor times. Today the remains of the church at Teampull Finghin can be seen with a round tower attached to it. It is uncertain as to whether the round tower was built before or after the church as both structures have been damaged and reconstructed after various raids. The tower measures at 48 feet high to the base of the cap and has a diameter of 12 feet 6 inches at ground level.

Clogás ciorclach agus séipéil, Cluain Mhic Nóis. -