Texts

Bethu Phátraic / Vita Tripartita S. Patricii ‘The Life of Patrick / The Tripartite Life of St. Patrick’

  • Old Irish, Latin
  • prose
  • Irish hagiography
Manuscripts

include:

ff. 124, 127
Fragments belonging to Rawl. B 512 originally
ff. 1–18vb
Corresponds to Stokes's edition at pp. 28–46
Three manuscript copies that are now lost were used by John Colgan for the Latin version in his Trias thaumaturga (1647).
ff. 17ra–19vb
The first page, f. 17r (two columns), is illegible; as leaves are missing, the text breaks off imperfectly.
Language
  • Old Irish Latin
  • Old Irish and Latin.
Form
prose (primary)
verse (secondary)
Textual relationships
Related: Irish glossary from TCD 1337, pp. 623-628Irish glossary from TCD 1337, pp. 623-628Medieval Irish glossary in TCD 1337, pp. 623-628. Many of the entries are known from other works and learned compilations, such as Sanas Cormaic.O’Clery’s glossary (Foclóir na Sanasán Nua)O’Clery’s glossary (Foclóir na Sanasán Nua)

An Irish glossary compiled by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh. who dedicated it to Baothghalach Mac Aodhagáin.

Pátraicc Macha mártai GaídilPátraicc Macha mártai GaídilMiddle Irish poem (13 st.) in praise of St Patrick.
Associated items
Patricius an seinen ausgefallenen ZahnPatricius an seinen ausgefallenen ZahnIrish religious poem (between 3 and 5 qq). In at least two witnesses, it is attributed to Saint Patrick in the context of an anecdote about his loss of a tooth.

Classification

Irish hagiographyIrish hagiography
...

Irish hagiographyIrish hagiography
...

Subjects

Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
(fl. 5th century)
No short description available

See more

Sources

Notes

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[ed.] [tr.] Mulchrone, Kathleen [ed. and tr.], Bethu Phátraic: The tripartite life of Patrick [I. Text and sources], Dublin: Hodges, Figgis, 1939.
TITUS: <link>
[ed.] [tr.] Stokes, Whitley [ed. and tr.], The tripartite Life of Patrick: with other documents relating to that saint, 2 vols, Rerum Britannicarum Medii Aevi Scriptores, 89, London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1887.
Internet Archive – part 1 (ends on p. 227): <link>, <link> Internet Archive – part 2: <link> CELT – Liber angeli from the Book of Armagh: <link>
[ed.] [tr.] Stokes, Whitley [ed. and tr.], “Betha Phatraic: On the Life of Saint Patrick”, in: Whitley Stokes, Three Middle-Irish homilies on the Lives of saints Patrick, Brigit and Columba, Calcutta, 1877. 1–47, 138.
CELT – edition: <link> CELT – translation: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
[ed.] Dottin, Georges, Manuel d’irlandais moyen, 2 vols, vol. 2, Paris, 1913.
Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
117–118 [id. 24. ‘Saint Patrice et le roi Dare’] Extract from the homily in LB, relating to the episode with Dáire, king of Ulster.

Secondary sources (select)

Kenney, James F., “Chapter IV: The monastic churches, their founders and traditions: I. The primitive foundations”, in: James F. Kenney, The sources for the early history of Ireland: an introduction and guide. Volume 1: ecclesiastical, Revised ed., 11, New York: Octagon, 1966. 288–371.
342–345 [id. 135.]
Mac Neill, Eoin, “The Vita Tripartita of St. Patrick”, Ériu 11 (1932): 1–41.
Contributors
C. A., Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
December 2011, last updated: January 2024