Texts
Cath Crinna‘The battle of Crinna’
- Middle Irish
- prose, prosimetrum
- Cycles of the Kings, Finn Cycle
Late Middle Irish account of the battle of Crinna, in which Cormac mac Airt is said to have defeated the Ulstermen with the aid of Tadg son of Cían. The saga offers an origin legend of the Cíannacht Breg, explaining how it came to settle near Tara but did not attain the kingship of Tara.
Manuscripts
- Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1339 (H 2. 18) = Book of Leinster [s. xii2]pp. 328f–329aEarly version incorporated among genealogical matters = CGH pp. 403-405
- Chatsworth (Derbyshire), Book of Lismore = Book of Lismore (Leabhar Leasa Móir) [s. xv]ff. 163ra–165rbThe version known from the edition in Silva Gadelica.
- Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 E 29 pp. 17-216 = Book of Fermoy ‘proper’ [s. xiv / s. xv]pp. 29a–35aA different version that omits some poems while offering others.
Language
- Middle Irish
- “The extant version of the story is late Middle Irish, but a forerunner may originally have been composed in the eighth century in the aftermath of this disaster” (Charles-Edwards).(1)n. 1 T. M. Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland (2000): 551.
Form
prose, prosimetrum (primary)
verse (secondary)
Textual relationships
The Middle Irish tale-lists mention at least two titles that seem relevant to the present text: (1) Tochomlod Céin a Caisil ‘The migration of Cían from Cashel’ and (2) Aided Taidc maic Céin ‘The death of Tadg mac Céin’.
Sources
Notes
T. M. Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland (2000): 551.
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.] O'Sullivan, Anne [ed.], The Book of Leinster, formerly Lebar na Núachongbála, vol. 6, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1983. xv + pp. 1327-1708.
CELT – pp. 1327–1595 (excl. pp. 1596–1708): <link>
1433–1435 Diplomatic edition of the LL version.
[ed.] O'Brien, M. A. [ed.], Corpus genealogiarum Hiberniae, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1962.
comments: Reprinted in 1976 and 2005, with an introduction by J. V. Kelleher.
CELT – pp. 1–332 (Rawl. B 502): <link>
403–405 Semi-diplomatic edition of the LL version.
[ed.] O'Grady, Standish Hayes, Silva Gadelica (I–XXXI): a collection of tales in Irish, vol. 1: Irish text, London: Williams & Norgate, 1892.
[tr.] O'Grady, Standish Hayes, Silva Gadelica (I–XXXI): a collection of tales in Irish, vol. 2: translation and notes, London: Williams & Norgate, 1892.
Digitale-sammlungen.de: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>
359–368 direct link
Secondary sources (select)
O'Grady, Standish Hayes, Silva Gadelica (I–XXXI): a collection of tales in Irish, vol. 2: translation and notes, London: Williams & Norgate, 1892.
page name: Cath Crinna
page url: https://www.vanhamel.nl/codecs/Cath_Crinna
redirect: https://www.vanhamel.nl/codecs/Special:Redirect/page/188
numerical alternatve: https://www.vanhamel.nl/vhcodecs/index.php?curid=188
page ID: 188
page ID tracker: https://www.vanhamel.nl/vhcodecs/index.php?title=Show:ID&id=188
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Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
