Texts

verse beg. Almu Lagen, les na Fían

  • Middle Irish
  • verse
  • Early Irish poetry, Dinnshenchas Érenn, Finn Cycle, Dinnshenchas
Dinnshenchas poem on Almu (the Hill of Allen, Co. Kildare), which recounts the tale of the conception of Finn mac Cumaill.
First words (verse)
  • Almu Lagen, les na Fían
“Almu of the Leinstermen, a fort of the fiana
Context(s)The (textual) context(s) to which the present text belongs or in which it is cited in part or in whole.
Language
  • Middle Irish
Date
The poem would seem to predate the composition of both Fotha catha Cnucha and Acallam na senórach, both of which contain quotations from the verse. Kuno Meyer dates the poem to the 10th century;(1)n. 1 Kuno Meyer, Fianaigecht (1910): xxii. while Gerard Murphy suggests that the late 11th or early 12th century is more likely.(2)n. 2 Gerard Murphy, Duanaire Finn: The book of the lays of Fionn: Introduction, notes, appendices and glossary, vol. 3 (1953): xxxiv; see also Kevin Murray, ‘Interpreting the evidence: problems with dating the early fíanaigecht corpus’ in The Gaelic Finn tradition... (2012): 46–47.
Form
verse (primary)
Textual relationships
Cf. Dinnshenchas of Almu II and Dinnshenchas of Almu (prose). The conception of Finn mac Cumaill is told in prose as Fotha catha Cnucha and also forms the subject of an episode in Macgnímartha Find.
Related: Dinnshenchas of AlmuDinnshenchas of AlmuDinnshenchas prose text on Almu (the Hill of Allen, Co. Kildare)Dinnshenchas of Almu IIDinnshenchas of Almu II

Dinnshenchas poem on Almu (the Hill of Allen, Co. Kildare).

Fotha catha CnuchaFotha catha CnuchaThe tale of the conception and birth of Finn mac Cumaill.Macgnímartha FindMacgnímartha FindLate Middle Irish narrative about the exploits and fortunes of Finn mac Cumaill as a boy. The sole extant manuscript copy is imperfect, breaking off in the middle of an episode about Finn's encounter with an Otherworldly rival.

Classification

Early Irish poetryEarly Irish poetry
...

Dinnshenchas Érenn
Dinnshenchas Érenn
id. 6712
Early Irish poetryEarly Irish poetry
...

Finn Cycle
Finn Cycle
id. 578
DinnshenchasDinnshenchas
...

Subjects

Finn mac Cumaill
Finn mac Cumaill (Find úa Báiscni)
(time-frame ass. with Finn Cycle, Finn mac Cumaill, Cormac mac Airt)
Finn mac Cumaill (earlier mac Umaill?), Find úa Báiscni: central hero in medieval Irish and Scottish literature of the so-called Finn Cycle; warrior-hunter and leader of a fían

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Almu
Almu/Cnoc Almaine ... Hill of Allen
County Kildare
No short description available

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Keywords

ConceptionConception
...

Sources

Notes

Kuno Meyer, Fianaigecht (1910): xxii.
Gerard Murphy, Duanaire Finn: The book of the lays of Fionn: Introduction, notes, appendices and glossary, vol. 3 (1953): xxxiv; see also Kevin Murray, ‘Interpreting the evidence: problems with dating the early fíanaigecht corpus’ in The Gaelic Finn tradition... (2012): 46–47.

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.] Gwynn, E. J., The metrical dindsenchas, 5 vols, vol. 2, Todd Lecture Series, 9, Dublin: Hodges, Figgis, 1906.
CELT – edition: <link> CELT – translation: <link> Internet Archive – vol. 2: <link> Internet Archive – vols. 1-3: <link>  : View in Mirador
72–77 [id. 16. ‘Almu I’] direct link direct link direct link

Secondary sources (select)

Gwynn, E. J., The metrical dindsenchas, 5 vols, vol. 2, Todd Lecture Series, 9, Dublin: Hodges, Figgis, 1906.
CELT – edition: <link> CELT – translation: <link> Internet Archive – vol. 2: <link> Internet Archive – vols. 1-3: <link>  : View in Mirador
106–107 [id. 16. ‘Almu I’] direct link
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen, Patrick Brown
Page created
May 2011, last updated: January 2024