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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–329a
Early version incorporated among genealogical matters = CGH pp. 403-405.
Cork, University College, Book of Lismore = Book of Lismore (Leabhar Leasa Móir) [s. xv]
ff. 163ra–165rb
The 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/xv]
pp. 29a–35a
A different version that omits some poems while offering others.
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1337 19, pp. 565–628 [s. xvi (?)]
p. 609
Glosses
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’.

Related: Cath Maige MucramaCath Maige MucramaMedieval Irish tale lists/TochomladaMedieval Irish tale lists/TochomladaMedieval Irish tale lists/AidedaMedieval Irish tale lists/AidedaView incoming data

Classification

Cycles of the Kings
Cycles of the Kings
id. 80
Finn Cycle
Finn Cycle
id. 578

Subjects

Cycle of Cormac mac AirtCycles of the Kings
Cycle of Cormac mac Airt
id. 43520
battle of Crinnabattle of Crinna
...
CíannachtaCíannachta
Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.
See more Cíannacht BregCíannacht Breg
Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.
See more Tadg mac Céin
Tadg mac Céin
son of Cían son of Ailill Ólomm; father of Cormac Gaileng, ancestor of the Gailenga.
See more Cormac mac Airt
Cormac mac Airt
(time-frame ass. with Cormac mac Airt)
Legendary high-king of Ireland; son of Art son of Conn Cétchathach; contemporary of Finn mac Cumaill.
See more
Cíannacht BregCíannacht Breg
Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.
See more Tara
Temair ... Tara
County Meath
No short description available
See more

Sources

Notes

1.
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.] OʼSullivan, 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.] OʼBrien, 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.] OʼGrady, Standish Hayes, Silva Gadelica (I–XXXI): a collection of tales in Irish, vol. 1: Irish text, London: Williams & Norgate, 1892.
Digitale-sammlungen.de: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive – originally from Google Books: <link>, <link> CELT – various: <link>, <link>, <link>, <link>, <link>, <link>
319–326 Edition based on the Book of Lismore copy. direct link
[tr.] OʼGrady, 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)

OʼGrady, 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>
xv direct link
Charles-Edwards, T. M., Early Christian Ireland, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
459; 550–551
web page identifiers
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
October 2010, last updated: January 2024
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