FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   >>   >|  
makes its nom. plur. _gruda_ for O. Ir. _grad_.[11] [11] The infinitive _bith_ for O. Ir. _buith_ (91), the dative _cinn_ for O. Ir. _ciunn_ (98, 135), the nom. pl. _sligthi_ for O. Ir. _sligid_ (which I have restored in Sec. 49), the confusion between _do_ and _di_ (e.g. 83), and other details are probably due to the Middle-and Modern-Irish transcribers. On linguistic grounds, then, I should say that our collection was made some time during the second half of the ninth century. That it cannot be dated earlier is also apparent from another consideration. Professor Zimmer has taught us to search in every ancient Irish text for indications of its having been composed either before or after the Viking period. I find no words from the Norse language in the Triads, or, if there are any, they have escaped me; but there are two distinct references to the Viking age. In Sec. 232, a Viking in his hauberk (_Gall ina luirig_) is mentioned as one of three that are hardest to talk to; and, in Sec. 44, Bangor in Co. Down is called unlucky or unfortunate, no doubt, as the gloss says, because of the repeated plunderings and destruction of its monastery by the Norse during the early part of the ninth century (A.D. 823, 824). In endeavouring to trace the origin of the Triad as a form of literary composition among the Irish, one must remember that it is but one of several similar enumerative sayings common in Irish literature. Thus the collection here printed contains three duads (124. 133. 134), seven tetrads (223. 230. 234. 244. 248. 251. 252), and one heptad (235). A whole Irish law-book is composed in the form of heptads;[12] while triads, tetrads, &c., occur in every part of the Laws.[13] Such schematic arrangements were of course a great aid to memory. [12] See _Ancient Laws of Ireland_, vol, v., pp. 118-373. [13] Thus in the first volume of the Laws we find duads on p. 228, 15; 294, 27; triads on p. 50, 9. 27; 230, 4; 264, 20; 288, 28; tetrads 40, 21; 54, 7; 64, 1; 240, 24; 256, 4, &c.; 272, 25; 274, 3, &c.; pentads 30, 21; 50, 32; 90, 29; 102, 6; hexads 68, 11; 248, 7: a heptad 134, 9; an ennead 16, 20. If the Triad stood alone, the idea that it owes its origin to the effect of the doctrine of the Trinity upon the Celtic imagination might reasonably be entertained. The fact that this doctrine has led to many peculiar phenomena in Irish folklore, literature, and art has frequently been pointed out. Nor would I deny th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31  
32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Viking
 

tetrads

 

collection

 

century

 

literature

 
triads
 
doctrine
 

composed

 
heptad
 

origin


common

 

Ireland

 
Ancient
 

heptads

 
arrangements
 

schematic

 
printed
 
memory
 

Celtic

 

imagination


entertained

 

Trinity

 

effect

 

pointed

 

frequently

 

peculiar

 

phenomena

 

folklore

 

ennead

 

sayings


volume

 
hexads
 

pentads

 

grounds

 

Modern

 
Middle
 

transcribers

 
linguistic
 

consideration

 
Professor

Zimmer
 

taught

 
apparent
 
earlier
 

dative

 

infinitive

 
sligthi
 

details

 
sligid
 

restored