Texts
Betha Brigte‘The Life of (St) Brigit’
- Middle Irish
- prose
- Irish hagiography
“apparently a translation of an abridged version of Colgan’s third life [i.e. the Vita prima sanctae Brigitae]” (Kenney)
Initial words (prose)
- Híí sunt qui sequntur agnum quocunque ierit
Author
anonymous
Manuscripts
- Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 P 16 (1230) = Leabhar Breac (‘Speckled Book’) [s. xvin]pp. 61b–66a
- Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 P 2 = Book of Lecan [s. xvin]f. 166cLast section of the Life only
Language
- Middle Irish
- Secondary language(s): Hiberno-Latin
Date
11th or 12th century (?)
Form
prose (primary)
verse (secondary)
Textual relationships
Kenney suggests that “It possibly testifies to an earlier stratum of the legend ... Several of the legends are incorporated into the notes of the Calendar of Oengus on February 1, her [Brigit's] feast-day”.(1)n. 1 James F. Kenney, The sources for the early history of Ireland: an introduction and guide. Volume 1: ecclesiastical (1966): 363 and note.
(Possible) sources: Vita prima sanctae BrigitaeVita prima sanctae BrigitaeLatin Life of St Brigit. BHL 1455-1456.
Related: Vita prima sanctae BrigitaeVita prima sanctae BrigitaeLatin Life of St Brigit. BHL 1455-1456.
Associated items
Ultan’s hymnUltan’s hymn
Sources
Notes
James F. Kenney, The sources for the early history of Ireland: an introduction and guide. Volume 1: ecclesiastical (1966): 363 and note.
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.] Stokes, Whitley [ed. and tr.], Lives of saints from the Book of Lismore, Anecdota Oxoniensia, Mediaeval and Modern Series 5, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1890.
[ed.] Meyer, Kuno [ed.], “Mitteilungen aus irischen Handschriften: Sancta Brigita”, Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 12 (1918): 293–294.
Internet Archive: <link>
Episode from the Book of Lecan
Secondary sources (select)
Kenney, James F., “Chapter IV: The monastic churches, their founders and traditions: I. The primitive foundations”, in: Kenney, James F., The sources for the early history of Ireland: an introduction and guide. Volume 1: ecclesiastical, Records of Civilization: Sources and Studies 11, Revised ed. (1929), New York: Octagon, 1966. 288–371.
362–363 (§ 152.i) [id. 152.1.]
web page identifiers
page name: Betha Brigte (Middle Irish)
page url: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/Betha_Brigte_(Middle_Irish)
redirect: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/Special:Redirect/page/11903
numerical alternative: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/index.php?curid=11903
page ID: 11903
page ID tracker: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/index.php?title=Show:ID&id=11903
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
June 2012, last updated: August 2019