Bibliography

Mc Carthy, Daniel, “The paschal cycle of St Patrick”, in: Immo Warntjes, and Dáibhí Ó Cróinín (eds), Late antique calendrical thought and its reception in the early Middle Ages: proceedings from the 3rd International Conference on the Science of Computus in Ireland and Europe, Galway, 16-18 July, 2010, 26, Turnhout: Brepols, 2017. 94–137.

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Article

“The paschal cycle of St Patrick”

Work

Dáibhí Ó Cróinín (ed.) • Immo Warntjes (ed.), Late antique calendrical thought and its reception in the early Middle Ages: proceedings from the 3rd International Conference on the Science of Computus in Ireland and Europe, Galway, 16-18 July, 2010 (2017)

Pages

94–137

Year

2017

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Abstract (cited)

Notwithstanding the substantial corpus of early medieval references to St Patrick and his works, the only account we have of a paschal cycle associated with him is that provided by Cummian in his letter addressed to Ségéne of Iona and Béccán the hermit composed in c.AD 633. In this letter, Cummian identified himself and his community with Patrick, but he furnished only limited technical details for both Patrick’s cycle and the cycle he indicated that he and his community had recently adopted. However, critical examination of Cummian’s account shows that Patrick had adapted the 532-year paschal cycle compiled by Victorius of Aquitaine in AD 457, and that this was the cycle that Cummian’s community and other influential southern Irish churches resolved to adopt at the synod of Mag Léne in c.AD 630. Consequently, Cummian’s account of Patrick’s cycle, the earliest attested reference to him, holds significant implications for both the chronology of Patrick’s mission to Ireland, and for the expansion of his cult in the seventh century.

Subjects and topics

Headings

7th century

Sources

Texts

History, society and culture

Agents

Saint PatrickSaint Patrick
(fl. 5th century)
St Patrick
No short description available
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Keywords

paschal cycles

web page identifiers

page name: Mc Carthy (Daniel) 2017 bnmqlpb