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Senbríathra Fíthail ‘The ancient sayings of Fíthal’

  • Old Irish
  • Medieval Irish wisdom literature

Recension of a collection of early Irish maxims that is sometimes referred to as Bríathra Flainn Fhína ‘The sayings of Flann Fína’. In manuscripts such the Book of Leinster, this particular recension is attributed instead to the legendary judge Fíthal. It incorporates parts of Tecosca Cormaic and concludes with a section of gnomic sayings beg. Maith dán ecnae, which has also been treated as a distinct text in its own right.

Scope
redaction/recension
Speaker/Addressee
Speaker: Fíthal
Fíthal
Poet and judge associated with Cormac mac Airt
See more
Manuscripts

By and large, this overview follows that of Colin Ireland:

L1 =
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1339 (H 2. 18) = Book of Leinster [s. xii2]
pp. 345a–346a
rubric: ‘Senbriathra Fithail inso sis’
L2 =
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1319 vol. 2, pp. 172-187, 192-194 = fragment of the Book of Lecan [xvin]
ff. 146vd.15–147vb.15
L3 =
Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS D ii 1 (1225) = Leabhar Uí Mhaine (The Book of Uí Maine) [1394]
ff. 131rb.9–132ra.33
L4 =
Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 P 12 (536) = Book of Ballymote (Leabhar Bhaile an Mhóta) [1384 x 1406]
ff. 40vb.43–41rb.10
L7 =
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1295 (H 2. 4) [1728]
L8 =
Dublin, National Library of Ireland, MS G 42 [s. xix]
pp. 228.17–240.11
Transcript from BB.
L5 =
Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Adv. MS 72.1.1 (2) = John Beaton’s Broad Book
ff. 11va.49–12ra.53
L6 =
Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1349 (H 4. 8) [c.1700]
Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 N 10 (967) = Book of Ballycummin [s. xvi]
pp. 6.m–inf, 77
To be verified.
Language
  • Old Irish
Date
“ninth century” (Meyer).(1)n. 1 Kuno Meyer, The instructions of King Cormac mac Airt (1909): vi.
Textual relationships
(Possible) sources: Tecosca CormaicTecosca CormaicA collection of Old Irish maxims presented as words of advice by the legendary judicious king of Ireland Cormac mac Airt in reply to questions asked by his son and successor Cairpre (Lifechair). The maxims cover a variety of topics relating especially to the nature of good kingship.

Classification

Medieval Irish wisdom literatureMedieval Irish wisdom literature
...

Sources

Notes

1.
Kuno Meyer, The instructions of King Cormac mac Airt (1909): vi.

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.] Thurneysen, Rudolf [ed.], Zu irischen Handschriften und Litteraturdenkmälern [I], Abhandlungen der königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Philologisch-Historische Klasse, 14.2, Berlin, 1912.  
comments: Continued by Rudolf Thurneysen, Zu irischen Handschriften und Litteraturdenkmälern II (1913).
11–22

The edition omits the Maith dán ecnae section, which Thurneysen treats as a separate text.

[ed.] [tr.] Smith, Roland M. [ed. and tr.], “The Senbriathra Fithail and related texts”, Revue Celtique 45 (1928): 1–92.
Gallica: <link>
4–61

Secondary sources (select)

Ireland, Colin A. [ed. and tr.], Old Irish wisdom attributed to Aldfrith of Northumbria: an edition of Bríathra Flainn Fhína maic Ossu, Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies, 205, Tempe, Arizona: Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 1999.
Internet Archive: <link>
43–45
web page identifiers
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
October 2011, last updated: March 2024
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