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Today’s feast-day (7 June)

Meriasek

A saint of Breton origin who is the subject of a Middle Cornish play, Beunans Meriasek, according to which he performed many miracles during his time in Cornwall and later returned to Brittany to become bishop of Vannes. In some Breton sources, his feast-day is 7 June, while in Camborne, it used to be celebrated on the first Friday of June.

About the selected image

St John from the St Gall gospel (St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 51). Source: Flickr.com.

A module for identifying agents - encompassing persons, peoples and organisations - and managing information about them has been around for many years, continually evolving as time went by, but what was absent all this time is a public interface for accessing relevant data in a user-friendly way.

This is a first attempt at offering such an interface, which is provided "as-is" and should be considered beta-quality for now (not that there is any official product release cycle as such but using the label is a convenient means to sound the right alarm bells). It currently consists of a basic search, aggregated data overviews for individual agents, and hover-card labels that you will meet elsewhere in the catalogue.

I am aware of duplicates, uneven coverage and other shortcomings that typically arise from the progressive nature of this website or simply, lack of personpower. An earlier version of the interface was available to editors partly because it helps us address some of those issues. None of these objections, however, seemed to weigh heavily against the alternative, which is having nothing at all to offer.

Note that for convenience's sake, many agents are not formally indexed but are nonetheless included by exclusive virtue of being linked. It is a wonderful forte of the system that allows us to retrieve and bring together disparate data from disparate data sources, but some useful metadata will be missing and discoverability is more limited as a result. For instance, we may be linking to a scribe whose name and associated data can be retrieved and presented, but without, say, a floruit it will be difficult to find this person within the appropriate time range. I say "difficult" because it is possible, to an extent, to rely on the dates we have, if any, for associated objects (manuscripts, scribal hands), but such a circuitous approach comes with limitations of its own and is not necessarily methodologically sound.

Meanwhile, I hope that the new interface will improve your experience in using this website. Next up are thematic categories for scribes (in the broadest, non-pejorative sense of the word), authors and scholars.

Last added

People

• James Yonge
  d. c.1425
  Anglo-Irish notary, writer and translator active in Dublin. His writings include an English adaptation of the Secreta secretorum, which was commissioned by the earl of Ormond, and an account of the pilgrimage of a Hungarian nobleman, Laurence Rathold, to St Patrick’s Purgatory.
• Albert Suerbeer
  d. 1272/73
  Also known as Albert the German, churchman from Cologne who became archbishop of Armagh, 1240 (cons.)-1246.
• Albert of Cashel
  supp. fl. 8th century
  Albart or Albert, a patron of Cashel of dubious historicity. A 12th-century life was written for him at St James, Regensburg (Vita S. Alberti archiepiscopi Casellensis) which identifies him as an Anglo-Saxon missionary who was active in both Ireland and Bavaria, undertook a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and died in Regensburg.
• John the Apostle
  One of the apostles of Christ in the New Testament, brother of James; traditionally identified with John the Evangelist.
• Peter the Apostle
  One of the apostles of Christ, patriarch and first pope of the Roman church.
• Isaac
  Biblical figure, a patriarch of the Israelites, son of Abraham and Sarah.
• Jacob
  Biblical figure, patriarch of the Israelites, son of Isaac and Rebecca.
• Rufinus of Aquileia
  d. 411
  Tyrannius Rufinus of Aquileia was a monk, theologian and historian. He is known for having translated Greek works by Origen, Eusebius and others in Latin.
• A. S. D. Smith
  1883–1950
  Cornish bard and linguist, also known by his bardic name Caradar.
• Samuel
  Biblical judge and prophet.
• Ham
  In the book of Genesis, second son of Noah and himself the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan.
• Shem
  In the book of Genesis, one of the sons of Noah.
• Japheth
  In the book of Genesis, one of the three sons of Noah. In Isidore’s Etymologiae, he is regarded as the ancestor of European peoples, an idea which proved seminal in subsequent tradition.
• Henry Sidney
  1529–1586
  Sir Henry Sidney, son of William Sidney, was lord deputy of Ireland (1565–71, 1575–78) and a prominent figure at the English court.
• Saul
  According to the Old Testament, notably 1 Samuel, first king of (the united kingdom of) Israel, who was anointed by the judge Samuel and was the father of King David.

Institutions

• Quimperlé, abbey of Sainte-Croix
• Quimper cathedral
• Cwrt Mawr

  Building and estate near Llangeitho, Ceredigion.

• Liath Mór [Leamakevoge]
• Vienna, Archiv des Schottenstifts
• Cell Moinne [Kilmoon, Co. Meath]
  A foundation in the modern parish which is named after it, that of Kilmoon/Kilmoone (bar. Skreen, Co. Meath).
  
• Liverpool, University Library

  The special collections are in the Sydney Jones Library.
  

• Berlin, Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz
• Cell Bróinche

  Foundation associated with multiple female saints (e.g. Brónach, Cainer) and subject to Kildare.

• Rechru [Rathlin Island foundation]
• Rechru [Lambay Island foundation]
• Abbotsford House Library
  Library belonging to Abbotsford (House), a country house in the Scottish Borders, near Galashiels and Melrose, that is known as the former residence of Sir Walter Scott.
  
• Canterbury, St Augustine's abbey
• Bury St Edmunds abbey
• Sawley abbey

Randomised results

Scribes

Dorbéne mac Altaíni

ob. 713

Abbot of Iona for only a brief period of time in 713, the year in which he died. He is commonly identified with the scribe Dorbbeneus who signs his name in the Schaffhausen manuscript of the Vita sancti Columbae.

John O'Donovan

1806–1861

Irish scholar

Elis Gruffydd

c.1490–1552

Welsh administrator and soldier as well as a chronicler and translator, who is probably known for having compiled an extensive Welsh-language chronicle of world history.

William Pryce

d. 1790

A medical practitioner based in Redruth, Cornwall, who was also an author on mining and mineralogy, an antiquary and an advocate of the Cornish language.

Llywelyn Siôn

c.1540–c.1615(?)

Llywelyn of Llangewydd, Welsh poet and farmer

Hywel Fychan ap Hywel Goch

fl. 14th century

Hywel Fychan ap Hywel Goch was a fourteenth century Welsh scribe. He was a man with clerical training who knew Latin and was able to edit and organize a book. He also wrote lawbooks.  Hywel Fychan is most famous for being the chief scribe of the Red Book of Hergest (Oxford, Jesus College, MS 111). He is also connected to Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales, Peniarth MS 11; Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales, Llanstephan MS 27 (Llyfr Coch Talgarth); and Philadelphia, Library Company, MS 8680.O. He furthermore made a contribution to the Culchwch ac Olwen-text of the White Book of Rhydderch (Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales, Peniarth 4-5) on folio 83v.

Muiris Ó hEoghusa

16th century?

Irish scribe (NLI MS G 14) and poet, whose name is invoked as the author of Díon Ulltach 'na n-urríoghaibh (39 qq, Copenhagen NKS MS 268b = no. XXI in [[Greene (David) 1972b|Greene's edition]]) and a poem on the birth and crucifixion of Christ, Tosach ar mbeathadh bás Dé (Eg. 136, TCD 1285).

Roger Morris [of Coed y Talwrn]

fl. 1590

Humanist scholar and collector and copier of manuscripts.

Anonymous [LU scribe M]

Doighre Ó hUiginn

Irish scribe

Seón Mac Solaidh

fl. early 18th century

Irish scribe, of Stackallan (Co. Meath)

Máel Brigte mac Tornáin

Aodh Ó Dálaigh

fl. mid–18th century

Irish scribe and poet

Edward Lhuyd

d. 1709

Owen Connellan

c.1797–1871

Authors

A random selecton of authors and those so described.

Ó Duibhgeannáin family

angl. Duigenan, important learned family of historians and scribes

Iorwerth Fynglwyd

fl. c.1480–1527

Welsh poet.

Máel Ísu Ua Brolcháin

d. (c.) 1086

Óengus mac ind Óc

Óengus (Aengus) mac (ind) Óc; Mac Óc: mythological figure in medieval Irish literature, one of the Túatha Dé Danann; associated with youth and love; identified in some narratives as a son of the Dagda and Bóann.

Charles Edwards [fl. 17th century]

fl. 17th century

Welsh Puritan scholar; author of several books

Cúanu mac Ailchíne

King of the Fir Maige Féne.

Brigit of Kildare

c. 439/452–c. 524/526

patron saint of Kildare, whose cult spread both within and outside of Ireland.

Conall Mageoghegan

fl. 1596–1644

Conall Mageoghegan (Mac Eochagáin), Irish scholar and historian known for producing the Annals of Clonmacnoise, an English translation of Irish annals.

Gwalchmai ap Meilyr

fl. c.1130–1180

Welsh poet from Anglesey, one of the early Gogynfeirdd.

Polybius

c.200–c.118 BC

Πολύβιος, Greek Hellenistic historian known for writing The Histories (Ἱστορίαι).

Úna Nic Cruitín

fl. 18th century

Irish poet, daughter of the poet Aodh Buí Mac Cruitín. Her poems include one addressed to Isibéal Ní Bhriain.

Urard mac Coise

d. 983 x 1023

Irish poet

Fursa

fl. 7th century

Irish monk and missionary

Dafydd ap Gwilym

fl. c.1330–1350

Gregory the Great

d. 604

prefect and later, bishop of Rome known for instigating the mission to convert the Anglo-Saxons in Britain to the Christian faith. He is the author of a number of theological works, including the Dialogues, the Pastoral Rule, a commentary on the Book of Job, and many sermons and letters.