Texts

Brigit’s ale-feast
verse beg. Ropadh maith lem / corm-lind mór do Rígh na rígh

  • Middle Irish
  • verse
Middle Irish poem (5 qq) attributed to St Brigit of Kildare.
First words (verse)
  • Ropadh maith lem / corm-lind mór do Rígh na rígh
Author
Ascribed to: Brigit of Kildare
Brigit of Kildare
(c. 439/452–c. 524/526)
patron saint of Kildare, whose cult spread both within and outside of Ireland.

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Manuscripts
ff. 22r.21–22v.5
beg. ‘Ropadh maith lem cormlind mor do righ na righ’
Language
  • Middle Irish
  • Dated by Greene to probably the 11th century.
Form
verse (primary)
Length
Number of stanzas: 5 qq.

Classification

Sources

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.] Ní Dhonnchadha, Máirín [ed.], “Mary, Eve and the Church (c. 600-1800)”, in: Angela Bourke, Siobhán Kilfeather, and Maria Luddy [et al.] (eds), The Field Day anthology of Irish writing, vol. IV: Irish women's writing and traditions, Cork: Cork University Press, 2002. 45–165.
73–74 Normalised version of the text edited by D. Greene, with a new English translation and a brief introduction.
[ed.] [tr.] Greene, David, “St. Brigid’s alefeast”, Celtica 2:1 (1952, 1954): 150–153.
Edition, with English translation and notes.
[ed.] OʼCurry, Eugene, Lectures on the manuscript materials of ancient Irish history, delivered at the Catholic University of Ireland during the sessions of 1855 and 1856, Dublin, 1861.
Internet Archive: <link>, <link> Internet Archive – Originally from Google Books: <link>, <link>, <link> Internet Archive – multiple copies: <link>
615–616 (appendix)

Secondary sources (select)

Matheson, Angus, “[Miscellanea, 2] St Brigid’s alefeast”, Éigse 8 (1956–1957): 260.
de Bhaldraithe, Tomás, “Ad Celtica II, 345”, Celtica 4 (1958): 252.
Comment on st. 2.
Kenney, James F., “Chapter IV: The monastic churches, their founders and traditions: I. The primitive foundations”, in: James F. Kenney, The sources for the early history of Ireland: an introduction and guide. Volume 1: ecclesiastical, Revised ed., 11, New York: Octagon, 1966. 288–371.
363 [id. 153.]

Kenney takes issue with Stokes’s reference (“sneer”) to the representation of God in this poem as a “soma-quaffing Indra” (Félire húi Gorman, xi).

Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
March 2023, last updated: June 2023