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Dá apstol décc na hÉrenn

Incoming data

A catalogue entry is available.

Middle or Early Modern Irish narrative, told in prose and verse, about St Brénainn moccu Altae (of Clonfert), who is here ranked among the Irish saints who studied under St Finnian at Clúain Eraird (Clonard), known collectively as the ‘twelve apostles of Ireland’. One day, when Finnian has convened the saints for a feast, a large magical flower from the Land of Promise (Tír Tairngire) appears to them. It ultimately falls to Brénainn to set out on a voyage to visit the land. The text goes on to relate some of the adventures of Brénainn and his companions.

Manuscript witnesses

MS

Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, MS 2324-2340 

rubric: Balor da apstal decc na hErenn   

f. 70v–f. 72

Text

Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, MS 2324-2340 

f. 70b  

Text

Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, MS 5100-5104 

f. 12a  

Text

Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 O 48b 

ff. 7c–8b  

Text

London, British Library, MS Egerton 1781 

ff. 152d–153d  

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.] Plummer, Charles, Bethada náem nÉrenn: Lives of Irish saints, 2 vols, vol. 1: Introduction, texts, glossary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1922.

CELT – edition: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>

96–102

[tr.] Plummer, Charles, Bethada náem nÉrenn: Lives of Irish saints, 2 vols, vol. 2: Translations, notes, indexes, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1922.

CELT – translations: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>

93–98

[ed.] Thurneysen, Rudolf, “Eine Variante der Brendan-Legende”, Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 10 (1915): 408–420.

CELT – edition and introduction: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>

Secondary sources (select)

Plummer, Charles, Bethada náem nÉrenn: Lives of Irish saints, 2 vols, vol. 1: Introduction, texts, glossary, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1922.

CELT – edition: <link> Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>

xxiv–xxv

Mac Mathúna, Séamus, “The Irish Life of Saint Brendan: textual history, structure and date”, in: Clara Strijbosch, and Glyn S. Burgess (eds), The Brendan legend. Texts and versions, 24, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2006. 117–158.