Texts

Paenitentiale Cummeani

Incoming data

Seventh-century Irish penitential, written by Cumméne/Cumméne (Lat. Cummeanus) the Long, abbot of Clonfert, who died in 662 according to the Annals of Ulster. The text has a prologue, 202 canons and an epilogue.

Manuscript witnesses

Text

Marbug, Hessisches Staatsarchiv, MS Hr 4,7

Fragment, unknown to Bieler, discovered by Bernhard Bischoff and described by Raymund Kottje (2005). It is dated to the 2nd quarter of the 9th century, making it the earliest textual witness. Provenance: Fulda or Mainz.

Text

Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS L 28 sup

Text

Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, MS Clm 12888

Excerpts.

Text

Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS 311

Complete.

Text

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 150

Prologue. Prefatio Cummeani abbatis in Scothia ortus

p. 285

Text

St. Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, MS 550

Prologue. Prefacio Cummeani abbatis in Scothia ortus.

p. 162

Text

Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Pal. lat. 485

Complete.

ff. 101v/102r–107v

Text

Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Vat. lat. 1349

Prologue.

ff. 17v–18r

Text

Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Vat. lat. 5751

Prologue.

ff. 17v–18r

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.] Bieler, Ludwig [ed.], and D. A. Binchy [appendix], The Irish penitentials, Scriptores Latini Hiberniae, 5, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1963.

108–135 (text and translation); 5–7, 13–15, 17–19 (introduction, discussion)

[ed.] Zettinger, Joseph, “Das Poenitentiale Cummeani”, Archiv für katholisches Kirchenrecht 82 (1902): 501–540.

[tr.] McNeill, John T., and Helena M. Gamer, Medieval handbooks of penance; a translation of the principal libri poenitentiales and selections from related documents, Records of Civilization: Sources and Studies, 29, New York: Columbia University Press, 1938.

comments: Reprinted in 1965 and 1991.

99–117 (translation), 98–99 (introduction)

Secondary sources (select)

Meens, Rob [Meens, R. M. J.], Penance in medieval Europe, 600–1200, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014.

57–61

Farrell, Elaine Pereira, “Taboos and penitence: Christian conversion and popular religion in early medieval Ireland”, 2 vols, unpublished PhD thesis, School of History and Archives, University College Dublin, 2012.

Vol. 1. Text and bibliography -- Vol. 2. Appendix and tables.

Kottje, Raymund, “Das älteste Zeugnis für das Paenitentiale Cummeani”, Deutsches Archiv für Erforschung des Mittelalters 61 (2005): 585–589.

Vogel, Cyrille, Les Libri paenitentiales, Typologie des sources du moyen Âge occidental, 27, Turnhout: Brepols, 1978.

67–68