Texts
Story of the abbot of Druimenaig
Incoming data
The catalogue entry for this text has not been published as yet. Until then, a selection of data is made available below.
Brief medieval Irish story about a young, unnamed abbot of Druimenaig (Druim Eanaig, now Drimnagh, Co. Dublin), who at Easter finds himself transformed into a woman, sleeps with the erenagh of Croimglenn (Crumlin, Co. Dublin), gives birth to seven children, and changes back to being a man again.
Manuscript witnesses
MS
Edinburgh, National Library of Scotland, Adv. MS 72.1.6/ff. 12-13
incipit: Araile oglach bai a n-abdaine Druimenaigh
f. 13ra.19–
Text
London, British Library, MS Egerton 1781
A version that is shorter than that in Add. 30512 or the Book of Fermoy, but closer the latter than to the former (Flower).
f. 149v
MS
Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 512/IV (ff. 123-144)
Story of the abbot of Druimenaig.
f. 140ra.22–
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.] Meyer, Kuno [ed.], “Story of the abbot of Druimenaig, who was changed into a woman”, in: Osborn Bergin, R. I. Best, Kuno Meyer, and J. G. OʼKeeffe (eds), Anecdota from Irish manuscripts, vol. 1, Halle and Dublin, 1907. 76–79.
[tr.] Hillers, Barbara, “The abbot of Druimenaig: genderbending in Gaelic tradition”, Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium 15 (1995): 175–197.
176–178 Translation based on Meyer's edition.
[tr.] Gaidoz, Henri, “Du changement de sexe dans les contes celtiques”, Revue de l'Histoire des Religions 57 (1906): 317–332.
Internet Archive: <link>
318–320 (introduction), 320–323 (translation), 323–324 (discussion) Translation (into French) based on Meyer's edition, with some discussion.
Secondary sources (select)
Ó Siocháin, Tadhg, The case of the abbot of Drimnagh: a medieval Irish story of sex-change, Cork Studies in Celtic Literatures, 2, Cork: CSCL, 2017.
abstract:
The enigmatic anecdote known as ‘The abbot of Drimnagh’ contains an account of sex-changes experienced by an abbot, and its interpretation presents many challenges for the modern reader. The concepts of love, marriage and gender are central to the events recounted and these issues clearly resonated differently with the intended audience than they do with us today.
The analysis presented in this volume draws on modern writing on literary theory, on gender and sexuality, in addition to the work of historians and medieval literary analysts, and has as its central aim a desire to create an interest in this captivating but unusual tale.
The analysis presented in this volume draws on modern writing on literary theory, on gender and sexuality, in addition to the work of historians and medieval literary analysts, and has as its central aim a desire to create an interest in this captivating but unusual tale.
