Book of Leinster

The Book of Leinster ( Old Irish Lebor Laignech [' L ʴ efore ' Laɣ ʴ n ʴ ex] ) which is also known under the name Book of Oughaval, is arisen about 1160 medieval manuscript. It is held in Dublin at Trinity College. Previously, it had been kept for many generations in Oughaval. Some parts of the book as the Martyrology of Tallaght belong to the collection of the University College Dublin.

Content

The manuscript consists of 187 leaves with a size of about 33 cm to 23 cm. A note in the manuscript suggests that about 45 pages have been lost. The book includes a wide collection of content and is one of the main sources of the medieval Irish literature, genealogy and mythology. It includes, among other texts, such as: Lebor Gabála Érenn ( The Book of Invasions ), the most complete version of Táin Bó Cuailnge ( The expelling of cattle Cuailnge ), the Dindsenchas, the Bóruma, an Irish translation of Historia De Excidio Troiae, and to prior to its separation from the main book, the Martyrology of Tallaght.

Datings

The manuscript is a collection and seems to have been written by several authors. The principal author seems to have been Áed Ua Crimthainn whose signature is found in the book under the title: Aed mac meic Crimthaind ro scrib in leborso 7 ra thinoil a llebraib imdaib ( " Áed Hua Crimthaind wrote this book and collected it from many books " ).

From the annals of the manuscript suggests that it was made 1151-1201, with most of it was probably written in the 1160s.