DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14722#0109
IRISH BIBLICAL MSS.—PLATE II.
described by Mr, Petrie as the very oldest undoubted monument of the Irish language remaining, whilst it is
equally valuable as evidence of the religious doctrine which St. Patrick inculcated. The specimen is to
be read:
' A Tomriug in diu murt trentogairm trinoit cretim treodataid foisin oendatad T dulemain danV
i. e. ' At Temur (Tarah) to-day I invoke the mighty power of the Trinity. I believe in the Trinity under
the Unity of the God of the Elements.'1
The various fac-similes in the right hand division of the accompanying plate are copied from MSS.
preserved in the Cumdachs, or ancient silver cases, and which have for centuries been regarded with super-
stitious reverence, until, in fact, the knowledge of their contents had become entirely lost. To open one of
these cases was indeed considered an act of the greatest sacrilege, Avhich would be certainly attended with evils
of the direst nature. The prying curiosity of modern antiquaries has, however, overweighed the fear of
unknown evils, and discovered in these cases copies of the Psalter or Gospels, accompanied in some cases by
prayers for the visitation of the sick.2
Sir W. Betham gives in his c Irish Antiquarian Researches/ a very graphic account of the alarm which
was occasioned by his desire to open the Caah, one of these venerable relics, which was found to contain the
Psalter op St. Columba. This inestimable MS., with its Cumdach, is now/by the kind permission of Sir W.
0'Donell, placed in the rich Museum of the Boyal Irish Academy. A short notice of it will be found in the
6th page of the article upon the Gospels of MacDurnan. The volume is of a moderate 8vo size, written in
small minuscule characters, with the words indistinct, with the first letter of each Psalm of a large size, but
destitute of colours, and but slightly ornamented, and the two or three following letters, also larger than the
text, of which the specimen, No. 8, is a fac-simile, being the commencement of the 91st Psalm : " Qui habitat
in adjutorio altissimi in protectione Dei cceli commorabitur,"—in which it will be seen that the d and s are
written in their roman form ; occasionally, however, the d is of the uncial form, and the s of the f form, with
the top and bottom extending very slightly above and below the line; the r is of the n shape, with the second
stroke more oblique, the i final is generally straight, but prolonged below the line.
The specimens under No. 7 are copied from the Leabhar, Dimma, noticed in the article on the Gospels of
MacDurnan (p. 6), and recently purchased from Sir W. Betham by Trinity College, Dublin, for 200/. The
MS. measures 7 inches by 5§, and is irregularly written, having 30, 40, or nearly 50 lines in a page, written in
double columns. Each Gospel is preceded by a rude representation of the Evangelist, except the last; in which
the eagle, with four wings, is represented instead of St. John, each being inclosed within an ornamental border,
rudely executed in interlaced ribbon patterns. Sir W. Betham has given copies of these drawings, as well as
of the commencement' of St. John's Gospel, and of part of the prayers for the sick, at the end of the volume,
the whole of which latter he has also published, although not quite correctly.
The first page of St. Matthew's Gospel is written in a smaller hand, and more carefully than the remainder,
the scribe not having used any lines. The genealogical introduction occupies the first column (being itself
written in double columns), the historical part commencing at the top of the second column of the first page. The
1 The following are extracts from this singular production, as
tfanslated by Mr. Petrie in the Transactions of the Royal Irish
Academy :—
" At Temur to-day rnay the strength of God pilot me, may the
power of God preserve me, may the wisdom of God instruct me, may
the eye of God view me, may the ear of God hear me, may the word
of God render me eloquent, may the hand of God protect me, may
the way of God direct me, may the shield of God defend me, may the
host of God guard me against the snares of demons, the temptations
to vices, the inclinations of the mind against every man -who meditates
evil to me, far or near, alone or in company,
" I place all these powers between me and every evil unmerciful
power directed against my soul and body, as a protection against the
incantations of false prophets, against the black laws of Gentilism,
against the false laws of heresy, against the preaching- of idolatry,
against the spells of women, smiths,and druids, against every know-
ledg-e which blinds the soul of man. May Christ to-day protect me
against poison, against burning, against drowning, against wounding,
until I deserve much reward.
3
" Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ after me, Christ
in me, Christ under me, Christ over me, Christ at my right,
Christ at my left, Christ at this side, Christ at that side, Christ at
my back.
" Salvation is the Lord's, salvation is the Lord's, salvation is Chrisfs.
May thy salvation, 0 Lord, be always with us."
The magical spells attributed to women, smiths and druids, con-
tinue, according to Mr. Petrie, in the belief of the people iu various
parts of Ireland up to the present time.
2 Most of these Cumdachs and their contents are noticed in the
article on the Gospels of MacDurnan ; besides these, another Cum-
dach (from which the contents had been unfortunately abstracted) is
described in Sir W. Betham's Irish Antiq. Res., and was in the pos-
session of the late Duke of Sussex ; at the sale of whose effects it
was purchased for the lately established Colhge of St. Columba, near
Drogheda. Another Cumdach, containing the Gospels of St. Mulling,
is described in a subsequent page of this artiole.
described by Mr, Petrie as the very oldest undoubted monument of the Irish language remaining, whilst it is
equally valuable as evidence of the religious doctrine which St. Patrick inculcated. The specimen is to
be read:
' A Tomriug in diu murt trentogairm trinoit cretim treodataid foisin oendatad T dulemain danV
i. e. ' At Temur (Tarah) to-day I invoke the mighty power of the Trinity. I believe in the Trinity under
the Unity of the God of the Elements.'1
The various fac-similes in the right hand division of the accompanying plate are copied from MSS.
preserved in the Cumdachs, or ancient silver cases, and which have for centuries been regarded with super-
stitious reverence, until, in fact, the knowledge of their contents had become entirely lost. To open one of
these cases was indeed considered an act of the greatest sacrilege, Avhich would be certainly attended with evils
of the direst nature. The prying curiosity of modern antiquaries has, however, overweighed the fear of
unknown evils, and discovered in these cases copies of the Psalter or Gospels, accompanied in some cases by
prayers for the visitation of the sick.2
Sir W. Betham gives in his c Irish Antiquarian Researches/ a very graphic account of the alarm which
was occasioned by his desire to open the Caah, one of these venerable relics, which was found to contain the
Psalter op St. Columba. This inestimable MS., with its Cumdach, is now/by the kind permission of Sir W.
0'Donell, placed in the rich Museum of the Boyal Irish Academy. A short notice of it will be found in the
6th page of the article upon the Gospels of MacDurnan. The volume is of a moderate 8vo size, written in
small minuscule characters, with the words indistinct, with the first letter of each Psalm of a large size, but
destitute of colours, and but slightly ornamented, and the two or three following letters, also larger than the
text, of which the specimen, No. 8, is a fac-simile, being the commencement of the 91st Psalm : " Qui habitat
in adjutorio altissimi in protectione Dei cceli commorabitur,"—in which it will be seen that the d and s are
written in their roman form ; occasionally, however, the d is of the uncial form, and the s of the f form, with
the top and bottom extending very slightly above and below the line; the r is of the n shape, with the second
stroke more oblique, the i final is generally straight, but prolonged below the line.
The specimens under No. 7 are copied from the Leabhar, Dimma, noticed in the article on the Gospels of
MacDurnan (p. 6), and recently purchased from Sir W. Betham by Trinity College, Dublin, for 200/. The
MS. measures 7 inches by 5§, and is irregularly written, having 30, 40, or nearly 50 lines in a page, written in
double columns. Each Gospel is preceded by a rude representation of the Evangelist, except the last; in which
the eagle, with four wings, is represented instead of St. John, each being inclosed within an ornamental border,
rudely executed in interlaced ribbon patterns. Sir W. Betham has given copies of these drawings, as well as
of the commencement' of St. John's Gospel, and of part of the prayers for the sick, at the end of the volume,
the whole of which latter he has also published, although not quite correctly.
The first page of St. Matthew's Gospel is written in a smaller hand, and more carefully than the remainder,
the scribe not having used any lines. The genealogical introduction occupies the first column (being itself
written in double columns), the historical part commencing at the top of the second column of the first page. The
1 The following are extracts from this singular production, as
tfanslated by Mr. Petrie in the Transactions of the Royal Irish
Academy :—
" At Temur to-day rnay the strength of God pilot me, may the
power of God preserve me, may the wisdom of God instruct me, may
the eye of God view me, may the ear of God hear me, may the word
of God render me eloquent, may the hand of God protect me, may
the way of God direct me, may the shield of God defend me, may the
host of God guard me against the snares of demons, the temptations
to vices, the inclinations of the mind against every man -who meditates
evil to me, far or near, alone or in company,
" I place all these powers between me and every evil unmerciful
power directed against my soul and body, as a protection against the
incantations of false prophets, against the black laws of Gentilism,
against the false laws of heresy, against the preaching- of idolatry,
against the spells of women, smiths,and druids, against every know-
ledg-e which blinds the soul of man. May Christ to-day protect me
against poison, against burning, against drowning, against wounding,
until I deserve much reward.
3
" Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ after me, Christ
in me, Christ under me, Christ over me, Christ at my right,
Christ at my left, Christ at this side, Christ at that side, Christ at
my back.
" Salvation is the Lord's, salvation is the Lord's, salvation is Chrisfs.
May thy salvation, 0 Lord, be always with us."
The magical spells attributed to women, smiths and druids, con-
tinue, according to Mr. Petrie, in the belief of the people iu various
parts of Ireland up to the present time.
2 Most of these Cumdachs and their contents are noticed in the
article on the Gospels of MacDurnan ; besides these, another Cum-
dach (from which the contents had been unfortunately abstracted) is
described in Sir W. Betham's Irish Antiq. Res., and was in the pos-
session of the late Duke of Sussex ; at the sale of whose effects it
was purchased for the lately established Colhge of St. Columba, near
Drogheda. Another Cumdach, containing the Gospels of St. Mulling,
is described in a subsequent page of this artiole.