Lebor Gabála Érenn

The Lebor Gabála Érenn [ 'Levor gəvaːla' eːrʴeɴ ] ( "The Book of the proceeds of Ireland", "The Book of land invasions of Ireland," neuirisch Leabhar Gabhála Éireann is) a probably Resulting in the 9th century and compiled in the 11th century compilation in Central Irish language of various stories and poems that tell a mythical story of Ireland. The Lebor is delivered in two versions, first in Lebor Laignech ( "The Book of Leinster") and in the Leabhar Mór Leacain ( "The Big Book of Lecan").

Factory history

The Lebor Gabála Érenn is based on a combination of biblical narratives, fragments of ancient authors, local traditions and many learned inventions. Also known as the Book of Invasions, it is based on the following works, among others:

• Augustine , De Civitate Dei , 413-426
• Orosius , Historiae adversum paganos , 417
• Eusebius of Caesarea , Chronicon , Latin translation Temporum liber , 379
• Isidore of Seville , Etymologiae , 7th century

The aim of the authors was to connect local historical traditions with the Bible and the world chronicles . He draws on very heterogeneous materials, some of which could go back to the 7th century. An early version was already adopted in Lebor Dromma Snechta (“The Book of Druim Snechta”). The Book of Invasions was used by Geoffrey Keating , among others, for his Foras feasa ar Éirinn ("Knowledge base about Ireland", usually briefly called "History of Ireland") and by the authors of Annála Ríoghdhachta Éireann ("Annals of the Four Masters") as a source .

The sequence of settlements or conquests of the island is described, usually six stages are distinguished: First came Cessair , then Partholon and Nemed , the Firbolg , the Túatha Dé Danann and finally the Milesians , who are named as the real ancestors of the Irish Gael . In the form of euhemerism , these figures of pre-Christian mythology are to be represented as historical persons. Lebor Gabála Érenn was viewed as a historical reality until the late 17th century , but then it was increasingly classified as a misrepresentation of history.

literature

• Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
• Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 , pp. 203 f.
• Ingeborg Clarus : Celtic Myths. Man and his otherworld. Walter Verlag 1991, ppb edition Patmos Verlag, Düsseldorf, 2000, 2nd edition, ISBN 3-491-69109-5 ; P. 69 f.
• Bianca Ross: Britannia et Hibernia: National and Cultural Identities in 17th Century Ireland. Heidelberg, Winter 1998, p. 115.
• John Carey: The Irish national origin legend: synthetic pseudo-history . Cambridge 1994
• Rudolf Thurneysen : To Lebor Gabála. Journal of Celtic Philology 10, 1915, pp. 384-395.

expenditure

• RA Stewart Macalister (ed.): Lebor Gabála Érenn. The book of the taking of Ireland ; Dublin: Published for the Irish Texts Society by the Educational Council of Ireland, 1938.

See also

• List of Celtic gods and legendary figures
• Fintan mac Bóchra
• Túan mac Cairill

Web links

• Lebor Gabála Érenn, Books 1-8
• Lebor Gabála Érenn, Books 1–8 ( Memento from March 6, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
• Timeless Myths - Book of Invasions

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 471 f.