A Tale of Two Scribes
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A Tale of Two Scribes A discussion, transcription and analysis of selected poems and sections within Agallamh na Senórach with a focus on the interrelatedness and possible external sources of origin of the prose and poetry. Bjorn Olaf Vatzlavik Master’s Thesis in Viking and Mediaeval Studies (60 Credits) Course Code: VMS4190 University of Oslo Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies (ILN) Autumn, 2020 Abstract: The following thesis belongs in the field of philological studies with a focus on the Irish language, particularly that of the 1200-1400s and the text known as Agallamh na Senórach. This is a thirteenth-century prosimetrical work containing a number of larger poems demonstrated by other scholars to be extracted from external sources rather than written by the author of the main text. It has also been stated, as is discussed in detail in this thesis, that the smaller, single-stanza poems were compositions of the scribe of the prose. In light of this knowledge, this thesis shall observe the orthography, language usage and context of transcribed episodes from the earliest two manuscripts with the aim of establishing the relationship between the prose and small poems found in selected episodes of the work. Transcriptions and translations of the poems are provided by the author of this thesis and these will be used to discuss the possible origins of the poetry through a detailed analysis. This in turn has implications for the construction and purpose of the text itself within the corpus of Middle Irish literature, opening up numerous questions as to the reasons behind the composition of the text in the manner that it appears to have been created. Where this is a preliminary work on the topic, it aims at forming a base upon which further related work may build and discuss the tradition in more detail. i Foreword: The process of writing this thesis has been the product of a great deal of refining of speculations which began over one and a half years ago. The smoothing and streamlining of these ideas has been the result of many lengthy discussions with peers, friends and teachers around the world, from Ireland to Australia and beyond. My deepest thanks go to Jan Erik Rekdal, my teacher and mentor since I began my bachelor studies at the University of Oslo. His experience, knowledge and patience over the years have engendered in me a deep love and admiration of the Irish people, language and culture, the wild and beautiful folk of the Western Isle. His knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm have constantly driven me to achieve more highly and for that I shall always be grateful. I am also indebted to Ellen Marie Pedersen, a close friend whose help with finding articles and books over these past years has been invaluable. I would also like to thank and acknowledge Kristen Mills and David Stifter, whose additional guidance as teachers has helped cement the skills and knowledge needed to complete this thesis. I am likewise indebted to Nicolai Engesland for his help with reviewing many of the translations and analyses in this thesis. Finally, my thanks and gratitude go to my friends, Ivan Andreassen, Maj-Lis Borgen, Robert Erickson, Victor Frans and Nicolas Gómez for their help and support. Mo sheacht mbeannacht agus rath Dé oraibh ii Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………..i Forward………………………………………………………………………………………………….ii Chapter 1 (Introduction) 1.1 Primary Hypothesis………………………………………..……………………………………….. 1 1.2 Further Work Such a Thesis Will Enable……………………………………………………………1 Chapter 2 (Sources) 2.1 Primary Sources (the Manuscripts)………………………………………………………………….2 2.2 Secondary Sources (Editions)...………………………………………………………………….......3 2.3 The Reeves Agallamh and the ‘Agallamh Bheag’………..………………………………………….4 2.4 An t-Agallamh Nua…………………………………………………………………………………..4 2.5 Evaluation of Secondary Materials for Analysis…………………………………………………….5 2.6 Evaluating Stokes’ Edition…………………………………………………………………………..5 2.7 Translations………………………………………………………………………………………….8 Chapter 3 (Historical and Research Background) 3.1 Temporal History Concerning the Agallamh………………………………………………………...8 3.2 Middle Irish………………………………………………………………………………………….9 3.3 Classical Modern Irish……………………………………………………………………………...15 3.4 Early Modern Irish………………………………………………………………………………….15 3.5 Poetry……………………………………………………………………………………………… 18 3.6 Research Background………………………………………………………………………………24 Chapter 4 (Methodology) 4.1 Method (a Basic Framework for Analysis)………………………………………………………....39 4.2 Interpretation of the Evidence………………………………………………………………………42 Chapter 5 (Theory) 5.1 Theory (Possible Pitfalls of the Methodology)……………………………………………………..43 5.2 Theory (in Support of the Methodology)…………………………………………………………...48 5.3 Prosimetric Texts…………………………………………………………………………………...51 5.4 Discussing the Validity of Linguistics as a Tool to Investigate Prosimetrum………………………53 5.5 Other Methodologies Used in Observing Prosimetrum…………………………………………….53 5.6 Issues with Non-Linguistic Approaches to the Material…………...……………………………….54 5.7.1 Existence of Individual Writing Styles in Mediaeval Ireland…………………………………….55 5.7.2 Observing Language Trends in a Single Text…………………………………………………….55 5.7.3 An Individual Scribal Hand………………………………………………………………………56 5.7.4 Comparing Works of Dissimilar Size…………………………………………………………….58 Chapter 6 (Analysis 1) 6.1 Scéal Artúir…………………………………………………………………………………………60 6.2 Poem 1……………………………………………………………………………………………...63 6.3 Poem 2……………………………………………………………………………………………...67 6.4 Poem 3……………………………………………………………………………………………...74 6.5 Poem 4……………………………………………………………………………………………...79 6.6 Poem 5……………………………………………………………………………………………...85 Chapter 7 (Analysis 2) 7.1 Laud 610……………………………………………………………………………………………90 7.2 Poem 1……………………………………………………………………………………………...91 7.3 Poem 2……………………………………………………………………………………………...95 7.4 Poem 3…………………………………………………………………………………………….100 7.5 Poem 4…………………………………………………………………………………………….105 7.6 Poem 5…………………………………………………………………………………………….109 Chapter 8 (Summary and Closing Remarks) 8.1 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………….114 8.2 Suggestions for Further Research…………………………………………………………………114 Appendices Appendix 1 (Bibliography)………………………………………………………………………………I Appendix 2 (Scéal Artúir Transcription and Translation)…………………………………..………...VIII Appendix 3 (Analysis of the Language of Scéal Artúir)…………………………………...…………XIV Appendix 4 (The Battle with the Troops of Lochlann Transcription and Translation)………………..XX Appendix 5 (Analysis of the language of ‘the Battle with the Troops of Lochlann’)…………XXVI Appendix 6 (Poetic Rules for Dán Dírech)………………………………………………………..XXXI 1.1 Primary Hypothesis Agallamh na Senórach is a prosimetrical text composed during the early thirteenth century. Different versions of this tale exist in a number of later manuscripts, as will be discussed in a following section. This text is arguably the longest continuous narrative within the corpus of Irish literature and, though subjected to much reception, little linguistic work has been done on the subject. The point of departure for this study will be a discussion of the verse and prose within the Agallamh. The question can be postulated: What can the relationship between verse and prose in the different recensions of the Agallamh tell us about Agallamh na Senórach as a text tradition? The following hypothesis can be posited: The Agallamh, as represented by the two earliest extant sources, exhibits a narrative which is largely the product of compilation and synthesis of a much larger, written corpus. This view, if proven, can be used to discuss later recensions of the Agallamh which vary significantly from one another. One may view these as derivations of a tradition rooted in a single archetype and a larger overarching literary and oral tradition. A deeper understanding of the earliest witnesses extant to this tale can allow us to understand better the direction that the tradition was taking. This can also shed light on the possible intention behind the creation of the Agallamh, possibly revealed through observation of the compilation of the early recensions and their later development, though this is not discussed in this thesis. The aim here is to provide a strong basis for further studies pertaining to the Fenian corpus. The proving or disproving of this hypothesis will focus on the source of the poetry included in the text which has often been considered to be composed by the author of the prose.1 One may posit that a convincing disconnect between poetry and prose points towards both a highly compilatory text and a large literary corpus being available to the author of the Agallamh. This thesis aims to explore the hypothesis through detailed linguistic analysis. 1.2 Further Work Such a Thesis Will Enable Being able to identify features from a number of poems which would put them outside the realm of the Agallamh can be useful in attempting to understand the possible thought processes that influenced the shaping of the text and provide further insight into the tradition. It should be noted that, due to space, this thesis cannot focus on the poetry of the Agallamh in its entirety. Despite this, observations of the relationship between the prose and poetry aim to enable scholars to more clearly understand the earliest strains of the text and to support the notion that 1 See section 3.6 from pg. 25 for this discussion 1 it was drawing on a larger corpus of written work. Further research in this direction, while needed, is outside the scope of this thesis. Such observations can also help with conclusions as to the authorial