Lebor Gabála Érenn (
The Book of the Taking of Ireland) is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish race from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages. An important record of the "pseudohistory" of Ireland, it was compiled and edited by an anonymous scholar in the 11th century, and might be described without exaggeration as a mélange of mythology, legend, history, folklore and Christian historiography. It is usually known inenglish as
The Book of Invasions or
The Book of Conquests.
The contents of Lebor Gabála Érenn
There now follows a brief outline of the text of LGE. The work can be divided into ten "books":
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From the Creation of the World to the Dispersal of the Nations - a retelling of the familiar Judaeo-Christian story of the creation, the fall of Man and the early history of the world. In addition to Genesis, the author draws upon several recondite works for many of his details (eg the Syriac Cave of Treasures), as well as the four Christian works mentioned earlier (ie The City of God, etc).
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The History of the Gaels from the Dispersal of the Nations to the Sighting of Ireland - a pseudo-Biblical account of the origin of the Gaels as the descendants of the Scythian prince Fénius Farsaid, one of seventy-two chieftains who build Nimrod's Tower (ie the Tower of Babel). His grandson Gaedel Glas "cuts" the Irish tongue from the original seventy-two languages that arose at the time of the dispersal of the nations. In this book the Gaels undergo a series of trials and tribulations that are clearly modelled on those with which the Israelites are tried in the first five or six books of the Old Testament. Gaedel Glas is married to Scota, the daughter of Pharaoh of Egypt. His seed are in Egypt at the time of Moses and leave during the Exodus; they wander the world for four hundred and forty years before eventually settling in Iberia. There a man called Bregan builds a tower and the city of Braganza. From the top of the tower his son Íth glimpses Ireland.
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The Settlement of Cessair - this book constitutes the first interpolation in the Liber Occupationis. Cessair is the granddaughter of the Biblical Noah, who advises her and her father, Bith, to flee to the western edge of the world on account of the impending Flood. They set out in three ships, but when they arrive in Ireland two of the ships are lost. The only survivors are Cessair, forty-nine other women, and three men (Cessair's husband Fintán Mac Bóchra, her father Bith, and the pilot Ladra). The women are divided among the men, Fintán taking Cessair and sixteen women, Bith taking Cessair's companion Bairrfhind and sixteen women, and Ladra taking the remaining sixteen women. Ladra, however, soon dies (the first man to be buried on Irish soil). Forty days later the Flood ensues. Fintán alone survives by spending a year under the waters in a cave called "Fintán's Grave." The White Ancient, he lives for 5500 years after the Deluge and witnesses the later settlements of the island in the guises of a salmon, an eagle and a hawk.
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The Settlement of Partholón - three hundred years after the Flood, Partholón, who is of the same seed as the Gaels, settles in Ireland with his three sons and their people. After ten years of peace war breaks out with the Fomorians, a race of evil seafarers led by Cichol Gricenchos. The Partholonians are victorious, but their victory is short-lived. In a single week they are wiped out by a plague — five thousand men and four thousand women — and are buried on the Plain of Elta to the southwest of Dublin, in an area that is still called Tallaght, which means "plague grave." One man only survives the plague, Tuán Mac Cairell, who (like Fintán Mac Bóchra) survives for centuries and undergoes a succession of metamorphoses, so that he can act as a witness of later Irish history. This book also includes the story of Delgnat, Partholón's wife, who commits adultery with a henchman.
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The Settlement of Nemed - Thirty years after the extinction of the Partholonians, Ireland is settled by the people of Nemed, whose great-grandfather was a brother of Partholón's. During their occupation, the land is once again ravaged by the Fomorians and a lengthy war ensues. Nemed wins three great battles against the Fomorians, but after his death his people are subjugated by two Fomorian leaders, More and Conand. Eventually, however, they rise up and assault Conand's Tower on Tory Island. They are victorious, but an ensuing sea battle against More results in the destruction of both armies. A flood covers Ireland, wiping out most of the Nemedians. A handful of survivors are scattered to the four corners of the world.
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The Settlements of the Fir Bolg, Fir Domnann and Fir Gálioin - One group of the seed of Nemed settled in Greece, where they were enslaved. Two hundred and thirty years after Nemed they flee and return to Ireland. There they separate into three nations: the Fir Bolg, Fir Domnann and the Fir Gálioin. They hold Ireland for just thirty-seven years before the invasion of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
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The Settlement of the Tuatha Dé Danann - the Tuatha Dé Danann are descendants of another group of the scattered seed of Nemed. They return to Ireland from the far north, where they have learned the dark arts of pagan magic and druidry, on or about May 1. They contest the ownership of Ireland with the Fir Bolg and their allies in the First Battle of Moytura (or Mag Tuired). The Dé Danann are victorious and drive the Fir Bolg into exile to the neighbouring islands. But Nuada, the king of the Dé Danann, loses his right arm in the battle and is forced to renounce his crown. For seven unhappy years the kingship is held by the Bres before Nuada's leech Dian Cécht fashions for him a silver arm, and he is restored. War with the Fomorians breaks out and a decisive battle is fought: the Second Battle of Moytura. Nuada falls to Balor of the Evil Eye, but Balor's grandson, Lugh of the Long Arm, kills him and becomes king. The Tuatha Dé Danann enjoy one hundred and fifty years of unbroken rule.
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The Milesian Invasion - The story of the Gaels, which was interrupted at the end of Book 2, is now resumed. Íth, who has spied Ireland from the top of Bregan's Tower, journeys to Ireland to investigate his discovery. There he is welcomed by the rulers, but jealous nobles kill him and his men return to Spain with his body. The Milesians, or sons of his uncle Míl Espáine, set out to avenge his death and conquer the island. When they arrive in Ireland, they advance to Tara, the royal seat, to demand the kingship. On the way they are greeted in turn by three women, Banba, Fodla and Ériú, who are the queens of the three co-regents of the land. Each woman welcomes the Milesians and tells them that her name is the name by which the land is known, and asks that it remain so if the Milesians are victorious in battle. One of the Milesians, the poet Amergin, promises that it shall be so. At Tara they are greeted by the three kings of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who defend their claim to the joint kingship of the land. It is decided that the Milesians must return to their ships and sail out to sea to a distance of nine waves from the shore, so that the Tuatha Dé Danann may have a chance to mobilise their forces. But when the Milesians are "beyond nine waves," the druids of the Tuatha Dé Danann conjure up a ferocious storm. The Milesian fleet is driven out to sea but Amergin dispels the wind with his poetry. Of the surviving ships those of Éber land at Inber Scéine (Kenmare River) in the south-west of the country, while those of Éremón land at Inber Colptha (the mouth of the Boyne). In two ensuing battles at Sliabh Mis and Tailtiu, the Tuatha Dé Danann are defeated. They are eventually driven out and the lordship of Ireland is divided between Éber and Éremón.
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The Roll of the Kings of Ireland before the Introduction of Christianity - Modelled on the Biblical Book of Kings, this book recounts the deeds of various kings of Ireland, most of them legendary or at best semi-legendary, from the time of Éber and Éremón to the early fifth century of the Christian era.
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The Roll of the Kings of Ireland after the Introduction of Christianity - A continuation of the previous book. This book is the most accurate part of LGE, since it is concerned with historical kings of Ireland whose deeds and dates are preserved in written records.
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Monday, June 27th, 2005
Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions)
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