Gaelic Literature

Biography, chronicle-history and genealogy make up a large part of the remains of Gaelic literature and, as might be expected from the fervor with which the Irish adopted Christianity, the literature of this period is rich in lives of the saints. It is appropriate, too, that among the earliest we should find lives of Saint Patrick. The 'Book of Armagh> contains two very early biographies. There are many others, but the most important is the 'Tripartite Life,' the MS. of which, written in ancient Gaelic, was discovered by O'Clery, one of the 'Tour Masters," early in the 17th cen tury. This «Life might, perhaps be more fittingly described as a group of ihree semi historical homilies on the life of the saint. Saint Columcille (521-597), after Saint Patrick the most renowned of the early churchmen, contributed generously to the Gaelic literature of this period. His Gaelic poems voice an ardent patriotism, those written after his exile to Iona especially breathing a passionate love for the land of his birth. The same century that knew Saint Columcille boasts of another great churchman and writer, Saint Brendan the Navigator, founder of the famous abbey and school of Clonfert. Saint Brendan is the re puted author of the 'Navigatio a tale of marvelous romance, the influence of which was felt throughout Europe. MS. copies of it may be found in many monasteries on the Continent, and it has been edited and anno tated in many tongues. Giraldus Cambrensis (1146?-1220?) alludes to it as being well known in his time. The life of Saint Brendan in the 'Book of Lismore' tells of his setting out in three vessels in search of an isle in the west which was to be a land of promise, probably the Moy Mell and Hy Brassil of the ancient pagan legends.

But it must not be supposed that the making of literature in Ireland was confined to the churchmen. The arts of poetry and prose com position flourished after, as before the coming of Christianity, and the race of bards did not die out for many centuries. Notable among those who flourished prior to the period of the Danish incursions was Eochaidh, better known as Dallan Forgaill, a contemporary of Saint Columcille. He was Chief 011amh of Ireland, a dignity which on his death devolved on his pupil, Senchan Torpeist. Others, equally as important, were Cernfaeladh (c. 678) and Angus Celle De, or the Culdee. The 'Saltair na Rann,' a collection of 162s in Early Middle Gaelic, giving a rather ?annul account of the creation of the world and the fall of Adam and Eve, was long attributed to Angus, but later research by Whitney Stokes has shown that it could not have been written earlier than 1000.

Danish Occupation to Norman Invasion.

— Despite the continual warfare and waste of life and property that marked the two or three centuries of Danish occupation of Ireland, liter ature and learning flourished. Cormac mac Culinan (d. 908), king, and bishop of Cashel; statesman, ecclesiastic, poet and scholar, is the most eminent figure at this stage of Gaelic lit erary development. 'Cormac's Glossary' is the earliest attempt at a comparative vernacular dictionary made in any language of modern Europe. It is valuable not only as an example of early scholarly effort, but also for the light it throws on pagan customs, on law, history and romance. The of Cashel,' also the work of Cormac, has been lost. Others of lesser fame have left examples of their work, the most noted of them being Cinaeth O'Harti gan, Eochaidh O'Flvnn and Mac Liag, bard to King Brian Boroimhe, the monarch who in the decisive battle of Clontarf (1014) defeated the Danes and broke forever their power in Ire land. Mac Liag and Errard mac Coise are

credited with thejoint authorship of the val uable chronicle,

Arrest of Development and Subsequent With the Norman invasion in 1169 came the arrest of development. Hitherto wars, whether between the septs or with for eign invaders, did no lasting injury to the intellectual or esthetic' development of the race, but with the coming of the Normans be gan a period of decay that lasted for four cen turies. The tradition of poetry was kept alive, but no great names illumine the record, and it is not until the beginning of the 17th century that we find a reawakening of the literary spirit. With this period came the last great outburst of classic Gaelic poetry. Teig mac Daire is looked upon as the last of the classic poets and the greatest of his time, although Lughaidh ua Clerigh, with whom he engaged in a notable controversy ("The Contention of the Bards"), is also conspicuous for the merit of his poetry. Others whose work has sur vived were Teig Dall O'Higin and Eochaidh O'Hussey.

This period, too, saw some of the earliest and most notable achievements in the field of antiquarian research and compilation of an nals. Chronicle-history and genealogy had been favorite fields of literary effort for the Gael from the earliest time, but this period brought to the ancient labor the resources of mediaeval scholarship and the habit of study bred in the monastery. Among the chroniclers of the 17th century we find men of acknowl edged learning and skilled in antiquarian re search, such men as Brother Michael O'Clery, the learned Franciscan, who compiled the is a model of Gaelic prose. Keating, in one sense the greatest of these, was the first to depart from the dialect of the learned, the ancient bardic idiom, and write in a popular style. All his predecessors were learned men writing for the learned few; he, a learned man, writing for the many. His history was the most popular book ever written in Gaelic. In his poetry, as in his prose, he was an innovator and was the first to depart from the ancient metres.