with a good contrast between thick and thin strokes.
T also writes the Osraige genealogies; he fills blanks
and writes some bridge section. His hand—being
somewhat ragged and uneven, reminiscent of a scholar
rather than a professional—is not as impressive as that
of either A or F. U displays a variety of styles and it
may indeed contain more than one hand. It is distin-
guished by the use of the uncial aand the dwith a
vertical tail that is unknown in the other hands of the
manuscript.
The quality of the vellum varies; although originally
white, it has acquired a brown stain over the centuries.
Some leaves are formed from joining together various
pieces of leaf. Most leaves are pricked and ruled on
the recto side.
The decoration employed is usually in keeping with
the traditions of the period, including mosaic filling,
huge animals with snakes, and animal-headed letters.
The colors employed are red and yellow along with
green and purple. But the unique feature is the appear-
ance of human heads hanging from initial letters. The
most famous of these amusing human drawings is in
the Banquet Hall of Tara. The scribes’ abilities differ
in this respect, as well: F draws the best animals, and
A produces the same designs but of a much lower
standard. The best design is at the beginning of the
Leabhar Gabhála. U seldom attempts decoration and
the quality is somewhat dull.
As a result of the manuscript’s history, the binding
has suffered great damage and at times it is impossible
to identify where the original sewing took place. The
pages do not always match in size; they vary by as
much as a centimeter. The book was kept in loose parts
when the binding finally collapsed, and O’Sullivan
assumes that the last binding was carried out in the
middle of the fourteenth century. At some point a knife
was used to cut through the leaves, and thongs were
passed through the holes to keep them together.
TheBook of Leinster is the last of the large manu-
scripts produced by the unreformed Irish church and
it became one of the sources for the large number of
new manuscripts that were being produced for lay
patrons from the thirteenth century onward. The ear-
liest reference to Leabhar na Nuachongbálain this
context is in the Yellow Book of Lecan col. 896 (Fasc
185 a 33) and it is also mentioned in the Book of
Ballymote263 a 19 and again in the Book of Lecan
42 d 14.
MUIREANN NÍ BHROLCHÁIN
References and Further Reading
Best, Richard Irving, O’Brien, Michael and Bergin, Osborn. The
Book of Leinster(Diplomatic Edition, vols. 1–5). Dublin:
DIAS, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967.
Bhreathnach, E. “Two contributors to the Book of Leinster:
Bishop Finn of Kildare and Gilla na Náem Úa Duinn.” In
Ogma: essays in Celtic Studies in honour of Próinséas Ní
Chatháin, edited by Michael Richter and Jean-Michel
Picard, 105–11. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2002.
Gwynn, E.J., (ed.) The Metrical Dindshenchasi, Todd Lecture
Series xiii (1903), ii Todd Lecture Series ix (1906), iii Todd
Lecture Series x (1913), iv Todd Lecture Series (1924), v
Todd Lecture Series, xii Todd Lecture Series (1935), (1937)
50-91.
Gwynn, A. “Some notes on the history of the Book of Leinster.”
Celtica5 (1960): 8–12.
Ó Concheanainn, T. “LL and the date of the reviser of LU.”
Éigse20 (1984): 212–225.
O’Sullivan Anne. The Book of Leinster(Diplomatic Edition,
vol. vi). Dublin: DIAS, 1983.
O Sullivan, W. “On the scripts and make-up of the Book of
Leinster.” Celtica7 (1966): 1–31.
O’Sullivan, A. “Leabhar na hUidhre: further textual associa-
tions.” Éigse30 (1997): 27–91.
See alsoÁed mac Crimthainn; Anglo-Norman;
Glendalough; Lebor na hUidre; Lecan, Book of;
Mac Murchada, Diarmait; Manuscript
IlluminationLETH CUINN AND LETH MOGA
Traditionally, Ireland was divided into two halves in
common with many other societies. The boundary
(prehistoric in origin) ran along the Eiscir Riada, a
natural gravel ridge (laid down at the end of the last
glaciation) running in a line roughly between Dublin
and Galway. The cosmographic structure of Ireland
is elaborated in the mythological literature, particu-
larly in Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking
of Ireland)—twelfth century in its present form but
preserving materials going back to at least the eighth
century. The earliest division in the remote past was
said to be between the sons of Míl (immediate ances-
tor of the inhabitants of the island), Éremón and Éber.
By the eighth century, however, the theory that was
to endure throughout the historical period had
emerged. The northern half was known as Leth Cuinn
(Conn’s Half) and the southern half as Leth Moga
(The Half of Mug). Conn (from whom the Connachta
/ Uí Néill) was the eponymous ancestor of the dynas-
ties of the northern half. Mug or Mug Nuadat(the
slave of Nuadu), also called Eógan, was the epony-
mous ancestor of the Eóganachta, the main dynasty
of Munster. Since Conn means “head” or “chief” and
mugmeans “slave,” this also reflects the international
pattern of binary opposition in such schemas. The
theory of the two halves was elaborated in the eighth
century and reflects the political equilibrium of that
period with the Uí Néill dominating Tara in the north-
ern half and the Eóganachta dominating Cashel in the
southern half.LEINSTER , BOOK OF