Summary
As discussed briefly in Chapter II.5, along with the main text in Lebor Gabala Erenn (LGE), which describes the meeting of the sons of Míl with the eponymous goddesses of Ireland, there are three passages summarizing alternative accounts of these events, attributed by the various manuscripts to Cin Dromma Snechtai (CDS). What follows here is a semi-diplomatic edition of the relevant text from each manuscript that contains these passages. I expand all contractions (denoted by italics) except Roman numerals, but do not add punctuation or capitalization in the edited text. Each is followed by my translation.
Summary I
Book of Fermoy p. 8a (Redaction 1):
is ed isbert lebar droma snechta comad banba ainm na .c. ingine fo gabad eriu ria nilind
.i. comad uaithi no bet banba for erinn tri .l. ogh dodechaid 7 triar fer ladra in tres fer is e .c. marb erenn insin is uad ainmnigter ard ladrann cetraca bliadan badar isan indsi dosainic iaram galar co nerbailtar uili a nansechtmain da .c. bliadan iar sin do bi eriu can anduine beo con[id] iaram tainic dili .xl. la 7 bliadain ro bi eriu fo dilind
This is what the Book of Druimm Snechtai said: that the name of the first girl under whom Ireland was taken before the Flood was Banba, that is, that it was from her that Banba was on Ireland. She came as one of three fifties of virgins, and three men. Ladru, one of the three men, he is the first dead person of Ireland. It is from him then that Ard Ladrann [‘The Height of Ladru’] is named. Forty years they were on the island. Disease came thereafter so that they all perished in a single week. Two hundred years after that Ireland was without a single living person, so that it is thereafter that the Flood came. Forty days and a year Ireland was under the Flood.
Stowe D.v.1 f. 3rb (Redaction 2):
asberat araile comad banba ainm na hingine sin ro gab erinn ria ndilind 7 comad uaithi no beth banba for erinn
Others say that the name of the girl who took possession of Ireland before the Flood was Banba, and that it was from her that ‘Banba’ was on Ireland.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Otherworld Women in Early Irish Literature , pp. 189 - 194Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2023