Voices of Irish scribes

It was not uncommon for Irish scribes to take a break from the copying of texts to make comments on their materials, excuse the poor quality of their work, or make reference to the events going on around them. These ‘marginalia’, usually written in the vernacular Irish give us an insight into their lives.

The bitter wind is high tonight, it lifts the white locks of the sea; in such wild winter storm no fright of savage Vikings troubles me.

‘the vellum is defective, and the writing’

‘This page has not been written very slowly’

‘Of Patrick and Brigit on Máel Brigte, that he may not be angry with me for writing that has been written at this time’

‘A hedge of trees surrounds me: a blackbird’s lay sings to me – praise which I will not hide – above my booklet the lined one the trilling of the birds sings to me. In the grey mantle of the beautiful chant sings to me from the top of the bushes: may the Lord protect me from Doom. I write under the greenwood’.

‘massive hangover’

‘New parchment, bad ink, O I say nothing more’

‘The last column of writing was completed with three dips of the pen’

‘God bless my hands today’

‘Pray for Maelbrigte, who wrote this book in his 28th year’

‘Had I wished, I could have written the whole commentary like this’

‘the cat has gone astray’

‘May God forgive Edmund the putting of colour on this book on the eve of Sunday’

‘the phlegm is upon me like a mighty river, and my breathing is laboured.’

‘blood from the finger of Maelaghlin’

Note beside a blood stain, Dublin, Kings Inns MS 16, fol 5v. 16th century Irish medical text.