The Yellow Book of Lecan (YBL; Irish: Leabhar Buidhe Leacáin), or TCD MS 1318 (olim H 2.16), is a late medieval Irish manuscript. It contains much of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, besides other material. It is held in the Library of Trinity College Dublin.
Overview
The manuscript is written on vellum and contains 344 columns of text. The first 289 were written by 1391; the remainder were written by 1401. It is written in Middle Irish. Lecan was the site of the Mac Fhirbhisigh school of poetry in the territory of Tír Fhíacrach Múaidhe, now Lackan in Kilglass parish, County Sligo (). The manuscript is currently housed at Trinity College Dublin. It should not be confused with the Great Book of Lecan.
The book contains nearly the whole of the Ulster Cycle, including a partial version of the Táin Bó Cúailnge which is a compilation of two or more earlier versions, indicated by the number of duplicated episodes and references to other versions in the text.Reference is made to the fragmented nature of the story in a related tale, Do Fhallsigud Tána Bó Cuailnge ("The rediscovery of the Táin Bó Cuailnge"), in the Book of Leinster, which begins: "The poets of Ireland one day were gathered around Senchán Torpéist, to see if they could recall the Táin Bó Cuailnge in its entirety. But they all said they knew only parts of it." Thomas Kinsella (trans., 1969), The Táin, Oxford University Press. This incomplete Táin Bó Cúailnge overlaps with the partial version given in the Book of the Dun Cow; the complete text known today was derived from the combination of these recensions. The version of Fergus mac Róich's death tale in the Yellow Book of Lecan is the oldest one that survives. The Yellow Book of Lecan also contains parts of the Táin Bó Flidhais or the Mayo Táin, a tale set in Erris, County Mayo.
In addition to that material which would be placed with certainty within the Ulster Cycle, the book has a later version of The Voyage of Máel Dúin, a collection of Irish triads, and the same ogham tract as is recorded in the Book of Ballymote. Also of note is Suidiugud Tellaich Temra ("The settling of the manor of Tara"). It contains a story of the life of Saint Patrick as told by Fintan mac Bóchra that contains the account of Trefuilngid Tre-eochair, a giant at the Hill of Tara who is first to hear about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.Trefuilngid's contradicts the well-known story death tale of Conchobar mac Nessa (also contained in the Yellow Book of Lecan) that states the king knew of Christ's death when it happened and dropped dead because of the fact.
History Edward Lhuyd obtained the book from one of two sources; Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh about March 1700 at An Pháirc, An Spidéal; or from Dáithí Óg Ó Dubhda of Bunnyconnellan, County Sligo, in the same year. Ó Flaithbheartaigh and Ó Dubhda would have obtained them from Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh, whose family created and preserved the book. Lhuyd bound together seventeen manuscripts as a single volume and dubbed them The Yellow Book of Lecan.
Some of the manuscripts were written by Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh between c.1398 and c.1417. Nollaig Ó Muraíle calls it
a great composite manuscripts. Ninety-nine folios of Giolla Isa's survive (which may be termed, for convenience, 'Leabhar Giolla Íosa' – LGÍ), containing some of the most important Irish literary texts from the Old and Middle Irish periods, including the only (virtually) complete copy of Rescension I of Táin Bó Cúailnge. Two colophons by Giolla Íosa indicate 1392 as the date of writing, though the work may not have been brought to completion for some years after that
Giolla Íosa was assisted by his student, Murchadh Ó Cuindlis. Ó Cuinnlis penned an excellent manuscript in east Ormond (now County Tipperary in 1398–99) which is now part of YBL.
Giolla Íosa wrote that he "wrote this book for himself and for his son after him", and elsewhere, that it was "for himself and his family after him."
Ó Muraíle further states: "That is one index of Giolla Íosa Mac Fir Bhisigh's importance; to his scribal labours we owe the preservation of the most celebrated of medieval Irish tales, Táin Bó Cúailnge." (p. 23) YBL also contains Aided Nath Í, Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, Táin Bó Fraích, Longes ma nUislenn; Dá Brón Flatha Nime and Mesca Ulad by his son, Tomás Cam Mac Firbhisigh.
In 1986 (see below) Professor Tomás Ó Concheanainn stated his belief that much of the Yellow Book of Lecan/Leabhar Giolla Íosa was derived from Leabhar Gleann Dá Locha (The Book of Glendalough) and Lebor na Nuachongbála now The Book of Leinster.
A fragment of the Yellow Book is in the hand of Solamh Ó Droma, one of the three scribes of the Book of Ballymote.
Lhuyd derived the title from a note by Ciothruadh Mac Fhirbhisigh:
[Leab]ar an Buide Leacain anim an leabhair so; mise Cirruaidh mac Taidg Ruaidh
The Yellow Book of Lecan is the name of this book; I am Ciothruagh son of Taidg Ruaidh
Contents The numbering for the texts given below is both by column (as in the manuscript) and by number of pagination (as in the facsimile edition). The titles here do not necessarily refer to the titles given in the manuscript (if any), but conform to those of the main recensions.The list of contents here follows
columns page text 1–2 436-7 Life of St. Féchín of Fore (fragment 1) 3–87 255, 283 Sanas Cormaic 'Cormac's Glossary', text B 88–122 421-31 Etymological tract: O'Mulconry's Glossary 123-4 432-3 One leaf with the beginning of Togail Bruidne Da Derga 125-8 434-5 Life of St. Féchín of Fore (fragment 2) 128–216 361–404 Duanaire or Book of Miscellaneous Poems, written by Seanchan, son of Maelmuire O'Maelchonaire in 1473. Includes Aibidil Luigne maic Éremóin 'The alphabet of Luigne mac Éremóin'. 217 405 Cáin Domnaig 'The Law of Sunday' 221 407 Regula Mochuta Raithin 224 ? On the Célí Dé. 227 (line 8) 410 Rhapsody of the Irish prophet Bec mac Dé 228b (line 17) 410 Apgitir Chrábaid (maxim) 229a (line 42) 411 Bríathra Flainn Fhína maic Ossu 'The wise sayings of Flann Fína Or Aldfrith, son of Oswiu'. 233 413 96-line poem ascribed to Flann Fína 234 (line 3) – 236 413b–414b Audacht Morainn 'The Testament of Morann', in the genre of Speculum principum or 'Mirror of princes' 236 414 Trecheng Breth Féne, known as the "Triads of Ireland". 244 418 Tech Midchuarta (plan and description). 245 419 Suidigud Tige Midchuarta (poem). 247 420 Short account of the twelve Apostles 248 420 Poem ascribed to Cormac mac Cuilennáin 249 284 History of the Jews from Abraham to David. 281–310 Cath Maige Rath 'The Battle of Mag Rath' (cols 281-2 barely legible). Cf: cols 945–9. 310 313b–318b Aided Muirchertaig meic Erca 'The Death of Muirchertach mac Ercae' 320 (line 14) 318 Poem ascribed to Columcille 321 319 Fled Dúin na nGéd 'The Banquet of the Fort of the Geese' 332 (line 45). 324 First rann by Mac Liag, bard of Brian Boru. 333 325 Fianṡruth, list A 335 326 Short account of St. Cuimín Fota, metrical dialogue between him and St Comgan (Mac Da Cherda 'The son of two arts') 336 326 Metrical prayer by St. Mael Isa O'Brallaghan 336 (line 17) 326 Scúap Chrábaid 'Besom of Devotion', litany ascribed to Colcu ua Duinechda between 336 and 337 small scrap of vellum 338 (line 4) 327 Irish Litany to the Holy Trinity (first words in Latin: "O Deus Pater omnipotens, Deus exercituum, miserere nobis") 338b (line 4) 327 List of Archbishops of Armagh from St. Patrick to Giolla Mac Liag (Gelasius). 338b (line 69) 327 Short genealogical account of the Clann Breasail 339 328 Frithfolaid ríg Caisil fri túatha Muman 'The counter-obligations of the king of Cashel towards the peoples of Munster' (first recension). 340 Poem ascribed to St. Moling, entitled Baile Moling 'St Moling's Ecstasy/Prophecy' (47 stanzas)The poem is also cited in § 6 of Vita Sancti Moling '. Eugene O'Curry dates the poem's composition to the period of Diarmait Mac Murchada, but before his banishment—i.e. 1137–1367 341 329 Tochmarc Moméra 'The Wooing of Moméra' 343 (line 31) 331 Various extracts: