Lost and Found in Early Irish Law

Charlene M. Eska, Ph.D. (2006), in Celtic Languages and Literatures, Harvard University, is a Professor in the Department of English at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Her publications focus on medieval Irish legal texts and manuscripts, including Cáin Lánamna: An Old Irish Tract on Marriage and Divorce Law (Brill, 2010) and A Raven’s Battle-Cry: The Limits of Judgment in the Medieval Irish Legal Tract Anfuigell (Brill, 2019).

"Finally, the author is to be commended for her meticulous editorial work. Despite the brevity of what remains of the Old Irish tract of Aidbred, no fewer than twenty-one textual witnesses are found, and each has been carefully collated, described, transcribed, and translated with a wealth of textual and linguistic notes. The same high standard of editing is carried through for Heptad §64 and Muirbretha. This book will serve as a role model for ensuing editions of medieval Irish legal texts."Fangzhe Qiu (University College Dublin) in Speculum 99/3 (July 2024)

• AcknowledgementsList of TablesAbbreviationsPlatesIrish Legal Tracts Cited in This VolumeMeasures of ValueIntroductionAidbredHeptad 64MuirbrethaManuscript SourcesAidbredHeptad 64MuirbrethaConcordances of MS Sources with CIHNotes on the Dates of the TextsEditorial MethodAidbred: Text, Variants, Commentary, and TranslationHeptad 64: Text, Variants, Commentary, and TranslationMuirbretha: Text, Variants, Commentary, and TranslationAppendix 1: Transcriptions of the Canonical Tract of AidbredAppendix 2: Source Q [CIH 1144.36–1145.11], RIA 23 Q 6, Digest A (8)Appendix 3: Source JJ [CIH 1314.7–35], BL MS Egerton 88, Digest B (27)Appendix 4: Source P [CIH 711.24–713.26], TCD MS 1337 [H.3.18], with Variants from Source FF [CIH 859.34–861.14]Appendix 5: Commentary Associated with Cáin Aicillne [CIH 1786.26–29 and 1788.10–26], TCD MS 1336 [H.3.17]Appendix 6: Source U [CIH 2110.10–19], TCD MS 1336 [H.3.17]Appendix 7: Source W [CIH 684.17–21], TCD MS 1337 [H.3.18]Appendix 8: Source Z [CIH 673.35–674.25], TCD MS 1337 [H.3.18]Appendix 9: Heptad 54 [CIH 49.8–35] and Selected Glosses Relevant to Muirbretha, Source E, Oxford, Rawl. B. 487Appendix 10: Citations from a Variety of Texts Which Refer to the muirchuirtheAppendix 11: Regarding Fishing Rights [CIH 369.9, 12–16]Appendix 12: List of Variant MS Readings against CIHGlossaryBibliographyIndex