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Post by Rex Monoculus Midiensis on Sept 13, 2019 8:00:50 GMT -5
Like many countries in Europe, Ireland's main adoption of historical record in the early medieval period was the keeping of annals. As distinct from narrative histories, chronicles of kings, or court records, annals are known for brief, terse, undescriptive entries that aim to catalogue the major events of a given year in a disconnected manner. In this thread I propose to select entries from the Irish annals as regularly as possible, and highlight them. I do not propose to provide context unless some particular entry is of interest to people. Even then there may not be context available, either because I do not know it or it does not exist. However, it might be interesting for people to consider the importance of individual entries to various topics, and also how, as historians, we might construct a narrative/analysis from this type of data.
Annals of Ulster 614.2
'A star was seen at the eighth hour of day.'
Annals of Tigernach 1103.7
'A woman brought forth two children at the same time in this year, and they had one body from their neck to their navel and their members were normal with that exception, and the face of each was towards the other.'
Annals of Loch Cé 1118.6
A hosting by Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair, king of Connacht, and by Murchadh O Maelsechlainn, king of Temhair, along with him, and by Aed O'Ruairc, into Mumha, as far as Glenn-Maghair; and he gave Des-Mumha to Mac Carthaigh, and Tuadh-Mumha to the sons of Diarmaid Ua Briain, and carried off the hostages of each.
Annals of Inisfallen 1195.2:
In the above year Cathal Crobderg, king of Connachta, came to Mumu and demolished many castles, but they were renovated again. And everyone expected that he would destroy all the foreigners on that expedition, and he arranged to come again, but he did not come.
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Post by Rex Monoculus Midiensis on Sept 14, 2019 8:15:09 GMT -5
Annals of the Four Masters 1075.10
A hosting of the Meathmen, Connaughtmen, the foreigners, the Leinstermen, the Osraighi, and the Munstermen, was made by Toirdhealbhach Ua Briain; and they marched to Ath-Fhirdia, to demand hostages from the Oirghialla and the Ulidians. The chiefs of the province came to oppose them, and when they were face to face, a battle was fought at Ard-Monann between the Airghialla and Muircheartach Ua Briain, i.e. the royal heir of Munster, where Muircheartach and his forces were defeated, and a bloody slaughter made of his people; and his chiefs returned to their houses without hostage or pledge on that occasion.
Annals of Inisfallen 1076.2
Ruaidrí Ua Conchobuir, king of Connachta, was imprisoned by Tairdelbach and released, and he received from Ua Briain a stipend [tuarastál] befitting him.
Annals of the Four Masters 1184.8
The monastery of Assaroe was granted to God and St. Bernard by Flaherty O'Muldory, Lord of Kinel-Connell, for the good of his soul.
Mac Cárthaigh's Book 1185.3
Englishmen on Lough Erne with Flaithbheartach Ó Maoil Doraidh ..., and the territories of the lake around were laid waste and plundered by them.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2019 11:51:23 GMT -5
Like many countries in Europe, Ireland's main adoption of historical record in the early medieval period was the keeping of annals. As distinct from narrative histories, chronicles of kings, or court records, annals are known for brief, terse, undescriptive entries that aim to catalogue the major events of a given year in a disconnected manner. In this thread I propose to select entries from the Irish annals as regularly as possible, and highlight them. I do not propose to provide context unless some particular entry is of interest to people. Even then there may not be context available, either because I do not know it or it does not exist. However, it might be interesting for people to consider the importance of individual entries to various topics, and also how, as historians, we might construct a narrative/analysis from this type of data.
Annals of Tigernach 1103.7
'A woman brought forth two children at the same time in this year, and they had one body from their neck to their navel and their members were normal with that exception, and the face of each was towards the other.'
You do realise General that may be the very first written European record to describe conjoined (Siamese) twins. |
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Post by Rex Monoculus Midiensis on Sept 15, 2019 17:41:27 GMT -5
Interesting observation VR - it struck me as an interesting entry but I hadn't seen it in quite that light. Is 1103 not much later than we should expect to see some description of conjoined twins?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2019 3:06:40 GMT -5
Interesting observation VR - it struck me as an interesting entry but I hadn't seen it in quite that light. Is 1103 not much later than we should expect to see some description of conjoined twins? I should have said Western Europe as there are sources which mention conjoined twins from Byzantium in the 9th Century, one from St Augustine the Bishop of Hippo in the 5th century as well as a depiction on a ceramic from the Moche culture as early as the 4th Century, Nonetheless I still think that entry from the Irish Annals is a very significant source from a medical history point of view. Do you know if there are any comments by later scribes in the marginalia of the entry, or any secondary sources which speculate on it? It is hard to imagine that historians have failed to recognise the importance of that little entry. |
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Post by Rex Monoculus Midiensis on Sept 16, 2019 7:03:48 GMT -5
While I can't recall reading a direct reference to this entry in any modern works, I did remember the following excerpt from Marie Therese Flanagan's 'Transformation of the Irish church in the twelfth century', which shows I think that the issue of conjoined twins was actively considered by churchmen in Ireland. The fact that this is from a twelfth-century MS, RIA MS E 25 (Lebor na hUidre), especially given the rarity of conjoined twins, suggests I think that this particular example must have been the one the writer had in mind.
I should also have mentioned that this entry also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, Chronicon Scottorum, and the Annals of Clonmacnoise. The Annals of Clonmacnoise includes the detail that the woman was from Munster, and the Four Masters include the detail that the children were two girls. On this last point, I understand this is by far the most common case for conjoined twins.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2019 8:24:26 GMT -5
While I can't recall reading a direct reference to this entry in any modern works, I did remember the following excerpt from Marie Therese Flanagan's 'Transformation of the Irish church in the twelfth century', which shows I think that the issue of conjoined twins was actively considered by churchmen in Ireland. The fact that this is from a twelfth-century MS, RIA MS E 25 (Lebor na hUidre), especially given the rarity of conjoined twins, suggests I think that this particular example must have been the one the writer had in mind.
I should also have mentioned that this entry also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, Chronicon Scottorum, and the Annals of Clonmacnoise. The Annals of Clonmacnoise includes the detail that the woman was from Munster, and the Four Masters include the detail that the children were two girls. On this last point, I understand this is by far the most common case for conjoined twins.
I knew there had to be something on it somewhere. I was rooting about for secondary sources and came across this: The Past and the Present in Medieval Irish Studies by Nicholas Evans which takes an in-depth look at the Tigernach Annals, the Annals of the Four Masters and the Chronicon Scottorum thinking there might be something about it in there. Then I saw the £45 price tag and thought nah! Thank goodness for Marie Therese Flanagan General LOL. Your right about conjoined twins being predominantly female, also the early mortality rate for male Siamese twins is much higher. I am really enjoying this thread and look forward immensely to discussing more entries. |
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Post by Rex Monoculus Midiensis on Sept 16, 2019 8:34:20 GMT -5
Ha! I paid €100 for Flanagan's 'Irish royal charters: texts and contexts', so not necessarily much better! 'Transformation' was certainly cheaper though. I have a copy of Evan's 'Past and Present' as well but I cannot find any mention of conjoined/Siamese twins or AT 1103.7. There may be some mention of it in Daniel McCarthy's book on the Irish annals, I will have to have a look. Glad you're enjoying the thread, will try to dig out some more entries later today.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2019 6:19:02 GMT -5
Annals of the Four Masters 1075.10
A hosting of the Meathmen, Connaughtmen, the foreigners, the Leinstermen, the Osraighi, and the Munstermen, was made by Toirdhealbhach Ua Briain; and they marched to Ath-Fhirdia, to demand hostages from the Oirghialla and the Ulidians. The chiefs of the province came to oppose them, and when they were face to face, a battle was fought at Ard-Monann between the Airghialla and Muircheartach Ua Briain, i.e. the royal heir of Munster, where Muircheartach and his forces were defeated, and a bloody slaughter made of his people; and his chiefs returned to their houses without hostage or pledge on that occasion.
Is this Muircheartach Ua Briain related to Brian Boru the late High King of Ireland who has been credited with breaking the back of the Vikings at the battle of Clontarf? I wondered because it seems ironic that he would use "foreigners", who I presume to be a Norse war band, in this punitive raid against the Airghialla and their confederates. It clearly didn't work out well for him on this occasion, but it does reveal the complexity of Irish power games and how yesterdays foe could quickly become todays friend in 11th Century Irish power politics. I wonder if the chronicler had a dog in this fight or was just telling it as it was? I tried to find other sources for the Battle of Ard-Monann, but came up with nothing. |
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Post by Rex Monoculus Midiensis on Sept 18, 2019 7:02:20 GMT -5
Yes indeed. Toirdelbach ua Briain was a grandson of Brian Boru and Muirchertach Ua Briain was Toirdelbach's son. Toirdelbach and Muirchertach are both reckoned among the kings of Ireland. Toirdelbach in particular was addressed with that title in a letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Incidentally, the conventions is that 'ua', the ancestor of 'Ó', meaning grandson, is rendered in lowercase when the man is literally a grandson and capitalised when it is used as a surname. You are of course quite correct - the Uí Bhriain history 'Cogad Gaedel re Gallaib' presents Brian as the man who drove the foreigners out of Ireland, but in his time and after the foreigners were active on at least one side of many conflicts. This later became true of the next batch of foreigners to arrive in Ireland - the English - who, like the Norse, aside from their own political structures, often advanced themselves personally by serving as mercenaries with the Irish kings. See the mention of Ua Máel Doraidh above, who brought Englishmen with him in a raid on the kingdom of Fir Manach or Lough Erne. |
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