Book of Armagh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Book of Armagh |
|
|---|---|
| Codex Ardmachanus | |
A page of text from the Book of Armagh.
|
|
| Also known as | Liber Ar(d)machanus (Book of Armagh), Canoin Phatraic (Canon of Patrick) |
| Ascribed to | Ferdomnach of Armagh, St Patrick, Sulpicius Severus and others |
| Language | Latin, Old Irish |
| Date | 9th century |
| State of existence | Incomplete |
| Manuscript(s) | TCD MS 52 |
| Length | 222 folios (folios 1 and 41-44 are missing) |
The Book of Armagh (also known as the Codex Ardmachanus) is a very old and important Irish book from the 9th century. It is an illuminated manuscript, which means it's a handwritten book with beautiful drawings and decorations. Most of the book is written in Latin.
This special book is kept at the Library of Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. It is very valuable because it contains some of the earliest writings about St Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. It also has some of the oldest examples of the Old Irish language. The Book of Armagh is also one of the first books from an Irish church to have almost a complete copy of the New Testament.
Contents
History of the Book of Armagh
For a long time, people believed that St. Patrick himself owned this book, or even wrote some of it. However, experts have found that the earliest parts of the book were written by a scribe named Ferdomnach of Armagh. He was a person who copied books by hand.
Ferdomnach wrote the first part of the book in 807 or 808 AD. He made it for Torbach, who was the abbot of Armagh at that time. An abbot was the head of a monastery. Two other scribes also helped Ferdomnach create this amazing book.
Why the Book of Armagh was Important
People in medieval Ireland thought this book was incredibly valuable. It was one of two main symbols for the Archbishop of Armagh. The other symbol was the Staff of Jesus. The Archbishop was a very important religious leader.
Looking after the Book of Armagh was a special job. This job eventually passed down through families, becoming hereditary. The MacMoyre family were the keepers of the book for many years. They lived near Whitecross, County Armagh.
Where the Book is Now
The book stayed with the MacMoyre family until the late 1600s. After that, it was owned by the Brownlow family in Lurgan from 1707.
In 1853, the Brownlow family sold the book to an Irish expert named Dr William Reeves. Later that same year, Dr. Reeves sold it to John George de la Poer Beresford. He was the Archbishop of Armagh at the time. The Archbishop then gave the book to Trinity College, Dublin. Today, you can even read parts of it online through the Trinity College library's website!
What the Book Looks Like
.jpg)
The Book of Armagh is about 19.5 cm tall, 14.5 cm wide, and 7.5 cm thick. It was originally made of 222 sheets of vellum. Vellum is a type of parchment made from animal skin. Five of these sheets are now missing.
The text in the book is written in two columns. The writing style is called "insular minuscule," which is a neat, pointed way of writing used in Ireland and Britain long ago.
Decorations and Drawings
The book has four special full-page drawings, called miniatures. Each drawing shows a symbol for one of the Four Evangelists. These are the writers of the Gospels in the Bible. Some of the letters in the book are also colored in red, yellow, green, or black.
The drawings and decorated letters are in a style called "Insular style." This was a popular art style in Ireland and Britain during the early Middle Ages. For example, the eagle symbol for John looks similar to one found in another famous Irish book, the Book of Dimma.
The Book of Armagh also has a special leather bag that it was kept in. This bag is believed to be from the 1400s.
How the Book Was Dated
Experts figured out when the Book of Armagh was made thanks to Reverend Charles Graves. In 1846, he was able to read some faded notes in the book. These notes mentioned the scribe Ferdomnach and the bishop Torbach.
We know from old records that Torbach became bishop in 807 AD and died in 808 AD. Ferdomnach died in 847 AD. This means the book must have been written around 807 or 808 AD, when Torbach was bishop. Sadly, to make the writing clearer, Graves used a chemical solution. This made the notes about the scribe and bishop unreadable later on.
What's Inside the Book
The Book of Armagh can be divided into three main parts:
Texts About St Patrick
The first part of the book contains very important early writings about St. Patrick. These include two Lives of St. Patrick, which are stories about his life. One was written by Muirchu Maccu Machteni and the other by Tírechán. Both of these stories were first written in the 7th century.
The book also has other writings about St. Patrick. One is called the Liber Angueli (or the Book of the Angel). In this text, an angel gives St. Patrick special rights and powers for Armagh. Some of these texts are in Old Irish. They are the oldest continuous stories written in that language that we still have today.
- Vita sancti Patricii by Muirchu moccu Machtheni (Life of St. Patrick)
- Collectanea by Tírechán (Collected writings)
- Notes in Latin and Irish about St. Patrick's actions
- Liber Angeli ('The Book of the Angel')
- A shorter version of St. Patrick's Confessio (his own story)
New Testament Writings
The book also includes large parts of the New Testament from the Bible. These parts are based on the Vulgate, which was a Latin version of the Bible. However, it has some differences that are typical of books made in Ireland and Britain at that time.
It also contains introductory materials. These include introductions to Paul's letters and the Canon Tables by Eusebius. There is also a letter from Jerome to Pope Damasus.
'Life' of St Martin
The Book of Armagh finishes with the Life of St. Martin of Tours. This story was written by Sulpicius Severus.
