Yellow Book of Lecan facts for kids

The Yellow Book of Lecan (often called YBL) is an old Irish manuscript from the Middle Ages. Its Irish name is Leabhar Buidhe Leacáin. This special book holds many stories from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, along with other interesting writings. Today, you can find it in the Trinity College Library in Trinity College Dublin.

What is the Yellow Book of Lecan?

Lecan

Location in island of Ireland

This ancient book is written on vellum, which is a type of treated animal skin, like very fine parchment. It has 344 columns of text. The first part was finished by 1391, and the rest was completed by 1401. The language used in the book is Middle Irish, an older form of the Irish language.

The book gets its name from Lecan, which was a place in County Sligo, Ireland. This was where the Mac Fhirbhisigh family had a famous school for poets. The Yellow Book of Lecan is kept safe at Trinity College Dublin. It's important not to mix it up with another famous book called the Great Book of Lecan.

Stories and Tales Inside

The Yellow Book of Lecan contains almost all of the famous Ulster Cycle stories. This includes a part of the Táin Bó Cúailnge, also known as "The Cattle Raid of Cooley." This version is a mix of older stories. The complete Táin Bó Cúailnge we read today comes from combining parts of this book with other old texts.

The book also has the oldest surviving story about the death of Fergus mac Róich, a hero from Irish myths. You can also find parts of the Táin Bó Flidhais, a tale set in County Mayo.

Besides these well-known myths, the book includes:

• The Voyage of Máel Dúin: An exciting adventure story about a sea journey.
• A collection of Irish triads: These are short sayings or facts grouped in threes.
• An ogham tract: This explains the ancient Irish alphabet made of lines and notches.
• Suidiugud Tellaich Temra: This story, meaning "The settling of the manor of Tara," tells about the life of Saint Patrick. It even features a giant named Trefuilngid Tre-eochair who hears about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at the Hill of Tara.

Who Created the Yellow Book of Lecan?

The Mac Fhirbhisigh family were the ones who created and looked after this important book for a long time. Edward Lhuyd, a scholar, got the book around 1700 from someone in this family. He then put 17 different manuscripts together into one big volume and called it The Yellow Book of Lecan.

Many parts of the book were written by a scribe named Giolla Íosa Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh. He worked on it between about 1398 and 1417. His student, Murchadh Ó Cuindlis, also helped him. Ó Cuindlis wrote a section of the book in 1398–99.

Giolla Íosa wrote that he made the book "for himself and for his son after him," showing how important it was to his family. He played a huge role in saving many famous medieval Irish tales, including the Táin Bó Cúailnge. His son, Tomás Cam Mac Firbhisigh, also contributed to the book.

In 1986, a professor named Tomás Ó Concheanainn suggested that much of the Yellow Book of Lecan might have come from other old books like Leabhar Gleann Dá Locha and Lebor na Nuachongbála (which is now The Book of Leinster). A small piece of the Yellow Book was even written by Solamh Ó Droma, one of the scribes who worked on the Book of Ballymote.

What Else is in the Book?

The Yellow Book of Lecan is like a treasure chest of old Irish writings. It contains many different types of texts, from religious stories to historical accounts and poems. Here are some examples of what you can find inside:

• Life of St. Féchín of Fore (a saint's story)
• Sanas Cormaic 'Cormac's Glossary' (a dictionary of old Irish words)
• Togail Bruidne Da Derga (a famous tale of destruction)
• Duanaire or Book of Miscellaneous Poems (a collection of different poems)
• Cáin Domnaig 'The Law of Sunday' (rules about Sunday observance)
• Audacht Morainn 'The Testament of Morann' (wise advice for rulers)
• Trecheng Breth Féne, also known as the "Triads of Ireland" (sayings grouped in threes)
• Tech Midchuarta (a plan and description of the Banqueting Hall at Tara)
• History of the Jews from Abraham to David
• Cath Maige Rath 'The Battle of Mag Rath'
• Aided Muirchertaig meic Erca 'The Death of Muirchertach mac Ercae'
• Fled Dúin na nGéd 'The Banquet of the Fort of the Geese'
• Fianṡruth (lists of heroes)
• Scúap Chrábaid 'Besom of Devotion' (a prayer)
• Irish Litany to the Holy Trinity
• List of Archbishops of Armagh
• Frithfolaid ríg Caisil fri túatha Muman (rules for the king of Cashel)
• Baile Moling 'St Moling's Ecstasy/Prophecy' (a poem)
• Tochmarc Moméra 'The Wooing of Moméra'
• Aided Fergusa maic Roig 'The Death of Fergus mac Róich'
• Account of celebrated trees of Ireland
• Immram curaig Maíle Dúin 'The voyage of Máel Dúin's coracle'
• Immram Snédgusa ocus Maic Riagla 'The Voyage of Snedgus and Mac Riagla'
• Immram Brain maic Febail 'The Voyage of Bran mac Febaill'
• Echtra Condla 'The adventure of Connla'
• Dindsenchas of Tara and Aicill (place-name stories)
• Medical treatises (writings about medicine)
• Auraicept na n-Éces 'Poets' Primer' (a guide for poets)
• Immacallam in dá Thuarad 'The Colloquy of the Two Sages'
• Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley)
• Táin Bó Dartada 'The Raid of the Cattle of Dartaid'
• Táin Bó Regamon
• Táin bó Regamna
• Táin bó Fráich
• Táin bó Aingen = Echtrae Nerai
• Account of the Patriarchs (Old Testament figures)
• Amra Coluimcille 'Songs of Columcille'
• Longes Labrada 'The Exile of Labraid'
• Homily In Teanga Bithnua 'The New Tongue'
• Togail Bruidne Da Derga 'The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel'
• Suidiugud Tellaich Temra 'The Settling of the Manor of Tara'
• Longes mac n-Uislenn 'The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu
• Orgain Denna Ríg 'The Destruction of Dind Ríg'
• Esnada Tige Buchet 'The Songs of Buchet's House
• Fled Bricrenn ocus Loinges mac nDuíl Dermait 'Bricriu's Feast'
• Tochmarc Becfhola 'The Wooing of Becfhola'
• How Enoch and Elijah were taken up into Heaven
• Stories about King David of Israel
• Aided Con Roí 'The Violent Death of Cú Roí'
• Clesa Conculaind 'The Feats of Cú Chulainn'
• Assembly of Druim Cet
• Aided Néill Nóigíallaig maic Echdach Muigmedoin 'The Death of Niall of the Nine Hostages'
• Gein Branduib maic Echach ocus Aedáin maic Gabráin 'The Birth of Brandub son of Eochu and of Aedán son of Gabrán'
• Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin 'The Story of Cano son of Gartnán'
• Cath Cairn Chonaill 'The Battle of Carnn Conaill'
• Story about St. Colman mac Duach and King Guaire
• 'Why Mongán was Deprived of Noble Issue'
• The Conversion of Constantine and the Finding of the Cross
• On the first satire composed in Ireland
• On King Salemon of Greece
• On the beheading of John the Baptist
• Tréide Cétna Labratar iarna Genemain? (On three persons who spoke after birth)
• Description of the Banqueting Hall at Tara
• Passion of the Lord
• Gospel of Nicodemus
• Homily of the Blessed Virgin
• 'Dialogue of the Soul and Body'
• 'Precepts of Gregory of Rome'
• Life of Gregory
• Tegasc Rig Solmain meic David 'Instructions of King Solomon son of David'
• Homily on Michael the Archangel
• Aided Díarmata meic Cerbaill 'The Death of Diarmait mac Cerbaill'
• On the migration of the Ciarraighe into Connaught
• Tochmarc Étaíne 'The Wooing of Étain'
• Fotha Catha Cnucha 'The Cause of the Battle of Cnucha'
• Abbot Hugh on a legend about the Dagda and others of the Tuatha Dé Danann
• Tochmarc Lúaine 7 Aided Athairne 'The Wooing of Lúan and the Death of Athairne'
• Compert Conchobair 'The Conception/Birth of Conchobor'
• Geneamuin Chormaic Ua Chuind 'The Birth of Cormac mac Airt'
• Echtra Cormaic i Tír Tairngire 'Cormac mac Airt's Journey to the Land of Promise'
• Aided Chrimthainn meic Fhidaig 7 Trí Mac Echach Muigmedóin 'The Death of Crimthann son of Fidach and of Eochaid Muigmedóin's three sons'
• Echtra mac n-Echach Muigmedóin 'The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Mugmedon'
• Imtechta Moga Ruith 'The Adventures of Mog Ruith'
• The Four Jewels of the Tuatha Dé Danann
• Baile Findachta, Ríg Connacht (a prophecy)
• Suidigud Tellaig na Cruachna 'The Settling of the Manor of Cruachan'
• Poem ascribed to Torna Éces
• Compert Mongáin 'The Birth of Mongán'
• Aided Fhothaid Airgdig 'The Violent Death of Fothad Airgdech'
• Scél Mongáin 'Stories of Mongán'
• Tucait Baile Mongáin 'The occasion of Mongán's frenzy'
• Echtrae Chonnlai 'The adventure of Connla'
• Story about Mac Liag, chief poet of Brian Boru
• Story about the poet Flann mac Lonáin
• On the seven orders of 'bards'
• Aided [Lugdach] Meic Con 'The Death of [Lugaid] Mac Con'
• Cath Almaine 'The Battle of Allen'
• Cath (Belaig) Duine Bolc 'The Battle of Dunbolg'
• Ces Noínden Ulad 'The Debility of the Ulstermen'
• Bruiden Átha Í (early story of the Finn Cycle)
• 'How Fiachna mac Baedáin Obtained the Kingdom of Scotland'
• Tucait Fagbála in Fesa do Finn 7 Marbad Cuil Duib 'How Finn obtained knowledge'
• Aided Óenfir Aífe 'The Death of Aífe's only son (=Connla)'