 |
| RIA MS 23 P 16. Page 46 |
I
love the glosses that an Irish scribe added to an Leabhar Breac.
They read something like Tweets or Facebook updates. Small notes in the margin
of his manuscript that recorded his fatigue and cold as he slowly worked
through the laborious task of copying out by hand an Irish manuscript of sermons and martyrologies.
On
page 33 he lamented in a marginal note, "Twenty days from today to Easter
Monday, and I am cold and tired without fire or shelter."
Further
on he paused from transcribing a homily on the circumcision of Christ to record
"I am weary both head and foot" and again on another page "alas, I am so
tired!"
Still,
he kept going and when the going got really tough he paused to remind himself on page
46.
"Cumain lium, a Christ, bat scribend uair, isam
toirsech indiú. Noin Domnaig and budesta."
(I
shall remember, O Christ, that I am writing of Thee, because I am wrecked
today. It's now Sunday evening.)
No comments:
Post a Comment