Adam's Rib: an early Irish interpretation

Christ the Second Adam.
Book of Kells.

Sacramentum hoc magnum est! This mystery is profound. So an early eighth century Irish exegete noted as he wrote his commentary on the book of Genesis [Codex Palatino-Vaticanus 840]. The mystery in question was the creation of Eve from the rib of Adam. In setting forth his interpretation of Genesis 2.21-22 our anonymous Irish commentator offered several layers of interpretation, historical, anagogical, and spiritual.

His historical interpretation was as follows,

“[God took one] of the ribs. Why was the woman formed from a rib? For if she were formed from his foot or hand or some other part she would stand in shame before him. Further it shows the greatest love, for the rib is, after all, closest to the heart, as it is said, the rib is the guardian of the heart.”

The point here is two fold, firstly as O’Loughlin notes, according to the Irish interpretation in using the rib God was intentionally choosing it to convey the standing men and women were to have in the others eyes. Eve was taken from Adam’s side so she could be helper and partner, not slave or master. A similar interpretation of Adam’s rib is found in the Irish ‘Book of Adam’,

“From the eighth upper rib of the chest on Adam’s right side Eve was formed to be his equal.”

Secondly the point made in the Irish Genesis commentary is that the rib was closest to the heart and thus points to the intimacy and love shared between Adam and Eve. As an Irish poem in the Book of Uí Maine so nicely puts it, ‘when Adam saw the beauty of Eve, he smiled for the first time!’ (So did I when I first saw Katie!).

From this the spiritual and allegorical interpretation is offered. The spiritual interpretation sees the opening of Adam’s side as parallel to the opening of Christ’s side on the cross. Thus Eve is a type of the Church which is born out of the sacrifice of Christ, the second Adam. Lastly, the allegorical interpretation again parallels the imagery of Adam-Christ and Eve-Church. Just as Adam recognized Eve as bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh so this is a foreshadowing of Christ recognizing the church his bride as flesh of his flesh. The ultimate source for this parallel is St. Paul, and the Irish commentary cites Ephesians 5 as its supporting text,

“In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body… The two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:28-30, 32–33.

Thus for the Irish, the creation of Eve from the rib of Adam was instructive to the relationship of the Church to Christ, as his beloved, even members of his body, In Carne Una. The mystery is profound indeed. Furthermore, it was seen as having anthropological significance. Eve was taken from Adam’s side, an act that speaks of ontological equality between men and women. This last point would be taken up by Aquinas in his Summa (1a, 92, 3c). The source for this interpretation of Adam's rib ultimately traces back to the early Irish church.

Columbanus on desiring God

"Most loving Saviour, reveal yourself to us, that knowing you we may desire you, that desiring you we may love you, that loving you we may ever hold you in our thoughts."

s. Columbanus c. AD 600

Colcu Ua Duinechda's Scúap Chrábaid

The prayer of Colcu
RIA MS 23 P 16, p74

Colcu Ua Duinechda (d. 794) is recorded in the Irish Annals as a famous scholar at the monastery of Clonmacnoise in Co. Offaly. An old Irish prayer attributed to him is known as the Scúap Chrábaid, it is preserved in several manuscripts in Ireland, Britain and Belgium.

The prayer is in the form of a litany and contains several interesting insights into Colcu’s theological training (such as a succinct summary of the hypostatic union) and also some typically Irish idiosyncrasies, such as describing the OT prophets as manchu (monks) and the apostle John as the foster-son of Jesus (this related in typically Irish terms how John was the disciple that Jesus loved).

Interestingly he lists the Apostolic Sees in the order Jerusalem, Alexandria, Rome and Antioch. The first bishops of Rome are listed by him as Linus, Cletus and Clement. This is probably traced back to Irenaeus who names Linus as the first Bishop of Rome (Adversus haereses 3.3.3). The first bishop of Jerusalem is said by Colcu to have been Iacob ngluinech (James of the knees). This tradition is taken from Jerome’s De Viris Illustribus 2, which says of James that he spent so much time kneeling in prayer, “that his knees were reputed to have acquired the hardness of camels’ knees.”

Overall the prayer stresses the need for God’s grace to live the Christian life and the impossibility to live without it. Here is an excerpt,

“Grant, give and bestow on me your holy grace and your Holy Spirit to protect me and shelter me from sins, present, past and future, and to kindle in me every righteousness, and to sustain me in true purity and in uprightness to the close and end of my life…for it is not possible for me unless it comes according to the word of Paul, who said, who will rescue me from this body of death? Only your grace, Jesus Christ, you who rule forever!”

Das Bibelwerk and Irish exegesis of the book of Joshua

Facsimile of early Irish map of the tribes of Israel

from MS BNF lat. 11561, f43v

Circa AD 750 the early Irish church produced a biblical reference work that covered the entire bible Genesis to Revelation (referred to by Bischoff as das Bibelwerk). It's purpose was to provide a teaching text of the major themes and outlines contained in the biblical canon. This handy volume proved to be popular with continental Christians and today several manuscripts in France, Germany, and the Vatican, preserve it either in whole or in part.

In the section on Joshua there is an interesting map of the Holy Land with the tribal allotments. This is the earliest extant example of the use of a biblical map as a means of understanding the biblical text, something that we take for granted today. In drawing this map the Irish author had to rely on the biblical data and extra biblical sources. This was no mean achievement without the aid of an atlas.

The map is entitled as terre repromissionis (promised land) which is drawn from Hebrews 11:9, revealing, as Thomas O'Loughlinn has pointed out, that the author is viewing Joshua through the lens of the NT. The location of Dan to the north, as opposed to where it usually appears in modern biblical maps to the west of Ephraim, is due to Dan's northern migration away from their allotted land in the west to take easier territory in the north (Judges 17-21). Another curious feature is the tongue like shape of the dead sea (mare mortuum) which is shown in a south-westerly direction. This anomaly is derived from the fact that the author had in all likely-hood never seen the dead sea portrayed on a map and the text of Joshua 15:2-3 describes the dead sea as the tongue that faces to the south.

The cities listed on the map are Jerusalem, Rama, Bethlehem and the cities of refuge. The early Irish church took a great interest in the concept of the city of refuge (de civitatibus refugii). They adapted the rules laid down in the OT and applied them to their churches, in order for a church to qualify as a city of refuge it needed a bishop, a scholar and a superior. Irish canon law set down the rights and privileges for a church that acted as a city of refuge (cathair attaig). This application of the OT city of refuge to ecclesiastical sites was unique in Europe to the early Irish church in this period.

The use of a map in the reference work on the bible shows an originality and confidence to early Irish exegesis. It was a bold attempt to present the often confusing biblical details relating to tribal inheritance into a coherent and easy to understand format. In this it paved the way for later exegetes to do the same. It also shows us the ability of Irish exegetes at this stage to move beyond a simple allegorical interpretation of the text (such as Ailerán viewing the seven Canaanite nations as the seven vices) into a more historically sensitive interpretation that sought to understand the text as it related to the history of Israel.

The role of the Anmcara in the Early Irish Church

RIA MS 23 P 3 f14v
The Rules of Carthach and Cormac

The role of the Anmcara (Soul Friend) was vitally important in the early Irish church. Outside of Ireland many Christians in the early medieval church feared to confess their sins (particularly serious ones). The washing away of ones sins at baptism was regarded by many in the church as a fearful thing, since what could the Christian do if he sinned in a major way after his baptism? Augustine’s parents did not have him baptized as an infant for this reason, (Augustine was later baptized in his thirties). For those who had been baptized and later fell into sin there was the opportunity for a second ‘baptism of tears’. This was public confession followed by a strict penance, which usually involved being separated from the main congregation at church services, dressing in sackcloth, and being denied regular access to the Eucharist. This public confession was offered once, a last chance, any further lapses meant excommunication. As a result many Christians did not partake in confession but put it off until they were old and near death.

The early Irish church adopted a different approach. Instead of a once off public confession they advised all Christians (lay and religious) to have a Anmcara, a soul friend, to whom they could privately confess their sins and receive correction and advice. This was not a once off event, but part of the daily life of the Christian. The Rule of St. Carthach of Druim Fertain (c. 630), outlined the duties of the soul friend, such as leading by example, encouraging a candid and contrite confession of sin, listening with silence and being able to teach the penitent the way of truth. The ninth century Rule of Cormac lauded the value of a humble learned Anamcara (anmchara umal eóla) who could encourage his brothers to converse with the Scriptures (comrad fri Canoin) and live holy lives.

The Anmcara was seen by the Irish as someone who was both a trusted confessor and also a teacher who brought the penitent back to Scripture. While the Anmcara was someone to confess your sins to, they did not act in a sacramental capacity i.e. bestowing absolution. They simply were seen as a spiritual doctor directing the penitent back to God. The Irish writer Cummean (c.650) described the ‘medicines of Holy Scripture’ as central to the correct understanding of repentance. Comgall, sixth century Abbot of Bangor, was credited with the Irish proverb, “colann cen ceann duine cen anmacharait” (a person without a Anmcara is as a body without a head). The day Comgall’s old soul friend died he described himself as a body without a head. One of the younger monks under his rule came to him with a Gospel book and advised Comgall to pray for a new soul friend. Comgall was moved to see the young monk display such concern for him and so he took him as his new Anmcara. The young monk had displayed the key characteristics for an Anmcara, he was concerned for the spiritual health of another and he brought the Gospel to them. In essence that was all that a true soul friend was required to do.

It's Sunday evening and I'm wrecked

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.)

Queen Elizabeth II and the Nugent Primer

Queen Elizabeth II at Dublin Castle 2011

Opening page to Nugent's Primer

I remember when Queen Elizabeth II visited Ireland in 2011. It was a historic visit, the first time a British monarch came to Ireland since we won our independence from the UK back in 1922. The part I remember best was the opening line to her speech at Dublin Castle “a Uachtaráin agus a chairde”, spoken in that unmistakable Windsor brogue. I was impressed, it was probably more Irish than Bertie Ahern could have put together. But of course the real significance was in the symbolism. A British monarch addressing the Uachtaráin na hÉireann, and as gaeilge no less!

Nugent's Irish alphabet
with the ancient Ogham titles 

By a curious twist of history there was also another British monarch by the name of Elizabeth who wanted to learn a cúpla focail. Elizabeth I (1533-1603) requested a manuscript with a few Irish phrases for her to learn. She was fond of employing foreign expressions at court and it was probably nothing more than a curiosity. Christopher Nugent an Old English Baron from Westmeath obliged her and wrote a manuscript outlining the history of the Irish language, its alphabet and a list of phrases with Latin and English translation. Nugent went far beyond providing just a list of phrases, he wrote a mini apologetic for Irish culture and civilization. He was perhaps naïve in thinking that the English court would adopt a more civil attitude to a race they conceived to be little better than animals once they read his book. The manuscript still survives and is kept in the Benjamin Iveagh Library in Dublin.

List of Irish phrases
translated into Latin and English
from Nugent's Primer

As it turned out for Nugent, his love of Gaelic culture soon drew the displeasure of the crown. He was later arrested on the suspicion of treason against Elizabeth I and died in Dublin Castle in 1602. This was the same castle where Elizabeth II addressed the President of Ireland and her new Irish friends as gaeilge in 2011. Another sad irony of Irish history.

It was a brighter moment in the annals of Anglo-Irish relations when the Queen of England trod on the sacred sod of Croke Park and the Rock of Cashel. Yes, I was impressed by Elizabeth's speech that day. It meant something to me to hear the Queen of England show the Irish people and their culture such respect. As a parting gift the Irish state presented Elizabeth with a facsimile of Nugent's Primer, so she can keep practicing her Irish. As an Irishman I would like to wish her all the best on her Jubilee, go sabhála Dia an Bhanríon!