How glossaries are neglected gems of the Emerald Isle

Dr Paul Russell is leading the project to produce new, fully-edited versions of the Early Irish Glossaries. He will speak about their value as a window on the culture of medieval Ireland at Hughes Hall on Monday, 30 April.

The Early Irish Glossaries project, which is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, began last year and is based in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic. Its aim is to produce new versions of the three major early medieval glossaries conventionally known as Sanas Cormaic(‘Cormac's Glossary'), O'Mulconry's Glossary and Dúil Dromma Cetta (‘the Collection of Druim Cett').

These collections, the earliest of which dates back to the 8th century, are far more than just lists of words. The alphabetically-listed headwords are followed by entries that range from single-word definitions to detailed explanations that sometimes run for several pages, replete with anecdotes and stories.

Although they therefore offer us immense insight into the literature and culture of early medieval Ireland, the books have often been overlooked. The last editions of the Sanas Cormaic and O'Mulconry's Glossary were produced in the 19th century, while the Dúil Dromma Cetta has yet to be fully edited at all. The Cambridge project will rectify this not only by producing printed editions, but also a fully-searchable online database, the first version of which can be found by following the link to the right.

Dr Russell's lecture will argue that for all their neglect, these early books should sit near the centre of scholarship on early Irish learning.

His talk will be the seventh Kathleen Hughes Memorial Lecture, held at the Cambridge College each year. Dr Hughes was a distinguished reader in Celtic studies at Cambridge.

“The lecture will look at an area of mediaeval Irish scholarship which Kathleen Hughes touched upon briefly and with characteristic insight, but one which she never fully exploited,” he said. “The glossaries are an important but under-used resource for understanding the literary and cultural environment of medieval Ireland.”

The lecture, entitled: ‘Read It In A Glossary: Glossaries and Learned Discourse in Medieval Ireland', will take place on Monday at 5.45pm in the Pavilion Room of Hughes Hall. It is open to all and will be followed by a reception in the Garden Room. For further information, please contact the college. Details can be found by following the link to the right of this page.

Copies of each year's lecture are also published as pamphlets and can be purchased from the Departmental Secretary, Department of ASNC, Faculty of English, 9 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DP.