Evelyn
Mullally.
The Deeds of the Normans in Ireland: La Geste des Engleis
en Yrlande [The song of Dermot and the Earl].
Dublin: Four
Courts
Press, due Summer 2002.
192pp.
ISBN 1851826432.
Publisher's
recommended price €45/£32.50/$45
The
Deeds of the
Normans in Ireland is a primary source for the history of Ireland
in
the 12th century. Edited by G. H. Orpen in the 19th century, it is the
only
vernacular text to chronicle how Diarmait Mac Murchada brought Richard
de Clare (Strongbow) to Ireland and how he was followed by Henry II of England.
The
text is fragmentary,
but at nearly 3,500 lines it is by far the most substantial item
written
about Ireland in the Anglo-Norman dialect of medieval French. A few
words
of Irish are preserved in it, and it offers clues to pronunciation in
Ireland
c.1200. The text is also a valuable source for the history of Irish
place
names and personal names. It contains over 200 proper names, with many
interesting phonetic variations.
This
new critical
edition of the text includes a facing translation, history and
description
of the manuscript, study of the anonymous author, analysis of the
language,
textual and historical notes, maps, genealogical table, glossary and
index
of proper names.
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