Battl-o-t-Bks-art - 8/30/09 ਀ഊ"The Battle of the Books" by Master Giles de Laval. ਀ഊNOTE: See also the files: Celts-msg, Hst-of-Velvet-art, early-books-msg, parchment-msg, bookbinding-msg, scrpt-develop-art, monks-msg, p-bibles-msg. ਀ഊ************************************************************************ ਀一伀吀䤀䌀䔀 ⴀഊ ਀吀栀椀猀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀 眀愀猀 猀甀戀洀椀琀琀攀搀 琀漀 洀攀 戀礀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 昀漀爀 椀渀挀氀甀猀椀漀渀 椀渀 琀栀椀猀 猀攀琀 ഊof files, called Stefan's Florilegium. ਀ഊThese files are available on the Internet at: ਀栀琀琀瀀㨀⼀⼀眀眀眀⸀昀氀漀爀椀氀攀最椀甀洀⸀漀爀最ഊ ਀䌀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀 琀漀 琀栀攀 挀漀渀琀攀渀琀猀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀 爀攀洀愀椀渀猀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀⸀ഊ ਀圀栀椀氀攀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀 眀椀氀氀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 最椀瘀攀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 昀漀爀 琀栀椀猀 眀漀爀欀 琀漀 戀攀 ഊreprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first ਀漀爀 挀栀攀挀欀 昀漀爀 愀渀礀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀猀 最爀愀渀琀攀搀 愀琀 琀栀攀 攀渀搀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 昀椀氀攀⸀ഊ ਀                               吀栀愀渀欀 礀漀甀Ⰰഊ Mark S. Harris ਀                                    䄀䬀䄀㨀  匀琀攀昀愀渀 氀椀 刀漀甀猀ഊ stefan at florilegium.org ਀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀⨀ഊ ਀吀栀攀 䈀愀琀琀氀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 䈀漀漀欀猀ഊby Master Giles de Laval. ਀ഊEveryone who has beheld them realises that the manuscripts of the Dark and Middle Ages are magnificent works of art, imbued with mystical reverence and greatly treasured by their owners. Yet few people realise just how much they were treasured - even to the point of going to war over. ਀ഊIn 561 AD, the abbot Columcille (whose name was later Anglicised to Columba), paid a visit to Finian, abbot of the monastery at Moville. Unbeknownst to the abbot, Columcille remained wakeful for many nights, secretly copying a manuscript Finian had brought from Whithorn monastery in Scotland. Some historians claim that Columcille copied the Bible, others believe it was the Gospel of St Martin. Whichever it was, Finian discovered the deceit of his guest and demanded that Columcille hand over the copy he had made. He refused, and fled into the night before Finian's monks could seize the unauthorised copy. ਀ഊFinian appealed to Diarmuit Ui Neill, high king of Ireland and kinsman to Columcille. After considering what may have been the world's first copyright case, the high king rendered his judgement: "to every cow belongs its calf, and to every book its copy". He ordered Columcille to turn the copy over to Finian, and that should have been that. ਀ഊHowever, even though Columcille was a member of the Ui Neill clan and kinsman to the high king, he identified with his mother's family the clan o Donnell, according to Celtic custom. The o Donnells did not recognise the right of the upstart Ui Neills to hold the high kingship of Ireland, so Columcille felt justified in defying Diarmuit's order, declaring "the wrong decision of the judge is a raven's call to battle!" ਀ഊThis sparked the Cul Dreimne, the Battle of the Books. (The copy Columcille made became known as the cathac, or battler.) On one side ranged the high king and his formidable clan and allies, fighting to enforce his royal edict; on the other was Columcille and his clan and allies, fighting (ostensibly) for their perceived right to disregard the law of the land when it conflicted with their spiritual mission. The opportunity to humble the Ui Neil forces and possibly restore the o Donnells to their royal status was also something of a bonus. Although religious issues were at the heart of the dispute, the battling sides were formed along family lines and political connections, the two armies were composed of mixed pagan and Christian troops, their religious differences momentarily set aside by political concerns. Monks and druids fought on both sides, adding missiles of prayer and curse to the swords and spears of their allies. When the fighting was over, the blood of the Christians soaked the ground as much as that of the pagans. ਀ഊColumcille won the day at Cul Dreimne, but did not get to enjoy his victory. According to the Beatha Colaim Chille (Life of Columba), written by an o Donnell in 1532 AD, Columcille felt deep remorse when he saw the slaughter caused by his pride. He vowed to leave Ireland, to become a White Martyr and live out his days in foreign lands. Far more likely, however, is that he was forced into exile by the Synod of Teltown, a meeting of loyal Ui Neill clergy summoned by the high king. Columcille was almost excommunicated for his theft by copy of Finian's book: it was only the eloquent arguments of his friend Brendan of Birr that convinced the Synod to impose banishment as an alternative punishment. ਀ഊWhichever the reason, Columcille gathered twelve disciples to him to form the nucleus of a new monastery, and in 565 AD embarked in coracles on the Irish Sea. In the manner of a druid, he abandoned himself to the elements, letting the winds and ocean currents dictate his course. Finally the frail hide boats reached the island of Iona off the coast of northwest Scotland, and Columcille and his monks established a monastery and scriptorium there. It was there, more than two hundred years later, that the most famous of all insular manuscripts, the Book of Kells, is thought to have been written, before the monastery had to be abandoned in 807 AD in the face of increasing Viking raids on the British isles. ਀ഊBibliography: ਀ഊPeter Cherici, Celtic Sexuality, Duckworth 1994 ਀ഊSimon James, Exploring the World of the Celts, Thames and Hudson 1993 ਀ഊDavid M Wilson ed, The Northem World, Harry N Abrams 1980 ਀ഊ------ ਀䌀漀瀀礀爀椀最栀琀 ㈀　　　 戀礀 䴀愀爀欀 䌀愀氀搀攀爀眀漀漀搀⸀ 㰀最椀氀攀猀 愀琀 猀挀愀⸀漀爀最⸀愀甀㸀⸀ 圀栀椀氀攀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 昀漀爀 爀攀瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀 椀猀 甀猀甀愀氀氀礀 最爀愀渀琀攀搀Ⰰ 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 琀漀 爀攀瀀甀戀氀椀猀栀 琀栀椀猀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀Ⰰ 椀渀 瀀愀爀琀 漀爀 椀渀 昀甀氀氀Ⰰ 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀猀 琀栀攀 攀砀瀀氀椀挀椀琀 瀀攀爀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀 漀昀 琀栀攀 愀甀琀栀漀爀⸀ഊ ਀䤀昀 琀栀椀猀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀 椀猀 爀攀瀀爀椀渀琀攀搀 椀渀 愀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀愀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 䤀 眀漀甀氀搀 愀瀀瀀爀攀挀椀愀琀攀 愀 渀漀琀椀挀攀 椀渀ഊthe publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also ਀愀瀀瀀爀攀挀椀愀琀攀 愀渀 攀洀愀椀氀 琀漀 洀礀猀攀氀昀Ⰰ 猀漀 琀栀愀琀 䤀 挀愀渀 琀爀愀挀欀 眀栀椀挀栀 愀爀琀椀挀氀攀猀 愀爀攀 戀攀椀渀最ഊreprinted. Thanks. -Stefan. ਀ഊ ਀䔀搀椀琀攀搀 戀礀 䴀愀爀欀 匀⸀ 䠀愀爀爀椀猀ऀ䈀愀琀琀氀ⴀ漀ⴀ琀ⴀ䈀欀猀ⴀ愀爀琀ऀ倀愀最攀 ㈀ 漀昀 ㈀ഊ ਊ