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THE BOOK OF ABJlSI AXD EVE IX lEELAND. 

 By ST. JOHN D. SETMOUK, B.D., Litt.D. 



[Read April 24. Published July 31, l'J22.] 



The Early Middle-Irish poem, Salted?- mc liann, is, as would appear from 

 internal evidence, not later in date than the year 1000. Its object is to give 

 a picture of sacred history from the Creation to the last Judgment. In that 

 portion, however, which deals with the creation of Adam and Eve, the 

 Temptation, Fall, and subsequent events, it does not follow the Biblical 

 narrative, but depends on apocryphal literature. It is my intention in this 

 paper to trace the connexion between that portion of S (as I shall briefly 

 term it hereafter) and the apocryphal works of which use has been made. 



As so very little of the Saltair has as yet been translated, it will be 

 necessary, first of all, to epitomize briefly the portion to be examined. This 

 epitome is made up as follows :— ^Cantos vii, viii, xi (greater portion), and xii 

 have been translated in full by Miss Eleanor Hull in the Poem-Book of the 

 Gael, pp. 20-50. She has very kindly permitted me to make use of this. 

 Cantos VI, ix, x, and the concluding portion of xi have been more briefly 

 translated for this paper by Miss Mary E. Byrne,^ b.a., to whom my best 

 thanks are due for this and other help. Use has also been made of the 

 L. Breac prose version in MacCarthy Codes: Falatino-Vatieanus (Todd 

 Lectures, III). See in connexion with this Sevue C'eltique, xxiv, p. 243 ff. I 

 have also added, principally in the notes, some items in Irish literature not 

 to be found in the foregoing Cantos of S; these, where necessary, have been 

 translated for me by Miss Byrne. 



Epitome of Stoky of Adam axd Eve. 



Canto VI (beginning at 1. 1035 to 1. 1080). — Adam is created, and is three 

 days without quickening of life, or a soul, to typify Christ in the tomb. He 

 is named from four stars, Archon, Dissis, Anatole, and Missimbria. Nine 

 months after Eve is fashioned. Adam chose her above every true gift, and 

 prophesied that for her [woman] everyone would give up his father and 

 mother. 



B.l.A. PROC, VOL. XXXVI, SECT. C. [13] 



