Seymouii — The Signs of Doomsday in Ihe Saltair na Eann. 157 



shall fall to the fuicr comers of the earth {S 4:), a,nd the earth shall be over- 

 whelmed with darkness at the eleventh hour of the day. 



Third day. — The North and East parts of the earth shall speak to each 

 other. The Deej) will rage (SI), a,iid Villi devonv the earth. All the powers 

 of the eartli shall be changed, and there will be great earthquakes (S 1). 



Fourth day. — There are mighty thunders in Heaven (S 5). All the idols fall 

 (S 8). The moon shall he quenched (S 5). Darkness shall come over all the 

 world (S 5). The stars all day shall run across our sight (S 5). 



Fifth day. I'he Heaven shall hurst (S 6) from the East to the West. 

 Angels will look through the opening at mankind, who will run and hide 

 themselves. 



Sixth day. — The ivorld %vill he filled with evil spirits (S 8), who will 

 endeavour to take men's souls. Afterwards Michael will slay them (S 9). 

 Seventh day. — Michael has the four trumpets blown for Eesurrection. 

 S and B are closely related in date. The latter, as we have seen, assumed 

 its present form in 971. The main portion of the Saltair na Ilann does not 

 appear to be later than the year 1000 ; while from the style of the language 

 it would seem that the twelve additional cantos were written not many years 

 after that date. It is clear that S and B are also closely related in subject. 

 There are some slight differences indeed between them. The order of events 

 is not the same in both. S has transferred some of the signs to the period 

 after the Resurrection. The two distinct showers of bloody rain in S 1 are 

 apparently based on the similar incidents in the first and second days of B. 

 These are minor details, however, and do not affect the conclusion that there 

 is a close connexion between our documents. 



Is the one derived from the other, or may both be referred back to some 

 common source ? The latter seems most probable, for there is in existence a 

 much older seven-sign list, which may have furnished an origin for both of 

 these. This is the obscure Apocalypse of Thomas, which dates from at least 

 the end of the fifth century, and which has come down to us in several 

 manuscripts, though always in an incomplete form. I make use of the text 

 of this which Dom. Bihlmeyer has published in Revue Benedictine (July- 

 October, 1911), pp. 270-282. It will be necessary, for purposes of compari- 

 son, to translate the greater portion of it here— no easy task, as the Latinity 

 is strange. The passages in it which correspond to parts of S I have, as 

 before, put in italics. I shall hereafter refer to this Apocalypse as A. 



First day. Third hour. — There will he a great and strong voice in the 

 firmament. A hloody cloud arises from the North. Great thunder and lightning 

 follow it. The cloud uill ohscure the whole sky [spreads over the whole 

 world, S 1]. A hloody rain [and fire] ivillfall on the whole earth. 



