''Tecosca Cormaic'' "The Instructions of Cormac" is a ninth-century

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...

gnomic text which is cast as a dialogue between the legendary High-King of Ireland,

Cormac mac Airt Cormac mac Airt, also known as Cormac ua Cuinn (grandson of Conn) or Cormac Ulfada (long beard), was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He is probably the most famous of the ancient High Kings ...

, and his son Coirpre Lifechair.

Manuscripts

*H 2.18 or Book of Leinster, pp. 343–5 (TCD). *23 P 12 or

Book of Ballymote The ''Book of Ballymote'' (, RIA MS 23 P 12, 275 foll.), was written in 1390 or 1391 in or near the town of Ballymote, now in County Sligo, but then in the tuath of Corann. According to David Sellar who was the Lord Lyon King of Arms in ...

(), ff. 39-41 (RIA) *H 2.17, pp. 179–180 (TCD) * 23 N 10 (Betham 145), pp. 1–6 (RIA) *23 N 17, pp. 1–6 (RIA) *H 4.8 (TCD) *Advocates Library VII.3., ff. 9a-9b (Edinburgh). Written by Ádhamh Ó CuirnínRicorso
(external link) *23 N 27 (Academy 14.4.), pp. 32- (RIA) *H. 1.15., pp. 149- (TCD) *H. 3.9., pp. 59- (TCD) *23 O 20 (Academy 1.4.), pp. ? (RIA) *23 D 2 (Miscell.), pp. ? (RIA)

Notes

Editions

*Meyer, Kuno (ed. and tr.). ''Tecosca Cormaic. The Instructions of King Cormaic Mac Airt''. RIA. Todd Lecture Series 15. Dublin: 1909.

External links

Selection from translation by Kuno Meyer
*Maxim Fomin, "''Tecosca Cormaic'': the compilation of a wisdom-text.
Abstract from Tionól available as PDF
Early Irish literature Texts in Irish Wisdom literature {{lit-stub