| John of Fordun's 14th
century "Scottichronicon" or "Chronicle of
the Scots" is the most important source for the
Scottish traditions of the Irish Milesian legends. As
long ago as the late 17th century, Thomas Innes argued
convincingly that Fordun's history of the Scots
represented an earlier, more authentic version of the
Irish legends than did the Irish redactions. His thesis
has never been accepted by Irish mythologists, who regard
his work, like that of Nennius, as hopelessly corrupt. In
consequence none have seriously studied the
"Scottichronicon" and so have been consistently
misled as to the true origin of the Milesian legends. Far
from being corrupt, Fordun's history of the Scots is in
fact the key to tracing the early development of the
Milesian legends, serving as a bridge between Nennius'
"Historiam Britonum" and the earliest forms of
the legend which survive in both Irish and Scottish
manuscript. John of Fordun begins his version of the Milesian legend with a certain "Neolus or Heolus," king of one of the countries of Greece. That his father was named "Fenyas" we discover only in a long genealogy included in a later chapter. This Neolus had a son named Gaythelos (Gaedel Glas), who because of his many misdeeds, was driven from Greece. Gaythelos, with a band of followers, escaped to Egypt where he served pharoah in his army. In reward for his loyal service he was given the hand of Scota, pharoah's daughter, in marriage. After pharoah was drowned in the Red Sea in pursuit of the Hebrews led by Moses, Gaythelos, fearing for the safety of his people, led the Gaedil from Egypt. Taking to ships, they first landed in Africa, where they wandered for forty-two years in the desert. Again taking to ships Gaythelos led the Gaedil to Spain. There he founded the city of Brigantia on the coast of Spain and later saw Ireland from a tall tower he had built in the city. With the exception of locating the homeland of the Gaedil in "one of the lands of Greece" rather than in Scythia, the narrative of John of Fordun agrees perfectly to this point with that of Nennius. |
| Nennius | Fordun |
A noble Scythian, driven from his |
Gaythelos, the son of a king of |
| country, went to Egypt and was in | one of the countries of Greece, |
| that country at the time of the Red | was driven from his country and |
| Sea episode. He then left Egypt | was in Egypt at the time of the |
| and wandered 42 years in Africa | Red Sea episode. He then left |
| before sailing to Spain | Egypt and wandered for 42 years |
| in Africa before sailing to Spain |
| Both Nennius and Fordun
must therefore have quoted from the same body of
tradition in this section of their narratives, a
tradition significantly different from that of the Irish
redactions. In fact, based on John of Fordun's history, we may now assign a name to Nennius' "noble Scythian:" He is none other than the Irish "Gaedel Glas" or the "Gaythelos" of the "Scottichronicon." |
To continue the narrative: |
In time Gaythelos, knowing his people needed more land and weary of the constant warfare in Spain with neighboring tribes, sent his fishermen into the sea in search of the land he had glimpsed from his tower in Brigantia. They soon returned with news of an island nearby in the sea which was sparsely inhabited. Gaythelos sent his two sons,Hyber and Hymec, to conquer the island. This easily accomplished, Hyber, the older brother, returned to Spain to succeed his father leaving Hymec behind to rule Ireland. The "Hymec" of Fordun is none other than the "Nemed" of the Irish redactions ("Nimeth" in Nennius). As proof, consider the variant Fordun quotes for the name Nel: Neolus or Heolus, indicating the letter "n" was interchangeable in his manuscripts for "h." Therefore "Hymec" (Fordun) equals "Nimech" or "Nimeth" (Nennius) equals "Nemed" (Irish redactions). In Fordun's history Hyber (Heber) returned to Spain leaving his brother Hymec or Nemed to rule Ireland. This in effect made Nemed the second invader of Ireland. The first invasion leader is unnamed in the "Scottichronicon" but indicated by the phrase that "Ireland was sparsely inhabited "when the sons of Gaythelos arrived from Spain. |
To continue the narrative: |
Generations later the kingship of Spain came down to a certain Mycelius Espayn (King Milesius). Knowing Ireland to have been settled some 250 years before by a kinsman (Hymec), and again needing new lands for his people, King Mycelius sent his three sons, Heremonius, Pertholomus and Hibertus to Ireland, which they easily conquered. Heremonius, the oldest son, returned to Spain to succeed his father, leaving his two brothers Pertholomus and Hibertus in Ireland. |
This portion of Fordun's narrative, more than any other, has been misunderstood by our commentators on the Lebor Gabala Erren and is undoubtedly the reason they reject his version out of hand. Including Nemed, the leader of the third invasion of Ireland (Irish redactions) as the son of Gaedel Glas was peculiar enough; but naming Partholon (Pertholomus) the leader of the second invasion of Ireland (Irish redactions) as a son of King Milesius of Spain was outright heresy! Everyone knew the three sons of King Milesius were Heber, Ir and Heremon. Why Partholan came to be named as a son of King Milesius in Fordun's History will become apparent as we move on to even earlier versions of the same legend. For now we will simply conclude the narrative of the "Scottichronicon": |
Many years later the Gaedil in Spain sent yet another colony to Ireland, led by the youngest son of king Fonduf (Eoin duff), Simon Breac. Simon Breac brought with him to Ireland the "Lia Fail" or the coronation stone of the Spanish kings of the Gaedil, which he placed in Tara but was later removed to Scotland. |
This final invasion of Ireland by Simon Breac has been misunderstood by Irish authorities convinced that the sons of King Milesius represented the final invasion of Ireland. Interestingly, the name "Simon Breac" still appears in the Irish genealogies as 17th in descent from Heremon, approximately the same position as in Fordun's genealogy, but no legends of any consequence are associated with his name. We learn only that he was the 44th Monarch of Ireland, who murdered his predecessor and was himself slain by the order of Duach Fionn, the son of a murdered king of the Clanna Rory. In the Irish redactions his function of bringing the "Lia Fail" to Ireland has been transferred to the Tuatha de Danann. The final invasion of Ireland led by Simon Breac in the "Scottichronicon" can only be equated with the final invasion of Ireland in the "Historiam Britonom" by "Dom Hoctor." |
| Nennius | Fordun | |
Partholumus |
|
Ireland was "sparsely |
| inhabited when the | ||
| sons of Gaythelos | ||
| arrived from Spain | ||
Nimeth (Nemed) |
|
Hymec (Nemed) |
Three sons of a |
|
Heremonius, Pertholomus and |
| soldier of Spain | Hibertus | |
Last of all came |
|
Simon Breac with the Lia Fail |
| Dom Hoctor |
| The only significant
differences between the version of Nennius and that of
John of Fordun are that the country of origin for the
Gaedil has been changed to Scythia, and that the
invasions of Ireland have been rearranged. Partholan has
been dropped as a son of King Milesius and now represents
the first invasion of Ireland in Nennius. Nemed, in both
versions the leader of the second invasion, has been
dropped as a son of Gaedel Glas (Gaythelos) and is now
described as a son of "Agnomain of the Greeks of
Scythia." This is none other than the same Agnomain who led the Gaedil from Scythia to the Macotic Marshes in R1 in the Irish redactions. Again, the question again arises: Which is the earlier version? That of Nennius or that of John of Fordun? It's difficult to say at this point. The version quoted by Nennius is obviously closely related to the later Irish redactions and even more closely related to the "Scottichronicon." There are several clues in the text which indicate John of Fordun was quoting from a manuscript source which predated both those of Nennius and the Irish redactions. |
1. The increased complexity of the narrative as it appears in the Irish redactions. |
| R1 | Nennius & Fordun |
The Gaedil went from: |
|
Scythia to Egypt (Nel) |
Scythia to Egypt (Gaythelos) |
| Egypt back to Scythia (Sru) | Egypt to Spain |
| Scythia to the Marshes | Spain to Ireland |
| The Marshes to Spain | |
| Spain to Ireland |
| 2. The name "Heber Scot" |
Most of the names in the early genealogies were clearly intended to be eponymous, that is, to explain certain names for the Gaedil. Thus: |
Feinius Farsaid, a quo the Feni Scota, a quo the Scots Gaedel Glas, a quo the Gaedil To this list we may add: Heber Scot, a quo Iberia (Spain) |
In addition, "Heber Scot" was obviously originally intended to be a son of Scota (hence the surname of Scot from his mother). The Irish redactions have completely lost the significance of his name (s. of Sru s. Esru). Only Fordun's version lists Heber Scot in his proper place, as a son of Gaythelos and Scota. Note also that in the Irish redactions the name Heber Scot (a quo Iberia) is associated with Scythia, not with Spain. Here again Fordun's genealogy correctly associates the name Heber Scot with Spain and because his version retains the original eponymous significance of his name it is probably the earlier version. |
3. The evidence of the genealogies |
Our leading authorities on the Lebor Gabala Erren, MacAlister and Von Hamel, agree that of the two variant genealogies associated with the history of the Gaedil, the longer genealogies from Noah to Fenius Farsaid are the oldest versions. The Irish genealogies contain either three or four names in descent from Noah to Feinius Farsaid, with the exception of an older genealogy quoted as an alternate version ("others say") in R3 which contains eighteen descents from Noah to Feinius Farsaid. This "older" genealogy is for practical purposes identical to that included by John of Fordun in his "Scottichronicon." |
| R1 | Min. | R3 | Fordun | R3("others say") |
Noah |
Noah |
Noah |
Noah |
|
| Japhet | Japhet | Japhet | Japhet | |
| Gomer | Gomer | Magog | Gomer | |
| Ibath | Rifath Scot | Rifath Scot | ||
| Baath | Baath | Baath | Baath | |
| Feinius | Feinius | Feinius | Esrald | Esru |
| Jara | Sru | |||
| Iarra | Ara | |||
| Aroth | Aboth | |||
| Arthech | Aurthacht | |||
| Abyor | ||||
| Hethech | ||||
| Mayr | Mar | |||
| Jayn | Sem | |||
| Boib | Bodh | |||
| Choe | Thoe | |||
| Achnemane | ||||
| Etheor | Etheor | |||
| Lamy | Lamfhind | |||
| Glonyn | Glunfhind | |||
| Ewen | Eogan | |||
| Feinius | Feinius | |||
| At some point the Irish genealogies were shortened to their present form, probably in an attempt to bring them into chronological agreement with the Hebrew genealogies in the Book of Genesis: |
| Hebrew mythology | Irish redactions (R1) |
Noah |
Noah |
| Shem | Japhet |
| Arpachasad | Gomer |
| Shelah | Baath |
| Eber (a quo the Hebrews) | Feinius Farsaid (a quo the Feni) |
| Phaleg (born at the dispersal) | Nel (at the dispersal with his father) |
| Many of the names thus deleted from the older genealogies were then simply re-inserted into the later stages of the pedigree from Feinius Farsaid to King Milesius of Spain: |
| R1 | Fordun |
Feinius Farsaid |
Fenyas |
| Nel | Neolus |
| Gaedel Glas | Gaythelos |
| Esru | |
| Sru | |
| Heber Scot | Hyber |
| Boamain | |
| Ogamain | |
| Tat | |
| Agnomain | |
| Lamfhind | |
| Eber Glunfhind | |
| Agni | |
| Febri Glas | |
| Nenual | Nonael |
| Nuada | Node |
| Allot | Aldoch |
| Ercha | Archadtha |
| Death | Eatha |
| Brath | Bratha |
| Breogan | Bregayn |
| Bile | Bile |
| King Milesius of Spain | Mycelius Espayn |
| As the Irish genealogies
were shortened, the story line of the legend changed as
well. Esru and Sru were inserted between Gaedel Glas and
his son, Heber Scot. And Heber's name was no longer
associated with Spain but with a return to Scythia from
Egypt, as noted, a "doubled episode." As mentioned, our authorities agree that the earliest Irish genealogies were the long form contained in the "Scottichronicon" and in an R3 variant. These genealogies contained a descent from Gomer, the son of Japhet, rather than from Magog, also a son of Japhet, as in the R3 redaction (R1 and R2 both contain variants of the Gomer descent). The Magog genealogy was evidently a later development influenced by Isadore of Seville, the Spanish historian, who in his etymologies, equated the name "Scots" with "Scythia" and therefore indicated a descent from Magog for the Gaedil (Book of Genesis - Magog, from whom are descended the Scythians). Included by Nennius in a passage on the origin of the Britons (Welsh) is a Frankish Table of Nations dated 520 A.D. with an accompanying genealogy for Alanus, the legendary ancestor of all of the tribes of Europe. This genealogy contains a descent from Javan, another son of Japhet in biblical mythology, from whom the Greeks were said to descend. This genealogy, like the R3 variant, is for practical purposes identical to that included by John of Fordun in his "Scottichronicon." |
| Nennius | Fordun |
Genealogy of the Britons |
Genealogy of the Gaedil |
Noah |
Noah |
| Japhet | Japhet |
| Joham [Javan] | Gomer |
| Jobath [Ibaath] | Rifath Scot |
| Bath | |
| Hisrau | Esrald |
| Esraa | Jara |
| Ra | Aroth |
| Aber | Arthech |
| Oath | Abyor |
| Ethec | Hethech |
| Aurthack | |
| Miar | Mayr |
| Semion | Boib |
| Boibus | Achnemane |
| Thoi | Etheor |
| Ogamuin | Lamy |
| Fethuir | Glonyn |
| Alanus | Ewen |
| Hisicion | Fenyas, a quo the Feni |
| Britus, a quo the Britons |
| Because the genealogy quoted by Nennius appears in a Frankish Table of Nations, mythologists agree that the Britons referred to were the Britons of Armorica in Gaul rather than the Welsh of Britain (although Britons from Britain settled Armorica or Little Brittany in Gaul). The implication is therefore that the above genealogies were first developed in Celtic Gaul, first borrowed by the Britons of Armorica and later by the Britons of Britain and the Irish. |
4. Fragments of Irish texts preserving a Greek origin for the Gaedil Lastly, there are numerous clues extant in the Irish redactions that the Milesian legends originally claimed a Greek rather than a Scythian origin for the Gaedil: Stowe 5.4.3 R3 tract on the dispersal "Why are the Gaedil called Greeks of
Scythia?" Book of Ballymote "As for Gomer, of him are the
Gallagdae and they are The Tuatha de Danann, also descendants of Nemed, are in R1 said to have gone into the north of the world to learn druidry. But in both R2 and R3 there are references to an origin in Greece: R2 "However, they had completed all
their education among the |
| To Sum up: None of the major redactions of the Lebor Gabala Erren in Irish manuscript represent the earliest form of the legends, which have been extensively re-written over time, especially in Ireland.. As the pedigrees were re-written in an attempt to synchronize the Irish legends with biblical history (Genesis) they were greatly shortened; at the same time the story line involving figures in the pedigrees was changed as well. The original form of the legends had the Gaedil descend from the Greeks; but this was later changed to Magog and Scythia, probably due to the influence of Isadore of Seville.. The version of the legends preserved in Scottish manuscripts and quoted by such Scottish historians as John of Fordun actually preserves an earlier and more authentic version of the legends than the Irish redactions. The legends and their accompanying pedigrees may have originated among the Gauls and from there spread to Britain and Ireland. |
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