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The chronology and sources of the early Irish annals
Author(s) -
Mc Carthy Daniel
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
early medieval europe
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.1
H-Index - 24
eISSN - 1468-0254
pISSN - 0963-9462
DOI - 10.1111/1468-0254.t01-1-00090
Subject(s) - annals , chronology , irish , history , divergence (linguistics) , genealogy , section (typography) , ancient history , classics , archaeology , philosophy , computer science , linguistics , operating system
Chronological divergence between the different early Irish annals has hampered the use of their many unique records of events in Ireland, Britain and the European continent as historical sources. This paper reviews recent work which has demonstrated that their original chronological apparatus consisted of a kalend (Kł) followed, until at least the mid‐seventh century, by the ferial of 1 January, and from this a consistent chronology has been restored for the annals over the years AD 1–722. In addition, critical examination of their regnal and episcopal successions has established that the ‘world history’ section of these annals and Bede’s Chronica maiora are not mutually dependent, but rather share a common source which has been identified as a kalend‐plus‐ferial chronicle composed by Rufinus of Aquileia in the early fifth century.