Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
Christmas and the Red Book of Ossory
The Red Book of Ossory was composed largely in the 14th century and derives its name from the colour of the leather binding, faded on the outside, but still visible inside the cover. The Revd Dr Adrian Empey, a long standing student of the manuscript, has been looking again at its contents and suggesting some seasonal notes.
Like other medieval episcopal registers, it contains a wide range of documents that defy classification, the choice of which depended on what was important to individual bishops, in this case by one of the most extraordinary bishops ever to occupy the See of Ossory, Richard Ledred, whose tempestuous episcopate lasted from 1317 to about 1361.
Ledred’s fame rests primarily on his obsession with witchcraft. He was responsible for hounding the unfortunate Alice Kyteler, whose children by previous marriages successfully tried to ‘frame’ her on sorcery charges in 1324. Ledred left his own account of these proceedings, which was published in 1843, and a reading of them leaves little doubt that they were composed by the bishop as an apologia pro vita sua.
Strangely, there is no mention of Alice in the Red Book. As one might expect in such a register, much of it concerns ecclesiastical legislation, or practical matters relating to diocesan administration, such as diocesan taxations. There are numerous documents of legal interest, such as the provisions of Magna Carta. More exceptionally the register contains a lengthy medical treatise on aqua vitae, or what we would call cognac. While such a treatise is perhaps very seasonal, the reasons for its inclusion in the register were more medicinal, perhaps in some way linked to the Black Death that ravaged Kilkenny in 1348. Nevertheless it does provide the earliest known recipe for distillation known to exist in any Irish manuscript.
Another reason for the international fame of the Red Book is the collection of 60 Latin lyrics. All but 13 of these appear to have been composed by Ledred ‘for the vicars of the cathedral church [of St Canice] … to be sung at the great festivals … so that their throats and mouths, consecrated to God, may not be polluted by songs that are lewd’. Songs in honour of the Virgin Mary are not necessarily related to Christmas, but since Ledred intended them to be sung at the great festivals and on other occasions, it looks very much as though he had the celebration of Christmas chiefly in mind as no less than 25 songs relate to the nativity.
The Red Book of Ossory has been digitized by the RCB Library and is available online here.
Tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon at 4pm there will be a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, which for those fortunate enough to have tickets, marks the real beginning of Christmas.
On Christmas Day the bishops, by tradition, preach in their diocesan cathedrals. In St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin, the preacher will be the Dean, Dr William Morton, and in St Anne’s cathedral. Belfast, the Bishop of Down & Dromore, Dr Harold Miller, will preach on the 11pm service on Christmas Eve and the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Revd Alan Abernethy, will be the Christmas morning preacher. The Christmas Day Service on RTÉ 1 will be led by the Revd Alastair Graham, Rector of Mullingar, and will feature a choir and congregation from the Mullingar union of parishes. The programme will be broadcast at 11.25am.
Published in the Saturday edition of The Irish Times