Hibernica Minora 750 CE

Pagan nature based festivals honor the Divine through nature's annual cycle which modern Pagans call the "Wheel of the Year." The main historical sources used to develop these festivals during the modern Pagan revival were a 750 BCE poem in a medieval Irish commentary called Hibernica Minora on the Psalter (Psalms) and inferences made by Aiden Kelly based on old Pagan source material in 1974.

The words which became the quarter (or fire) festivals are Akkadian phrases during this early time period. The Druid Akkadian translation below describes them as:

  1. Belltaine = "Nourishments from the high-life-powers are being split-off by Ayu revealing nothing." Non-revealed divine nourishments are represented by flowers. Divine nourishments will eventually be revealed when those flowers turn into food.
  2. Lugnassad = "Lack of fear can reveal the celestial-healing of Su's Instigator (Thu)." By holding onto faith that food will come, the food will come. This first harvest festival usually involving grains.
  3. Lugnasaid = "Lack of fear can reveal the celestial-healing of Ayu's manifestations."  This is a slight variation of the first meaning. While this one mentions the life power goddess Ayu, the one above refers to Thu who is the hermaphrodite connective deity of the motion powers who moves the nourishments through the life network.
  4. Samna = "The activity of the Reed-Boat's (Ayu) revelations have been shown."  This last harvest festival celebrates the overcoming of death for another year by experiencing all the harvest festivals. This festival is also called Halloween. 
  5. Imbulc = "Emotions can nourish Alu's involvement." Alu is the life source god so this festival uses emotion magic to keep his life powers coming though the depth of winter. 

Translation of Hibernica Minora Using Druid Akkadian

This translation is talking about using emotion magic to fix a drought. Ayu is the crescent moon goddess who edits the connections of the life network. The translation is:
  1. This astrology-magic can nourish the harboring of emotions.  Emotional-coercion is the enemy.  Lack is from stickiness (in the rain making sky shell).  Activating Ayu is revealing nothing.
  2. The Instigator (Thu) is being shown.  Nourishments with the Instigator is being shown. Nourishments from the high-life-powers are being split-off by Ayu revealing nothing (Belltaine).
  3. Don't prod with emotional-releases (of emotion magic).  Fertility-fluids can be made ineffective by prodding from Moon-Eye (Su).  Su with the priest-parents can result in confusion.  Su can harbor the eyes-of-fate (planets).
  4. The emotion-owls are following tradition.  Dawn is energizing the eagle-vultures and Thu. The divine-motion-powers:  Astrology-magic can re-assign the life-channels.
  5. Lack of fear can reveal the celestial-healing of Su's Instigator (Lugnassad).  Love Ayu's manifestations.  The conclusion:  Hu is shown by the Instigator (Thu).
  6. Involvement is shown by the shouting.  Don't restrain the Instigator in revealing that. Involvement can make ineffective the Moon-Eye's fertility-fluid's controlling that.
  7. Openings can shepherd the fertility-fluids of the Instigator.  Involve the shouting. The pasture (starry night sky) manifests the eagle-vultures of Ayu. The prodding:  [word] is restraining Ayu's manifestations.
  8. Don't nourish the Instigator (Thu).  The lack of the Originator (Su) manifests the eagle-vultures of Ayu. The lack is being shown. Lack of fear can reveal the celestial-healing of Ayu's manifestations (Lugnasaid).
  9. Involvement of the Controllers (night deities of Su, Selene, and Kate/Hekate) is shown by the revelations. Involvement can be fate-cursed by the emotional-releases (of emotion magic).  Involvement emotionally-affects the emotional-triggering of the shedding (of rain). The involvement of the Instigator is lacking that.
  10. Omen ineffectiveness: The Instigator is being shown. Revelations are being shown. The activity of the Reed-Boat's (Ayu) revelations are being shown (Samhain)
  11. Astrology-magic can re-assign the manifestations of Alu.  The Controllers:  Involvement can reveal the shuttling. Prod the revelations. [word] eagle-vultures makes ineffective the Moon-Eye's (Su) revelations.
  12. Restrain those Thu-powered attendants (owls). Nourish the eagle-vulture's shouting. Astrology-magic can be considered. The dawn makes ineffective the emotional-triggering of the fertility-fluids.
  13. Openings are instigated by the shepherd's fertility-fluids. Involve the attendants. Nourish the life-channels. Are they not being controlled? [word] manifests the dawn.
  14. The Woman (Selene) can activate motivations. Manifestations are lacking the neglect of those astrological-fate-powers. The Moon-Eye [word].  Emotions can nourish Alu's involvement (Imbulc)
  15. Manifestations can be redirected by the chaos of the attendants (owls and eagle-vultures). Lacking Ayu makes ineffective the fertility-fluids.  Confusion: Don't involve the chaos.
  16. Confusion: The Reed-Boat is lacking those life-channel-powers.  Activate the Moon-Eye (Su). Those emotional-arousals are harboring the emotional-triggers.

References

HIBERNICA MINORA - BEING A FRAGMENT OF AN OLD- IRISH TREATISE ON THE PSALTER WITH TRANSLATION, NOTES AND GLOSSARY, AND AN APPENDIX CONTAINING EXTRACTS HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED FROM MS. RAWLINSON , B. 512 IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY. EDITED BY KUNO MEYER. Oxford AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 1894. Online at: https://ia903205.us.archive.org/20/items/HibernicaMinoraMeyer/Hibernica_minora_Meyer.pdf

Old Irish Dictionaries

  1. eDIL - Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language. A joint project of Queen's University in Belfast, University of Cambridge: https://dil.ie/
  2. Old Irish Online from the University of Texas: https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/eieol_base_form_dictionary/iriol/17

Traditional 1894 Translation of the Old Irish Text Which First Mentions the Quarter Festivals - But This Translation is Very Wrong

(November 8, 2024) The Hibernica Minora is found in the appendix (page 49) of a medieval Irish psalter commentary. The traditional translation of the poem is:


Atberim frib, lith saine, I'll tell to you a special festival,ada buada belltaine: The glorious dues of Beltanecoirm, mecoin, suabais serig, Ale, worts, sweet wheyocus urgruth do tenid. And fresh curds to the fire
Lugnassad, luaid a hada Lammas- day, make known its duescecha bliadna ceinmara In each distant yearfromad cech toraid co m- blaid Tasting every famous fruit,biad lusraid la Lugnasaid. Food of herbs on Lammas- day.
Carna, cuirm, cnoimes, cadla, Meat, ale, nut-mast, tripe,it e ada na samna, These are the dues of Samaintendal ar cnuc con - grinde, A bonfire on a hill pleasantlyblathach, brechtan urimme. Buttermilk, a roll of fresh butter
Fromad cach bid iar n- urd, Tasting every food in order,issed dlegair in- Imbulc, This is what behooves us at Imbolc,díunnach laime is coissi is cinn, Washing of hand and foot and head,is amlaid sin atberim. It is thus I say.

Notice Lammas Day actually has 2 different Gaelic spellings (in red) indicating they are different words. Yet in another example of the linguistic sloppiness of Gaelic linguists of the past, these 2 words are treated as the same word.

Translation Using the Latest Old Irish Dictionary eDIL

(Justification below. This text can no longer be successfully translated in Old Irish. Red indicates words with unknown meanings, that is, the word used in the above translation does not work in other texts)
A suitable frib can be different from a festivalA fitting buada is belltaineAle mecoin kind resolutenessClose urgruth so tenid
Lugnassad can proceed with that fit.Every bliadna ceinmaraTest every toraid with m[1] fameThe food of plants goes along with Lugnasaid
Meat, ale, cniomes, are beautifulIt, they do not fit samna (Samain)Fire can destroy the cnuc's lawful pleasantnessButtermilks butter urimme
Taste every bid after [ ] urdIssed dlegair [ ] ImbulcWash the axe, is cossi? is cinn?Is so that atberim

References


HIBERNICA MINORA - BEING A FRAGMENT OF AN OLD- IRISH TREATISE ON THE PSALTER WITH TRANSLATION, NOTES AND GLOSSARY, AND AN APPENDIX CONTAINING EXTRACTS HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED FROM MS. RAWLINSON , B. 512 IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY. EDITED BY KUNO MEYER. Oxford AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 1894. Online at: https://ia903205.us.archive.org/20/items/HibernicaMinoraMeyer/Hibernica_minora_Meyer.pdf

Old Irish Translation Attempt of the Hibernica Minora Using Modern Old Irish Dictionary

1st Paragraph in Old Irish Using Modern Dictionary eDIL

(red indicates serious translation problems)

Line 1

  1. atberim - claimed to be an adjective equivalent of "adae" meaning due, fitting, suitable appropriate
  2. frib - No Entry
  3. lith - festival, feast-day
  4. saine - difference, distinctions (only possible verb)

A suitable frib can be different from a festival.
Line 2
  1. ada - due, fitting, suitable
  2. buada - No Entry
  3. belltaine - May, May Days, Mayday

A fitting buada is belltaine.
Line 3
  1. coirm, thought to be cuirm - ale, ale feast
  2. mecoin - No Entry
  3. suabais - kind, gentle
  4. serig - firm, resolute

Ale mecoin a kind resoluteness.
Line 4
  1. ocus - near, close
  2. urgruth - No Entry
  3. do - so
  4. tenid - No Entry

Close urgruth so tenid.

2nd Paragraph in Old Irish Using Modern Dictionary eDIL

(red indicates serious translation problems)

Line 1

  1. lugnassad - No Entry
  2. luaid - thought to be luid meaning go, proceed
  3. a - that which, what (just like Akkadian)
  4. hada - thought to be ada meaning due, fitting, suitable

Lugnassad can proceed with that fit.

Line 2

  1. cecha - thought to be cach, cech meaning each, every, all
  2. bliadna - No Entry
  3. ceinmara - No Entry

Every bliadna ceinmara

Line 3

  1. fromad -  testing, proving
  2. cech - each, every, all
  3. toraid - No Entry
  4. co - with, to, till, as far as
  5. m[1] 
  6. blaid - thought to be blad meaning fame, renown

Test every toraid with m[1] fame

Line 4

  1. biad - food, food value
  2. lusraid - thought to be lusrad meaning herbs, plants
  3. la - beside, along, with
  4. Lugnasaid - No Entry

The food of plants goes along with Lugnasaid

3rd Paragraph in Old Irish Using Modern Dictionary eDIL

(red indicates serious translation problems)

Line 1

  1. carna - flesh, meat (this is from Latin)
  2. cuirm - ale
  3. cnoimes -  No Entry
  4. cadla - beautiful

Meat, ale, cniomes, are beautiful
Line 2
  1. it - him, her, it
  2. e - thought to be é, he meaning  woe,  they, them, 
  3. ada - due, fitting, suitable
  4. na - no, not
  5. samna - No Entry

It, they do not fit samna
Line 3
  1. tendal - fire, flame
  2. ar - thought to be ár meaning carnage; defeat, destruction:
  3. cnuc - No Entry
  4. con - examination, law
  5. grinde - pleasantness

Fire can destroy the cnuc's lawful pleasantness
Line 4
  1. blathach - buttermilk
  2. brechtan - butter, fat
  3. urimme - No Entry

Buttermilks butter urimme

4th Paragraph in Old Irish Using Modern Dictionary eDIL

(red indicates serious translation problems)

Line 1

  1. Fromad - test, taste (if food)
  2. cach - each, every, all
  3. bid - No Entry
  4. iar - after
  5. n- [uncertain word] 
  6. urd - No Entry

Test every bid after [ ] urd

Line 2

  1. issed - No Entry
  2. dlegair - No Entry
  3. in- [uncertain word]
  4. Imbulc

Issed dlegair [ ] Imbulc

Line 3

  1. díunnach - washing, cleansing
  2. laime - axe
  3. is - is (at the beginning of a sentence or phrase only)
  4. coissi - No Entry
  5. is - is (at the beginning of a sentence or phrase only)
  6. cinn - No Entry

Wash the axe, is cossi? is cinn?

Line 4


  1. is - is (at the beginning of a sentence or phrase only)
  2. amlaid - thus, so
  3. sin - there; that, those
  4. atberim - No Entry

Is so that atberim

The Akkadian Meanings of the Quarter Festivals as spelled in the HIBERNICA MINORA.

Druid Akkadian Translation

(November 7, 2024)

Original Text 

  1. Atberim frib, lith saine,
  2. Ada buada belltaine
  3. Coirm, mecoin, suabais serig,
  4. Ocus urgruth do tenid
  5. Lugnassad, luaid a hada  
  6. Cecha bliadna ceinmara  
  7. Fromad cech toraid co m- blaid  
  8. Biad lusraid la Lugnasaid
  9. Carna, cuirm, cnoimes, cadla,
  10. It e ada na samna,
  11. Tendal ar cnuc con - grinde,
  12. Blathach, brechtan urimme.
  13. Fromad cach bid iar n- urd, 
  14. issed dlegair in- Imbulc,  
  15. díunnach laime is coissi is cinn, 
  16. is amlaid sin atberim.

Equivalent Druid Akkadian Phrases

(Verbs in italic-bold, Large letters in text while small letters are inferred inner vowels.)(Irish Gaelic letter assignments are:  /ae/ is A  ;  /o/ is '  ;  /ei/ is Y/I  ;  /f/ is P  ;  /th/ is Ṭ  ;  /ch/ is Ḫ)  ;  /c/ is K)
  1. A-Tu-Bu-ERu-IMu  PaRu-YaBu  Lu-IṬu  Ṣu-AYu-Nu-E
  2. ADu-A  Bu-U-ADu-A  Bu-ELu-LeTu-AYu-Nu-E
  3. Ka'u-Ya-RaMu  Mu-E-Ka'u-INu  Su-U-ABu-A-IŠu  Su-ERu-IGu
  4. AKu-USu  URu-Gu-Ru-U-Ṭu  Di'u  Tu-ENu-IDu
  5. Lu-UGu-Nu-ASu-Su-ADu  LiWu-AYu-Du  A  Ḫu-ADu-A
  6. Ku-EḪu-A  BeLu-Ya-ADu-Nu-A  Ku-E-INu-Mu-ARu-A
  7. Pu-Re'u-Mu-ADu  Ku-EḪu  Ta'u-Ru-AYu-Du  Ka'u  M[1]  BeLu-AYu-Du
  8. Bu-Ya-ADu  Lu-UṢu-Ru-AYu-Du  Lu-A  Lu-UGu-Nu-ASu-AYu-Du
  9. Ku-ARu-Nu-A  Ku-UYu-ReMu  Ku-Ne'u-IMu-ESu  Ku-ADu-Lu-A
  10. ITu  E  ADu-A  Nu-A  Ṣu-AMu-Nu-A
  11. Tu-ENu-Du-ALu  ARu  Ku-Nu-UKu  Ka'u-Nu  [1]G Ru-INu-Du-E
  12.  BeLu-A-Ṭu-AḪu  Bu-Ru-EḪu  Tu-ANu  URu-IMu-Mu-E
  13. Pu-Re'u-Mu-ADu  Ku-AḪu  Bu-IDu  Yu-ARu N[1]-URu-Du
  14. ISu-Ṣu-EDu  Du-Lu-EGu-AYu-Ru  IN[1]  IMu-Bu-WaLu-Ku
  15. Du-IWu-NuNu-AḪu  Lu-AYu-Mu-E  IṢu  Ku-Ya-NuNu
  16. IṢu  AMu-Lu-A-IDu  Ṣu-INu  A-TaBu-ERu-IMu

English Translation
  1. This astrology-magic can nourish the harboring of emotions.  Emotional-coercion is the enemy.  Lack is from stickiness (in the rain making sky shell).  Activating Ayu is revealing nothing.
  2. The Instigator (Thu) is being shown.  Nourishments with the Instigator is being shown. Nourishments from the high-life-powers can be split-off by Ayu revealing nothing (Belltaine).
  3. Don't prod with emotional-releases (of emotion magic).  Fertility-fluids can be made ineffective by prodding from Moon-Eye (Su).  Su with the priest-parents can result in confusion.  Su can harbor the eyes-of-fate (planets).
  4. The emotion-owls are following tradition.  Dawn is energizing the eagle-vultures and Thu. The divine-motion-powers:  Astrology-magic can re-assign the life-channels.
  5. Lack of fear can reveal the celestial-healing of Su's Instigator (Lugnassad).  Love Ayu's manifestations.  The conclusion:  Hu is shown by the Instigator (Thu).
  6. Involvement is shown by the shouting.  Don't restrain the Instigator in revealing that. Involvement can make ineffective the Moon-Eye's fertility-fluid's controlling that.
  7. Openings can shepherd the fertility-fluids of the Instigator.  Involve the shouting. The pasture (starry night sky) manifests the eagle-vultures of Ayu. The prodding:  [word] is restraining Ayu's manifestations.
  8. Don't nourish the Instigator (Thu).  The lack of the Originator (Su) manifests the eagle-vultures of Ayu. The lack is being shown. Lack of fear can reveal the celestial-healing of Ayu's manifestations (Lugnasaid).
  9. Involvement of the Controllers (night deities of Su, Selene, and Kate/Hekate) is shown by the revelations. Involvement can be fate-cursed by the emotional-releases (of emotion magic).  Involvement emotionally-affects the emotional-triggering of the shedding (of rain). The involvement of the Instigator is lacking that.
  10. Omen ineffectiveness: The Instigator is being shown. Revelations are being shown. The activity of the Reed-Boat's (Ayu) revelations are being shown (Samhain)
  11. Astrology-magic can re-assign the manifestations of Alu.  The Controllers:  Involvement can reveal the shuttling. Prod the revelations. [word] eagle-vultures makes ineffective the Moon-Eye's (Su) revelations.
  12. Restrain those Thu-powered attendants (owls). Nourish the eagle-vulture's shouting. Astrology-magic can be considered. The dawn makes ineffective the emotional-triggering of the fertility-fluids.
  13. Openings are instigated by the shepherd's fertility-fluids. Involve the attendants. Nourish the life-channels. Are they not being controlled? [word] manifests the dawn.
  14. The Woman (Selene) can activate motivations. Manifestations are lacking the neglect of those astrological-fate-powers. The Moon-Eye [word].  Emotions can nourish Alu's involvement (Imbulc)
  15. Manifestations can be redirected by the chaos of the attendants (owls and eagle-vultures). Lacking Ayu makes ineffective the fertility-fluids.  Confusion: Don't involve the chaos.
  16. Confusion: The Reed-Boat is lacking those life-channel-powers.  Activate the Moon-Eye (Su). Those emotional-arousals are harboring the emotional-triggers.


Priest-Parents were a class of priests who integrated life powers with the motion powers.