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PREFACE. iii
I. 1 The creation of the world (line 3), the sun (5), heaven (13),
earth (15), light and darkness (17, 18), day and night (19, 20), the earth
separated from the primal material (29, 30), surrounded by the firmament
(34), the world like an apple (36), the mists, the current of the cold
watery air (44), the four chief winds, the eight sub-winds (45-52), the
colours of the winds (53-80), the distance from the earth to the
firmament (97-101), the seven planets (101-104), the distance from the
earth to the moon (105-1 12), the radiant heaven, that from moon to
sun (1 13-116), the windless, ethereal heaven, the distance between the
firmament and the sun (121), the motionless Olympus or third heaven
(125-128), the distance from the firmament to heaven (133-136), from
earth to the depths of hell (141), the five zones, the firmament round the
earth like its shell round an egg (165-169), the seventy-two windows
in the firmament (181, 182), with a shutter on each (i8£), the seventh
heaven revolving like a wheel (199), with the seven planets from the
creation (204), the signs of the zodiac (205-220), the time— 30 days,
\o\ hours—that the sun is in each, the day of the month on which it
enters each, the month in which it is in each sign (233-256), the division
of the firmament into twelve parts, the five things which every intelligent
man should know— namely, the day of the solar month, the age of the
moon, the height of the tide, the day of the week, saints' festivals.
XI. The Penance of Adam and Eve. For a week after the expulsion
Adam was without fire, house, drink, food, or clothing (1483-1486).
He laments to Eve their lost blessings (1491-1530), and admits his
fault (153 1-1534). Eve asks Adam to kill her, so that God may pity
him the more (1535-1546). Adam refuses to destroy his own flesh and
blood (1547-1560). Then, at Eve's request, Adam goes to seek for
food and finds nought but herbs (1561-1572), 'the food of the lawless
beasts.' He proposes to Eve to do penance, to adore the Lord in
silence, Eve in the Tigris for thirty days, Adam in the Jordan for
forty and seven, a flagstone under their feet, the water up to their necks,
Eve's hair dishevelled and her eyes directed to heaven in silent prayer
for forgiveness (1573-3628). Adam prays the Jordan 'to fast with him
on God ' (co troisced lais for Did) with all its many beasts, that pardon
1 A Middle-Irish prose abstract of part of this poem will be found in the first
volume of the Laws, pp. 26-30.
b 2