Calligraphy came to Ireland with the advent of Christianity in the 5th century – the only written system of the Irish before was the ogham engraved in stone. As might be expected, the clergy first used a style of calligraphy common throughout western Europe, known as the semi-oval Roman handwriting, but new styles gradually emerged in Irish monasteries. . While experts can identify subtle differences from age to age, there are three main styles of vernacular calligraphy, as illustrated below.

1. The Grand Calligraphy, 6th-12th c.

Major calligraphy is the earliest of the vernacular styles and was in use from the 6th to the 12th century. It bears a striking resemblance to the half-oval Roman calligraphy brought to Ireland with the advent of Christianity, and it is not without reason that it is called ‘the Irish half-unicorn calligraphy’ (or ‘insular half-vowel calligraphy’, since Irish missionaries sometimes gave her the same calligraphy to Britain). The most striking feature of this style is the triangular cross-section at the top of each left vertical line.

Although this is the most common form of calligraphy associated with Ireland today – due to the Book of Kells’ worldwide reputation above all else – it was a formal calligraphy used only for scripture and other liturgical books in Latin. The volume of the letters and the high cost of the memo made the handwriting unsuitable for texts of no particular importance.

2. Calligraphy, 7th-19th c.

Due to the circumstances mentioned above, a simpler hand that could be easily plotted was required and small calligraphy developed from the 7th century onwards, not only for Latin but for Irish as well. Both types of calligraphy, calligraphy and calligraphy, are often seen side by side in the same document. In fact, the earliest excerpts available in Irish (excluding the cornerstones) are small handwritten notes on the margins of a page to explain a major calligraphic text in Latin.

As in the case of the large calligraphy, Irish monks brought small calligraphy to Britain where it was used to write Old English down to the arrival of the Normans in the 11th century, when the English turned to Carlisle calligraphy used on the European continent from the 8th century onwards. However, the use of indigenous calligraphy continued in the development of Irish language literature – that is, until the mid – 19th century when the social catastrophe of the Depression struck the copying of the manuscripts.

Not surprisingly, the Irish typeface was based on calligraphy when Irish language publishing began in the late 16th century.

3. Current Calligraphy, 19th-20th c.

With the establishment of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language (1876), Aondacht na Gaedhilge (1880), Irisleabhar na Gaedhilge(1882), and Conradh na Gaeilge (1893), accelerated the revival of the language as a modern literary medium. This required an effective writing system and a new style of calligraphy grew in the late 19th century. Although the shape of the letters was based on traditional miniature calligraphy, the decorative cues were omitted and the letters were linked together to create a current style of simple calligraphy. The distinctive features of the fresh hand – lack of ornamentation and running letters – indicate that it was inspired by English calligraphy. In fact, most people who learned to write Irish in the Renaissance already had written English.

The current calligraphy continued after the establishment of the Free State, but its teaching in schools ceased in 1964; the only Roman calligraphy to be taught in the future education system. Today, few people under the age of fifty can read Irish handwriting, let alone write it.

Noda

Some of the most common clues used in Irish language manuscripts are explained here. The illustrations below use a special font called Seanchló na Nod which is available from the Gaelchlo website .

Link letters consisting of the lower case letters ‘a’ and ‘o’ here. This symbol was also used in printing.

A small ‘Q’ and a stripe through which stood first for the Latin quod and later for the Irish ‘ar’. This symbol was also used in printing.

Here ‘on’ (see above) and ‘i’ are a little dotted above, a symbol meaning ‘on’. It was also used in printing.

A softened stripe and dot above it at the end of a word means that a softened vowel (s) and consonant are omitted: ‘- (e) adh’ is often used but such as ‘- (a) idh’, ‘- (a) idhe’, ‘- (a) igh’ or ‘- (a) ighe’ also include.

A curved line like this above a letter means that ‘m’ is omitted; ‘time’ is the word written on the left.

The same thing applies here except that the ‘m’ is softened; ‘raw’ is the word written on the left.

A straight line above a letter means that ‘n’ is omitted; ‘the’ is the word written on the left. This symbol was also used in printing.

A double line above a letter means that two ‘n’s are omitted; ‘there’ is the word written on the left.

This sign contains the letter ‘b’ linked to a node representing ‘m’ (see above) and was used for ‘b’.

This nod was originally from the Latin con and retained the same sound in Irish.

This is the Latin centum or ‘hundred’ of Irish.

This is the Latin cecinite , a word meaning ‘do chan’. This nod was used in the manuscripts to show the author of a text: ‘Eoghan Ruadh cct.’ for example.

This is a high version of the letter ‘e’ which stood for the letters ‘ea’ in Modern Irish. This symbol was also used in printing.

Link letter consisting of the lowercase letters ‘e’ and ‘a’. This symbol was also used in printing.

This nod was originally meant by Et (i.e. ‘and’ in Latin). It was later used for ‘and’ in Irish, and also for the letters ‘et’ in Old Irish or ‘ead’ in modern Irish. It is still used for ‘and’.

With a long extension, this nod stands for the syllable ‘jealous’.

With a softened dot on it, this nod stands for the syllable ‘eadh’.

Et cetera , a nod that is still in use.

Link letter consisting of high ‘e’ and ‘t’. It means et in Latin or ‘and’ in Irish. This symbol was also used in printing.

A nod that stands for ‘to’ or ‘gur’.

A node that stands for the word ‘iodhon’ (or ‘namely’) and is still in use.

This nod used the letters ‘ir’.

The letter ‘k’ stood for the sound ‘ca’, and sometimes for the word ‘battle’.

Beware! This letter is not a big ‘N’, but a big ‘M’.

This is the Latin mille or ‘mile’ in Irish.

A nod used for the word ‘as’.

This node used to mean ‘son’ or ‘sons’.

Link letter consisting of the lowercase letters ‘n’ and ‘a’.

With a long extension, the above node meant ‘no’.

The letter ‘q’ was used as a nod for the letters ‘cu’.

A double ‘r’ was often indicated by a nod like this.

This node – sort of a small ‘r’ written above the line of the letters – stands for ‘r’ or ‘ra’.

This special ‘r’ only appears at the end of a word – ‘country’ written on the left.

A little ‘s’ above the line of the letters stands for the syllable ‘ear’ – ‘man’ is the word written on the left.

When a letter is written above (or ‘on’) another letter, it means that ‘r’ (or ‘on’) is to be read between the two letters or after the second letter. The nodes on the left could be released as ‘tra’ / ‘tar’ and as ‘gru’ / ​​’gur’ as appropriate for one or another reading of the context.

Sed , a word meaning ‘but’ in Latin, originally meant this nod. In Irish, it was used not only for the word ‘ach’ or ‘acht’, but also for the syllable ‘- (e) acht’. It was also used in printing.

A nod that stood for the Latin syllable ‘-us’ and was used in Irish for ‘-us’ or ‘-as’ at the end of a word.

Link letter consisting of the lowercase letters ‘v’ (i.e. ‘u’) and ‘i’. This symbol was also used in printing.

The Greek letters ‘XP’ were often written for ‘Christ’.

This punctuation mark is called a ‘head under a wing’. It was used to indicate that a line had been closed and that all that followed was related to the next line of text.