Christian inscriptions and inscribed objects from early medieval Ireland
Abstract
The primary aim of the EMISoS (Early Medieval Irish Scripts on Stone) project is to advance the study of early Irish epigraphy (c.400-1200 CE). Many of the inscriptions pre-date Irish Irish material in manuscripts and are more securely linked to specific locations (such as early Christian monastic sites), some even remaining in their landscape setting. This allows for insights to be investigated into the development of the Irish language (diachronic and diatopic), writing and literacy and the spread of Christianity, which is particularly linked to the use of the Latin script (and sometimes language) and the appearance of cross-carved grave slabs. Inscriptions typically contain a personal name and many take the form of a request for prayer for the individual named. Texts of this type also occur on a smaller number of portable objects, most of which also have an ecclesiastical context, such as reliquaries and hand-bells. One of the objectives of the project is to use digital methods and tools (e.g. EpiDoc xml and Linked Open Data) to create a digital corpus, including digital editions and 3d models, with encoded data indexed and linked according to personal names found in inscriptions, places where inscribed objects have been found and the types of objects inscribed.