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Cormac mac Cuilennáin (died 13 September 908) was an Irish bishop and was king of Munster from 902 until his death at the Battle of Bellaghmoon. He was killed fighting in Leinster, probably attempting to restore the fortunes of the kings of Munster by reimposing authority over that province. Cormac was regarded as a saintly figure after his death, and his shrine at Castledermot, County Kildare, was said to be the site of miracles. He was reputed to be a great scholar, being credited with the authorship of the ''Sanas Cormaic'' (Cormac's Glossary), and the now-lost ''Psalter of Cashel'', among other works. The reliability of some of the traditions concerning Cormac is doubtful. ==Background== The Ireland of Cormac's time was divided into a small kingdoms, or ''túatha'', perhaps 150 in all, on average around 500 square kilometres in area with a population of some 3000. In theory, but not in practice, each ''tuath'' had its own king, bishop and court. Variations in size and power were very considerable. Groups of ''tuatha'' were dominated by one of their number, whose king was their collective ruler. Above these stood the four great provincial kingships whose names survive in the provinces of Ireland of today: Connacht, Leinster, Ulster and Cormac's Munster. To these can be added the kings of the northern and southern Uí Néill. These last provided were the High Kings of Ireland, kings whose authority was an increasingly obvious political fact in Ireland of the 8th and 9th centuries.〔Byrne, ''Irish Kings'', pp. 46–47.〕 In Cormac's time the High Kingship was held by Flann Sinna of the Clann Cholmáin branch of the southern Uí Néill. In addition to these native Irish kings, Ireland, during the Viking Age, had seen Scandinavian and Norse-Gael kings establish themselves along the coasts. The destruction of Viking settlements on the northern coasts by Flann's predecessor Áed Findliath, followed by a much internal dissension, had weakened the Vikings, who were expelled from Dublin by Flann's allies in the year that Cormac became king in Munster.〔Ó Cróinín, ''Early Medieval Ireland'', pp. 254–256.〕 Cormac belonged to a minor branch of the Eóganachta kindred which dominated Munster in the 8th and 9th centuries. According to genealogies, he was a member of the ''Eóganacht Chaisil'', the Cashel branch of the kindred. This kin group was important, but Cormac came from a very minor branch. He was reckoned an 11th generation descendant of Óengus mac Nad Froích and none of his ancestors since Óengus were counted as kings of Cashel. For this reason, it is most likely thought that Cormac, as well as other 9th century kings of Munster who were bishops and abbots, was a compromise candidate.〔Byrne, ''Irish Kings'', pp. 214 & 292.〕 The ''Annals of the Four Masters'', a 17th-century compilation of annals based on earlier works, but including much of uncertain reliability, say that Cormac was tutored by Snerdgus of Dísert Díarmata (now Castledermot).〔Russell, "Cormac"; ''Annals of the Four Masters'', AFM 885.11.〕 Some later accounts claim that Cormac had been married or betrothed to Gormlaith, daughter of Flann Sinna, the High King of Ireland, but instead took vows of celibacy. Russell suggests these are later fictions and Byrne sees in them an echo of earlier tales of the sovereignty goddess.〔Russell, "Cormac"; Byrne, ''Irish Kings'', p. 164.〕 Although there is no doubt that Cormac was a bishop before and while he was king of Munster, it is not clear which see Cormac held. Some writers have suggested that he should be linked with Emly rather than Cashel. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cormac mac Cuilennáin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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