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Lebor Gabála Érenn (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as The Book of Invasions, is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish from the creation of the world to the Middle Ages. There are a number of versions, the earliest of which was compiled by an anonymous writer in the 11th century. It synthesised narratives that had been developing over the foregoing centuries. The Lebor Gabála tells of Ireland being settled (or "taken") six times by six groups of people: the people of Cessair, the people of Partholón, the people of Nemed, the Fir Bolg, the Tuatha Dé Danann, and the Milesians. The first four groups are wiped out or forced to abandon the island, the fifth group represent Ireland's pagan gods, while the final group represent the Irish people (the Gaels).
The Lebor Gabála was highly influential and was largely "accepted as conventional history by poets and scholars down until the 19th century". Today, scholars regard the Lebor Gabála as primarily myth rather than history, at least until the early medieval period is reached. It was inspired by other medieval Christian pseudo-histories and the story of the Exodus, but it also incorporates some of Ireland's native pagan mythology. Scholars believe the goal of its writers was to provide an epic origin story for the Irish, like that of the Israelites, which reconciled native myth with the Christian view of history. Mark Williams says it was "written in order to bridge the chasm between Christian world-chronology and the prehistory of Ireland". It is suggested, for example, that there are six 'takings' to match the "Six Ages of the World".The Lebor Gabála is usually known in English as The Book of Invasions or The Book of Conquests, and in Modern Irish as Leabhar Gabhála Éireann or Leabhar Gabhála na hÉireann.
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The Lebor Gabála was highly influential and was largely "accepted as conventional history by poets and scholars down until the 19th century". Today, scholars regard the Lebor Gabála as primarily myth rather than history, at least until the early medieval period is reached. It was inspired by other medieval Christian pseudo-histories and the story of the Exodus, but it also incorporates some of Ireland's native pagan mythology. Scholars believe the goal of its writers was to provide an epic origin story for the Irish, like that of the Israelites, which reconciled native myth with the Christian view of history. Mark Williams says it was "written in order to bridge the chasm between Christian world-chronology and the prehistory of Ireland". It is suggested, for example, that there are six 'takings' to match the "Six Ages of the World".The Lebor Gabála is usually known in English as The Book of Invasions or The Book of Conquests, and in Modern Irish as Leabhar Gabhála Éireann or Leabhar Gabhála na hÉireann.
View More On Wikipedia.org