The Battle of Cul Dreimhne/ The Battle of the Books
2. The Decision
Finian brought the case before Ireland’s High King, King Diarmait mac Cerbhiall, to seek mediation. Columcille agreed, thinking he had done nothing wrong in his efforts to share the gospel. Columcille’s reply was: “It is not right,” he stated, “that the divine words in that book should perish, or that I or any other should be hindered from writing them or reading them or spreading them among the clans.” He informed the court in the closing argument that individuals who possessed knowledge through books had a duty to share and copy it. In his opinion, not sharing knowledge was a far worse sin than copying a book that wouldn’t lose anything in the process.
King Diarmait ruled in Finian’s favour, famously saying, “To every cow belongs its calf; to every book its copy.” In other words, every copy of a book belonged to the owner of the original book. Refusing to accept the King’s decision, Colmcille kept his copy.
Battle of the books written by Ealíann Kerrigan Student of Religious Education and History DCU