Terryhoogan Ireland Hand-Bell 1200 CE

(December 16, 2024) This bell is traditionally dated to around 909 CE because it can't really be translated. A preserved oral tradition (Monasticon Hibernicum Database) about this bell  indicates it was found in the 1700's in the Relicarn graveyard,  town of Terryhoogan, County Armagh, Ireland. The Heaney family were custodians of the bell until about the year 1840 when the bell passed to the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. On his death it went to the Royal Irish Academy and from there to the National Museum of Ireland where it remains today. 

The letter style is between that of middle Irish and the Latinized Irish (1570) of the Elizabethan age making this one of the last Akkadian texts from Ireland. This would date it to around 1200 BCE. This is also the time when capital letters are starting to appear (as seen in the different 'A' letters).

Translation in Akkadian (North Text 48)

1. Ta'u Re'u ITu.  ŠeRu Ku Ḫu U (North 48.1)
2. Mu ASu Ku.  A  Ku  Ḫu  Mu (North 48.2)
3. A Ya Lu ELu La'u (North 48.3)

In English

1. The pasture (starry night sky) can shepherd the omens. Sirius can be involved with Hu and
2. the fertility-fluids can be celestially-healed by getting involved. That involvement with Hu's fertility-fluids
3. will not result in lack from the layed-out high-powers (of fate).

Previously Attempted Translation

1. ((†))OROIT AR CHU(M)-
2. MASCACH M(AC)
3. AILELLO 

In English

1. A prayer on behalf of Cum
2. mascach son of 
3. Ailill

Problems: This translation consists mostly names which is a linguistic cheat because names can cluster any arbitrary set of letters. Additionally it has to split a name between lines which is never done. Also it has to add letters to the text which is translation fraud.

References

EMILI: Early Medieval Irish Latinate Inscriptions: ARM-001. Terryhoogan Hand-bell. https://emili.celt.dias.ie/en/inscriptions/ARM-001.html