What is Pangur Ban?
Short answer: A ninth-century Old Irish poem, written in the margin of a manuscript, in which a scholar compares his own work to the mouse-hunting of his white cat, Pangur Ban. It is one of the best-known early poems about a cat.
Quick facts
- The name. Pangur Ban means “white Pangur.” Pangur is the name of the cat.
- The poem. It was written in Old Irish by an unknown monk, probably in the ninth century, and copied in the margin of a manuscript that is now kept in Austria.
- The subject. The poet describes his scholarly work and the cat's hunting side by side, and finds both very satisfying.
- A long life. The poem has been translated many times and is still widely read and set to music.
Student report
I went to Ireland to visit the scriptorium, and to read the poem in the place where it was first written. I found no manuscripts, but I found a stone windowsill in a very good state of preservation, and a resident cat sat on it.
The poem is a model for students in every department. It observes that a scholar and a cat are both engaged in the pursuit of something small, and that each has his reward. Dr. Laserwick has asked for a copy.
I have since begun to write my own findings in the margins. My supervisor is not yet aware.