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A
Social History of

Ancient Ireland
P.W.JOYCE

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^.

'^O^.

Fig.

1.

in the
Frontispiece to the Ep!stle of St. Jerome

From Miss Stokes's Early Christian Art

Book of Durrow.

in Ireland.)

;

A SOCIAL HISTORY
OF

ANCIENT IRELAND
TREATING OF
TJic

Keligioji,

Govcrmnoit, Mililajy System, aud Lavo

Lfanii/iq;

and Art ;

Trades, Industries,

Manners, Customs, and Domestic

and Commerce;

Life,

of the Ancient Irish People

BY
P.
LT..D.,

One

oj

t/if

jo\x:e,

\\;

TRIN, COLL., DUB.

;

M.R.T.A.

Commixsioncys for the Puldication of the Ancient Laivs of Ireland

VOL. I

SECOND EDITION

I'h;,

-J.

—Great Tower, Clonmacnoise.

Condon

Petrie's

Round Tower

Dublin

I

LONCMAXS, GREEN &
39 I'ATKRNOSTKR

(From

ROW

CO.

M.
I

I9T3

H

(IILL

50 UPf'ER

<)'(

.\:

SOX, LTD.

ONXKI.L SI'RKKT

PRINTED AND HOUND IN IRELAND

nv

M.

H.

GILL & SON, LTD.

DUBLIN

tvUidiae-;;^}^^
Cc ot

i

MAR

1

o.

i

1937

(J<dya4X

The Place^
this book, are

Time,
:

—

Its place is

Rathmines, Dublin
one

thousand

Patrick

Author, and Cause of

nine

;

its

to

Lyre-na-Grena, Leinster-road,

time

is

hundred and

Weston foyce, Doctor of

of writing the same book
Ireland,

and

all about the

is

knozvledge

Old

Writings of

to
to

Irish People,

the

year of our

three ;

Laws

;

give glory
those

who

the

and
to

Lord

author
the

is

cause

God^ honour

desire

to

learn

Fig.

3.

— Sculpture over a doorway, Cormac's Chapel,
(From

Petrie's

Cashel

;

Centaur shooting

at

a

lion,

Round Towers),

PREFACE
An

important function of History

is

'

social

clear

and domestic

life.

If

we wish

depict

to

to obtain a

view of the general state of any particular

country in past times, we shall need to have a

good knowledge of the people, high and low, rich

and poor; their standards of civilisation, religion,
their virtues and failings
and learning
their
industries, occupations, and amusements
their
and the sort of life they
manners and customs
fed day by day in their homes.
The social condition of most of those ancient
nations that have made any figure in the world
and
has been investigated and set forth in books
perhaps it will be acknowledged that Ireland
deserves to be similarly commemorated.
For,
;

;

;

;

;

besides the general importance of
in

the

elucidating

history

of

all

the

such studies

human

race,

the ancient Irish were a highly intellectual and
interesting

people

something, as

I

hope

book an attempt
all its

;

phases, as

is
it

and the world owes them
to be able to show.

made

In this

to picture society,

in

existed in Ireland before the

;

PREFACE

Vlll

Anglo-Norman Invasion
work to bring together

—

known on

the subject

information within

;

and to accomplish this
in one Essay all that is

— every

my

authentic source of

reach has been turned to

have collected the scattered Sibylline
leaves with much loving labour, and sorted and
pieced them together slowly and patiently, so as to
form a connected and intelligible statement
but
in my case there were a hundred times more
inscribed leaves to deal with than ever any votary
account.

I

;

picked up in the Sibyl's cave.
of

my

Or perhaps some

readers, putting aside this metaphor,

may

rather see in the book the likeness of

some spacious
edifice, with symmetrical wings and numerous
bright apartments, all differently furnished and
ornamented. The visitor who wishes to enter here
and explore the interior will find the way plainly
pointed out at the opening of every corridor, and
each apartment labelled to indicate, in a general

way, what

The

is

to be seen inside.

society depicted here

soon discover for himself
cal

—as

the reader will

—^was of slow and methodi-

growth and development

;

duly subordinated

from the highest grades of people to the lowest
with clearly defined ranks, professions, trades, and
industries
and in general with those various pursuits and institutions found in every well-ordered
community a society compacted and held together
;

:

by an all-embracing system of laws and customs,
long established and universally recognised.
This subject has been to some extent treated of

—
PREFACE

by other

writers, notably

and

IX

by Ware, O'Curry, and

have taken full advantage of their
But they deal with portions only,
learned labours.
and of course give only partial views my Essay
aims at opening up the entire field. I am fully
sensible of the shortcomings of this first attempt to
bring the whole social life of the ancient Irish
for besides the
people under one broad view
liability to error and imperfection incident to
Sullivan

;

I

:

;

every new undertaking, the sources of information

on the state of ancient Ireland are not yet fully
available.
But it is better to make the attempt
now, even under some disadvantages, than to
postpone it indefinitely.
This book does not deal with pre-historic times,
except by occasional reference, or to illustrate the
historic period.

My

only so far as there

survey generally goes back
is

history or tradition.

I

light

am

from

living record

content to stand near

and observe and
they emerge from darkness

the outer margin of the fog,
delineate the people as

At first indeed there is often only a
faint glimmer, and the figures and their surroundbut subsequent
ings are shadowy and indistinct

and

twilight.

:

observation,

made

in

broad historical daylight,

up the uncertainty
or correct the error of the first dim view.
Where such a vast variety of subjects had to
be treated of within the compass of two mediumsized volumes, it would be manifestly impossible

generally enables us to clear

to pursue inquiries exhaustively, or to go quite to

PREFACE

X

the bottom of things.

intended to reach,
secure accuracy

I

But

so far as the Essay

my

have done

—accuracy

ence, of quotation,

and

discovers an error

may

is

very best to

of statement, of infer-

of reference

;

and whoever

be assured that

it

is

not

the result of haste or carelessness.*
I

have been very particular

references for

to

give

exact

statements of any importance.

all

Quotations from other languages are always given
in English

:

but wherever

it

the originals also

desirable

there are two or

more

seemed necessary or

Where

quoted.

are

editions or versions of works

consulted, references are given as far as possible to

those that are most easily accessible to the general

have utilised without stint the labours of
others, both of the past and of the present, but
never, I think, without acknowledgment.
Attention has been given to the forms and
meanings of words and names so far as it tended
to elucidate the general subject
but it must be
remembered that the main intention of this book
is to deal, not with words, but with things.
When
an Irish word or name varies in spelling, the
reader.

I

:

several forms are generally given, either in the text

Animals, plants, minerals, and

or in the Index.

external nature in general, are treated of only so
far as they

come

directly into touch with the Social

Life of the people

:

and they are brought

the several chapters wherever they
*

will

fit

in

under

best.

Those who wish to study particular portions of the subject further
be aided by the references all through the book, and by the List of

Authorities at the end.

PREFACE

The numerous

XI

illustrations relate to the several

current parts of the text

;

and

hope they

I

will

be

found an instructive and pleasing feature of the
book.
I

have taken occasion

all

along to compare

Irish Social Life with that of other ancient nations,

especially pointing out correspondences that are

common Aryan origin
precluded much indulgence in

the natural consequence of

:

but want of space
this very desirable direction.
The writer who endeavours to set forth his
subject

—whatever

and soberness/'

it

may

— in

''

words

of truth

sure to encounter the disapproval

is

or hostility of those

who hold extreme

In regard to

either side.

be

my

opinions on

we

subject,

have,

on the one hand, those English and Anglo-Irish
people and they are not few who think, merely

—

—

from ignorance,

that

Ireland

was a barbarous

and half-savage country before the English came
and, on
among the people and civilised them
the other hand, there are those of my countrymen
who have an exaggerated idea of the greatness
and splendour of the ancient Irish nation.*
I
have not been in the least influenced by writers
;

belonging to either
authorities,

I

have

class.

Following trustworthy

tried to present here a true

picture of ancient Irish

life,

neither over-praising

have not magnified what
was worthy of commendation, nor suppressed, nor
unwarrantably toned down, features that told

nor depreciating.

*

§e?

oii thjs

I

Stokes's Life of Petrie, p. 211.

PREFACE

Xll

unfavourably for the people

honour

for

:

though

I

love the

of Ireland well, I love truth better.

The Irish race, after a long-protracted struggle,
went down before a stronger people and in addi;

tion to this,

from causes which

it

would be out

of

place to discuss here, they suffered almost a total
eclipse at

home during

a period nearly coincident

with the eighteenth century.

Chiefly for these

reasons the old Irish people have never, in

modern

times, received the full measure of credit due to

them

for their early

and
for

advance in the
their very comprehensive
striking

arts of civilised

life,

system

of laws,

and

efforts,

both at home and abroad,

religion

and

for their noble

learning.

Of

late

and

successful

in the cause of

indeed

we can

among Continental and British writers,
something like a spontaneous movement showing a
tendency to do them justice but the essays in

perceive,

;

this direction,

as far as they go,
fitful.

'Those

and often even generous,
are fragmentary, scattered, and

though

who

just,

are interested in this aspect of

the subject will perhaps be pleased to have the

whole case presented to them in one Essay.
I now submit to the judgment of the public
this book, the outcome of eight years' congenial
and pleasant work, hoping that it will prove
acceptable, not only to those
tion on the Institutions

who

desire informa-

and Social Life

of the

ancient Irish, and of the Celtic people in general,

but also to that wider circle who are interested
the early History of Mankind.

in

PREFACE

Xlll

have now to discharge the pleasant duty of recording my
thanks for help towards illustrating this book.
The Councils of the Royal Irish Academy, and of the Royal
Society of Antiquaries, Ireland, gave me the use of the blocks
I

numbers of the illustrations in their respective publicaand where the blocks were not available, permitted me to
copy any of their illustrations I wanted. That the book is so
well illustrated is mainly owing to the liberality of these two
distinguished Societies.
There is no need to enter into detail
here, as under every illustration in the book is mentioned the
source from which it is derived
but I wish to direct attention
to the number of valuable and accurate figures I have borrowed
from Wilde's " Catalogue of Irish Antiquities," belonging to
the Royal Irish Academy.
of great
tions,

:

Messrs. Hodges, Figgis

posal the blocks of as

drawings as

ful

I

&

many

my

Co., of Dublin, placed at

of Petrie's

chose to ask

dis-

and Wakeman's beauti-

for.

Colonel Wood-Martin lent me the blocks of many of the
illustrations in his " Pagan Ireland " and " Traces of the

Elder Faiths of Ireland."

From

the Board of Education, South Kensington,

I

have

received permission to use electrotypes from the original blocks
of nearly a dozen of the admirable illustrations in Miss Stokes's
" Early Christian Art in Ireland."

The

Controller

London, allowed
in

Sir

John

T.

of

me

Majesty's

Flis

to

Stationery

Office,

reproduce some of the illustrations

Gilbert's

" Facsimiles

of

Irish

National

Manuscripts."
I

am

indebted to the late Mr. Bernard Quaritch of London

page of the
"
West wood's Facsimiles of Anglo-

for leave to reproduce the beautiful illuminated

Book

of

MacDurnan, from

Saxon and

Irish Manuscripts."

&

Sons lent me the blocks of some of
the illustrations in Miss Stokes's " Three Months in the Forests
of France," and " Six months in the Apennines."
Messrs. George Bell

I had the permission of the Rev. Dr. Abbott, s.f.t.c.d., tt)
copy some of the figures in his " Reproductions of Portions of

the

Book

of Kells."

Lord Walter FitzGerald gave me leave to copy some

of the

PREFACE

XIV

illustrations in the " Journal of the

County Kildare Archaeo-

logical Society."

of the "

The Editor

sion to reproduce

Celtique " has given

Revue

two of the

Besides the above, a

me

permis-

figures in that periodical.

number

of illustrations

have been

taken from books having no copyright, and others have been
purchased from the proprietors of copyright works
all of
:

which are acknowledged in the proper places. And there
are a good many original sketches appearing here now for the
first

time.

Dr. Petrie and Miss Margaret Stokes have been the chief
illustrators of the

Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland

;

and

even a casual glance will show to what an extent I have been
enabled to enrich this book with their beautiful and accurate
dravv^ings.

P.

Dublin,

W.

J.

October, 1903.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
have had the advantage
of a number of valuable remarks from Dr. Kuno
Meyer, now our greatest and most accomplished
Irish scholar.
He read the book as soon as it came
out, and as he went along took notes, which he
In preparing

sent to

me

this Edition I

unasked, and which

I

now

thankfully

acknowledge.

On my own

part

I

have carefully re-read and

re-considered every sentence in the book.

As the result
and corrections.

of

all, I

have made some changes
p.

Dublin, 1913.

W.

J.

Fig. 4.— Ornament composed from the Book of Kelb.

CONTENTS OF VOL.
PART

I

I

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

CHAPTER

I

PACK

LAYING THE FOUNDATION,

3

Section
1.

2.
3.

4.

5

Native Development, ..
Evidences from Literature,
Evidences from Material Remains,
Concurrence of Testimonies,
Population of Ireland in Ancient Times,

CHAPTER

5

20
23
25

II

A PRELIMINARY BIRD'S-EYE VIEW

CHAPTER

3

27

III

MONARCHICAL GOVERNMENT,

30

Section
I.

2
3.
4.
5.

Territorial Subdivision,
Classes of Kings
Election and Inauguration,
Revenue and Authority,
Privileges,
Limitations

7.

and Restrictions,
Household, Retinue, and Court Officers,

8.

List of Over-Kings,

6.

36
41

43
50
55
60
61

68

.

.

.

.

CONTENTS

XVI

CHAPTER

IV
PACE

WARFARE,

72

Section

3.

Foreign Conquests and Colonisations,
Military Ranks, Orders, and Services,
Arms, Offensive and Defensive,

4.

Strategy, Tactics, and Modes of Fighting,

1.

2.

72
.

83
100
132

CHAPTER V
STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY,

155

Section

155
156

4.

Five main Classes of People,
Flaiths or Nobles,
Non-noble Freemen with Property,
Non-noble Freemen without Property,

5.

The Non-free

162

6.

Groups of Society,

1.

2.
3.

Classes,

166

CHAPTER

VI

THE BREHON LAWS,
*

157
160

168

Section
1.

2.
3.

4.

The Brehons,
The Senchus Mor and other Books of Law,
Absence of Legislation,
Suitability of the Brehon Laws,

CHAPTER

168
172

178
.

181

VII

THE LAWS RELATING TO LAND

184

Section
1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

The Land originally Common Property,
Five Ways of holding Land,
Tenants, their Payments and Subsidies,
Fudirs or Serfs on the Land,
Descent of Land,

CHAPTER

184
186
188
194
196

VIII

THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

198

Section
I,

The Law of Compensation
Procedure by Distress,
Procedure by Fasting,
Eric or Compensation Fine,
Modes of Punishment,
Courts of Justice,
.

198

200

.

204
207
211
214

.

..

..

..
.

CONTENTS

PART

XVll

II

RELIGION, LEARNING, ART

CHAPTER IX
PACE

PAGANISM,

219

Section
1,

2,

Druids: their Functions and Powers, ..
..
Points of Agreement and Difference between
Irish and Gaulish Druids,
Sorcerers and Sorcery,
Mythology Gods, Goblins, and Phantoms,
Worship of Idols,

219

.

274

Human

..

281

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

:

.

Sacrifice,

.

..

.

.

..

.

.

..

.

.

,.

12.

Worship of Weapons,
Worship of the Elements,
The Pagan Heaven and a Future State,
Turning Deisiol or Sunwise,
The Ordeal,
..
..
..
.,
..
Preference for certain Numbers,

13.

The Evil Eye

14.

Geasa, or Prohibitions,

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

.

..

.

..

238
240
248

286
288

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

293

.

.

.

.

.

301

..

302

.

.

.

.

.

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

307
309
310

CHAPTER X
CHRISTIANITY,

313

Section
1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

Christianity before St, Patrick's Arrival
..
Three Orders of Irish Saints,
..
..
..
Patrician Secular Clergy,
First Order
Second Order Monastic Clergy,
Anchorites or Hermits, and
Third Order
Hermit Communities,
Buildings, and other Material Requisites,
Revenue and Means of Support,
Various Features of the Ancient Irish Church,
Popular Religious Ideas,
.
:

.

.

:

7.
8.

9.

.

317
319
322

:

.

6.

.

313

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

348

.

354
378
382

.

391

.

.

.

.

..

..

.

CONTENTS

XVll!

CHAPTER XI
PAGE

LEARNING AND EDUCATION,

396

Section
1

2.
3.

4.

Learning in Pagan Times
Monastic Schools,

:

Ogham,

396
408

.

Lay Schools,
Some General Features of both Classes of
Schools
Tables of Degrees and Subjects,
The Men of Learning,
Honours and Rewards for Learning,
The Knowledge of Science,
:

5.

6.
7.

417
422
442

459
464

CHAPTER XH
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE,

IRISH

471

Section

3.

Divisions and Dialects of Celtic,
Writing, and Writing Materials,
Ancient Libraries,

4.

Existing Books,

1.

2.

471

477
485
492

.

CHAPTER Xni
ECCLESIASTICAL AND RELIGIOUS WRITINGS,

500

.

CHAPTER XIV
ANNALS, HISTORIES, AND GENEALOGIES,

512

Section
1.

2.
3.

4.

How the Annals were compiled,
Tests of Accuracy,
Principal Books of Annals,
Dinnsenchus,
Genealogies
Histories

512
513
521

.

:

526

:

CHAPTER XV
HISTORICAL AND ROMANTIC TALES

531

Section
1.

2.
3.

4
5.

and Numbers,..
..
Chronological Cycles of the Tales
General Character of the Tales,
Classes, Lists,

.

..

..

.

.

.

.

Story-telling and Recitation,
Translations and Versions in Modern Languages,
.

.

.

531

535
538

540
542

.

.

..

.

.

.

,

CONTENTS

XIX

CHAPTER XVI
PAGE

ART,

544

Section
1.

2.

Penwork and Illumination, ..
Gold, Silver, and Enamel, as Working Materials,
Metal Work,

3.

Artistic

4.

Stone Carving,

.

.

544
554
559
566

CHAPTER XVII
MUSie,

571

Section
1.

History,

2.

Musical Instruments,

3.

Characteristics, Classes, Styles

^

Modern Collections of Ancient

..

..

..

CHAPTER

..

..

..

..

.

.

.

.

..

..

..

Irish Music,

.

571

575
586
592

.

XVIII

MEDICINE AND MEDICAL DOCTORS,

597

Section

2.

Medical Doctors
Medical Manuscripts,

3.

Diseases,

4.

Treatment^
Popular Cures,

I.

5.

.

.

.

.

597
604
607
616
625

Fig. 5.— Ornament composed from the Book of Kells

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN VOL.

PAGE

FIG.

FIG.

Book

Durrow,

I.

Page

2.

Great Tower, Clonmacnoise,

of

of

Frontispiece

27.

Ornamental stone carving,

Page

28. Capital

PAGE

29.

Title

L from Book

Sculpture in Cormac's Chapel,

Vll

30. Rath-Keltair at

4-

Ornament from Book

of Kells,

XV

31-

5-

Ornament from Book

of Kells,

xxi

6.

Ornament from Book

of Kells,

3

7.

Castledermot

Church

and

Round

Tower,

Holy

Well

of

Dicuil,

St.

France
9.

10.

9

Drumcliff

Group

Round Tower,

of Torques,

11. Circular

Lure,

bronze disc,

.

Group

.

Cross-

72
84

85
102
104

33-

Do.,

34.

Do.,

.

.

105

35.

Do..

.

.

105

105

36.

Arrow-head on original handle.

105

37.

Bronze head of battle-mace,

106

Bronze spear-head.

107

II

38.

13

39-

20

40. Bronze ftarlann.

Do.,

do.,

....
....

21

41.

13.

Bronze caldron,

21

42.

14.

Hollow gold ball,

21

43- Firbolg spear-head,

15.

Bronze

22

44.

use unknown,

High

32. Flint arrow-head.

Ancient Irish brooch,

article,

.

Downpatrick,

of warriors from

12.

.

71

of Kells,

Dundalgan, Cuculainn's residence,

3.

8.

I

Do.,

do.,

Bronze spear-head,

leaf -shaped,

Dedannan spear-head.

107

109
109

no
III
III

16.

Do.,

do.,

22

45- Fishing -spear,

112

17.

Do.,

do.,

22

46.

Bronze sword.

116

18.

Ancient ferryboat,

28

47.

Do.,

116

19.

Ruins on Inishcaltra,

31

48.

Do.,

116

20.

Ancient Irish bookbinding,

32

49.

21.

Group

33

50.

22.

Aill-na-Meeran at Ushnagh,

37

51-

Bronze scabbard.

117

42

52.

Stone

118

46

53-

Bronze

54-

Pure copper

55.

Bronze

of gold ornaments,

.

23. Cloister,

Cong Abbey,

24. O'Neills'

Inauguration Chair,

25. O'Conors' Inauguration
26.

Kings and Archers,

Mound,

47
59

Bronze dagger,
Do.,

117

117

celt in original handle,

Celt,

celt.

119
celt,

iig

119

xxu

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN VOL

FIG.

I

PAGE
Bronze

56.

celt,

119

57- Celt

on handle,

.

58.

Do.,

.

.

PAGE
99. St. Senan's

Holy Well,

120

100.

120

loi, St. Kieran's

....

Two galloglasses,

121

102. Altar-Stone,

Dermot MacMurrogh,

123

103. Ancient stone Chalice,

61.

Bronze

126

104. St. Patrick's Bell,

126

105. Bell of

Do.,

inside,

Mac

Ailello,

373

106. Ancient Iron Bell,

145

107.

Bronze Crotal, or closed

on tomb,

146

108.

Gold Amulet,

155

109. Do.,

168

no. Stone Amulet,

377

Two

66.

Ornament from Book

67.

Ornament on

68.

Specimen of Senchus Mor,

176

111. Slane

69.

Ornament from Book

183

112. Mellifont

184

113. Portion of Bell-shrine,

197

114.

Ogham

70. Sculpture

7oA.

of Kells

on window, Glendalough,

Ornament from Book

of Kells,

Bell,

377

....
....
....

65.

of Kells,

372

375

143

leather,

371

.

and attendants,

galloglasses

do.,

3^9

.

63. Foot-soldier receiving charge,
64. Horse-soldier

368

Trout Well, Mcath,

59-

62.

367

.

Well of Help, Inishmurray,

60.

shield, outside,

Clare,

385
385
385

Monastery

387

Abbey,

395

396

Alphabet,

397

71.

Sculpture on church, Glendalough,

198

Jii.

Bihngual Stone, Killeen Cormac,

399

72.

MS. ornamentation,

219

116.

Ogham Stone

400

255

X17.

Two ancient

406

256

118.

John Scotus Erigena,

4H

267

119.

Tomb

413

74.

A
A

75.

The Cathubodvae

73.

.

fairy hill,

fairy

76. Killeen

moat,
stone,

Cormac,

Irish Alphabets,

of the

Seven Romans, Aran

314

120. Clonmacnoise,

Church doorway, Glendalough,

318

121. Ancient

Hermitage,

320

122. "

79.

Killashee near Naas,

321

123. Ancient

80.

Baptismal

77-

78. St. Erc's

8x. St.

82.

Doorway

83. St.

font,

.

Columb's House, Kells,
of

Round Tower,

Doulogh's Church,

gram,
124. Scribe writing,

327

125.

331

126. Facsimile

Church

Chancel Arch, Monaincha,

338

86.

Cave

342

87. St.

of St.

Columbanus, Luxeuil,

465

Cover of Book

of

500
502

.

508

131. Sculpture

Gougane Barra,

351

.

Abbey,

Noah's Ark,

511

on

353

MacDara's Church,

355

133.

93.

Church doorway

356

134. Sculpture

94.

High Cross, Dysart O'Dea,

359

135. Irish

on Column,

on Arch,

136. Sculpture

137. Illuminated Page,

Round Tower, Kilkenny,

363

138. Outlines of

Kilmallock Abbey,

364

139.

Round Tower, Devenish,

97.
98.

.

Rock

527
531

Ornament,

361

Abbey,

96.

524

Tubbrid Church,

363

95. Ennis

Glenda
512

92.

in Aran,

Capital

lough,
132. Kilbarron Castle,

91. Kilcrea

Glenda

.

349

90.

Capital,

lough,

Clochan or beehive-shaped house,

89.

Dun

128. Movilla Monastery,

130.

Copenhagen,

488

494

on

127. Sculpture

346

Irish Shrine in

Armagh

from Book of the

347

88.

481

.

129. Dysert-Aengus,

bio,

463

Dia

Cow,

335

Columbanus taming bears. Bob

439

Astronomical

Irish

322

85.

415

Colledge," Youghal,

325

84.

of the Fire, Inishmurray,

The

....

Alphabet on Stone,

543

/flfW^

samBj

Scorings,

544

.

547

548
»

550

VOL

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN
FIG.

140.

Ornamental page

141.

The Ardagh

142.

The Tara Brooch,

of Gospel,

Chalice,

143.

The

144.

Ornament carved on Bone,

Cross of Cong,

PAGE

FIG.

553

154.

560
562

XXlH

I

PAGE
Harp- and Pipe-Players,
do.,

156.

Do.,

do.,

Group

of Trumpets,

563

157.

158. Riveting

.

....
....

155.

Do.,

566

.

.

on Trumpets,

582
582
582

.

.

.

584

.

.

.

585

145.

Do.,

do.,

566

159.

Ornamental Plate

.

586

146.

Do.,

do.,

566

160.

Ornament, Devenish Round Tower,

597

568

161.

Conach (Medical Charm),

147.

The Cross

of Monasterboice,

148. Interlaced Stone
149.

Ornament,

Harp Player

569

162. Sweating-House,

576

163. Healing-Stone,

of

Trumpet,

150.

Do.,

576

164. Garnavilla

Do.,

576

165.

Harp,

577

166. Toberaraght, a Healing

,

580

167.

152. Ancient Irish
153. Piper

.

.615

....
....

151.

Amulet

.

(front),

Do.,

Ornament from Book

(side),

Holy

of Kells,

.

625

628

.

629

.

629

Veil,

630

.

632

PART

I

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

*^

Fig.

6.

— Ornament composed from the Book of Kells.

CHAPTER

I

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

SECTION

HE

I.

Native Development.

Institutions,

Arts,

and Customs

of

Ancient Ireland, with few exceptions,

grew up from within, almost wholly
unaffected

by external

influence.

The

exceptions will be noticed in the proper

The Romans never
influence was felt to some

places in this book.

though their
slight extent, either by direct communication or indirectly
through the Britons. The first foreigners to appear as
invaders were the Danes, who began their raids about the
set foot in Ireland

;

beginning of the ninth century.

Though they harassed

the country for about two centuries, and established them-

many

on the coasts, they
never brought it under subjection
and they effected no
changes of any consequence in the customs or modes of
life of the people.
Next came the Anglo-Normans near the
end of the twelfth century. But though this was a much
more serious invasion than that of the Danes, and though
these newcomers continued to make settlements in various
parts of the country, the Irish people still adhered everywhere to their native customs. Indeed it is well known
selves in

parts of

it,

especially
:

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

4

that, except in a small district

round Dublin, the

[pART

I

settlers

and became incorporated with the
natives, adopting their language, laws, dress, and usages, so
as to be quite undistinguishable from them, and becoming
'*
more Irish than the Irish themselves." Accordingly, for
several centuries the Anglo-Norman colonisation had no
more effect in altering the general state of society than the
and matters went on very much as of
Danish invasions
generally intermarried

:

the time of the Tudors,

old,

till

last

made

itself felt.

Then the

when English

influence at

old system of tribal land

tenure began to be changed for the English custom

with the abolition of the Brehon
of English

Law,

in the

Law and

and

:

the substitution

beginning of the seventeenth cen-

may

be said that the old order of things in Ireland
was broken up. But even after this most of the ancient
tury,

it

native customs remained, and indeed

many remain

to this

day.

In the long lapse of ages there were of course changes

and developments from time to time many new modes,
fashions, and usages gradually grew up, while others fell
into disuse
but the main institutions and customs of the
:

:

country retained their hold with astonishing tenacity

:

so

that in some aspects of society, a description of the state of
things as they existed

in,

would apply equally well

Many

suppose, the fifteenth century,
to that in the sixth or seventh.

might be given but one will be
sufficient here.
It was customary with the ancient Irish
poets as will be described farther on to make circuits
through the country, visiting the houses of the principal
people, and receiving payment for their poetry, besides
welcome and entertainment composing laudatory poems
for those who received them well, and lampooning those
who refused them. This remarkable custom is mentioned
in innumerable passages in both the lay and ecclesiastical
literature as existing in the most remote pagan times
illustrations of this

;

—

—

:

;

it

was not

in the least affected

by war

or invasion, but

—
CHAP.

—

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

l]

5

continued uninterruptedly from age to age

own time,

as

may be seen by reference to pp.

down

to our

450, 451 below.

But one momentous effect of the Danish and AngloNorman invasions must here be noted they arrested the
:

progress of native learning and art, which, though disturbed

by the Danes,
the

still

lingered on for several centuries after

English settlements, but gradually declined, and

first

Ireland presents the spectacle of an

finally died out.

What

arrested civilisation.

come

to

if

that civilisation would have

allowed to follow out uninterruptedly

course of development

it

is

now

its

impossible to

natural

tell,

and

no reason to think that
in this respect Irishmen would not have kept well abreast
with the rest of the world. One object of this book is to
present the intellectual and artistic state of the country
when at its best though still imperfect namely, from
useless to conjecture

but there

;

is

—

—

the seventh or eighth to the eleventh or twelfth century.

Evidences from Literature.

2.

The evidences relied on throughout this book are
derived from two main sources
Literary Records, and
:

Material Remains.

The literary works used as authorities
the book as occasion arises, and they are
general

list

at the

end

;

are referred to in
all

named

in

but as they vary greatly, both

one

in the

value to be attached to their testimony, and in point of
antiquity,
of the

it

may

kind of

some idea
evidence we obtain from them, and to indibe

well, at the outset, to give

way, how far they are to be trusted as
our present inquiry. Two main points I wish to

cate, in a general

guides in

bring out clearly in this short chapter
ticity

and general trustworthiness

:

—

First, the

of the evidence

;

authenSecond,

the period or periods of the country's history to which this

evidence applies.

The Literary Records may be classed as follows
Lives of Saints, Martyrologies, and other religious writings
:

:

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

6

Romantic Literature
Glossaries

Memoirs

Annals,

:

the Brehon

:

foreign writers.

I

Glosses and

:

and Local Historical
English, Anglo-Irish, and

Genealogies,

and the works

:

Laws

[PART

of

These several classes

will

be

now

briefly

examined.

—The

and other written memorials
of the Irish saints, most in Irish, some in Latin, of which
great numbers are still preserved in our manuscripts, and
of which many have been published, form a very important
source of information. The oldest documents of this kind
are the original memoirs of St. Patrick.
The principal of
these are
The two documents now generally admitted to
have been written by Patrick himself the " Confession,"
and the " Epistle to Coroticus," both fifth century and
two others, the Memoir of the saint by Muirchu Maccu
Machteni, and the Notes by Tirechan, both written in the
seventh century, but embodying traditions of a much
earlier date.
These are of the highest authority, but they
do not give us much information regarding the social life
of the people.
Next in point of antiquity, but more detailed and more valuable for our purposes, is the Latin Life
Lives of Saints.

:

lives

—

—

;

of St. Columkille, written in or about a.d. 695,

by Adamnan.

abbot of lona, and
Adamnan was the ninth abbot both were Irishmen and
the illustrious establishment over which they presided was
Columkille was the founder and

first

:

an

Irish ecclesiastical colony.

great dignity and integrity

:

;

Adamnan was
and

a writer of

his pictures of the daily

and lona, both lay
and clerical, in the sixth and seventh centuries, though not
very full, are absolutely trustworthy so far as they go, and
most valuable as being the earliest detailed accounts we
life

of the people of Ireland, Scotland,

possess.

The

Celtic people

who

inhabited the western coasts and

from Irish colonists, as
is shown below (pp. 81 to 83), and intimate intercourse
was kept up from the beginning between the two countries.
islands of Scotland were descended

CHAP.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

l]

The two peoples were in fact
customs, language, and modes

identical,

of life

7

having the same

Adamnan's

so that

;

descriptions of the Scottish Gaelic people apply equally to
Ireland.

His remarks also about the daily

Northern

Picts,

whom

he converted,

may

be applied, with

or no reservation, to the Scots or Irish

little

that the Picts lived

much

of the

life

:

the same sort of

we know

for

as their

life

The
there was

neighbours, the Gaels, both of Ireland and Scotland.

Britons are often mentioned in Irish writings, for

much

intercourse between

them and the

so that they often intermarried

Tacitus, writing in the end of the

there

was

little

difference

manners, and customs

:

(pp.
first

Irish in early ages,

74 to 79 below).

century, states that

between them

in disposition,

and, as corroborating this,

we
by

customs incidentally noticed
Irish writers are found to be generally identical with those

find

that the British

of the Irish themselves.

Here

it

may

be proper to remark that

many

ancient

Gaelic customs that have died out, or are only faintly

remembered,

in Ireland, are

still

preserved, with most of

their antique features, in the Islands

and Highlands

of Scot-

which several examples will be given in this book,
from Martin, Pennant, Scott, Carmichael, and other delineators of Scottish manners.
The desolating wars in Ireland, especially those of the time of Elizabeth, in which the
country was almost cleared of inhabitants, broke, as it
were, the continuity of the race, so that many old customs
and traditions were neglected and forgotten in Ireland,
which in Scotland have been preserved without a break
from the time of the earliest colonists to the present day.
The great majority of the saints whose biographies have
been preserved flourished in the period from the fifth to the
land, of

eighth or ninth century.

But

it is

known

that in the

—long intervals
elapsed after their death, intervals often of centuries, betheir Lives and Acts — that
the memoirs
those
case of

fore

most

of

them
of

— though

well

not of

all

is,

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

8

memoirs that are now extant

A

[PART

I

—were committed to writing.

vast proportion of the ancient books of Ireland were

destroyed by the Danes in the ninth and tenth centuries,

and among them, no doubt, numerous
saints

:

so that the later

much on

Memoirs of
biographers had to depend very
original

These compilers constructed

verbal tradition.

under great difficulties,
collecting their materials from remnants of written records
their narratives as best they could,

from the scanty entries in old
Annals, Genealogies, and other such documents, and largely
from oral tradition, the most uncertain source of all.
in the several monasteries,

'-

'"'^#="'5?*.
.

Fig.
Castledermot Church and Round Tower

in

7.

Kildare

:

"High

from Miss Stokes's

Crosses of Castle-

dermot and Durrow " drawn by Petrie. St. Diarmaid, or Dermot, son of Aed Roin, is recorded to
have founded a church here about A.D. 8oo corroborated by existing ruins, which still retain his
name (Irish name Disert-Diarmada, Dermot's Hermitage). See pp. 21, 23, below.
:

:

Though constructed round a framework
Lives, as they

have reached

us,

are

of truth, these

much mixed

with

legend and fable, a circumstance which detracts from their

value as mere historical records
affect

our researches.

The long

part for the marvellous element
in the slow lapse of ages, to

attribute

all

though

;

it

does not at

all

intervals account in great
:

for oral tradition tends,

magnify everything, and to

unusual occurrences of past times to preter-

natural agency.

—
:

CHAP.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

Il

good reason to believe that the biographers
committed to writing faithfully the accounts they received,
whether from tradition or written record truth and fiction
without adding or distorting. But taking these old
alike
Lives as they stand, we are generally enabled, by an examination of internal evidence, and by careful comparison
at
with other authorities, to distinguish fact from fiction
There

is

—

—

:

Fig.

8.

Holy Well of St. Dicuil, Deicolus, or Deicola, at Lure, in France: from Miss Stokes's "Three
Months in the Forests of France," p. 49. This St. Dicuil (different from Dicuil the Geographer) was
a native of Leinster
educated at Bangfor in Down
accompanied St, Columbanus to Continent
founded Monastery at Lure, where he is now venerated as patron saint died A.D. 625. The well is
still called by his name
it is much resorted to by pilgrims, and its waters are used to cure cliildren's
diseases. (Observe in the picture the ofTerlng-s, like those made at Irish Holy Wells.) For St. Dicuil
see the above-named book of Miss Stokes's, p. 41, and O'Hanlon's "Lives of Irish Saints," I., 301.
Illustrating- how Lives of Irish Saints are corroborated by existing remains, see pp. 21, 23, below.
:

:

:

:

least in the case of the

the

matters dealt with in this book

main thing that concerns

us.

Interspersed through

the narratives there are frequent references to dwellings,
furniture, dress, ornaments, occupations, customs, pastimes,

and many other concomitants of the everyday life of
the people, which are incidentally mentioned with all the
food,

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

10

[PART

I

The fact that these brief
records are incidental, casual, and unintentional, is what
stamps them with authenticity and gives them their value.
When we follow the guidance of these side lights, using
ordinary circumspection, we are pretty sure to keep on safe
ground, even though many of the main incidents related
marks

of truth

and

reality.

directly are fabulous or doubtful.

remarks by an example. In the
it is related that on one occasion,

I will illustrate these

Irish Life of St. Brigit,

soon after she had settled in Kildare,
ster,

Ailill,

king of Lein-

passed near her establishment, with a hundred horse-

whereupon Brigit sent two of her
some of the rods but he refused them.

loads of peeled rods
girls to

ask him for

Forthwith

all

;

;

the horses

fell

down

helpless under their

and there they remained unable to rise, till Ailill
granted Brigit 's request on which she released them. The
Irish narrative adds incidentally that it was from these rods
Passing by, as
St. Brigit' s house in Kildare was built.
loads

:

:

"^

foreign to our purpose, the miraculous part of this story,

which was the thing mainly in the mind of the writer, we
may infer from the rest that in those times it was the
custom to build houses of rods or wattles, cleaned up and
peeled before being used
and there is abundant evidence
elsewhere to show that this would be a correct conclusion.
Bearing in mind that the customs and habits of a people
change slowly, that the original biographers must have had
written authority of a much earlier age for some portion of
their statements, and that the dates of the composition of
the Lives or other Memoirs range from the fifth to the
fourteenth or fifteenth century, we shall be safe in assuming
:

that these incidental allusions generally represent the state
of society existing in Ireland

orated saints

down

from the time of the commem-

at least to the periods of the writers.

This incidental testimony

is

specially noticed here in

connexion with the Lives of the Saints
* stokes,

;

but in reality

Three Irish Homilies, page

77.

it

—
1

CHAP.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

l]

pervades

go

all

classes of Irish writings, as will be seen as

Along with the Lives of the

on.

1

Martyrologies and Calendars,
religious writings,

Saints,

we may

Hymns, Sermons, and

we

class

other

will

be specified and referred to

— The

ancient Irish Tales, Histori-

which

whenever necessary.
Romantic Literature.

and Romantic, which are described in some
chap. XV., furnish our next group of authorities.

detail in

cal

proportion of the stories are contained in the

Dun Cow, which was
Book of

in the

A

Book of the

transcribed about the year iioo, and

Leinster, transcribed in or before

and others are found in later manuscripts.
books were copied from much older volumes

Fig.

Remains of

a

large

Round Tower

ii6o;

All

these

and there

:

9.

at Drunicliff, 4 miles nortli of Sligo

town

:

near the church founded by St. Columkille but long after liis time.
Existing remains corroborating written testimony, see pp. 21, 23, below.

built

;

good reason to believe that the principal stories were
committed to writing at various periods from the seventh
to the tenth century, having been handed down orally for
ages previously by the professional poets and shanachies.
is

Though

the stories are partly or

abound, like the Lives of the Saints,
of real

life,

wholly

fictitious,

they

in incidental pictures

which, speaking generally, are as

consequently as valuable for our purposes, as

if

and
the main

true,

narratives were strictly historical.
It

to

is,

however, necessary to observe that when

deal with

the

direct

surroundings found

in

descriptions

many

of the

of

we have

men and

heroic

their

romances

—

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

12

[PART

I

and intentional descriptions as distinguished from
casual or incidental we must be cautious in accepting
statements, and careful in drawing conclusions from them.
The heroes and the events which are the subjects of these
Tales, belong for the most part to the first three or four
centuries of our era, and some are assigned to a much
earlier period.
The old romancers, who committed the
stories to writing many centuries later, magnified and
direct

—

everything pertaining to their favourite heroes

glorified

and have

left

;

us gorgeous descriptions of houses, furniture,

arms, dress, and ornaments, of which a great

number may

be seen translated into English in O' Curry's " Lectures on
the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish."

In the

case of most of these, no one would seriously think of

accepting

embody

them

as

literal

sober

truth

:

they

merely

the shanachies' exaggerated conceptions of the

great champions of the heroic ages
descriptions of Greek

;

Homeric
Moreover these

like the

and Trojan heroes.

direct descriptions, so far as they are to be credited, as

well indeed as the incidental references,

must be taken

generally as applying to the time of the original writers

—or a

little earlier in

the case of each individual writer

namely from the seventh to the tenth century, though,
as we shall see, a good proportion of them apply to a

much

earlier period.

But we may err on the side of excessive scepticism
The most exaggerated
as well as by undue credulity.
description, if read in the right way, and checked and
tested and toned down by other authorities, may yield
And in regard to ornaments and
solid information.
that the Shanachies did not often invent,
equipments
but merely magnified, is proved by the fact, that in our
museums we have weapons and ornaments answering to
most of those described in the stories, though generally on
:

a scale less magnificent.

Mere creations

of imagination

as well as gross exaggeration can be eliminated or brought

3

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

CHAP.

I]

down

to the solid level of reality,

to the

1

by rigorously adhering

rule of accepting nothing that does not of itself

appear reasonable, or that

not corroborated by other

is

authority.

All the

remarked
copyists,

been transmitted to us

old Tales have

elsewhere

who have

(chap,

in

xv.,

sect,

most of them

i)

— by

—though

— as

Christian

not in

all

—

Fig. io.
neck all solid gold now in the National Museum, Dublin: fully confinning' the descriptions of Torques given in the Tales.
The outer one is 1$% inches in diameter,
and 5 feet 7 inches in total length. See, for Torques, chap, xxii., sect. 3, or " Torques" in Index.
(From Wilde s Catal., Gold, p. 71.)

Group of Torques

added on,

as

for the

it

:

:

were from the outside, Christian allusions,

leaving the general pagan framework almost unchanged.

Accordingly, even those of the Tales that show Christian

and of references to pagan
customs, while some are thoroughly pagan in character,

influence, are full of

pagan

ideas,

without a trace of Christianity

:

so that

we may

safely apply

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

14

—with due discrimination—many

[PART

I

of the features of social

hfe in the oldest tales to a period

much

earlier

than the

seventh century.

Many

of the Tales will

but as exemplifying
I will

be referred to as we go along

how much may be

:

learned from them,

here mention one piece contained in the Lebar Brecc,

The Vision of Mac Conglinne, which was evidently written
by a skilled epicure, and which, though purely fictitious,
has afforded a vast amount of information, undoubtedly
authentic, especially on food and drink, and on the various
modes of preparing, cooking, and presenting them at table.
Professor

Kuno Meyer,

the editor, believes that this tale

began to assume its present form about the end of the
twelfth century but that the original and shorter narrative
was written at a much earlier period.
The Brehon Laws. In the ancient Laws of Ireland we
have another rich mine of materials. These Laws or
Customs grew up among the people from the very beginning of society and took cognisance of them from almost
every conceivable point of view, following them as it were
into their very houses and laying bare to view the details
of their home life.
They professed to regulate social and
:

—

domestic relations of every kind, as well as professions,
trades, industries, occupations,
err in being too
all

minute

and wages.

but this very defect
the more valuable for our purposes.
;

As laws they
renders them

The two most important of the Brehon Law tracts are
the Senchus Mor [Shanahus More] and the Book of Acaill
[Ackill].
In Cormac's Glossary, a document of the ninth
or tenth century, the Senchus Mor is quoted and referred
to several times as a well-known work, even at that early

time

and

;

text,

it

ring in

much

as further showing the great antiquity of the

may
it

be mentioned that

had,

when

many

of the terms occur-

the Glossary was compiled, fallen so

out of use, that they are included

among

and forgotten old words needing explanation.

the obsolete

As

to the

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

CHAP.

l]

Book

of Acaill,

it is

I5

generally admitted that

as old as the Senchus

Mor

at least

it is

probably older.

Other portions of the written law, including the Commentaries and
Glosses, are, however, much less ancient than these
and
:

:

some are not older than the fifteenth or sixteenth century
though no doubt they transmit traditional interpretations
:

of a

much

But

earlier time.

this

important fact must be remembered

:

—At

whatever times the several tracts of the Laws were first
written down, it was merely transferring to parchment
usages that had been in existence for centuries
for the
:

customs of a people take long to grow, and still longer to
It seems evident therefore
establish themselves as laws.
that the information regarding social

Laws taken

life

supplied

by the

as a whole, applies to a period coinciding in

great part with that covered

by the Lives

of the Saints

—

and the Romantic Literature a period reaching in some
instances as far back as the date assigned by tradition to
the original compilation of the Senchus

time of

St. Patrick, i.e. the fifth century.

Mor

namely, the

:

(See

on

this,

pp.

172 to 178, below.)

A
the

few of the legal rules and decisions laid down in

Laws

are obviously unreal

and

and hardly

fictitious

intended to have any application to practical

seem to be mere

Some

life.

intellectual problems, invented to

show

the cleverness of the writers, or to test the ingenuity of
the learners in solving theoretical difficulties

by the way, not

may

find

:

peculiar to the ancient Irish

examples of

it

a practice
;

for

one

elsewhere, even at the present

But such cases form only a very small portion of
the whole body of the Laws, and they are easily detected.
The Laws moreover are sometimes perplexingly inconday.

from the fact that many
of the tracts transmit to us local customs of different
periods, or from different parts of the country, or perhaps
sistent,

which probably

arises

the decisions of different jurists.

But these

unrealities

—
GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

l6

and

inconsistencies

chiefly

concerned,

and

:

they hardly touch

:

so far as the objects of this

Laws,

the

as

may

a whole,

I

who

concern those persons

study the Laws as legal documents
our inquiry

[PART

book are

be taken

as

representing faithfully the actual state of society.

Glosses and Glossaries.
Glossaries,

have been

—The Ancient

Irish Glosses

and

which are described at pp. 473 to 476, below,
all

turned to account, especially the Glosses

Grammatica

and the Glossaries of
Cormac Mac Cullenan, O'Clery, and O'Davoren. Zeuss's

in Zeuss's

*'

Celtica,"

•

Glosses, with the corresponding Latin phrases, are given
fully by Zimmer in his book " Glossae Hibernicse "
and
;

the whole of the Irish Glosses, wherever found

all

over

Europe, including those of Zeuss, are brought together,

with English translations of the old Irish passages, in
*'

Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus," by Doctors Stokes and

Strachan.

Cormac's Glossary contains a great deal of

authentic and most valuable information.

words explained
tenth century

—

—

had then that
become so antiquated
in

it

ligible to the generality of readers

is

Many

of the

in the ninth or

as to be unintel-

and the numerous

:

customs mentioned must have taken many generations
to grow up.
The notices of manners and customs found
in this Glossary may accordingly be taken to apply to
a period extending backwards for several centuries ix.
a period generally coincident with that covered

Cormac's Glossary

preceding three classes of authorities.
is,

for

my

by the

somewhat like a cake of highly
pemmican or desiccated soup—dry

purposes,

concentrated food

—

and unattractive looking, but yielding under proper treatment plenty of intellectual nutriment.
It abounds in
references, illustrations, indirect allusions, and quotations
from archaic lore all very brief relating to history, law,

—

—

romance, druidism, mythology, handicrafts, domestic life
showing the writer to have been a man of exceptional
;

powers of observation and

illustration

;

and

I

think that,

CHAP.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION

l]

I7

have obtained more information from this
book than from any other. To about the same period,
or earher, and for much the same reasons, may be ascribed
the information derived from the Glosses, most of which,
according to Zeuss, were written in the eighth century,
while some of
and others in the beginning of the ninth
the oldest of them have been assigned by other Continental
for its size, I

:

scholars to the seventh.

Annals, Histories, Genealogies, &c.

—Besides

the classes

of writings already noticed, there are Annals, Genealogies,

Local Memoirs, Historical Poems, and such
ing to accumulate evidence.

Among

like, all

help-

the later writings in

the Irish language are three local memoirs, translated and
edited

Hy

by O 'Donovan

one on the

:

Fiachrach in Sligo

;

district

another on

Galway

and people

Hy Many

of

or the

and the third on Corcaluidhe [Corkalee] or the O'Driscoll's territory in South
O'Kelly's country in

;

These describe the people of the three several
districts, their government, and modes of life, in the
Cork.

thirteenth, fourteenth,

and

fifteenth centuries.

One

great

value of these three comparatively late tracts consists in
this

:

— that

they fully corroborate the evidences of

and show that the habits and customs
the older times were preserved almost unchanged down

earlier writings

of

much

;

to the period of the writers.

book professedly deals with Ireland bethe Anglo-Norman Invasion (1171), it will be observed

Although
fore

that

I

this

sometimes notice matters belonging to much later

and later authorities
quoted. But the object of this
periods,

referring to

them

—

are often

enough to illustrate
the earlier history.
A statement in a late book asserting
or implying the prevalence of a certain custom at the time
of the writer, though it could not be accepted of itself a«
evidence of the existence of the same custom at a period
several centuries earlier, might corroborate a similar record
or incidental reference in an ancient document, which, if
B
is

clear

;

GOVERNMENT, MILITARY SYSTEM, AND LAW

l8

[PART

I

unsupported would be too weak or uncertain to warrant a
The late authority in such a case is something
conclusion.
a flying buttress erected to sustain a weak or yielding

like

old wall
if left

:

to

both

will

is

ing boys at seven.

There

is

A

good example of this sort of
Froissart's account of the custom of knight-

might

itself,

corroboration

stand by mutual support, where either,
fall.

(See pp. 518, 519, farther on.)

yet another source of information existing in

the Irish language

But

this

and

accordingl}^ I

—the loan-words from other languages.

branch of the subject has not yet been sufficiently
investigated by philologists to be turned to much account

have made

little

English and Foreign Writers.
referred to are

writings there
land,

all

is

not

which was

The

reach.

native.

much

use of

it.

— The authorities hitherto

In early Greek and
reliable information

in those times

about

Ire-

very remote and hard to

stories regarding Ireland in those

mere hearsay

Roman

and often remind one

days are

Greek
accounts of the Cimmerians, the Cyclops, Scylla and
Charybdis, the Harpies, and so forth. For example, Solinus
a Latin writer of about the third century, states that there
reports,

of the

no such things
as bees in it, that dust or small pebbles from Irish soil,
if taken to other countries and scattered among hives, will
frighten awa}^ and banish all the bees.
In like manner
Strabo has a numbe]- of odd fables about Ireland.* But as
were few birds

I

make

little

no need

in Ireland, that there are

use of the writings of these authors, there

to notice

them

ever, passages in the

had opportunities
what the37 knew,

of

further here.

is

Sometimes, how-

works of foreign writers, when they
coming at facts, and leave records of

afford valuable corroboration of Irish

which Bede's account of the students from
Britain residing in Ireland, and Ethicus's mention of

records, of

A brief but useful collection of Greek and Roman writers' stories
about Ireland, compiled by John O'Donovan, will be found in the Ulst.
*

Journ. Archaeol,,

viii.

239.