The Brehon Laws: A Legal Handbook |
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Common terms and phrases
according aenach amount ancient Ireland ancient laws appear Ard-Rig bards became become Brehon Laws called cattle céile century chief Christian clan system commentaries contract Cormac crime criminal Crom Cruach cumhal custom daer daer-stock Danes death distinction distrained distress district druids Dubhthach duties elected English law entitled eric Erinn existed extent fact Feini Feis of Tara feudalism flaith flaith-fine fosterage free clansmen fuidhirs Gaelic Gaul gavelkind given held honour-price important Irish laws judge judgment justice Laeghaire land lative learned legislative liability manuscripts matters modern national assembly never non-free occasion ollamh Ollamh Fodhla ordinary original pagan paid person position possession probably provincial kings rank regard rendered respects rhyme Rīg Roman rules Saint Patrick says Senchus Mōr sept status Sub-Section Tanist tenure territory Theodosius things tion translated tribe tribute Trinity College tuath Uisneach wealth whole wholly word writers
Popular passages
Page 31 - What did not clash with the Word of God in the written law and in the New Testament, and with the consciences of the believers, was confirmed in the laws of the Brehons by Patrick and by the ecclesiastics and the chieftains of Erin; for the law of nature had been quite right, except the faith, and its obligations and the harmony of the church and the people. And this is the Senchus Mor.
Page 179 - CROM CRUACH and his sub-gods twelve," Said Cormac, "are but carven treene; The axe that made them, haft or helve) Had worthier of our worship been. "But He who made the tree to grow, And hid in earth the iron-stone, And made the man with mind to know The axe's use, is God alone.
Page 30 - Patrick requested of the men of Erin to come to one place to hold a conference with him. When they came to the conference the Gospel of Christ was preached to them all; and when the men of Erin heard...
Page 30 - Erin, from the first occupation of this island down to the reception of the faith, were all exhibited by Dubhthach to Patrick. What did not clash with the Word of God in the written law and in the New Testament, and with...
Page 67 - The head of every tribe, according to the people, should be the man of the tribe who is the most experienced, the most noble, the most wealthy, the wisest, the most learned, the most truly popular, the most powerful to oppose, the • most steadfast to sue for profits and be sued for losses.
Page 179 - Rossnaree And face me to the rising sun. 'For all the kings who lie in Brugh Put trust in gods of wood and stone; And 'twas at Ross that first I knew One, Unseen, who is God alone.
Page 67 - laying down (p. 279) that 'the head of every tribe should be the man of the tribe who is the most experienced, the most noble, the most wealthy, the most learned, the most truly popular, the most powerful to oppose, the most steadfast to sue for profits and to be sued for losses.
Page 161 - Notice precedes every distress in the case of the inferior grades except it be by persons of distinction or upon persons of distinction. Fasting precedes distress in their case. He who does not give a pledge to fasting is an evader of all ; he who disregards all things shall not be paid by God or man.
Page 14 - ... through the medium of written documents. It seems to have been ever the task of one generation of the Irish to gather again the scattered leaves of its predecessor. It is marvellous how much of this fragmentary literature reached the seventeenth century, when a new source of evil arose. During the first part of the eighteenth century, the possession of an Irish book made the owner a suspected person, and was often the cause of his ruin. In some parts of the country the tradition...
Page 179 - For all the kings who lie in Brugh Put trust in gods of wood and stone; And 'twas at Ross that first I knew One, Unseen, who is God alone. 'His glory lightens from the east; His message soon shall reach our shore; And idol-god, and cursing priest Shall plague us from Moy Slaught no more.