Early medieval Irish literature thoroughly discusses the ideology of kingship; the tales about kingship both acted as exemplum literature for early Irish kings and, for modern scholars, elaborate on early Irish society's values. Although there is no specific evidence which indicates that the tales were used as exemplum, it seems fairly clear. Certainly there was literature designed to educate king's about their responsibilities. Audacht Morainn, a letter from an advisor to a prince, was clearly designed for just that purpose. The extent of the concern which early medieval literature has for kingship and, specifically, the values of kingship, indicates that this literature was intended for the education of kings as well as for entertainment. Having good kings was certainly very important to the medieval Irish; a good king secured peace and prosperity for his land. The reasons for the likely existence of exemplum literature for kings does not, however, indicate that the ki!
ngship literature must include that exemplum literature. What does indicate that kingship literature is, or at least includes, exemplum literature, is that the major themes in kingship literature deal with either how to be a good king or how not to be a b
. . .
Whether or not Congal Cáech was deprived of the kingship of Tara due to his blindness in one eye, it is evident that having a fit body was important, both ideologically and historically, in early medieval Ireland. " The best of these four rulers is, unquestionably, the fírflaith, the true or just ruler. Generosity and gift-giving are important in the historical relationship between king and client, but land is only incidental to the relationship. "Cath Maige Tuired as Exemplary Myth," Folia Gadelica, ed. Isle of the Saints: Monastic Settlement and Christian Community in Early Ireland, Cork
University Press: Cork, 1990. It was important for the kings not to be partial, but a just judgment took into account the temperaments of those involved. A number of discussions of the relationship between the king and goddess exist, but these largely belong to the earlier school which insisted that early Irish literature was based on pagan ideals. The judicial responsibility of an early medieval Irish king, however, is reduced somewhat by the fact that the king has little part in most law-making and primarily approves the decisions of others rather than make the actual judgments himself; the learned classes have far more association with this sphere of society. A well-known passage in Críth Gablach indicates that two days of the week were spent dealing with some sort of judgment or legal affairs:
There is moreover a weekly order proper for a king, i. "Cath Maige Tuired: Myth and Structure (1-24)"
Gray, Elizabeth A.
Approximate Word count =
5402
Approximate Pages =
22 (250 words per page double spaced)
Simply subscribe to view this paper, and 100,000 others.
| CREDIT CARD |
ONLINE CHECK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
JOIN BY PHONE
|
|
|
