The Brehon Laws

Like with all the professions, there were several grades, or classes, of Brehons which was determined by a number of interesting factors. Ready to learn all about it? Let's go...

As we have lawyers, barristers, and other legal officers today, the Brehons also had law agents known as elbe and aigne. We'll learn about their different roles and grades in this video.

The spoken words of a Brehon's judgment was held to a degree of reverence among the people, so it should not be surprising to find a curious set of myths describing the supernatural penalties attached to a judge who gave a false judgment.

Mentioned in the previous lectures, here you'll have a chance to get to know Cormac Mac Airt, 'Ireland's Greatest King', a bit better.

Here you will learn about some of the key manuscripts containing tracts from the Brehon Law.

As a bonus, you'll also learn how to read the complicated sentence structure in which some of the manuscripts were written.

To give you an idea of the education procedure for brehons, here is an video showing the 7 Grades of Wisdom, the educational grades of the poets.

The brehons were preservers of the law, but also of an ancient language which came to be the 'legal language' of the brehons. It was an archaic language by the 5th C., literally translated as 'the language of the feini', or 'the language of the freemen'.

A mythological tale which highlights the use of the archaic Irish language among the professional grades.

One of the first fundamental principles of the Brehon Law.

A short account from the Irish myths describing the judgment of king Cormac and how 'good judgment' was a desirable and honoured trait. Listen to the story to hear an example of how restitution may have worked in principle.

Another fantastic story about restitution from Irish mythology. This time, starring the boy-hero Cuchulain.

A third example of restitution from Irish mythology. Here, an account from the alleged 'first people in Ireland', showing the antiquity of the concept of restitution in Irish society. What's more interesting about this story is the subject matter and the judgment. It's an example of the high-regard generally held for women in early Irish society.

Honour price was a fundamental aspect of the Brehon laws. The texts are replete with references to this. It regulated relationships, legal rights and duties, and the level of compensation one could expect for injury.

How did the brehons view crime and what sort of punishments were meted out?

Eric is a specific fine used only in cases involving death.

If there was no state apparatus as we are familiar with, what gave the brehons their power and how were their judgements enforced?

Another fundamental principle from the Brehon Law. Athgabail was a commonly used legal process for securing a remedy for debts owed.

An extract from a manuscript taken from the Ancient Laws and Institutes of Ireland. In the form of a dialogue, it lists out several way to lay a claim of distress agains the 'Men of Art' (Aes Dana).

Agreement makes the law - but in the absence of enforcement mechanisms what compelled people to honour their agreements?

An insightful bonus resource that describes the laws of Bee Keeping in more detail.

Hostages were used to secure compliance in public affairs.

Pledges were used to secure compliance in contracts.

It is not a coincidence that these two words are so similar.

A story from the Irish manuscripts about the semi-legendary king, Niall of the Nine Hostages.

From this story, you will get a better insight into how hostages were used to secure power in early Ireland.

Status was fundamental and formed the framework of all social interactions.

The laws and customs concerning marriage and the varying degrees of union.

In pre-Christian times, divorce was not forbidden. Here we look at the grounds that men could divorce their wives and vice versa.

The legal rules of inheritance.

Land usage and ownership within the túath.

A brief overview of society under the brehon laws.

Though they were aware of coinage, the early Irish never minted coins and the kings did not issue currency. What did they use instead?

Ireland is called the land of a thousand welcomes and her hospitality is renowned. Imagine, it was once illegal to be inhospitable to travellers or guests!

If you caused injury to another it was your bounden responsibility to 'maintain' them and nurse them back to good health.

I am joined here by Andrew St. Ledger of the Woodland League to discuss the significance of trees in early Irish culture and society.

If these laws were so great, so just, then why were the eventually replaced with the English Common Law?

In this lecture we will explore the historical factors that led to the ultimate demise of the Brehon Laws of Ireland. We'll learn how, against the force of two empires - the British and the Roman - the Gaelic laws, customs, and way of life was no match.

In 1367, a statute was enacted by a parliament stationed in Kilkenny, Ireland, in the name of the English king Edward III.

It targeted settlers of Anglo-Norman descent and addressed a growing concern among the English elite and loyal landed gentry that too many settlers were turning away from their own Anglo-Norman customs and way of life in favour of the Gaelic order.

In this lecture, we'll learn all about these Statutes of Kilkenny which give a rare glimpse into society at the time.

It also demonstrates how the landed Anglo-Norman settlers became 'Ní Gaelaí ná na Gael féin' or 'More Irish than the Irish themselves'.

A fascinating insight into early Irish society, the clash of kingdoms, and how attitudes to kingship radically differed between Ireland and England.