Compared to the Anglo-Saxon and Viking cultures, the Gaelic culture of ancient Ireland is less known. In this blog, we are assembling an Old Irish king from the 8th century AD.
We know quite a lot about the Old Irish culture. Primarily, archaeology offers us a good insight into this period. However, most of the information about the Gaelic culture of ancient Ireland is found in various written sources such as legal texts, annals, and narratives like the Ulster Cycle, Fenian Cycle, and the Cycle of the Kings.
The numerous mythological tales are captivating but are much more than that. They offer insights into the norms, values, and way of life in ancient Ireland. Another indispensable source for this culture is Old Irish law. In certain aspects, Old Irish law appears similar to the Gulathing Law and Frostathing Law that were regionally used in Scandinavia during the Viking Age.
All these sources were recorded by Irish monks. Consequently, they were influenced by Christianity. However, the mere fact that the monks took the effort to write down many of the Old Irish mythological tales demonstrates that this culture was still thriving despite the introduction of Christianity.
Irish kings (Ríg)
There were different tiers of kingship in the Old Irish system. Society consisted of various tribes (tuath, plural: tuatha) that had conflicts and alliances among them. This did not differ much from what was observed among the Germanic or Celtic tribes on the mainland of Europe and in the British Isles. Some tribes were powerful and large, while others were small. The tuath was essentially the precursor of the Scottish clan. The Old Irish term for king is "rí," plural: "ríg.
The Rí tuaithewas the king of the tribe. This can be compared to the clan chief in Scotland. This was the lowest level of king, yet kings who held a higher level were themselves Rí tuaithe over their own tribe.
The Rí bennor Rí tuathwas the king of multiple tribes, for example, of a collection or alliance of tribes.
The Rí ruirechor Rí cóicid: was above the ríg tuath and ruled a larger territory, such as a province. There were a maximum of six ríg ruirech in power at any one time. On average, there were about three or four during a given period.
The Ard ríwas the highest king. However, this position had more of a ceremonial role, while the lower kings had more authority. The ard rí was indeed a rí tuaithe for his own tuath and could even be a rí ruirech, in addition to holding the highest office in Ireland and Scotland. He resided at Tara.
All these kings had an unexpected advantage. There was no kingdom to seize because there were always hundreds of kings and candidates available.
Furthermore, it is striking how democratic the system was. All kings were supposed to abide by the law. Otherwise, they could be prosecuted, and the brithemna, judges, imposed higher fines depending on the status of the offender. There was a clear distribution of property, and each status was associated with a minimum possession. This helped prevent incompetent management and the risk of decreased productivity.
The Gaelic system ensured that Ireland and parts of Scotland consisted of many different small states and kingdoms. Indirectly, this made it impossible for a foreign conquering force to fully annex Ireland. This resulted in Ireland never being entirely incorporated by a foreign power, neither during the Viking colonizations nor the English conquests, until the 16th century.
There was a clear division of roles within the different classes, accompanied by specific property requirements (especially agricultural tools). This ensured that the Tuath managed the land efficiently, practicing the most effective agricultural methods and utilizing the land on which the Tuath lived.
In good condition
A king was expected to be in good condition. It was forbidden for a king to be 'injured.' He had to have full hearing and vision, as well as all his limbs. This was because the king was expected to protect his tribe.
It's striking that 'being injured' also means free from blemish. In case of mismanagement, a bard could compose a satire about the king. This was a serious offense, resulting in the king losing his kingship. However, making satire wasn't without restrictions. Wrongful satire was a crime and was treated similarly to injury, mutilation, or murder. Since the severity of the punishment was determined not only by the status of the perpetrator but also by the status of the victim, heavy fines could be imposed for this.
Fingal
The Old Irish word "fingal" translates to English as 'kin-slaying' and referred to the act of injuring or killing a family member. Usually, Old Irish kings were succeeded by the most competent family member. The king always had to be in perfect health. Therefore, one could easily secure kingship by injuring or murdering a competent family member who was a candidate. This was an issue in Old Irish society because it was challenging to enforce legal punishment against this act. In cases of punishment, not only the perpetrator but also the rest of their family were held responsible for paying the fine (often expressed in dairy cows).
Influences from other cultures
The Old Irish culture was not exclusively Irish. After Ireland converted to Christianity, various monks traveled to the British and European mainland to spread the faith. As a result, the oldest sources of the Irish language have been found in St. Gallen, Würzburg, and Milan. Early Ireland was therefore not just a remote part of European history, but an important center of scholarship.
From the 5th century onwards, the Irish conquered parts of Scotland. The kingdom of Dalriada encompassed a significant portion of the Scottish west coast and a section of northeastern Ireland. Consequently, the Irish acquired new neighbors: the Picts, a collection of Celtic tribes in Scotland, the Anglo-Saxons, and the kingdom of Strathclyde, founded by Celtic Britons after the withdrawal of the Roman Empire. Starting in the late 8th century, the British Isles and Ireland were raided by the Vikings, posing a threat to Irish society.
Composition
In this composition, we were inspired by King Conall mac Áedáin, Conall, son of Áedan, who ruled over Dalriada in the early 9th century. The kingdom of Dalriada consisted of the Scottish portion, Argyll and Ross, and a part of Ulster in Northern Ireland. He was likely a rí ruirech or provincial king. The Annals of Ulster mention that in 807, he defeated King Conall mac Taidg and thus acquired the crown himself.
We loosely based Conall's clothing on depictions from the Book of Kells. This book was likely created around 800 AD on Iona, where Saint Columba founded a monastery in 563 AD. This monastery was plundered by the Vikings in 795, 802, and 806 AD.
Gaelic population and trade
In this design, we've considered the trade that the Old Irish population had around this time, including trade with the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. In 635, Irish monks (possibly from Iona) established Lindisfarne on the East coast of North England. This missionary work undoubtedly brought about trade and scientific exchanges.
On the other hand, we have chosen not to add typical Viking objects to this composition. During the time of Conall mac Áedáin, the Vikings were his enemies, attacking and raiding his territory. It wasn't until later in the 9th and 10th centuries that a form of cultural overlap began to emerge.
Undertunic
As the first layer, Conall wears an undertunic or under léine. Léine is the Old Irish word for tunic, and these tunics were typically long. T-léine is the Gaelic for T-shirt.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/undertunic-yngvi-short-sleeves-natural.html
Long tunic, léine
Conall was one of the most prominent leaders of his time. Therefore, we based the fabric colors he wears on those found in the 9th-century Book of Kells. He is wearing a long tunic (léine). We intentionally chose a size too large: the more fabric, the richer the wearer. If the léine is too long, it can be shortened by pulling it over the belt.
In the 15th-16th century, Albrecht Dürer depicted kerns with wide sleeves in his sketch. We assume this to be a Renaissance trend. Therefore, Conall has normal sleeves. The colors blue, red, and purple were considered the most expensive colors according to the legal texts, reserved for the aristocrats to wear.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-tunic-linen-halvar-blue.html
Belt
To shape the léine, we use belts. This belt is a replica of a 6th-century Alamannic belt. The reason for this is that the decoration with dot-work and the three buttons is also common in the Insular Celtic style, which is prevalent in much of the Old Irish religious art.
In the early 9th century, Irish kingdoms mainly experienced conflict and little trade with the Vikings. In the late 7th century, Adomnán, the 9th abbot of Iona, drafted the Lex Innocentium. This law protected innocent people during times of war and could be seen as a precursor to the Geneva Convention. However, the Vikings paid no heed to it.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/alemanic-belt.html
Textile belt
In addition to his practical leather belt, we're portraying Conall wearing a red textile belt.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-belt-elina-red.html
Fur cloak, brat
To shield himself from the wet and cold Scottish and Irish weather, Conall wore a cloak (brat). This cloak was worn by all strata of the population. The rule applied to the brat as well: the larger, the better. To secure the brat, it could be tucked under the belt. During travel, it served as a sleeping blanket. It was versatile and could withstand hours in the rain. Eventually, the brat evolved in the 16th century into the féileadh mòr (great kilt), which later transformed in the 18th century into the Scottish kilt. For an extra touch of luxury, we've opted for a cloak trimmed with fur.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-cloak-fjell-brown.html
Cloak pin
The ancient Irish often fastened their brat with a fibula. The cloak we are using was slightly too thick, so we placed the pin on the shoulder. The original of this pin dates back to the 9th century. The pin of the cloak pin was sometimes so long that it could injure someone else.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/gaelic-brooch-ballyspellan-silvered.html
Trousers and Footwear
Remarkably, this king is not wearing trousers or footwear. Most depictions show the Irish barefoot and without trousers. Scotland and Ireland are primarily composed of marshy peatlands. As a result, the populace preferred to go barefoot and without trousers. Even kings followed this custom. It's worth noting that the climate of that era was a few degrees warmer than today. Consequently, the Irish did not harvest hay for their cattle, as they didn't experience harsh winters. The 10th-century Viking king Magnus III of Norway and the Isle of Man likely adopted this habit. He was referred to as Magnus Barefoot.
Nevertheless, trousers and footwear have been found in archaeological discoveries. Hence, these alternatives.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/iron-age-sandals.html
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/thorsberg-hose-fenris-autumn-green.html
Coat, ionar
The ionar was a coat or outer tunic for which there aren't many written sources available. It was typically made of wool. Various illustrations in the Book of Kells suggest the existence of such a garment.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-caftan-loki-red.html
Bracelet
Due to his high status, Conall could afford jewelry. The Irish were skilled in silver and gold craftsmanship, and numerous beautiful original brooches, rings, and bracelets have been discovered.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/wide-old-irish-bracelet-bronze.html
Sword
Conall is carrying a sword from the 7th-8th century. The original was found in Uppsala. Such swords were widely used by the Germanic peoples on the European mainland, in Scandinavia, and in the southern regions of the British Isles. Due to connections with Northern England, through the monasteries of Lindisfarne and Iona, there was trade with the Anglo-Saxons who also utilized similar swords.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/vendel-sword-uppsala-7th-8th-century-tin-plated-hi.html
Sax
The seax might have been obtained by Conall through Anglo-Saxon trade as well.
https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/germanic-scramasax-leuthari.html
Spear
Although today we associate the sword with the warrior elite, in ancient Ireland, the spear was the weapon of choice. Old Irish has about 43 different words for types of spears. The spear that Áed carries here is based on an original from the 10th century found in Dublin. It exactly matches the description of the "sleg," a heavy spear used both for throwing and thrusting.
Unfortunately, this model is no longer available in our inventory. Good, suitable alternatives are:
Leaf-shaped winged spearhead, approximately 43.5 cm: https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/leaf-shaped-winged-spearhead-approx-435-cm.html
Medieval spearhead, approximately 45.5 cm: https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/medieval-spearhead-approx-455-cm.html
Viking broadhead spear, approximately 64 cm: https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/viking-spearhead-for-hewing-approx-64-cm.html
These still need to be combined with a shaft. Look for:
Ash wood shaft: https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/ash-shaft.html
Rosewood shaft: https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/rosewood-shaft.html