Brehon Laws by Jo Kerrigan

Author:Jo Kerrigan [Kerrigan, Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Ireland, General, Law, Jurisprudence, Great Britain, Medieval
ISBN: 9781788491938
Google: 1eTEDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: The O'Brien Press Ltd
Published: 2020-03-16T00:36:22+00:00

Whatever thing is cast ashore in a territory, whether a crew of shipwrecked people, or a whale, the whole territory is bound to save it from the strand … [Law of Distress]

DISTURBANCE

Interrupting an official assembly, or disturbing the peace at a gathering or fair, was considered a heinous crime, since these were occasions when the whole organisation of the region was being discussed. Nobles from other kingdoms might well be attending under the protection of the local king, a responsibility that was taken very seriously. In addition to fines paid to the king, such visitors also were compensated:

They take the ‘dire’-fine of the hill of meeting. That is, whether one person, or many came to the hill of meeting, before him (a privileged person who was) alone, and did not come in the train of the company of another person, and did not come under the guidance of a certain person, the one and twentieth part of his honor-price is due to him for any quarrel in his presence … [Book of Aicill]

and

If thy horses are removed from the hill of meeting, the fine extends to the three noblest in a pavilion, ie if any one has set up anything to scare thy horses from the hill of meeting, the honor-price which is due for it is that of the three noblest persons who are in the pavilion. [Ibid.]

Even sport, particularly the ancient game of hurling, was recognised as an occasion when no interruption should be allowed. Disturbing a game by rolling a rock down a hill to stop play, raising a distracting shout or launching a spear into the middle of the field invited serious retribution. (It still would.)

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