Early Irish Farming: A Study Based Mainly On The Law-texts Of The 7th And 8th Centuries Ad (early Irish Law Series)

With minor revisions and corrections. First published 1997. The Irish law texts of the seventh and eighth centuries AD are our principal written source of information on pre-Norman farming in Ireland. This book summarizes the information provided by these texts, and compares it with the evidence of other texts - both in Irish and Latin - and with the findings of archaeology. Also included are editions of some important legal passages connected with farming which have not hitherto been translated. This book should appeal to students of early Irish law, as well as to geographers, social historians, archaeologists, and those with a general interest in the history of Irish farming. List of figures xiv List of plates xv Preface xvi Abbreviations xviii Introduction 1 Physical description of Ireland 1 Climate 2 The human impact in prehistoric times 3 Archaeological information in the historical period 5 The evidence of the written sources 6 Terminology 15 Illustrations relating to farming, etc. 16 Medieval European farming 19 Anglo-Norman farming in Ireland 20 Modern farming 24 1. Livestock (I): Cattle 27 Types and Breeds 29 Cattle-management 37 The diet of cattle 42 Training and use of oxen 48 Bulls 49 Slaughter 51 Cattle-products 52 Cattle prices and values 57 2. Livestock (II) 67 Sheep 67 Goats 77 Pigs 79 Horses 38 3 Livestock (III) 102 Hens 102 Geese 105 Ducks 107 Doves 107 Peafowl 108 Bees 108 Dogs 114 Cats 121 Other pets and captives 124 Later introductions 131 4. Offences by domestic animals 134 Grazing-trespass 135 Damage to crops 140 Rooting-trespass 142 Defecation 143 Theft of food 145 Flying-trespass 145 Offences against persons 147 5. Offences against domestic animals 158 Killing 158 Injury 102 'Cechrad' and 'Salchad' 104 Arson 104 Theft 105 Unauthorized use 109 Opening sheds, etc. 170 Illegal distraint 170 Bewitching 174 Bestiality 175 Offences against animals by other animals 170 6. Accidents, diseases, etc. 182 Accidents to livestock 182 Predators 185 Diseases and defects of livestock 192 Cattle-diseases and defects 194 Sheep-diseases and defects 205 Goat-diseases 207 Pig-diseases 208 Horse-diseases and defects 209 Poultry-diseases 213 Bee-diseases 214 Dog-disease 215 Cat-disease 215 Treatment of injury and disease in livestock 216 7. Crops (I): Cereals 219 Types of cereals 219 Cereal-cultivation 229 Cereal-harvesting 237 Cereal-processing 240 8. Crops (II) 248 Pulses 248 Vegetables and herbs 250 Fruit 259 Dye-plants 263 Flax 269 Ornamental flowers 270 9. Hunting and gathering 272 Hunting of deer 272 Hunting of wild pig 281 Hunting of other land mammals 282 Hunting of marine mammals 282 Fishing 285 Fowling 298 Gathering 301 10. Diet and Cooking 316 Types of diet 316 Food-production and consumption 319 Cooking methods and utensils 322 Milk and milk-products 323 Grain-products 330 Meat 330 Vegetables and fruit 339 Salt 340 Pepper 342 Restricted diets 343 Food for invalids 343 The diet of women and children 351 Taboo foods 352 Hunger and famine 354 Feasting 357 11. Farm Lay-out 300 Farmhouse 301 Farmyard 363 Garden 303 Fields and greens 308 Walls and fences 372 Gates and shies 378 Trees and woodland 379 Roads 390 Land-values 394 12. Land-tenure 398 Land-tenure and its limitations 399 Kin-land 402 Royal land 403 Church-land 404 Common land 406 Water 408 Boundary-marks 409 Land-acquisition 411 Farm-size 421 Rent of land 423 Landless people 423 Land-tenure in later Gaelic Ireland 428 Offences against land 431 13. Farm labour 438 Slaves 438 Semi-freemen 440 Servants 442 Freemen 445 Women 448 Children 451 Clergy and monastic clients 452 Rest, holy days, festivals, etc. 455 14. Tools and Technology 463 Cultivation 465 Mining, excavation, turf-cutting, etc. 479 Harvesting and processing of cereals 480 Wood-cutting 485 Fencing and wall-construction 492 Animal restraints, goads, etc. 493 Butchering, etc. 496 Transport technology 496 Ropes 499 Other farm tools 500 Appendix A. The texts 503 Text 1. Defects of cows and sheep 506 Text 506 Translation 507 Discussion 508 Text 2. Livestock not to be distrained 521 Text 522 Translation 523 Discussion 523 Text 3. Value of cattle, sheep and pigs 533 Text 533 Translation 531 Discussion 535 Text 4. Roads and tracks 537 Text 538 Translation 538 Discussion 539 Text 5. Calves with two mothers 545 Text (H 3. 18) 545 Translation 547 Text (Egerton 88) 547 Discussion 548 Text 6. Land-values 552 Text 552 Translation 552 Discussion 552 Text 7. Horse-qualities 555 Text 555 Translation 555 Discussion 556 Appendix B. Units of measurement 560 (1) Length 560 (2) Sea-measures 569 (3) Square and cubic area 571 (4) Liquid capacity 575 (5) Dry capacity 581 (6) Weight 583 (7) Units of value 587 Index 1. Irish index 601 Index 2. Scottish Gaelic and Manx index 658 Index 3. Anglicized forms of Irish and Scottish Gaelic terms 660 Index 4. Welsh, Breton and Cornish index 662 Index 5. Latin index 665 Index 6. General index 674 Bibliography 719 Published sources 719 Unpublished sources 751 Addenda and corrigenda 752