← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Ed Toner
Thread ID: 12855 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2004-03-23
2004-03-23 23:18 | User Profile
Does anyone have a link for ALL of the laws?
I only have a short list, so here goes:
Every third year roads must be cleared of brambles, brush, weeds & water to make ready for the great assembly, feast/fair [where every three years the Brehons assembled to render judgement on matter of great import rather than individual cases].
The creditor who holds your brooch, necklaces & rings as security for your pledge must return them back to you to wear at the great assembly [or be fined for your humiliation].
(freedom of) Speech is given to three: the Historian Bard for relating tales, the Poet Bard for praise and satire, & the Brehon for rendering judgement.
The time allotted to each Brehon for rendering judgement is long or short depending on his dignity [or status]. In determining the length of speech he is allowed 18 breathings per minute [early filibuster control].
When a judge deviates from the truth a blotch will appear on his face.
For the best arable land the price is 24 cows. The price for dry, course land is 12 dry cows.
How many thing add to the price of a piece of land? A wood, a mine, site of a mill, a highway, a road, a great sea, river, mountain, river falling into the sea, a cool pond for cattle. Add three cows to the price if it's near a chieftian's house or monastery.
For stripping the bark off an oak tree, enough to tan a pair of women's shoes, the fine is one cow-hide. The defendant must cover the bruise with a mixture of wet clay, new milk, & cow dung.
If a man takes a woman off a horse, into the wood or on a boat and if the family members are present they must object in writing within 24 hours or no fine will be paid.
If a woman makes an assignation with a man to come to her bed or behind a bush the man is not guilt of rape even if she screams. If she has not agree to the meeting, however, he is guilty as soon as she screams.
The groom shall pay a bride-price of cattle, land, horses, gold, silver, to the Father of the bride. Husband and wife retain individual rights to property, goods and possessions each bring to the marriage.
If a pregnant women craves a morsel of food and her husband withholds it through stinginess, meanness or neglect he must pay a fine.
The husband who, though listless, does not go to his wife in her bed must pay a fine.
A fine of 6 cows for breaking a tribesman's two front teeth; 12 heifers for maiming a homeless man. For pulling off the hairs of a virgin Bishop one yearling for each 20 hairs.
The doctor shall build his house over a running stream. His house must not be slovenly or smeared with the tracks of snails. It must have four doors that open out so the patient may be seen from every side.
No fools, drunks or female scolds are allowed in the doctor's house when a patient is healing there. No bad news to be brought or talking across the bed. No grunting pigs or barking dogs outside.
If the doctor heals your wound but breaks it anew because of carelessness, neglect or lack of skill the doctor must return his fee and pay damages if he has further wounded you.
Whoever comes to your house you must feed and care for him no questions asked.
It is illegal to give someone food in which a dead weasel or mouse has been found.
The Bard who over charges for his poem shall be stripped of half his rank in society.
If your neighbor does not repay the debt he owes you, you may prevent him form going about his daily business. A withe-tie (for all to see) goes around the blacksmith anvil, carpenter's axe or tree-fellers hatchet. He is on his honor to do no work until the debt is settled or wrong righted. If a Bard or physician is the debtor immobilize his horse whip for both ride their circuits. The creditor may fast in front of the debtor's house to humiliate him until the debt is paid. [a withe is a flexible strip of willow]
If a rational adult bring a simpleton into an ale house for amusement and the simpleton injures a patron the adult who brought him must make compensation.
The fine for killing a bond servant or slave held as pledge for a debt is 21 cows, for a free farmer of Erin 42 cows, for a noble 42 cows plus an additional amount depending on his status. Fines are doubled for malice aforethought.
Three days is the stay of your cattle in the pound for a quarrel in the ale-house, injury of thy chief, overworking a valuable horse, maiming their chained dog, disturbing a fair, great assembly, striking or violating thy wife. Five days for satirizing a man after his death.
A layman may drink 6 pints of ale with his dinner but a monk only three so he is sober when prayer time arrives.
Blush fine are payable for insults or embarrassments to all persons of every rank except the ne'er-do-well, squanderer, selfish man who thinks only of himself, the buffoon who distorts himself before crowds, & the professional satirist.
The blacksmith must rouse all sleeping customers before he puts the iron in the fire to guard against injury from sparks. Those who fall asleep again will receive no compensation.
If a chip of wood flies from carpenter's axe he is not held liable unless he deliberately aimed the chip at the bystander.
"It is illegal to overide a horse, force a weakened ox to do excessive work or threaten an animal with angry vehemence which breaks bones."
''There are three tresspasses of a hen in a herb garden: the soft-swallowing of bees, injury to the dye plants, and attacks on the garlic. A guilty hen shall have her feet tied together, or rag boots put on."
''At the main feast of the assembly the king and the chief poet of the tribe shall be served a thigh of the roast. The young lord is served a leg. Blacksmiths and charioteers shall be served the head and queens get haunches.''
''The wife who minds the sheep shall be paid two lambs a year.''
''The chief poet of the tribe earns twenty-one cows annually, plus enough pasture lands to feed them, plus two hounds and two horses.''
''If a person who is of a higher rank than you refuses to pay his debt you may sit at his doorstep and fast until he submits to arbitration. If you die before he submits he shall be blamed for your death and shall suffer lifelong disgrace.''
''Whether the offspring of kings, warriors, poets, workers in wood or stone, or tillers of the soil, a son or daughter shall follow the career of his or her parents.''
''...the son of a king of Erin shall wear satin and red clothes...''
''The sons of the inferior classes of chieftains shall wear black, yellow, or gray clothing..."
''The sons of the lowest class of chieftain shall wear old clothes...''
''A king exercises not falsehood nor force nor oppressive might. He is righteous towards all his people, both weak and strong.''
"Three things that cause the overthrow of a king; injustice, extortion, and kin-slaying.''
''For digging in a churchyard to steal from it, for making a dam in a stream to take an excess of fish, or for stealing a hunter's tent, your cattle will be taken to the animal pound for three to ten days, depending on the circumstances.''
''If a tribesman breaks another tribesman's leg he must pay a fine and supply a horse for the victim to ride on.''
''All members of the tribe are required to offer hospitality to strangers. The only exceptions are minor children, madmen, and old people.''
''The selfish man, who thinks only of his cows and his fields, and not of his fellow human beings, may be insulted without risking a blush fine.''
''The satirist who satirises a guiltless person will grow blisters on his own face. And then he will die.''
Every third year roads must be cleared of brambles, brush, weeds, and water to make ready for the great assembly, feast/fair.
The creditor who holds your brooch, necklaces and, rings as security for your pledge must return them back to you to wear at the great assembly and prevent embarrassment.
For the best arable land the price is 24 cows. The price for dry, coarse land is 12 dry cows.
If a woman makes an assignation with a man to come to her bed or behind a bush the man is not guilty of rape even if she screams. If she has not agreed to the meeting, however, he is guilty as soon as she screams.
The groom shall pay a bride-price of cattle, land, horses, gold, silver, to the Father of the bride. Husband and wife retain individual rights to property, goods and possessions each bring to the marriage.
If a pregnant women craves a morsel of food and her husband withholds it through stinginess, meanness or neglect he must pay a fine.
A fine of 6 cows for breaking a tribesman's two front teeth; 12 heifers for maiming a homeless man. For pulling off the hairs of a virgin Bishop one yearling for each 20 hairs.
It is illegal to give someone food in which a dead weasel or mouse has been found.
If your neighbor does not repay the debt he owes you, you may prevent him from going about his daily business. A withe-tie goes around the blacksmith anvil, carpenter's axe or tree fellers hatchet. He is on his honor to do no work until the debt is settled or wrong righted. If a Bard or physician is the debtor immobilize his horse whip for both ride their circuits. The creditor may fast in front of the debtor's house to humiliate him until the debt is paid.
If a rational adult brings a simpleton into an ale house for amusement and the simpleton injures a patron the adult who brought him must make compensation.
The blacksmith must rouse all sleeping customers before he puts the iron in the fire to guard against injury from sparks. Those who fall asleep again will receive no compensation.
When a judge deviates from the truth, a blotch will appear on his cheek. Whoever comes to your door, you must feed him or care for him, with no questions asked.
The chief poet of the tribe shall sit next to the king at a banquet. Each shall be served the choicest cut of meat.
The poet who overcharges for a poem shall be stripped of half his rank in society.
The mill-owner is exempt from liability for injury to a person caught between the millstones.
The husband who, through listlessness, does not go to his wife in her bed must pay a fine.
If a pregnant woman craves a morsel of food and her husband withholds it through stinginess or neglect, he must pay a fine.
A layman may drink six pints of ale with his dinner, but a monk may drink only three pints.
This is so he will not be intoxicated when prayer-time arrives.
If the poet or the physician is in debt, immobilize his horse-whip, for both ride their circuits on the backs of horses.
The lender of a horse must give notice of the horse's kicking habits.
Notice of the hound in heat and the mad dog must be sent to the four nearest neighbourhoods.
The harpist is the only musician who is of noble standing. Flute-players, trumpeters and timpanists, as well as jugglers, conjurers and equestrians who stand on the backs of horses at fairs, have no status of their own in the community, only that of the noble chieftain to whom they are attached.
The creditor who holds your brooch, your necklet or your earrings as a pledge against your loan must return them so you may wear them at the great assembly. Or he will be fined for your humiliation.
The time allotted to each Brehon for pleading his case is long or short according to his dignity. In determining the length of the speech he is allowed, count eighteen breathings to the minute.
On the best land everything is good. The herbs are sweet and no manure or shells are needed. There will be no plants that will stick in a horse's mane or tail: no briars, no blackthorns, no burdocks.