Cattle Lords and Clansmen: The Social Structure of Early Ireland

by Nerys Thomas Patterson

In Cattle Lords and Clansmen , Nerys Patterson provides an analysis of the social structure of medieval Ireland, focusing on the pre-Norman period. By combining difficult, often fragmentary primary sources with sociological and anthropological methods, Patterson produces a unique approach to the study of early Ireland―one that challenges previous scholarship. The second edition includes a chapter on seasonal rhythm, material derived from Patterson’s post-1991 publications, and an updated bibliography.

Genres: History, Ireland, Irish Literature, Research

442 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1991

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to evaluate as it does some things exceptionally well, but also has some methodological problems. The author approaches her subject from an anthropological angle. This is both the book's strength and its weakness. The author's background in anthropology is reflected in the book's organization and in her attention to power relationships and the maintenance of community. The book's weakness is the ahistorical treatment of subjects that have a very strong historical basis. She takes evidence from a wide chronological swath of history, but does not adequately take into account changes political and social context that came with invasions, changes in religion, and the like. Although there were certainly some large and important continuities, she seems to accept continuity with little/no questioning even in instances (such as land-holding and lordship) when there were huge external and internal forces pushing for change.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenges perceived knowledge on the structure of medieval Irish society and contains interesting information on the seasonal rhythm to the Gaelic way of life.

[Mir]

I think from my brief notes that I only read a chapter or section of this book, starting around page 150. It was probably for a vaguely-recollected paper on Irish Kingship.

-fluctuation of borders, power
-social relationships in tuath governed by law; enforced according to will and power of local lords. Power of law over lords achieved by intellectuals.
-rath: superior gift to inferior creates obligation.
By 10th and 11th centuries the gifts were symbolic and repaid with livestock et al goods + political allegience.
-fuidri (landless tenant class) dependent on lords for access to land and protection. No status.
-5 household minimum for a kin group.
-shortage of manpower prevented large plantations (too hard to work or defend)
-a 'free-client' relationship could be ended by either party without penalty.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough, though occasionally dry, look at the social structures and legal systems of medieval Ireland. Pretty accessible to a lay person as well!

[dragonhelmuk]

On the one hand he doesnt set my teeth on edge through most of this book (except in the admittedly commonly messed up ideas of ancient gods for the celtic festivals) but on the other hand.. most of this book is a bit boring. It brings together evidence from the law codes, mainly Crith Gabala with archaeological research to paint a picture of how Irish society really worked. Three quotes:

What really gave life to the rather forced idea that ancient Ireland resembled the India of the Rig-Veda was the convergence in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century of several strands of international scholarship and nationalist political ideology, all of which had a strong theoretical and comparative interest n the ancient Aryan culture of India.

Leaving conflict and turning to normal social interaction we can see that in almost every respect, honor-price governed the social capacity to interact with others beyond one’s domestic group. An important outcome was that social relations that were not inherently hierarchic (as were clientship and apprenticeship, for example) were confined to relations between peers. This produced a society that, in terms of sumptuary rules and general snobbishness, approached an almost caste-like condition—though lacking the rigidity of caste.

The patrilineal rule was ultimately a defence against the sister’s son’s connections with outsiders – principally his father’s people. As such, patrilineality was a counter to clientship, designed to limit the options that individuals had as to where to place their loyalties. It is therefore not surprising to find that the ingrained ambivalence expressed in early Irish literature towards the sister’s son had, as its counterpart, the suspicion levelled t the incoming wife—she too came trailing other ties and cherishing her own agenda. These bad-wife stories, in which the wife usually betrays her older husband with a younger man, who is either the husband’s son or close companion, cam e from a milieu which, though it cannot have been too happy, gave to literature (from the British Celtic tradition) the cycle of Arthurian romances in which is found ‘the only European myth of adultery’.

[Mariah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cattle-Lords and Clansmen: the Social Structure of Early Ireland by Nerys Patterson was one of the Celtic books that was recommended to me by online scholarly types. Even though I’m pretty used to reading academic books, this one was rather difficult and tedious to get through. She starts by reviewing and critiquing previous scholarship on what ancient/medieval Irish society was like. She notes that earlier scholars used innacurate translations, and until recently modern scholars did not like to use ancient Irish law as a source for evidence of social structure. Patterson takes a multidisplinary approach- using evidence from law tracts, other texts, linguistics and archaeology. If like me, you are not interested in the nitty-gritty of law and social rank, skip the first couple chapters to get to the good stuff. Ch. 3 is about the economics and material culture, and there are some interesting tidbits on the cultural associations of various animals, as well as their uses and roles.Ch. 4 is about how the Irish divided up land , which has some cosmological implications. Ch. 5 Seasonal Rhythyms of Social Life, was very interesting and informative- it discusses how the cycles of agricultural, military and courtship/marriage/family activity interrelated to the seasons and festivals. The festivals, it turns out, are less solar than they are agricultural and tribal in nature.

This is probably better to read after getting through more of the earlier scholarship. One book you should read first is Celtic Heritage by Rees, which she cites a lot. Though it’s a difficult read, it is useful for understanding how ancient Irish society worked, how they related to the land, how they saw the world they lived in.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nerys Patterson is trying to provide an analysis of the social structure of medieval Ireland. Her main focus is on the period between the arrival of Christianity and the pre-Norman era. For her sources she uses a combination, of more often than not, fragmented primary sources and sociological and anthropological methods. She uses explanations and analysis of the sources to present her ideas on the social structure of Early Ireland.

I’m not really sure how to look at this book. It was interesting to read though at times very complicated. I think this is more of a book for people who already have a basis in the law tracts talked about in the book, as well as an over all idea of the Early Irish structure and need more specific things explained.

For a fuller review please see my website: http://celticscholar.wordpress.com