Undoubtedly the most significant ancient settlers of Ireland were the Celts, who arrived during the Iron Age beginning about 500 b. c. They were an Indo-European people who had emigrated from central Europe to the westernmost parts of the continent. While it is still unclear whether they came to Ireland in large groups or in smaller bands of conquerors, their culture and language became ascendant. Their oral literary tradition has given us greater knowledge of their society and culture than of the earlier settlers. Celtic folklore, especially the folk epic the Tain, which deals, among other things, with the warrior hero Cuchulain, not only has provided knowledge of Celtic society but also has served in modern times to fuel and inspire political nationalism, including the naming of modern political parties and government positions.
A similar culture and language, however, did not bring political unity to Celtic Ireland. Instead there were several score tuatha, or small kingdoms. Groups of these would be subordinate to a stronger kingdom, which in turn would be subject to one of a handful of even greater kingships, but the alliances and positions of dominance would continually shift. Each tuath had a king, or ri, and occasionally kings who led large alliances would claim the title of ard-ri, or high king. A limited electorate of relatives selected the king of a tuath, with the choice limited to near relatives, not necessarily sons, of the last king. The druids (priests) and the brehons (judges) also played significant roles. Law was more a matter of arbitration. More fines were meted out than severe forms of punishment or imprisonment. There was no currency and wealth was measured in terms of cattle. The society was not democratic—many were held in slavery or other forms of servitude. Although their society was relatively developed and complex with a system of laws, intricate inauguration or coronation rituals, and refined art, the Celts had not developed the art of writing aside from ogham, a system of strokes on stones, many of which still stand in rural Ireland. The lack of written records enhanced the position of the fili or poets, whose task was the committing of royal genealogies, the significance of sacred places, the privileges and obligations of aristocrats, and the laws to memory. The fili also acted as social commentators, utilizing their poetic talent to celebrate a patron or disabuse someone who had fallen out of their favor.
World History
