Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...
for "Heptads") is a collection of sixty-five heptads (mnemonic lists of seven) on various subjects in
early Irish law
Early Irish law, also called Brehon law (from the old Irish word breithim meaning judge), comprised the statutes which governed everyday life in Early Medieval Ireland. They were partially eclipsed by the Norman invasion of 1169, but underwe ...
. It is among the longest and most wide-ranging sources for early Irish law.
The ''Sechtae'' is the ninth text in the ''
Senchas Már
''Senchas Már'' (Old Irish for "Great Tradition") is the largest collection of early Irish legal texts, compiled into a single group sometime in the 8th century, though individual tracts vary in date. These tracts were almost certainly written ...
''.
Manuscripts
The ''Sechtae'' is only preserved in a complete form in one manuscript (
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...
MS Rawlinson B 487), though
Rudolf Thurneysen
Eduard Rudolf Thurneysen (14 March 1857 – 9 August 1940) was a Swiss linguist and Celticist.
Biography
Born in Basel, Thurneysen studied classical philology in Basel, Leipzig, Berlin and Paris. His teachers included Ernst Windisch and ...
refers to the quality of this manuscript as "very poor". Portions of the ''Sechtae'' or quotes from it are preserved in several other manuscripts.
In early Irish legal commentaries, the ''Sechtae'' is referred to as ("the sevens").
Contents
The ''Sechtae'' is among the longest surviving texts of
early Irish law
Early Irish law, also called Brehon law (from the old Irish word breithim meaning judge), comprised the statutes which governed everyday life in Early Medieval Ireland. They were partially eclipsed by the Norman invasion of 1169, but underwe ...
. It is the ninth text of the collection of legal texts called the ''Senchas Már'', placed at the beginning of the middle third of that collection. The compilation of the ''Senchas Már'' is generally dated between the late 7th and early 8th century CE. It is not clear whether law texts like the ''Sechtae'' were written by lay or clerical authors. D. A. Binchy argued the permissive divorce law described in Heptad III was suggestive of a lay author.
The ''Sechtae'' comprises sixty-five heptads. These heptads are mnemonic lists of seven corresponding to a legal subject matter (for example, a list of seven places where battles could not be fought), occasionally expanded to eight. The unusual breadth of the subject matter covered in the ''Sechtae'' has been commented on.
Rudolf Thurneysen
Eduard Rudolf Thurneysen (14 March 1857 – 9 August 1940) was a Swiss linguist and Celticist.
Biography
Born in Basel, Thurneysen studied classical philology in Basel, Leipzig, Berlin and Paris. His teachers included Ernst Windisch and ...
deemed them "especially valuable or the study of Irish lawbecause they touch on much which is not dealt with in other law texts".
Groups of three (triads) and of seven (heptads) are common in Irish legal texts. Seventeen additional heptads are known from works other than the ''Sechtae''. These heptads are printed as a sequence in ''Ancient Laws of Ireland'', under the name "Additional Heptads", though they never appear in such a sequence in manuscripts. Kelly proposes a Christian origin for the heptad, given the signifance attached to the number by Jewish and Greek traditions.
Scholars have discussed various heptads individually in order to clarify features of early Irish law.
Eoin MacNeill
Eoin MacNeill (; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist, and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Ceann Comhairle of D ...
(1923) translated Heptads XII through XV in a discussion of the law of status;
Rudolf Thurneysen
Eduard Rudolf Thurneysen (14 March 1857 – 9 August 1940) was a Swiss linguist and Celticist.
Biography
Born in Basel, Thurneysen studied classical philology in Basel, Leipzig, Berlin and Paris. His teachers included Ernst Windisch and ...
(1925) discussed XXV in the context of the legal text ''
Cóic Conara Fugill
''Cóic Conara Fugill'' (Old Irish for "Five paths to judgement") is a short early Irish legal tract dealing with court procedure. It was composed in the 8th or 9th century, and is the only early Irish legal tract to describe how a litigant coul ...
'' and (1928) discussed XXX and LXV in the context of the law of
surety
In finance, a surety , surety bond, or guaranty involves a promise by one party to assume responsibility for the debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults. Usually, a surety bond or surety is a promise by a person or company (a ''sure ...
; Binchy (1938) discussed XXV in the context of sick-maintenace law;
Liam Breatnach
Liam is a short form of the Germanic name William, or its Irish variant Uilliam.
Etymology
The original name was a merging of two Old German elements: ''willa'' ("will" or "resolution"); and ''helma'' ("helmet"). The juxtaposition of these e ...
(1989) discussed I and II in the context of legal disqualification; and
Charlene Eska
Charlene may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Charlene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Charlene or Charleen
* Charlene (singer), American singer Charlene D'Angelo (born 1950)
Music ...
(2022) discussed LXIV in the context of the law of lost property.
Excerpt
The following is a translation of Heptad XV, dealing with the honour-price of women:
See also
* '' Gúbretha Caratniad'', a similarly wide-ranging early Irish legal text.
* ''
Recholl Breth
''Recholl Breth'' (Old Irish for "Shroud of Judgements") is a legal text dealing with cases in which a legal fault is not immediately obvious. It touches on contract law, rightful kings, and marriage law.
It is the 13th text in the ''Senchas Má ...
'', a similarly wide-ranging early Irish legal tract, which contains one heptad.
Notes
References
Further reading
* pp. 119-351 (the ''Sechtae'' in English trans.) 353-373 (additional heptads in English trans.).
* 1.1-64.5; 1881.9-1896.22; 537.16-549.18; 1821.28-1854.36 (the ''Sechtae'' in
Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...