2 86 Folklore and History in Ireland.
The Irish arc not racially homogeneous. To judge by legends Irish Princes had a preference for seeking brides from alien countries. Trade and pillage brought adven- turers from other lands to the Irish shore. For the most part the coast lands only were affected by these intruders, and especially the towns. Despite their many misdoings in the land Ireland has to thank the old pirates from the Baltic and North Seas for the foundation of some of her finest cities. Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford, for example, were originally settlements of Danes, — the last of whom, according to tradition, embarked from the Rock of Dunmaul in the Giant's Causeway, where oral history states that " in the olden times " all the rents of Ireland were paid. If all the Danes did leave, a tradition history does not entirely
rejects the word "Sept" as modern and incorrect. The political unit was the tribe (Tuath). A combination of two, three or more tribes was a Mor-Tuath. The family consisted of all the descendants of any living couple. The clan (Clann meaning children) comprised several families, the nearly- related descendants from a common ancestor. The Tuath consisted of a number of clans supposed to be descended from a common ancestor. [The nomenclature is not up to date in accordance with the Handbook, but I summarise Joyce.] Besides blood relationship there was relationship by adoption, either of an individual — with the consent of a representative family circle — or of a group, that is to say a small tribe might be adopted by a larger for purpose of common defence, etc. There was further what Joyce calls religious relationship, i.e. gossipred ; and also fosterage — considered a most sacred tie. There were four degrees of kings — over-king, king of the province, king of the mor-tuath, king of the tuath — small wonder it is said that every Irishman claims a king for forebear ! Next in rank came the nobles, large owners of property, some of it land. Below these were the non-noble free- men, rent-paying, with property in cattle. The fourth grade consisted of freemen with little or no property. Finally came those who were not free born. As regards the division of land each tribe held a definite district, and each clan its sub-district. Individual tenure : the king held a portion as mensal land for life, this descended by tanistry. Private property in land descended by inheritance, and included the homestead and ground held by every free member. Thirdly, there were tenants. Tribe lands — arable — were held by clans in subdivision from the tribe and liable to gavelkind. Pastures were common-iand. Sometimes land was held by a family, but not by any individual member.
