Droit et Cultures (Dec 2012)
Les règles de droit dans la prose du Dindshenchas de Rennes
Abstract
Medieval Irish poets must have been familiar with the lore of prominent places (dindsenchas). Several sources from the 11th to the 13th centuries include short passages, in both prose and poetry, which tell of the “tradition” of places. Each toponym is thus explained through a particular story, which is often far from historical reality, but which recounts the exploits of a hero, a king or a god. Among these legends, there are, here and there, allusions to the law. This study looks at recension C of the dindsenchas, which is in a manuscript at the library of Rennes. It contains references to contracts, sureties, ordeals and judgments, which show that the law was not confined to legal treatises, but was often incorporated into various literary forms, particularly the legends of prominent places. The legends therefore often confirmed the rule of law taught in law schools, they were the spirit of the custom.
