Briuga
Briuga [ 'b'r'iuɣa ], even briugu [ ' b'r'iuɣu ], or bíathach was in pre-Christian and medieval Ireland , the old Irish name for a free large-scale farmers. As such, he was one of the aithech (non-noble free landowners), as well as the áes dána ("people with skills"). In English , the name is usually given with the term hospitaller ("host").
The Briuga took on a high social position because of his wealth and above all his great hospitality, he almost had the reputation of a prince. In Ireland's population, which was hierarchically divided into three classes - the nobility, the common free and the servants - these large farmers held a position between the nobility and free men. This is emphasized in the old legal texts as well as in the legendary traditions . According to these island Celtic collections of sayings, the title Briuga was used in this sense until the 16th century.
Myths and Legends
In many stories the Briuga is portrayed as a man with mythical qualities, his festival hall ( bruiden ) is very often the place where mystical or cruel events take place.
- Aided Cheit maic Mágach ("The Death of Cet mac Mágach"): the host Bélchú violates the hospitality law
- Aided Cheltchair maic Uthechair ("The death of Cheltchars, the son of Uthechar"): Blaí Briugu is slain out of jealousy
- Esnada Tige Buchet ("The Song of the House of Buchet"): the plunder of Briugus Buchet
- Fled Bricrenn ("Bricrius Fest"): the dispute in Bricrius Festhalle
- Noínden Ulad ("The weakness of the Ulter"): betrayal of Briugus Crunnchú to his wife Macha
- Scéla mucce Meic Dathó (“The story of Mac Dathó's pig”): Dispute over Mac Datho's dog
- Togail Bruidne Da Derga ("The Destruction of the Hall Da Dergas"): the murder of Conaire Mór in Da Derga's festival hall - this is described as an example of all such halls at Birkhan , it has space for hundreds of warriors and a large number of servants . It stands in the middle of a crossroads and has seven gates, but only one is locked at a time - a sign of the owner's hospitality.
literature
- Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
- Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 , p. 56.
- Wolfgang Meid : The Celts. Reclams Universal Library , Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-15-017053-3 .