Lóg n-enech

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Lóg n-enech [ Loɣ 'nːenʼex ] ("Honorary Award") is a term from Old Irish law. The second part of the word, enech , means "face" and figuratively means "honor of a person". The Welsh term for Lóg n-enech is wynebwerth (composed of wyneb , "face" and gwerth , "value").

The "honorary award"

With Lóg n-enech the social and legal position of a Celt is determined. In the event of insult or bodily harm, the amount of the fine to which the injured party is entitled was based on the rank defined here. This honorary award was granted exclusively to free men, i.e. members of the flaith , who in addition to the ruling nobility and the druids, the vates ("poets / seers"), filid ("musicians / bards"), doctors, historians, blacksmiths (* kerda-) , Car makers and legal experts, so the áes dána ("people with skills"), furthermore the aithech , the free landowners, included. In the case of attacks against women, the husband received compensation, in those against the unfree her master received compensation.

An exception was the honorary award that the concubine (Irish adaltrach , from the Latin adultera , "adulteress") to the first wife (Irish cét-muinter , "first in the household", also prím-ben , "main wife") because of her Second marriage suffered insult. (See also Celtic Women # Marriage Law )

Since the highest unit of account in Ireland and Wales was the slave ( old Irish cumal , old Kymrian aghell ), usually worth ten cows ( séoit , singular sét ), five horses or a wagon, the honorary award of notables was also measured accordingly. For example, according to the old Irish law Críth Gablach (“The forked / branched purchase”) the insult to the provincial king was to be paid 14  cumal .

imprecation

Since the justice of the king ( fír flathemon ) was a geis (commandment, taboo), the injustice in his rule ( gau flathemon ) was described in the old Irish legal texts with the rough term cacc for enech ("shit on his face / his honor") named.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. S, 991.
  2. ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture . P. 91.
  3. Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. S, 1031.
  4. ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture . P. 111 f.
  5. Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. S, 989.
  6. Wolfgang Meid: The Celts. P. 106 f. (for the entire text)
  7. Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 889.