Early medieval Ireland was ruled by a large number of lords, kings, and overkings. In a complicated network of affiliations, the Irish kings and the dynasties to which they belonged played a never-ending game of prevail or perish. Most kings had to deal with jealous relatives, unruly sons, dissatisfied noblemen, and ambitious overkings. On the sideline, clerics and poets were keeping a critical eye on their rule. On the basis of a wide range of written sources (laws, sagas, poetry, annals, genealogy, hagiography), Early Irish Kingship and Succession - now available in paperback - provides new...
Early medieval Ireland was ruled by a large number of lords, kings, and overkings. In a complicated network of affiliations, the Irish kings and the d...