The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-01-04

Brehon laws of Erin constituted a
native, original, Independent civiliza.
ton. According to Brehon law the
bard-poet, priest and harpist, took
rank next to the king; the king never
dispensed with the services of the
bard; without the bard's consent war
was not declared nor was peace with
enemy concluded; everywhere the pre-
Christian bard Of Erin went he was
welcomed with respect by young and
old, by husbandman and warrior, by
youth and maiden. His was the
office, to praise good and to blame
evil; his was the office to hand down
in rhyme the exploits of heroes; his
was the office to wake the harp ut the
feast and to hold enthralled in the
sweet bondage of music and song the
souls Of brave men and fair women;
for i'll pre-Christian Erin, in the
beautiful isle Of the sea-" in the is
land of Macha and Nav, contrary to
common pre-C Christian civilization,
wives were considered fit and worthy
to share the public festive-board with
their lords; at the public feast Of VIC
tory won, brave men sat at table be-
side fair women.
Set the harp, no prelude wanted;
Sancllan struck the master key,
And as bursts the brimful river all at
once, from caves of Cong;
Forth at once and forth forever, leap
cd the torrent of the song"
The pre-Christian bard of Erin was
well worthy to take this place next
to royalty. The prc-Christian bard of
Erin spent twelve years in study; he
knew the principal events of the his
tory of his country; he was familiar
with the rules and regulations of
seven different kinds of poetry; he
could recite three hundred and fifty
different poems; he could compose an
cXtcmpOre StanZa on almost any
professional ubject-hstory, druidism
or literature; and some of these bards
could perform the triple musical feat
of hypnotic sleep, hypnotic laughter
and hypnotic mourning. There is
cNtant a story of n bardic competition
which cNcmplfies the bardic accom-
punishment of cNtempore poetry. A
yolln" bard who had been duly admit
ted to the order went to Scotland to
visit some friends. He was the son
Of the principal provincial poet. When
he was absent, his father died. Hear
ing of his fathers death he FASTENED
home. When he arrived at court,
he found the clicf-poct's chair vacant.
He put on the chief poets mantle and
Gated himself in the chief poets chair.
When the chief poet entered he was
surprised to find his rightful place
occupied and his legitimate property
appropriated. In solemn poetic strain
the chief poet demanded who might
be the distinguished stranger on whose
shoulder rested the splcndor of the
chief poets mantle. He was answered
poetic than his own. Tho contest
commenced; poetic question and an
swcr continues; the courtiers assem-
blcd, the competition was prolonged
till finally the young bard was dc
clarcd the victor and to him WAS of
ferch the chief poets chair and gown:
but very unlike the young man of the
present day. the youthful bard, With
modest cUndrSccnSion. declined the of
fer and yielded the place and gown
to his elder confrerr whose successor
he afterwards became
There is rXtant another story. which
eXcInplilics the bar,lic triple musical
feat. According to BrchOn law author.
ity WAS partly hereditary and partly
elective. Royal authority was elrc.
tive to this extent, that anyone who
manifested physical, mental or mora
defect w;l$ drhnrrcd from the hope
of ever becoming king When the heir
apparent displayed any of these de
fcctS he WAS set aside and king was
chosen by election. The son of Il cor
tain provincial king WAS dumb He
might not aspire to royal authority. He
was educated by II famous harpst
named Craftinc. Craftinc took a
special interest in the royal speech
less boy. AS the boy grow up, he.
one day ullnrrelcd with Il companion:
the quarrel resulted in blows: cndrav-
orin% to suit the word to the action
the dumb boy acquired the power of
speech; thereby he became rightlul
provincial king. But his father was
dead and the boys granduncle was
the actual king. The uncle was not
inclined to ah,licatc in favor of the
nephew. Craftinc advised the prince
to visit another provincial king in or
der to make known to that king the
princes ri%htful claim. The daughter
of this king was the most famous
beauty of her time. Her parents were
determined she should we'd only roy