Page 107 - Demo

Chapter Four 107
wealth was recorded not by what they had, but by what they gave,’ and of one charitable chieftain, the legend tells that his right hand grew longer than his left from constant giving! As well as this private hospitality there were also scattered throughout the country many
public houses of hospitality, well stocked with food for any who wished to partake of it. These hostels which were called bruidheans, were situated at places where several roads met, and the oicial in charge was known as a bruighaid. It is recorded that there were six very notable bruidheans, each of them erected and placed at the junction of six of the roads of Ireland. The bruidhean always had a door facing each road, and it was the responsibility of the person in charge to dispatch a man along the road, whose duty it was to invite and direct all travelers to the house of hospitality. In each such establishment a light burned all night, the doors were always open, both day and night, and there was always the generously full cauldron bubbling on the ire. After the establishment of Christianity monasteries gradually replaced the bruidheanta in dispensing hospitality.
Evident and to the fore in all the ancient chronicles and tales of Ireland are the noble ideals and principles held by the people of the time and the particular system of morals practiced by them. For example, six gifts expected of an Irish girl were-beauty of person, beauty of voice, the gift of music, knowledge of embroidery, knowledge of needlework, and the gift of wisdom and virtuous chastity-strange how chastity is only mentioned in relation to women!
Anyway, it is told that the beautiful Emer, whom the great warrior and philanderer Cúchulainn wooed and eventually won, was a paragon for all Irish women, she was it is recorded:
“-shy, demure, self-denying, hesitant about permitting herself to be wooed, possessed of both maidenly modesty and maidenly excellence. She was engaged at needlework when Cuchulain arrived”.
Regarding the qualities expected of the men of Ireland, we recall the wandering eyed Cúchulainn’s declaration: “I care not whether I die tomorrow or next year if only my name and my noble deeds live after me.” Nonetheless, all Irish men were not morally as liberal as was Cúchulainn, and accordingly, we should in reference remember Oisin’s statement that the Fenians won all their battles because they had ‘strength in their arms, courage in their hearts, and truth upon their tongues’. In addition, and in support of Oisin’s declaration, it