Leabhar Draiocht / The Book for Druidism  

 

 Here is the book of Draoicht, that is to say the Druidism of the Bards of Canada, Which I Brock Adams of Winnipeg, extracted from an old book.  

 

         

 

         Uraicecht becc / The little treatise [from the MacNeill translation]  

 

1) Wherein is found the Jurisprudence of the language of the Feni found? Answer: In proof and right and nature  

 

2) Proof is founded on rules and maxims and true testimonies. Right is founded on  verbal contracts and acknowledgement. [The law of] Nature is founded on remission and joint arrangements.  

 

3) Proof and right are founded on the Nemeth (ordinarily meaning "sacred', is a generic term for every person having the franchise of the Feni)  

 

4) Whatever decision is not founded on any of these is altogether void.  

 

5) Whatever decision (or regulation) of the Nemeton exists is founded on proof and Sean Nos. The decision of a Fili, however, is founded on rules of law. The decision of a ruler, however, is founded on them all, on rules of law and maxims and [true] testimonies.  

 

6) There are two [kinds of]Nemeth that exists on earth, the free Nemeth (Soernemeth) and the subject Nemeth (Doernemeth). The free Nemith that are, Druids, Rulers, Ollamhs, Filidh, and Feni: the subject Nemith, however, the folk of every art or craft besides. The reason why the folk of every art or craft are [called] subject Nemith is because they serve the free Nemith: but everyone is also free who purchases his franchise by his art. Hence there is a [saying], "the free in the seat of the unfree and the unfree in the seat of the free." Everyone [may become] free by his wealth; everyone [may become] unfree by his lips.  

 

7) "The free in the seat of the unfree," the man who sells his land or his authority, or his body in service. "The unfree in the seat of the free," the man who buys land or rights or franchise by his art or by his husbandry or by his talent that [the]God(s) give(s) him. Hence there is [a saying], "a man is better than his birth."  

 

8) The nine grades of the Nemeton: Anruth, Focloc, MacFuirmid, Doss, Cano, Cli, Anrad, Ollamh, Druis.  

 

9) The nine grades of governance (Government in regards of subject clientship, and their contemporary equivalents): Muintear (the folk), Aire Desso (Bailey/Sheriff), Aire Echta (Mayor), Aire Tuise (Premiers), Aire Ardd (Members of parliament), Aire Forgill (First ministers of each party), Righ (Governor general), Ard Righ, Diathan.  

 

10) Nine chattels of Dire for an Aire Desso, and protection for 3 days, 4 men's food-provision for him, and 4 cakes to each man with their condiment and their seasoning. If it be true Caindenn (meaning a seasoning vegetable- Garlic, onion, or leek. "Joint", Cammchnaim, Lit. "bent bone", perhaps a ham), 16 flakes for each cake, or 4 stalks of true caindenn to each cake; or honey, or fish, or curds; or a salted joint with every 20 cakes. In like measure even up to a Righ.  

 

11) 10 chattels for an Aire Echta, and protection for 5 days, and 30 cakes.  

 

12) 15 chattels for an Aire Tuise, and protection for 10 days, and 40 cakes.  

 

13) 20 chattels for an Aire Ardd, and protection for 15 days, and 60 cakes.  

 

14) 30 chattels for an Aire Forgill, and 100 laymen with him, and a month's protection for him, and 80 cakes.  

 

15) A Righ of one Tuatha, 700 laymen with him, half of 7 cumhals his dire and a months protection for him.  

 

16) An ArdRigh, 3 Righ with him, and protection for 3 fortnights and 160 cakes for him.  

 

17) In like measure for the grades of the Nemeton as to food provision and protection and dire, but Draoichd is added for these along with dire.  

 

18)[In like measure for heirs of a Nemeton as are the grades of Nemetoni to which they belong, though they themselves be not in Holy orders, if their means be otherwise good]  

 

19) The Anruth has the dire of a Ghalaibh, his protection is subject to his Anam chraid or Nemeth who will speak for him.  

 

20) Nine grades of Filidh: An Ollamh is equal in dire to a King of one Tuatha, and has a months protection, and  three times nine men are his number.  

 

21) One minor chattel is the dire of the Fochluc one day his protection, and food provision of 2 men for him.  

 

22) 3 chattels for a MacFuirnid, and food provision of 3 men,, and 3 days protection.  

 

23) 5 chattels for a Doss, and food provision [of 5 men] for him,and 5 days protection.  

 

24) 7 chattels for a Cano,and food provision of 6 men, and a weeks protection.  

 

25) 10 chattels for a Cli, and food-provision for 8 men, and 10 days protection.  

 

26) 20 chattels for an Anrad, and food-provision of 12 men, and 15 days protection.  

 

27) What is wanting from each person's means is wanting from their dignity. What is added to their good means is added to their dignity. 

 

28) Half the dignity (Catu) of a person (man) to their spouse (wife), or to their dutiful child (Gormac-dutiful son), or to their Rechtair (administrator), or to their Sechnabb (second abbot/Ollamh).  

 

29) A Briugu (hospitaller) is equal in grade to a ruling noble if s/he have besides the double of each grades amount of land and hubandry. It is by reason of the ruler's kindred and Bes (Taige) house-custom that s/he excels. 

 

30) S/He is no Briugu (hospitaller) who is not Cetach (hundredful). S/He repels no co dition (of person). S/He refuses no company. S/He rekons against none howso often s/he may come. This is the Briugu who is equal in Dire to a Righ of a Tuatha.  

 

31) The Briugu leittech (glossed from togaidi "chosen; choice" ie: superior Hospitaller), this wo/man has double wealth, s/he has an ever stocked cauldron, s/he has three roads.  

 

32) The Fodla Febe (classes of worth), now: Inol amd Flescach and Garid and Fer Midboth - it is s/he whose foot and hand are not restrained (Nad comathar: s/he is responsible for their own "liability of foot and hand" cin coisse ocus laime)- and Mruigfer and second Boaire and first Ocaire. 

 

33) The Dire of an Inol, a fleece of wool, or a ball of yarn, or Cercc cen run (a hen without secret) 

 

34) A lamb of (the value of) a sack (of corn/grain) for a flescach (stripling), and a sheep for a Garid, a yearling heifer for a Midboth, and three cakes his food-provision.  

 

35) Three chattels for a second Boaire, agus on trath co 'laill (to the corresponding hour the following day) his/her protection, and five cakes with milk for him/her, or butter. 

 

36) 5 chattels for thr first Boaire, and 2 day protection, and 8 cakes for him with their condiment, and salt for their seasoning. 

 

37) Subject Nemith (Doer Nemidh), now, wrights, and blacksmiths, and braziers, and whitesmiths, and physicians, and jurists, (roman priests, or Bards), and the folk of every art and craft besides...The franchise of jurists and wrights increases till it reaches food provision for 12 men and 15 chattels for dire. 

 

38) If he be a jurist of the three rules- the rule of the Feni, and the rule of the Filid, and the rule of the white speech of Beatus; if he be a chief master craftsman, he rises to 20 chattels for Dire, and has a month's protection. 

 

39) Blacksmiths, and braziers, and whitesmiths, and physicians, though it be a chief master of them, are entitled only too food provision for 4 men, 8 chattels are their Dire,, and 3 days' protection. 

 

40) Cain: What gives Dire to a person? 

 

      Freagrair: Merit (cliu/ toilteanas), Intergirty (diorgas), Purity (glaineachd) 

 

41) There are 3 divisions (the measure of ) a person's honour (ainech, enech), eneclann (full honour price and half honour price), Enechruicce (1/2 honour price and 1/7 honour price) enechgriss (1/3 honour price and 1/2 honour price) (the seventh part of honour price is also called Airer. These measures have reference to various degrees of injury). 

 

42) The good arts are both free and subject, because they serve and are served. Their distraints are free and their judgments are free over their rightful customs and over their apprentices.  

 

43) The jurist who is competent to give decision for the folk of arts and crafts in regard of justice, in the estimation and measurement of the work and the remuneration of every product, and who is competent to reconcile custom and award, has 7 chattels for dire, and 3 days protection and food provision for 4 men. 

 

4) The jurist of the language of the Feni and the lore of the Filid, 10 chattels are his dire, and 5 days protection, and 30 cakes for him. 

 

45) The jurist of the 3 languages (Ie: Fenechus - The ancient Laws, Filidecht - The lore of the Filid, and {Legend-Latin learning} Draoiach _ The lore of the Draoi) is equal to an Aire Tuise. 

 

46) The master of the letter (Ogham) is equal in franchise to the king of one tuath. The second master of the (Ogham) letter is equal in dire to an Air Ardd The junior master is equal in franchise to an Aire Desso. All this comprises food-provision and protection and dire. (Students of latin from that down are entitled to smaller franchises, for there is no Latin learning without franchise.) 

 

47)  The accurate wright of Oaken houses is equal in franchise to an Aire Desso. The diligent wrightg of ships and barks and hide covered boats (culainge)and vessels, who is able to make all these things, has the same amount of franchise. The millwright, the same amount. The master in yew-carving, the same amount. The franchise of an Air Desso to each of them. 

 

48) The man who practices together two or three [of the aforementioned crafts is entitled to an honourprice of the value of 8 milch cows, and food provision for 8 men.] 

 

49)The man who practices together four (of the crafts aforesaid), 15 chattels for his dire, and food-provision for 12 men, and 10 days protection for him. 

 

50) Chariot-wright, and house-carpenter, and cloth-figurer, and relief-caner, and shield-maker, the franchise of a second Boaire for them. If he practice together two crafts of them, the franchise of a first Boaire for him. 

 

51) Turners and fetter makers and leather-workers and [wool-] combers and fishermen, the franchise of a Fer Midboth for them. 

 

52) The Harp, that is the one craft of music that is entitled to franchise, so long as it accompanies nobility. The franchise of a First Boaire for him. 

 

53) Every art, now, that we have said, that is entitled to franchise, the franchise that he has in the Tuath does not fail for want of his art if he practice it elsewhere, be it in a Tuath or in a Nemeton. Hence is (the saying), 'The Nemith do not diminish each other'. 

 

54) Whose art is one, his dire is one. Whose art is many, his dire is many. It increases franchise. 

 

55) The folk of voice [Aes Ciuil (who are Chronanaig "singers" of Cronan")] and instrumental (Aes Airfitid "players of pipe or flute") music besides (ie: other than harpers), Jockeys and charioteers and steermen and followers in feast and retinue (?), and mummers and jugglers and buffoons and clowns and their lesser crafts besides, it is in regard of the honour of those who keep them that dire is paid for them. Otherwise they have no franchise apart. 

 

*(* The original text probably ended here. The articles that follow have the appearance of random accretions*)* 

 

56) Who is not of good means is not of good merit. 

 

57) A master of the Fili and a master of wisdom and a master hospitaller, each of them is equal in franchise to the King of one Tuath. They have 30 chattels (of honourpice) and a month's protection, and 80 cakes, for each of them. 

 

58) A second master of the letter (Ogham) and an Anruth Filed and a chief master of handicraft, are equal in franchise to an Aire Ardd. 

 

60) A master of test Balcksmith or Whitsmith, or Brazier, who is raised to franchise by the Tuath, each of them is equal in franchise to an Aire Desso.