Celtic Rules of Hospitality
But a Brehon law – hospitality – has become so ingrained in Irish culture that it is no coincidence that it has become as synonymous with Ireland as “forty shades of green”. Tourist brochures announce: Céad míle fáilte! A thousand welcome! Many souvenir tea towels read as follows: Welcome your guests even if they come every hour. Grace despised her ransom offer. Instead, she demanded that in exchange for the boy, the gates of Howth Castle should never again be closed to anyone seeking hospitality, and that a seat be held forever at the Lord`s table, just in case a hungry traveler passed by. For more than four centuries, the promise has been faithfully kept. Irish hospitality has an almost religious quality, which is why those who do not offer it are considered lost both to God and to salvation. Most Irish people truly believe in the parable of the Good Samaritan because the national psyche contains such strong tribal memories of deprivation and hardship. Joking aside, take this fact very seriously. The worst thing you can do in Ireland, the social faux pas to beat them all, is to look inflexible or ungrateful. Do it and whether they tell you or not, you will insult an Irishman to the bone marrow. It`s amazing how few tourists understand this basic social contract: having manners or providing for themselves. In Ireland, the Irish know how to receive! Irish hospitality is known for being very warm and surprising! Indeed, the Irish are extraordinarily kind, which immediately calls for simplicity and conviviality.
Also, don`t be surprised if an Irishman greets you nicely with his head or hand when you pass through a deserted street or a pedestrian street: it`s common here! Continue to love one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, because in doing so, some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Celtic hospitality is not just a matter of folklore and legend. I was once in Banbridge, Co. Down, and I couldn`t find accommodation; I told the owner of a pub about it and he spent the next half hour driving me until I found a room for the night. An even better story comes from one of my former students who once had a flat tire while traveling in the Irish countryside. When he stopped in front of a farm, hoping to use the phone, he met the farmer who insisted on fixing the tire himself – and then the farmer`s wife invited my student and his family to dinner. And, of course, talking about payment was quickly removed.
“It`s not necessary,” the farmer simply said. Aside from the broader themes of tragedy in this story, you should consider how Cúchulainn, who knew he would break his vow no matter what he did, decided to maintain his commitment to hospitality before maintaining his nutritional taboo. I am not trying to suggest that a diabetic should eat a candy bar just because someone offers it; but simply that the Celtic Way regards hospitality with such honor that even a warrior as powerful as Cúchulainn could not bear to reject it. Every traveller to modern Ireland is guaranteed a warm and friendly welcome. From beautiful 5-star hotels and beautiful mansions to quaint bed and breakfasts and local pubs in the countryside, the Irish are earning their reputation as a “land of a thousand welcomes”. The Brehon laws may have retreated into the pages of history, but hospitality to foreigners in need remained a lasting and endearing part of Irish tradition. Sláinte! As soon as we learn to show hospitality to the fish of the sea, the ants of the earth or the sparrows in the sky, we will have corrected what is broken in the human condition. Our sense of separation from creation makes us selfish and we deny Christ the hospitality we must give according to natural law.
As Paul says in Colossians, refusing to offer hospitality was not only a sure way to gain an embarrassing reputation, it was illegal and a fine could be imposed on the offending household. Ancient Irish literature tells of the overthrow of a noble of grace because he had committed this indiscretion. King Bres, who would have been half Fomorian and half Tuatha of Danaan, ruled for seven years and during that time no one ever received hospitality at his court. When he treated the famous poet Cairbre so crudely, the bard composed such a devastating satire on Bres that the king was forced to abandon his kingdom and flee to the land of his Fomorian father. The heart of Celtic spirituality is hospitality. In fact, even before the advent of Christianity, the Celts recognized hospitality as a fundamental value of their civilization. If you haven`t experienced Irish hospitality yet and are making your first trip there this year, you should familiarize yourself with some of the basics. Here are ten inviolable rules to help you on your way.
This universal admiration for hospitality found its outward expression in the creation of public hostels throughout the country for free accommodation and entertainment for all those who chose to use it. At the head of each officer was an officer called Brugh-fer or Brugaid [broo-fer, brewy], a public hospitaller or lord of the inn, who was held in great honor. He was forced to build an open day for the reception of certain officials – king, bishop, poet, judge, etc. – who had the privilege of demanding free entertainment for themselves and their companions when they were in their circles: and also for the reception of foreigners. He had land and other large allowances to cover the cost of his house; And it should have at least a hundred of each type of livestock, a hundred workers and appropriate supplies to feed and welcome guests. There`s never a good time to mention the British and their centuries-old campaign of chaos, murder and exploitation, but if you don`t have to do it at the Irish dining table. At the dining tables, you have rules, you have to sit on them, which means that if you mention Oliver Cromwell, you`ve captured your audience rather than captivating them. It`s not big, it`s not friendly, and it`s not wise to lure the Irish with stories about their oppression. Especially not broach on or on potatoes. Transfer it to memory.
The importance of hospitality is evident throughout creation. It is our job to make sure that we are not greedy like the selfish king Bres and that we live rather like the king Jesus in the service. We must learn to take care of all other creatures as Christ took care of us.
