Every Day is a School Day

The Legal Status of the Bráigetóir in early Irish Law

All God's creatures had a place in the Brehon choir.

Every Day is a school Day

As a lawyer with an interest in all things historical, I am fascinated by how early Irish law managed to weave every corner of society — from kings and scholars to jesters and fools — into its meticulous web of rules and entitlements. One of the most colourful examples comes from the Uraicecht Becc, an early Irish legal text, sometimes described as a “small primer” of Brehon law.

The Uraicecht Becc outlines the hierarchy of Irish society with impressive accuracy. Everyone had a defined legal status and an lóg n-enech — literally a “price of the face” — which determined how much their honour was worth in law. Near the bottom of this scale is the bráigetóir. In some contexts, the word could refer to a pledged client or dependant, but in this context, it takes on a different and rather amusing meaning.

The Professional Farter.

Here, the bráigetóir appears among the ranks of poets and entertainers: a performer of jokes, mimicry, and physical comedy. Fergus Kelly, in his Guide to Early Irish Law, memorably translates the term as a “professional farter.”

Yes- such a role was officially recognised in the legal system of early medieval Ireland where even this most undignified of performers had a legally defined status.

Of course, the bráigetóir’s honour-price was minimal, far below that of the learned fili or noble patron he amused.

Still, he had his worth, the professional farter.