The High Kingship of Ireland was a pseudohistorical construct of the eighth century AD, a projection into the distant past of a political entity that did not become reality until the ninth century. The traditional list of High Kings of Ireland is thus a mixture of fact, fiction and propaganda, the individuals appearing prior to the fifth century AD are generally considered legendary and the application of the title to individuals before the ninth century being anachronistic. The annalists frequently describe later high kings as righ erenn co fressabra ("Kings Irish with Opposition"), which is a reference to the instability of the kingship of Tara from the death of Mael Sechnaill II in 1022, the last Uí Niall king; who had been restored to the throne following the death of Brian Boru in 1014, who had taken the throne from him in 1002. The example of Brian's coup was followed by numerous other families in the century following 1022, which was effectively ended by the Norman quasi-conquest of Ireland in 1171. Although the traditional list of those bearing the title High King of Ireland (Irish: Ard Rà Éirinn) goes back thousands of years, into the second millennium BC, most scholars believe that the earlier parts of the list, at least, are largely mythical. ... Pseudohistory is the historical equivalent of pseudoscience. ... U.S. propaganda poster, depicting a Nazi stabbing a Bible. ... Events Several Catharist heretics are killed in Toulouse. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Events February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock... Events November 13 - English king Ethelred gives order to kill all Danes in England, leading to the St. ... Events Several Catharist heretics are killed in Toulouse. ... // Events Saladin abolishes the Fatimid caliphate, restoring Sunni rule in Egypt. ...
High Kings of Ireland, 1934 BC - 1186 AD
AFM
FFE
AFM: chronology from the Annals of the Four Masters. FFE: chronology based on reign-lengths given in Seathrún Céitinn's Forus Feasa ar Erinn. Both were compiled ca. 1634 from much the same sources. Cétinn's chronology is considerably shorter than the Four Masters'.
Although the traditional list of those bearing the title HighKing of Ireland (Irish: Ard Rí Éirinn) goes back thousands of years, into the second millennium BC, most scholars believe that the earlier parts of the list, at least, are largely mythical.
Some scholars believe that the idea of the High Kingship was a pseudohistorical construct of the eighth century that placed a king of all Ireland atop the fragmented pyramid of kingship that actually existed at that time.
In the early narrative literature a king is a king because he marries the sovereignty goddess, is free from blemish, enforces symbolic buada (prerogatives) and avoids symbolic gessa (taboos).
Feeds |
Contact