Rí

Rí (pronounced "ree") is a word from the Irish language that means "king". In old Gaelic times it was the normal word for a ruler. It is still used in modern Irish (rí) and in modern Scottish Gaelic (rìgh).

Meaning and origins

The word comes from very old languages in Europe and Asia. It is related to Latin rex (king), French roi, Spanish rey, and the Sanskrit word raja. All of these words come from the same ancient root.

Different ranks of kings

In early Ireland, not all kings were the same. There were several levels:

  • Rí túaithe ("king of a tribe") ruled over a small area, often just one people or valley.
  • Ruiri ("overking") ruled over several rí túaithe and had more land and power.
  • Rí ruirech ("provincial king") ruled over one of the main provinces of Ireland.

The High King

Above these was the Ard Rí ("High King"). The High King claimed power over the whole island and was often linked with the Hill of Tara, an important royal site. In practice, local kings sometimes ignored him, so his power was not always complete.

In Scotland

Scotland had similar rulers in Gaelic-speaking areas. There were local kings, overkings, and sometimes a kind of "High King" as well. In Scottish Gaelic this is Àrd Rìgh.

References

  • Bhreathnach, Edel (ed.), The Kingship and Landscape of Tara. Dublin: Four Courts Press for The Discovery Programme. 2005.
  • Byrne, Francis J., Irish Kings and High-Kings. Dublin: Four Courts Press. 2nd edition, 2001.
  • Charles-Edwards, T. M., Early Christian Ireland. Cambridge University Press. 2000.
  • Cowan, Edward J., "The Historical Macbeth", in Moray: Province and People. ed. W. H. D. Sellar. Edinburgh: Scottish Society for Northern Studies. 1993. 117–142.
  • Dillon, Myles, "The consecration of Irish kings", in Celtica 10 (1973): 1–8.
  • Dillon, Myles, The Cycles of the Kings. Oxford. 1946.
  • FitzPatrick, Elizabeth, Royal Inauguration in Gaelic Ireland c. 1100–1600: A Cultural Landscape Study. Boydell Press. 2004.
  • Hamp, Eric P., "Scottish Gaelic morair", in Scottish Gaelic Studies XIV Part II (1986): 138–141.
  • Jaski, Bart, Early Irish Kingship and Succession. Dublin: Four Courts Press. 2000.
  • MacCotter, Paul, Medieval Ireland: Territorial, Political and Economic Divisions. Dublin: Four Courts Press. 2008.
  • MacNeill, Eoin, Celtic Ireland. Dublin: The Academy Press. 1981. Reissue with new intro. and notes by Donnchadh Ó Corráin of original Martin Lester Ltd edition, 1921.
  • Nicholls, K. W., Gaelic and Gaelicized Ireland in the Middle Ages. Dublin: Lilliput Press. 2nd edition, 2003.
  • Ó Corráin, Donnchadh, "Nationality and Kingship in Pre-Norman Ireland". 1975.
  • Richter, Michael, Medieval Ireland: The Enduring Tradition. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. 1988.
  • Watkins, Calvert, "Italo-Celtic Revisited", in Birnbaum, Henrik and Jaan Puhvel (eds.), Ancient Indo-European Dialects. University of California Press. pp. 29–50.
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