The History and Topography of Ireland

by Gerald of Wales

Other authorsJohn O'Meara (Translator), John O'Meara (Introduction)
Paperback, 1982

Status

Available

Call number

941.503

Collection

Publication

Penguin Classics (1982), Paperback, 144 pages

Description

Gerald of Wales was among the most dynamic and fascinating churchmen of the twelfth century. A member of one of the leading Norman families involved in the invasion of Ireland, he first visited there in 1183 and later returned in the entourage of Henry II. The resulting Topographia Hiberniae is an extraordinary account of his travels. Here he describes landscapes, fish, birds and animals; recounts the history of Ireland's rulers; and tells fantastical stories of magic wells and deadly whirlpools, strange creatures and evil spirits. Written from the point of view of an invader and reformer, this work has been rightly criticized for its portrait of a primitive land, yet it is also one of the most important sources for what is known of Ireland during the Middle Ages.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member karl.steel
With the benefit of Jeffrey Cohen's On Difficult Middles, I noticed something this time around that I hadn't before: the multiple 'origins' of the Irish Gerald records in the third book. It was the bestiality that first grabbed me, but it's the historiographical and ethnic anxiety that keeps me
Show More
coming back for more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member paperloverevolution
An extremely entertaining look at medieval Ireland, written by a clergyman with a very low opinion of the Irish and their distasteful habits (irreverency, drunkenness, bad temper, heretical leanings, and a fondness for bestiality are among the many).

The joy of this book lies in the lively
Show More
narrative, and its jumbled combination of folk tales, superstition, and earnest psuedo-science. The author scoffs at the idea that St. Patrick mystically drove the snakes from Ireland, and then follows that up with a perfectly serious story about a magic talking fish with three gold teeth. The illustrations are also fabulous - my favorite, adorning the subsection entitled 'Bestiality, a Particular Vice of the Irish', features a woodcut of a goat making out with a lady!

A true crowd-pleaser, with something in it for everyone.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Northlaw
The take away for me of this book was the reassurance that "It (Ireland) has no dragons". This must have come as a great comfort to any medieval traveller contemplating a trip to Ireland.

Language

Original language

Latin

Original publication date

1185

Physical description

144 p.; 7.6 inches

ISBN

0140444238 / 9780140444230
Page: 0.1469 seconds