Start Date
27-5-2026 9:30 AM
End Date
27-5-2026 9:45 AM
Description
This paper examines feasting in two specific contexts: the sagas of the early Irish medieval period, and the diplomatic history of the Irish state. Far from being decorative or incidental, feasting is shown to be a system of commensal politics that converts uncertainty into opportunity as well as symbolic capital. In the examples explored, the shared meal is shown to be not just a convivial gathering but a means through which authority is demonstrated, crises negotiated or averted, and relationships renewed.
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Included in
Tables of Power: Ritualised Feasting and Political Negotiation in Irish History
This paper examines feasting in two specific contexts: the sagas of the early Irish medieval period, and the diplomatic history of the Irish state. Far from being decorative or incidental, feasting is shown to be a system of commensal politics that converts uncertainty into opportunity as well as symbolic capital. In the examples explored, the shared meal is shown to be not just a convivial gathering but a means through which authority is demonstrated, crises negotiated or averted, and relationships renewed.