SOCIETY AND SETTLEMENT IN GLENDALOUGH ... - Ian Cantwell

GlendaIough and Clonmacnois as a reaction to unwelcome political interference fromthe Osraige 128 .Glendaloogh: City or CivitasRecent discussion has attempted to place such settlements into a urban hierarchy butlittle consensus has been achieved. The general opinion is that such settlements are noturban because they do not fit into modem functionalist typologies and definitions suchas proto-urban complexes, important monasteries, larger monasteries,pre-urbancentres, incipient towns, proto towns 129 monastic towns,130 and town atmonastery131. Long, in a passionate discussion on the issue, has stated that suchdefinitions are inappropriate as they read history backwards and calls the debate a'pseudo-historical proto-urban farce,l32. He suggests that the definitions and criteriaused should be contemporary with the period in question and as Civitas is mostcommonly used in this period, in a spiritual and secular context, than city is the mostappropriate term l33. Using Expugnatio Hibernica and The Song ofDermot and theEarl he further shows that the definitions used are Civitas or Urbs and suggests thatthis acceptance, by the authors, ofcities in aEuropean context reflects realityl34.While this author has sympathy for this point of view, especially on the point thatmodern secular academia generally ignores' the impact of spirituality on humanbehaviour, there is doubt whether the term 'city' is an adequate translation ofthe termCivitas. The translation ofLatin terminology and definitions into modern English tendsto lose their Medieval contexts and silentlytake on 20th century values and ideologies.It may be argued that past commentators are not necessarily the best guides to128Mac Shamhrain, op. cit. p. 230129Inhabited by proto-urbanites130u,ng,op. cit., p. 161131 ibid p. 186, quoting Graham B. J., Settlementas an indicatorof Economicand SocialTransformation, Historical Geography ofIrekmd; ed. Graham B.J. It Proudfoot L.J. 1993, pp.19-57132 ibid133ibid 186-7134ibid. pp. 181-333