Gerald of Wales' 'Topographia Hibernica': sex and the Irish nation.

From: The Romanic Review | Date: March 1, 1995| Author: | Copyright information

Gerald of Wales' book 'Topographia Hibernica' gives a grossly inaccurate description of Ireland and its inhabitants in the 1180s. The 12th century opus does not clearly distinguish between fact and fiction, reporting the existence of such oddities as a prophetic werewolf, fish with golden teeth and unboilable ducks. The author also depicts the Irish as morally corrupt barbarians who practiced bestiality, incest and other sexual perversions. His discourse on the sexual behavior of the 12th century is examined.

Assessed from a modern perspective, the Topographia Hibernica is of little ...

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