Ch4: Early Christian Ireland

• Druid - a spiritual figure similar to a priest

  Monastery - a closed religious community where monks devoted their life to religion

  Monks - men who dedicate their life to a religious order in a monastery
• Life in a monastery:

  • Monks lived a very simple life, using their days for praying and working. They prayed 6 to 8 times a day.
  • Farm work included ploughing, milking, harvesting and grinding corn. The monks were self sufficient, making all the food they needed.
  • Monasteries became centres of learning, Irish monasteries were famous for being the best at teaching poetry, literature, arts and the Gospel.
  • Examples of monasteries: Clonmacnoise, Kells, Glendalough.
• Layout of a monastery:

  • Oratory - the Church, made of wood or stone, where monks prayed and attended Mass
  • Scriptorium - where manuscripts were copied and illustrated
  • Manuscript - a book, hand written by a scribe. A scribe was a monk who wrote the manuscripts.
  • Refectory - where the monks ate their meals
  • Round tower - a bell tower and a safe place for monks and treasures when under attack