The Wisdom of Cormac

"O grandson of Conn, O Cormac," said Carbre, "what do you deem the worst thing you have seen?" "Not hard to tell," said Cormac, "Faces of foes in a battle-field." Cormac Mac Airt, a third-century high king of Ireland, ruled during a time of prosperity and is revered for his wisdom and generosity. This set of his instructions, presented in a highly poetic question-and-answer dialogue between the king and his son, offers advice on how to live an honest, respectable, and successful life. The Wisdom of Cormac began as an oral tradition that was transcribed by medieval monks and ultimately translated from the Old Irish by the distinguished scholar Kuno Meyer. A milestone in the long history of Celtic knowledge, its practical and moral directives offer a blueprint from ancient Ireland that has universal resonance for modern readers.