The Lyric of Lafracoth (Or: Love Among the Hostages)
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Copyright © 2008 Indiana University Conscience Project. The Lyric of Lafracoth (Or: Love among the Hostages) A Play By Matthew R. Galvin For Meg And Persons of Conscience in the Succeeding Generation Most especially, as They appeared in my life: Joseph, Sarah and Erin Although aware of the relativity of all the various life styles which have given meaning to human striving, the possessor of integrity is ready to defend the dignity of his own life style against all physical and economic threats. For he knows that an individual life is an accidental coincidence of but one life cycle with but one segment of history, and that for him all human integrity stands and falls with the one style of integrity of which he partakes. Erik H. Erikson Identity, Youth and Crisis At the basis of this world are values which are simply there, perennially, before we ever speak of them, before we reflect upon them and inquire about them. Vaclav Havel Politics and Conscience Border designs featured on pages of the front matter of this manuscript are from Courtney Davis (2006): Celtic borders and backgrounds, Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. COPYRIGHT NOTICE This work is an addition to Conscience Works in the division Conscience Sensitive Moral Education for which the Indiana University Conscience Project holds copyright. As with other offerings that appear in Conscience Works, this work is freely available for downloading and distribution with the understanding that it will not be altered and that appropriate attribution will be given to the author and Conscience Works. As this particular work is in dramatic form, an additional provision is made to allow free use including reasonable abridgement for performances, so long as these are not for profit. Substantive adaptations and/or performance intended for profit will require prior permission from the editor of Conscience Works. Margaret M. Gaffney Editor-in-Chief, Conscience Works c/o Department of Medicine 1001 W. 10th St., Suite M200 Indianapolis, IN 46202-5124 e-mail: [email protected] AUTHOR’S NOTE This work is written with older adolescents and adults who have either acquired or are engaged in higher education in mind. The author envisions uses in classrooms, drama and book clubs in which conscience sensitive character analyses and discussions of moral life in and out of religious contexts are deemed worthy of pursuit. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Copies of an earlier draft much in need of refinement and correction were made available to the intrepid FIRST READERS of the Lyric of Lafracoth (listed below), some of whom were already actively engaged as participants in the CONSCIENCE PROJECT, which, for these many years, has relied entirely upon persons like them for generous contributions of time, effort, insight and moral imagination. They are persons with an astonishing array of professional skills and diversity of life experiences, freely donating expertise in art, ethics, faith traditions, healing, philosophy, science, technology, and theology. Already dedicated to voluntarism in creative enterprises and scholarship, they volunteered additional time and energy to undertake their self- assigned tasks with a difficult manuscript, making contributions ranging from global impressions and general recommendations for improvements to painstaking reviews of grammar, punctuation and even pronunciation guidelines. I am mindful that creative enterprises, mine at least, are ultimately collaborative in nature, with value (to follow Nozick’s classification) always more CONTRIBUTORY than ORIGINATIVE. I am blessed to have had such enriching encounters with colleagues whose invaluable contributions strike me as worthy of the finest traditions in art and scholarship—whether in the scriptoria of the middle ages or in today’s centers of learning. Above all, I am deeply grateful for their ongoing encouragement essential to the completion of this work. It remains to be made explicit: for whatever views I have expressed in the Lyric of Lafracoth or its supporting documents that might occasion controversy and no less for whatever errata might still remain standing in the text, I must be held solely accountable and the FIRST READERS as well as the CONSCIENCE PROJECT absolved of any wrongdoing. Matthew R.Galvin, Indianapolis, Indiana, 12-2-08. FIRST READERS: MARGARET AND JOHN WILSON ETHNA VERKAMP JOHN SULLIVAN BARB STILWELL SISTER MARY SATALA FR. JOE RAUTENBERG COLLEEN PARKER SUE LONDON DEBORAH AND BEULAH GALVIN MIKE CONNEALLY, AND, ESPECIALLY, MEG GAFFNEY. Characters as they appear in the play: The Archivist, his Assistant, Lafracoth, Conor, [the Assistant as] John Scotus Eriugena, [The Archivist as] Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, three Scholars, Gerald of Windsor, his company including Religieux, [the Assistant as] Boso, Muirchertach, Rí of Mumu, the father of Lafracoth Maol Muire Ua Dúnáin, Archbishop of Midhe, Guards of Cashel, a Messenger, Nesta Rhys ap Tewdr, the wife of Gerald of Windsor a Guard of Pembroke, Arnulf de Montgomerie, his Scribe at Pembroke, two Nursemaids at Pembroke, a Scribe at Cashel, Lafracoth’s imaginary companions: a Religieuse, a Bard, and a Scribe; a Gonfalonier for House Montgomerie, a Courier, Sister Matilda, a Religieuse at Aengus Grove, a Soldier, a Scribe and a Religieuse in Lismore, a Bride, three Celebrants, and a Crusader, a Stone Mason. Alice, Dervorgilla. Act I. Scene 1. A Small Lecture Hall. Later: ‘The Archives’, present day. Scene 2. Glendalough; September, 1100. Scene 3. The Lecture Hall. Scene 4. Glendalough; a short time afterwards. Scene 5. The Lecture Hall. Scene 6. Glendalough; that evening. Act II. Scene 1. Cashel, Ireland; December, 1100. nota bene: All scenes in The Lecture Hall and Archives are sequential in the present. Time designations refer to the sequence of scenes in the ancient past. Scene 2. The Lecture Hall. Scene 3. An Abbey in Cashel. Act III. Scene 1. Pembroke, Wales; 1101. Scene 2. Pembroke; a short time afterwards. Scene 3. The Lecture Hall. Scene 4. Pembroke; Spring, 1102. Scene 5. Same; later. Scene 6. The Lecture Hall. ACT IV Scene 1. Áth Cliath; 1102. Scene 2. The Lecture Hall. Scene 3. Áth Cliath; sometime later. Scene 4. The Lecture Hall. Scene 5. An Abbey Scriptorium and the Throne Room in Cashel; early in 1103. Scene 6. The Lecture Hall. Scene 7. Lafracoth’s First Reverie; the Abbey Scriptorium in Cashel. Scene 8. The Archives. Scene 9. The Abbey Scriptorium, Cashel; 1109. Scene 10. Glendalough; sometime later. Scene 11. The Archives Scene 12. Almenèches, Normandy and Pembroke, Wales; 1109. Scene 13. The Archives Scene 14. Almenèches and Glendalough; afterwards Scene 15. Lafracoth’s Second Reverie ACT V Scene 1. Cashel, late in 1110. Scene 2. Aengus’ Grove: The Synod of Rath Bresail; 1111. Scene 3. The Lecture Hall. Scene 4. Lismore; 1114: Muirchertach: Ill, Deposed— Scene 5. – And Restored; 1115-1116. Scene 6. The Lecture Hall. Scene 7. Lismore and Almenèches; 1119. Scene 8. Lafracoth, Inclusus: Final Reverie. Scene 9. The Lecture Hall. Epilogue. On the Eve of an Invasion; Almenèches; 1169. Copyright © 2008 Indiana University Conscience Project. HISTORICAL FIGURES IN „THE LYRIC‟ Born Died IN ANCIENT ERIU (IRELAND) Brian mac Cennétig, later Bórú (or Borúma), c 941 1014 he was ruler of the Dál gCais; progenitor of the sept Uí Briain; After his rise to power, styled Imperator Scottorum (Emperor of Ireland). His grandson was Toirdhealbhach Ua Briain 1009 1086 who became leader of Leth Mogha and was acknowledged as rí Érenn by the Irish. He was, effectively, the ard rí Érenn (High King of Ireland) between 1072-1086, and was addressed as Hibernie regem by Lanfranc. He married Derbforgaill. 1098 Among their sons were Diarmait Ua Briain, 1117 who in 1115 briefly deposed his brother Muircheartach Ua Briain c1050 1119 who had become leader of Leth Mogha after their father’s death and was considered either ard rí or ard rí co fressabra (High King with opposition) 1086-1119. He married Dubhchobhleigh. c1050 1098 Muirchertach’s progeny were: Domhnall Ua Briain, 1136 who was, by his father, made King of Dublin “Biadmuin” Ua Briain c1094 who was given in a marriage of alliance to Sitric Magnusson, about the same time Sitric was named King of Man and the Isles by his father, Magnus “Barefoot,” King of Norway 1103 and “Lafracoth” Ua Briain c1076 who, had been given in a marriage of alliance to Arnulf de Montgomerie when he was Castellan of Pembroke And is here presumed to have been the same person as Mór Ua Briain 1137 who, after her death at Dermach Choluim-Chille was styled ‘chief queen of Erinn’ At the time of her death she was married to Murchadh Ua Máelseachlainn, who had become rí of Midhe; in 1120 he was deposed for the first time by his son-in-law, Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair, rí of Connaught c1088 1156 ard rí The children of “Lafracoth” // Mór were: Born Died Alice de Montgomerie c1100 c1176 (m. Maurice FitzGerald, “ The Invader”) Phillip de Montgomerie, “Cymbricus” c1101 1177 (m. Margaret of Dunbar) Derbforgaill Ua Máelseachlainn 1108 1193 (m. Tighearnan Ua Ruairc, rí of Bréifne), whose first name became latinised to “Devorgilla” and perhaps also: Conchobhar Ua Máelseachlainn 1133 heir of Murchadh Ua Máelseachlainn, whose death occasioned his father’s vengeful rage and depredation Domnall Mac Lochlainn c1056 1121 leader of Leth Cuinn; and Muirchertach’s rival to be ard Rí hErend. IRISH RELIGIEUX Domnall 1105 Successor of Patrick in Armagh Cellach 1129 Successor of Patrick in Armagh, later Bishop of Armagh Maol Muire Ua Dunáin c1040 1117 Bishop of Meath, 1101-1110 and first papal legate to Ireland, presided over synod of Cashel, 1101. Gille Easpuig (Gilbert) c1140 Bishop of Limerick, 1111-1140 papal legate to Ireland, presided over synod of Breasail, 1111 IN CYMRU (CAMBRIA OR WALES) Born Died Rhys ap Tewdwr 1093 King of Deheurbarth His progeny: Gruffyd ap Rhys ap Tewdwr 1137 m.