The Iverni or Hiberni (Greek: Ἰουερνοι Iouernoi) were an ancient Celtic people of Ireland mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century work Geographia.
Contents |
The Ptolemaic Iverni
Ptolemy's description of Ireland is of supreme importance for the study of early Irish ethnography. His account implies that the Iverni had by his time became one of the dominant tribes of the island. Ptolemy gives the names of sixteen peoples in Ireland, several of which can be identified. According to his account the territory in the extreme southwest of Ireland (Munster) was occupied by a people called the Iouernoi. Ptolemy mentions a city in their territory called Ivernis (Greek: Ἰουερνις Iouernis).
Etymology
The name appears to be based on the name given to the island as a whole, Hibernia or Ivernia (Ἰουερνία) for which see further Éire.
O'Rahilly's model
According to the controversial historical scheme proposed by T.F. O'Rahilly the Iverni arrived in Ireland ca. 500 BC, and spoke a P-Celtic language known as Ivernic (see Primitive Irish). They may have been affiliated with the belonged to the tribe of the Belgae of northern Gaul and Great Britain. In this scheme, based upon medieval legends of the migrations of peoples into Ireland, there were four separate incursions of the Celts into Ireland in pre-historic times: the Priteni, who were the first to colonize the island, were followed by the Belgae, who invaded Ireland from northern Gaul and Britain. Later, Laighin tribes from Armorica (present-day Brittany) are believed to have invaded Ireland and Britain more or less simultaneously. Lastly, the Milesians/Gaels reached Ireland from either northern Iberia or southern Gaul.
Descendants
According to O'Rahilly, in historical times, descendants of the Iverni were known as the tribe of the Éraind or Érainn in Munster. Other proposed Ivernic groups include the Corcu Duibhne of County Kerry, the Déisi of Waterford, the Osraige of the Kingdom of Osraige/Ossory and the Dál nAraidi of Antrim. The Builg, identified with the historical Belgae and mythological Fir Bolg, may have been identical with, or a sub-group of, the Iverni. Their association with the Belgae is now much in doubt .
See also
References
- Herm, Gerhard (2002), The Celts, Ireland: St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0312313438
- O'Rahilly, T. F. (1947), Early Irish History and Mythology, US: Medieval Academy of America
- Volume V14, Page 789 of the 1911 Encyclopedia [1]
- "Ptolemy's Ireland," copyright (c) 1997-2006 [2]
