There are three fundamental categories
of persons in Celtic Law. The first and most important one is the category of
"nemed", meaning more or less "noble, privileged" (literally
"sacred"), consisting of the actual nobility and some of the craftsmen. The next
one is the category of the freemen, consisting of the remaining craftsmen and the farmers,
and finally there are the unfree. I will take a look at the laws in regard to all of those
ranks in descending order.
People of "NEMED"
Rank
To the rank of "nemed" belong, basically, five categories of persons, being: the
king, the nobles, the hosts, the clerics and the poets. Additionally some texts speak of
"doer nemed" ("base nemed") people which includes the physician, the
judge, blacksmith, coppersmith, harpist, carpenter and other craftsmen as the lower part
of the nemed rank, but it is clear that those ranks did not enjoy all the privileges of
the abovementioned five groups of persons.
Nemed rank confers some privileges. E.g., the property of a nemed cannot be distrained in
the usual manner, instead it has first to be fasted against him. He is also immune from
some legal obligations. However, also a nemed person doesn't stand entirely above the law.
As an example, an absconder from law (for instance somebody who didn't pay the fines due
to him as covered earlier) cannot find refuge with a nemed, however high the rank of this
nemed might be.
People of "DOERNEMED" or
"NON-NEMED" Rank
Into this category fall all the freemen and all craftsmen which are not specifically noted
under nemed rank as well as lawyers, physicians and druids. Basically, all those persons
have independent legal ability, they can make contracts, give pledges or function as
sureties for matters that are not above their honour-price. Some of these can also come
together to make legal dealings up to the sum of their honour-prices (usually in case of
swearing in court together, called compurgation). Additionally, those of doernemed rank
usually have some legal abilities or privileges according to their profession.
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