Food and Feasting in the early Irish Sagas through the framework of Dietler’s Commensal Politics: (forthcoming)

This exploratory article applies Michael Dietler’s framework of commensal politics to representations of feasting in the early Irish sagas preserved in Irish medieval literature. Although set in a mythic past, the sagas reflect the social and political structures of early medieval Ireland, where feasting was a ritualised means by which social hierarchies were expressed, and political relationships were defined. Dietler’s model centres on three types of feasts: empowering feasts, patron-role feasts, and diacritical feasts, each with defining characteristics that contribute in distinct ways to the social order. Viewed through the interpretive lens of this framework, this study reveals that, similar to the research into contemporary diplomatic dining, feasting in Irish sagas functioned as a form of soft power, and was used as an opportunity to convey prestige, demonstrate status, establish relationships and reward friendships.