Barbaric Lifestyle In History And Topography Of Ireland By Gerald Of Wales

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In Gerald of Wales’ 12th century work, History and Topography of Ireland, Gerald deplores the Irish’s barbaric lifestyle in order to justify the English conquest of Ireland. In the book’s concluding part, Gerald asserts, “But although they are fully endowed with natural gifts, their external characteristics of beard and dress, and internal cultivation of the mind, are so barbarous that they cannot be said to have any culture.”(245*) That is, despite the Irish’s appealing physique, they lack the Englishman's mannerisms and genteel image showcasing their inferiority. Gerald demonstrates his disapproval of the Irish’s unrefined guise, suggesting that their “external characteristics”, specifically their “dress” and “beard”, are “barbarous”, or

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