Fosterage in Medieval Ireland

Dr Thomas C. O'Donnell is an Honorary Research Fellow at University College London.

"With Fosterage in Medieval Ireland: An Emotional History, Thomas O’Donnell has written the first book-length work on fosterage in the Middle Ages. This is an accomplishment to be celebrated. [...] O’Donnell’s work is groundbreaking and will be the study to reference when thinking about fosterage in the near future."- Lahney Preston-Matto, Adelphi University, Journal of British Studies, June 2021

• Abbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction -What is fosterage? -An Emotional History of Fosterage -Methodological Approach -The Chapters Chapter 1. Cú Chulainn and Expressions of Foster Fatherhood -Conchobur and the role of the maternal uncle -The Language of Fosterage -Multiple fosterage and emotions -Foster fatherhood beyond infancy -How many foster fathers is too many foster fathers? Chapter 2. Who Makes a Foster Sibling? -Cú Chulainn, Conall Cernach and Finnchóem -The Fosterage in Alba -Fer Diad, Death and How to Mourn -Foster brotherhood: A lost idyll Chapter 3. Identity Within Fosterage -Holy Brother, Foster Brother -Fosterage and Social Standing -Fíanna: Where Everyone is a Foster sibling? -Creating foster identity Chapter 4. Fosterage in the Medieval Irish Church -Ísucán -The Christ Child Elsewhere in Middle Irish -Miraculous Fosterage in Saints' Lives -Monastic Fosterage and Oblation -Divine Metaphor and Mortal Practice Chapter 5. Animal Fosterage: A bestial parallel? -St Ailbe and Cormac mac Airt -Children Gone to the Dogs -Relationships Beyond Suckling -A Permeable Boundary Between Human and Animal -Becoming Human -Through an Animal Darkly Conclusion -Drawing the Chapters Together -Revisiting the Methodology Bibliography -Manuscript Sources -Primary Sources -Secondary Sources