The forth meeting of research group
On 15 April 2020 on the seminar of the research group “Languages for Describing the Other in Early Modern Europe: Social Contexts and Repertoires of Interpretation” Sergey Baigushev, Alexandra Shisterova and Irina Yakovleva presented preliminary results of their study into the image of the Irish in early Stuart sources on the basis of the texts by Fynes Moryson and John Davies.
They briefly described the sources and identified the context of their creation. The speakers analysed similarities and differences in portrayal of the Irish in these sources. It was stressed in the discussion that Moryson refers to “natural” barbarism of the Irish and explains the necessity for violent suppression of native population, whereas Davies attributes Irish barbarism to wrong customs and laws and asserts that Irish could be civilized by means of expansion of common law. In addition, the participants discussed the issue of religious identity of the authors and their education.