[Sidenote: The solidarity of the kindred.]
A still clearer indication of this solidarity of the family or kindred occurs in the Book of Aicill (p. 541) in regard to the right of the several members, according to relationship, to share in composition for a kinswoman abducted without their consent. If taken without her own consent, honour-price was to be paid to herself, and also honour-price was to be paid to her chiefs, and her relations, according to the nature of their relationship to her. This presumably was for the breach of their protection. Should death overtake her before she was restored, coirp-dire and honour-price were to be paid to her family. In case of her consent it was the same except that she could claim no honour-price for herself.
So far, then, we have felt our way to the following conclusions:--
[Sidenote: Summary of the rules as to eric.]
(1) That the eric for homicide in Ireland was shared by the family in grades of relationship elaborately fixed, but which it is not necessary to discuss further.
(2) In cases of innocent homicide the family, _i.e._ four nearest hearths or grades of kindred, shared the eric with the slayer, _i.e._ the slayer was only liable to pay a share of the eric.
(3) In cases of intentional homicide the goods of the murderer all had to go first, and only the remainder was thrown upon his kindred. But (except _inter se_) they were liable to the kindred of the slain for the whole of what the slayer could not pay.
(4) The eric consisted of two parts--the coirp-dire and the honour-price. The coirp-dire was seven cumhals, one of which was for restitution (_aithgin_), the other six cumhals being the _coirp-dire_ proper.
(5) As in other laws, there were sometimes additional payments for breach of protection or privilege &c.
It is necessary next to direct special attention to the honour-price (eneclann).
The question at once arises, _whose_ honour-price had to be paid?
In the first place, according to a passage in the Book of Aicill, it is the honour-price of the _slayer_ that had to be paid, _i.e._ the higher the rank of the slayer the greater the payment to the kindred of the person slain.
[Sidenote: The honour-price of the slayer.]
The passage alluded to occurs almost at the beginning of the Book of Aicill (p. 99). The heading, literally translated, is: ‘Fines are doubled by anger (ferg).’ Then follows a long commentary, in which the point seems to be limited to _secret_ murder, and the doubling seems to be the result of the _concealment_. This is quite consistent with tribal feeling as shown in other laws, concealment of the slain person on the part of the murderer being considered a grave aggravation. The passage is as follows:--