Brehon Laws

The Brehon Laws were passed down orally from at least the 1st century until they were written in the 7th century. A Brehon was a traveling jurist. By the time of Elizabeth I, the brehons were considered lewd and barbarous and were banned. Here is one that caught my eye:

"When you become old your family must provide you with one oatcake a day, plus a container of sour milk. They must bathe you every twentieth night and wash your head every Saturday. Seventeen sticks of firewood is the allotment for keeping you warm."