Truth - The Foundation
Truth is the foundation of all virtue; on truth the world stands.
The Celts held truth in the highest esteem. A king's truth upheld the land's fertility; a false king brought blight. The concept of 'fír flathemon' (ruler's truth) showed that speaking and living truth was essential to proper order at every level of society.
Three things that strengthen a kingdom: truth, valor, and faith.
Truth was considered the cosmic principle that upheld both social and natural order.
Irish Triads
Written about in
- What Celtic tradition says about what to say and what to leave unsaid
Fír flathemon, the ruler's truth, held that a true king brought good harvests and a false one brought blight on the land. Truthfulness is framed as load-bearing for everyone, not as a personal virtue you may trade away for a quiet evening.