The Seal of Dundalk

The Seal of Dundalk For my study of an object from the collection of the National Museum of Ireland I have chosen the medieval seal matrix of the town of Dundalk. Seals were an important part of the administration and communication of the Age of Chivalry and played a role in (self-) representation. The seal matrix of Dundalk dates to the mid-14th century and is fabricated, as most of the seal matrixes, out of copper alloy. It was found according to the information in the National Museum in the graveyard of St. Nicholas’ Church in Dundalk, Co. Louth, but Raghnall Ó Floinn questions the exact location1. It was documented for the first time in 1904 and got to the National Museum’s collection in 1978 with the registry number 1978:3352. The inscription on the seal reads “Common Seal of the New Town of Dundalk” in Latin. The most visible feature of the seal is the heart-shaped seal with the coat of arms and the three figures surrounding the shield. These are a boar, a knight and a leopard. There has been an intensive debate about the date of the seal matrix. It has been preserved exceptionally well, which suggests that it is of a later date. This question, shows, that seals were used very much, they were worn down, the delicate decorations and minor details started to disappear over the years. This means, that seals had to be replaced. Could seals be replaced exactly or did they change every time? How long was a single seal matrix in use? Was it only a question of practicality or were seals changed for other reasons? Among the other reasons, the question of authenticity is very important. Seals with or even without the subscription of the author guaranteed the validity of a document. They also protected its confidentiality. If the seal matrix was damaged and was replaced with slight changes, the receiving party of a letter might safely suspect a document to be false. Seals played an essential role in safe private communication. For the same reason, such changes had to be avoided so that seals remain recognizable. This gave seals a sense of prestige, as they carried tradition and heritage. When did seals change? Personal seals might have changed when the person acquired a new title and had it added to his seal. Seals of towns, like the seal of Dundalk, did not have much of a reason to change. Towns often had symbolic towns depicted on their seals, so even if the outer appearance of the actual town changed, it did not matter for the seal. Only if their 1 2 Ó Floi Ó Floi , Raghnall, Two Medieval Seals from County Louth, http://www.jstor.org/27729721, p.387 , Ragh all, T o Medie al Seals fro Cou ty Louth, http://www.jstor.org/27729721, p.387 Daniel Dalicsek, AMHC status changed; from a royal city to a free town or at the time of the reformation from Catholic to Protestant, would they have changed their seal. This information contained on a seal was important for everyone. It showed the power behind the seal. A town could present itself on its seal as a religious centre, with churches, as a fortified place, with gates and towers or as a royal town, with the king shown. English royal seals commonly had the king as a knight on one side and him enthroned on the other, with his royal title listed on the recto and his lesser titles, duke of Normandy, on the verso. It was important that the king showed himself as a strong warrior in a violent feudal society, where most of his subjects would have valued these qualities. Similarly, the enthroned figure represents a good ruler and administrator and figure of authority. The earliest seals from the 11th and 12th centuries were seals of individuals3, the later development of the 13th century were the seals of families4. The use and culture of seals was brought to Ireland by the Norman invaders and seals were therefore more common among “Anglo-Irish towns, nobles and churches”5, than the Irish-Gaelic. The Irish seals differed little from their contemporary English counterparts, but they were probably produced in Ireland6. The heraldry and the style were the same7. This shows an aspect of the cultural aspect the foreign invasion had on Ireland and how the people, in this case the craftsmen, adapted. Simply by using the seal the town of Dundalk shows its commitment to the Norman administration. Many town seals show gatehouses and town walls. The matrix of the New Town of Dundalk lacks these, but has a knight in detailed armour. He “is wearing a mail coif and a surcoat”8. Because the warrior is placed next to the de Furnivalle coat of arms, who were crusaders and the lords of the territories including Dundalk9, it shows that the town was under the protection of this powerful family. The size of the seal tells of the wealth of the city and the de Furnivalle family. The bigger the seal, the more wax had to be used and the richer the sender of the letter carrying the seal must have been. Similarly, the composition of a seal is a good source of information. Seals all carried texts around the edge. However, these inscriptions occupied significantly less space than the iconography. This meant, that those sending and receiving a document were 3 Curtis, Edmond, Some Medieval Seals out of the Ormond Archives, http://www.jstor.org/25513806, p.2 Curtis, Edmond, Some Medieval Seals out of the Ormond Archives, http://www.jstor.org/25513806, p.3 5 Curtis, Edmond, Some Medieval Seals out of the Ormond Archives, http://www.jstor.org/25513806, p.5 6 Ó Floi , Ragh all, T o Medie al Seals from County Louth, http://www.jstor.org/27729721, p.393 7 Curtis, Edmond, Some Medieval Seals out of the Ormond Archives, http://www.jstor.org/25513806, p.6 8 Ó Floinn, Raghnall, Two Medieval Seals from County Louth, http://www.jstor.org/27729721, p.390 9 Ó Floi , Ragh all, T o Medie al Seals fro Cou ty Louth, http://www.jstor.org/27729721, p.393 4 Daniel Dalicsek, AMHC possibly illiterate and could judge its authenticity by the appearance of the seal more than any other signature and that the impression of the seal had to be the more impressive. The quality of this seal matrix is exceptionally high and comparable with the seal of the King of Ulster10. Therefore, the town of Dundalk wanted to promote itself as comparable to the King of Ulster and others. There is also a seal of Dundalk of lesser quality11 and lesser or privy and great seals existed for every individual or institution to be used. This must mean that this matrix of the Dundalk town seal was only used for correspondence with more important people and secular and religious institutions. This must have often been the case when seals were used on documents. Dundalk’s town seal greatly differs from the great seal of Dublin, the seal of the Chapter of the Cathedral of St Chanice in Kilkenny12 or the seal of Knocktopher13. These seals have a visual correspondence with their bearer. Dublin and Knocktopher were both fortified places and their seals show gates, towers and walls and the seal of the Chapter in Kilkenny is the representation of the Kilkenny Cathedral Church. Dundalk’s seal has no direct reference to the town’s appearance, except if there was a de Furnivalle coat of arms hung above the town gate. The 14th century ‘Common Seal of the New Town of Dundalk’ tells us about how the town wanted to present itself, the town’s value and might, it’s connection to the de Furnivalle family. It is an important artefact for medieval Irish history. 10 Ó Floi , Ragh all, T o Medie al Seals fro Cou ty Louth, http://www.jstor.org/27729721, p.393 Ó Floi , Ragh all, T o Medie al Seals fro Cou ty Louth, http://www.jstor.org/27729721, p.392 12 Curtis, Edmond, Some Further Medieval Seals out of the Ormond Archives Including That of Donal Reagh MacMurrough Kavanagh, King of Leinster, http://www.jstor.org/25513848, Plate VI 13 Curtis, Edmond, Some Further Medieval Seals out of the Ormond Archives Including That of Donal Reagh MacMurrough Kavanagh, King of Leinster, http://www.jstor.org/25513848, Plate VIII 11 Daniel Dalicsek, AMHC Sources (accessed 18/03/2012): 1. Curtis, Edmond, Some Medieval Seals out of the Ormond Archives, http://www.jstor.org/25513806 2. Curtis, Edmond, Some Further Medieval Seals out of the Ormond Archives Including That of Donal Reagh MacMurrough Kavanagh, King of Leinster, http://www.jstor.org/25513848 3. Ó Floinn, Raghnall, Two Medieval Seals from County Louth, http://www.jstor.org/27729721 Photograph of the matrix of the seal (first from the left), taken 17/03/2012: Daniel Dalicsek, AMHC