THE SCENE: The way that the venerable Bede describes it, medieval Ireland was a kind of holy paradise – quite literally a land of milk and honey.
THE TEXT: There no reptile is wont to be seen, no serpent can live. For, if serpents are brought thither from elsewhere, as soon as they begin to scent that air, they die. On the contrary, almost all the produce of the island is good against poison. It is an island rich in milk and honey, nor devoid of vineyards and birds, and it is renowned for the chase of deer and goats.
Ecclesiastical History of the English People, Venerable Bede, 8th Century AD
[Image Credit: Susan Mary Webb]
