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Examines common themes and connections in Gaelic storytelling from the Middle Ages to present day.
From the great medieval saga Táin Bó Cúailnge to cautionary folk tales in contemporary Gaeltacht areas, storytelling has remained a cornerstone of Gaelic culture for over a thousand years. Pre-Christian motifs and ecclesiastical influences, with nods to classical literature and poetic devices, provide the framework for many stories that remain familiar today (such as St Patrick's journey across Ireland and the exploits of Finn mac Cumhaill). However, despite this rich tradition, scholarship on Gaelic storytelling that crosses both medieval and modern fields is a rarity; as a result, there is a question mark over what of the early tradition remains in the modern, and what this can tell us about the ecology and the survival of Gaelic storytelling.
This volume presents ground-breaking research from scholars in both areas, providing a dynamic insight into the refractions of Gaelic storytelling across a broad chronological period. Contributors address matters such as composition, style, narrative techniques, audience, and the importance of physical and social landscapes, drawing on a variety of methodologies, including philological, narratological, comparative literature, folkloristic, and translation studies. From seminal research on notions of scél "story" and truth to an exploration of the issues facing a Gaelic translator today, these essays work together to widen and deepen our understanding of how and why stories were so fundamental - and remain so fundamental - to Gaelic culture.
List of contents
List of Illustrations
List of Contributors
Acknowledgements
Note on Terminology
List of Abbreviations
Introduction -
Alice R. Taylor-Griffiths and Seosamh Mac Cárthaigh1. The Semantics of
scél and the Truth of Stories in Medieval Gaelic Culture -
Ralph O'Connor2. 'An intricate business is storytelling': Tales, Transmissions, and Truth in
Acallam na Senórach -
Sarah Künzler3. Place-Name Realism in Gaelic Narrative -
Kay Muhr4. The Evolution and Expansion of
Tochmarc Ferbe -
Rebecca Shercliff5.
Laoi na Mná Móire: the Composition and Development of an Ossianic Lay -
Dubhán Ó Longáin6. Heroic Narrative and Masculinity in Irish Vernacular Culture: 'Conall Gulban' in Munster Folklore in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries -
Síle De Cléir7. Love, Marriage and Love Charmes -
Tomás L. Ó Murchú8. Towards Translation: 'How Cù Chulainn Came to Emain Macha' in Modern Scottish Gaelic -
Robbie MacLeòidBibliography
Index
About the author
Edited by Alice R. Taylor-Griffiths and Seosamh Mac Cárthaigh
Summary
Examines common themes and connections in Gaelic storytelling from the Middle Ages to present day.
