Posts

Aislinge Meic Mathain: The Vision of Mathieson, or, a Tale of Manufactured Crisis, Industrial Action, and Celtic Studies

Image
In the Middle Irish Aislinge Meic Con Glinne (The Vision of Mac Con Glinne), the titular protagonist, a scholar and poet, abandons his books to seek fame and luxury. He journeys all the way from his native Armagh to Cork, for he has heard of the extravagant feasts hosted there by Cathal Mac Finguinne, a king of Munster. Confident in his learning and poetic skill (highly esteemed in medieval Ireland), Mac Con Glinne expects to be welcomed with open arms. Unfortunately, things quickly take a turn for the worse when he comes to a guesthouse operated by Manchín, the abbot of Cork. The dilapidated structure is empty of all but cold, dirt, and pests, and so Mac Con Glinne sleeps miserably. The next morning, Abbot Manchín sends a student to the guesthouse with a ration of nothing but whey-water and a smouldering sod with which to light a fire. Mac Con Glinne, incensed at receiving such inadequate, tardy, and demeaning treatment, recites a satire against his host, and the student hastily depa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dysgwr Diaries: Two Weeks Learning Welsh in Aberystwyth

Image
In July, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in intensive Welsh-language classes in Aberystwyth, thanks in part to funding provided through Gronfa Goffa Bedwyr Lewis Jones (Bangor University), and the WNAA Exchange Scholarship . Here’s a look back at some of my experience. Arrival We arrive in Aberystwyth by bus — a familiar route for me. I live in Abertawe (Swansea) but I’m a PhD student at Bangor University. I take the train to Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen) and then the TrawsCymru bus north to Bangor about twice a month. It’s the night before classes start. I’m riding the high of half-conversations in Cymraeg on a recent road trip with a friend from America. We stayed overnight in Blaenau Ffestiniog. In the morning, I gave my order at the cafe in Wenglish (Welsh-English). When we stopped at the wool mill in Trefriw, I spoke at length in faltering (but excited) Welsh to one of the women running the shop. When I’m doubting my ability, I remember the delight blazing in her eyes at ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Breton Oral Tale of a Marginal Woman: Marc’harit Charlez and her Five Hundred Thieves

Image
In this blog post, I wanted to briefly share with you a bone-chilling story of a criminal, Marc’harit Charlez, who spread terror amongst the inhabitants of Saint-Efflam, in northern Brittany. The tale of this highwaywoman has been passed down to the twenty-first century through Breton oral tradition, and through folklorists who, throughout the nineteenth/early twentieth century, went from village to village to collect popular songs, sayings, and customs, and write them down to keep a record of collective memory in books or manuscripts. The oral stories of Brittany can be divided into sonioù , lyrical and joyful songs, and their dark counterparts, gwerzioù . The legend belongs to the latter. Illustration by Christophe Rouil. ( La Charlézenn , ed. Apogée, 2010) How can gwerzioù be defined ? According to François-Marie Luzel in the preface to the second volume of Gwerzioù Breiz-Izel , “ Gwerziou [are] dark, fantastic, tragic songs, recounting supernatural apparitions, assassinations [...
Post a Comment
Read more

Exploring the Insular Past through Art: The Portrayal of Medieval Life on Irish and Scottish Monuments

Image
The landscape of Ireland is dotted with numerous reminders of the country’s medieval history. The finest examples of the skilled craftsmanship of medieval Irish artists are the high crosses created between the eighth and tenth centuries, associated with ecclesiastical sites of particular importance at the time, and displaying an extensive repertoire of finely carved decoration on stone. These iconic monuments are a familiar sight across the Irish landscape, marking the importance of ancient sites from the early Middle Ages to present times. Designed to showcase intricate carvings featuring decorative motifs and figural scenes from Scripture, the high crosses of Ireland have been the subject of extensive study. The richness of the high crosses’ iconographic motifs reflects the extent of the religious and cultural training of artists and patrons in early medieval Ireland. Market Cross, Kells, Co. Meath. Photograph taken by the author. In early Ireland, the creation of any art object ...
Post a Comment
Read more