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The Folk Image of the Fairy in Irish Poetry

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The Folk Image of the Fairy in Irish Poetry Science and Education a New Dimension. Philology, IV (17), Issue: 78, 2016 www.seanewdim.com The folk image of the fairy in Irish poetry A. O. Tsapiv Kherson State University, Kherson, Ukraine *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Paper received 23.01.16; Revised 28.01.16; Accepted for publication 15.02.16. Abstract. The research focuses on revealing peculiarities, functions on symbolic meaning of folk images in Irish poetry. The investi- gation conveys the evolution of the image of the fairy: from a scaring banshee into a magic fairy. It is claimed that folk images in Irish poetry are closely connected with pagan believes, superstitions of peasantry and the desire of authors to reconnect to Irish past, ethnic specifics and mentality. Key words: folk image, the fairy, Irish poetry, mythology. The research aims at revealing the genesis of folk images They thought that she was fast asleep, (the image of the Fairy) in Irish verse of the 19th century. But she was dead with sorrow. It is claimed that fairies have evaluated their image from They have kept her ever since folk into a fairy one. Case study of the research are poems Deep within the lake, of William Allingham, Sir Samuel Fergusson, Edward On a bed of flag-leaves, Walsh and W.B. Yeats. Watching till she wake Folk and fairy images in poetry and fairy tales have A girl was stolen by fairies and as a human from this been investigated by scholars [2;3;11;12], thus, linguistic world she couldn’t sustain life in the world of mystic properties of their realization and their genesis haven’t creatures. She died of sorrow but they didn’t notice she been specifically learned. was dead. The world of fairies is the world of eternal life Folk images in Irish poetry are the key to native histo- for spirits not for human. The girl remained young and ry, mentality and ethnic specifics. To convey the im- beautiful as she used to be in her world, her body was portance of folk images of Irish poetry is invaluable to the unchanged, but her soul escaped from it. The life of fair- direction of the research. ies and people has different time measures, we have no Irish peasantry always believed in miraculous, supersti- idea how long the girl stayed with the fairies ‘ cause for tious things. The Irish believed in the existence of nature this time all her friends died. spirits: pooka, gnomes, sylphs, salamanders, undines. As These lines are full of superstitions the Irish believed in: a rule each spirit embodied natural element: earth, water, By the craggy hill-side, air and fire [9, p. 13]. Through the mosses bare, The Oxford dictionary esteems the fairy as “a small They have planted thorn-trees imaginary being of human form that has magical powers” For pleasure here and there. [6, p. 319], Macmillan essential dictionary deems that it’s Is any man so daring “an imaginary creature with magic powers that looks like As dig them up in spite, a small person with wings” [5 p. 249], thus these are con- He shall find their sharpest thorns temporary views on fairies. In mythology, they are crea- In his bed at night [1]. tures from the other world. The Irish word for fairy is Fairies lived in forests with thorn-trees. The image of a sheehogue [sidheóg], a diminutive of “shee” in banshee. thorn tree awakens the archetype of the Tree of life. It Fairies are deenee shee [daoine sidhe] (fairy people) [9, p. reflects the measure between the world of human and the 13-14]. They are believed to have supernatural powers, world of spirits. People have created these superstitions strong influence on the consciousness of people. Their themselves: “ …They have planted thorn-trees for pleas- appearance: pale women with long white hair and red ure here and there”. But if these believes are strong and eyes, that seems more scaring than magic. When a scream are deep in the consciousness they manage the whole life of a banshee is heard – it means some misfortune will and interfere this world: “He shall find their sharpest happen or someone shall die. thorns in his bed at night ”. The bed is a part of people’s Fairies are the creations of pagan society of Ireland before life and a place for the rest and recreation. If thorns of Christianization took place. They embodied the beliefs of spirit world are in the bedroom, they don’t let a person people both in the ethnic belonging and religious views. forget about them even when the mind is asleep. William Allingham, an Irish poet, had a great interest The same idea of fairies’ power we can find in the po- in folklore. In his verse there is the reconnecting to the ems of Sir Samuel Ferguson “The fairy well of Lagna- Irish past—through rehabilitation of native mythology [2, nay”. A girl was betrayed by her beloved and left alone. p. 20]. The belief in power of fairies is described in his She suffers and cries for her broken heart: poem “The fairies”. Fairies had a power to take away “O listen, Ellen, sister dear mortals and bring them to the other world : Is there no help at all for me, They stole little Bridget But only ceaseless sigh and tear? For seven years long; Why did not he who left me here, When she came down again With stolen hope steal memory?” [4]. Her friends were all gone. The life without a beloved seems senseless for the girl They took her lightly back, and she wishes a death: “I’ll go away to Sleamish hill, I’ll Between the night and morrow, pluck the fairy hawthorn-tree,\ And let the spirits work 77 Science and Education a New Dimension. Philology, IV (17), Issue: 78, 2016 www.seanewdim.com their will; \ I care not if for good or ill, \ So they but lay water has magic power, it is strong and mysterious. To get the memory \ Which all my heart is haunting still!”. Here to the fairy land one can by river. The wilds symbolize in the image of a thorn tree (hawthorn) embodies the portal the poem wild forest, where fairies are believed to live. A between the world of people (life) and the world of fairies child is asked to go with fairies, hand in hand, trustful, to (death). The girl seems fearless, ready to pluck! a thorn the Fairyland. In the lines: “We’ve hidden our faery vats, tree to make spirits see her and take her away. In the po- full of berrys and of reddest stolen cherries” the verbal em the spirits are given the main power – to take the life image vat of cherries and berrys symbolizes knowledge, of mortals, to become those who give life or death. prosperity and wisdom. The world of fairies seems friend- Later Folk tales about fairies focus on finding magical ly and peaceful. It is even more pleasant than the world of instruments, saving spells, extraordinary technologies or mortals and the child chooses it. powerful people and animals that will enable people to Delicate beauty and ample imagination run through the resist their magic. There were superstitions that fairies poems of Edward Walsh, a village schoolmaster, who was steal pretty children and take them to their land. Instead one of the members of the Young Ireland movement [8, p. they leave sickly fairy children. Whether children were 23]. Edward Walsh made a translation of and Irish lullaby happy with fairies or not was unknown, but still it was and made it sound melodic and magic “The fairy nurse”: believed that fairies could be good or evil. In a folk tale Sweet babe! a golden cradle holds thee, by T. Crofton Cooker. “The brewery of egg-shells” moth- And soft the snow-white fleece enfolds thee; er believes that her true child was stolen: “Mrs. Sullivan In airy bower I’ll watch thy sleeping, fancied that her youngest child had been exchanged by Where branchy trees to the breeze are sweeping. “fairies theft,” and certainly appearances warranted Shuheen, sho, lulo! lo! such a conclusion: for in one night her healthy, blue-eyed This lullaby is sang to a baby by fairies. A baby is boy had become shriveled up into almost nothing, and sleeping in his golden cradle and the fairy is singing to never ceased squalling and crying” [9, p.85]. Mrs. Sulli- him tenderly: sweet babe, snow-white fleece enfolds thee. van suffered a lot and could do nothing, this alien child The image of the airy bower embodies magic power of still resembled her own child. Once she meets a cunning fairies to fly in the air, as if they are angels that protect woman, well known about the country by the name of children. The Fairy says she loves the baby not less than Ellen Leah (or Gary Ellen). That woman could tell where his mortal mother does: “Rest thee, babe! I love thee the dead were, and what was good for the rest of their dearly, And as thy mortal mother nearly”. In these lines souls; and could charm away warts and wens, and do a the fairy mentions that all misfortunes of mortal private great many wonderful things of the same nature. Ellen life, relationship, quarrels and partings of adults are un- gives Mrs. Sullivan an advice how to learn whether it is important: her own child, if it’s not – a brewery of egg-shells will When mothers languish broken-hearted, discover it.
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