Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland OuMj^ly^^ ^^^ ^"^ A 'h^^^-.J^ ^ —; FAIRY LEGENDS Craftittong THE SOUTH OF IKELAND. Cflitlr «5liition. ' Come I'araba Fenice Che ci sia, ognun lo dice Dove sia, nessunlo sa/'; Metastasio. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET ; AND WILLIAM TEGG & Co., 73, CHEAPSIDE. M.DCCC.XLVI. \ LONDON ; BEADBVRY AND EVANS, PRINTERfe, VTHITEFRIARS. ^?Kt <iX>0 2ttc» S^ < '"7K3i/^tv~*. I \ i/otu^ in^€M^ oi>u»<^ ^^. *^ <# ^ ^ ^ ^ ^=^^2^ . *^^ ;^1^ <^.^ , •^^2«>aoe<i. '^ 4?^^ ^-^.z^ ^^t^<;-«# ~^^ "^ ^^2^ .^.^- .^t^r an <2/ijui^J, ^2^-^ -'^^'^^ •^^^^^^ ^-o^ ^j;^^^ <£^^^;. zC:?^-^ - ^ Tit '^^^ f ^^...^^^^-^^ •^"^ ^.^^ .C^ ...^^^ ..^,,^^ "" ^-^ -^^..^ 7'"^ "^ PREFACE. The erudite Lessing styles a preface " the history of a book." Now, though there can be no neces- sity for a preface in that sense of the word to the reprint of a work of mere whim, which has been nearly ten years before the pubhc, yet a few words are requisite to prevent the present condensed and revised edition from being considered an abridg- ment, However compact may be the mode of printing adopted, the act of compressing into one volume the three in which the ** Fairy Legends" originally appeared, involved to a certain extent the neces- sity of selection, perhaps the most difl&cult of all tasks judiciously to perform ; but the following statement will show the system proceeded on. Forty tales descriptive of Irish superstitions now appear instead of fifty. All supei-fluous an- notations have been struck out, and a brief sum- marv at the end of each section substituted, expla- a2 uatory of the classification adopted, and in which a few additional notes have been introduced, as well as upon the text. It is therefore hoped that this curtailment will be regarded as an essential improvement ; some useless repetition in the tales being thereby avoided, and much irrelevant matter in the notes dispensed with, although nothing which illustrates in the slightest degree the popular Fairy Creed of Ireland has been sacrificed. At the same time, the omission of a portion of the ten immaterial tales will suflSciently answer doubts idly raised as to the question of authorship. CONTENTS. The Shefro. page I. The Legend of Knocksheogowna . 3 II. Knockfierna .... 9 III. Knockgrafton . 14 IV. The Priest's Supper 22 v. The Brewery of Egg-shells 28 VI. Legend of Bottle HUl 33 VII. The Confessions of Tom Bourke . 46 VIII. Fairies or no Fairies ..... 65 Note on the Section 72 The Cluricaune. IX. The Haunted Cellar 75 X. Master and Man 85 .' XI. The Little Shoe 94 Note on the Section 96 The Banshee. XII. The Bunworth Banshee 99 Xin. The McCarthy Banshee 105 Note on the Section 126 The Phooka. XIV. The Spirit Horse 129 XV. Daniel O'Rourke 134 XVI. The Crookened Back 145 Note on the Section 152 Thierna na Oge. XVn. FiorUsga 155 XVIII. Cormac and Mary {Ballad) . .160 XIX. The Legend of Lough Gur 163 XX. The Enchanted Lake 166 XXI. The Legend of O'Donoghue . 171 Note on the Section 1 74 . The Merrow. XXII. The Lady of Gollerus 177 XXIII. Flory Cantilloa''s Funeral 186 XXIV. The Lord of Dunkerron {Ballad) 192 XXV. The Wonderful Tune 196 Note on the Section 206 The Dullahan. XXVI. The Good Woman 209 XXVII. Hanlon's Mill . 220 XXVIII. The Death Coach (Ballad) 226 XXIX. The Headless Horseman 229 Note on the Section 240 The Fir Darrig. XXX. Diarmid Bawn, the Piper 243 XXXI. Teigue of the Lee . 249 XXXII. Ned Sheehy's Excuse . 258 XXXIII. The Lucky Guest . 274 Note on the Section 284 Treasure Legends. XXXIV. Dreaming Tim Jarvis 287 XXXV. Rent Day . XXXVI. Linn-na-Payshtha . 303 Note on the Section 310 Rocks and Stones, XXXVII. The Legend of Cairn Thiema 313 XXXVIII. The Rock of the Candle . 317 XXXIX. Clough-na-Cuddy 321 XL. The Giant's Stairs . 3.33 Appendix—Letter from Sir Walter Scott ; TO THE DOWAGER LADY CHATTERTON, CASTLE MAHON. Thee, Lady, would I lead through Fairy-land (Whence cold and doubting reasoners are exil'd), A land of dreams, with air-built castles piled The moonlight Shefros there, in merry band With artful Cluricaune, should ready stand To welcome thee—Imagination's child ! Till on thy ear would burst so sadly wld The Banshee's shriek, who points with wither'd hand. In the dim twilight should the Phooka come, Whose dusky fonn fades in the sunny hght, That opens clear calm Lakes upon thy sight, Where blessed spirits dwell in endless bloom. I know thee, Lady—thou wilt not deride Such Fairy Scenes.—Then onward with thy Guide. ^^jr:?6>?^ The Wood Engravings after Designs by Mr. Brooke, R.H. A., Mr. M'Clise, and the Author. — FAIRY LEGENDS. THE SHEFRO. " Fairy Elves ' Whose midnight revels, by a forest side Or fountain some belated peasant sees, Or dreams he sees, while over-head the Moon Sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth Wheels her pale course" Milton. LEGENDS OF THE SHEFRO. LEGEND OF KNOCKSHEOGOWNA. In Tipperary is one of the most singularly shaped hills in the world. It has got a peak at the top like a conical nightcap thrown carelessly over your head as you awake in the morning. On the very point is built a sort of lodge, where in the summer the lady who built it and her friends used to go on parties of pleasure ; but that was long after the days of the fairies, and it is, I be- lieve, now deserted. But before lodge was built, or acre sown, there was close to the head of this hill a large pasturage, where a herdsman spent his days and nights among the herd. The spot had been an old fairy ground, and the good people were angry that the scene of their Hght and airy gambols should be trampled by the rude hoofs of bulls and cows. The lowing of the cattle sounded sad in their ears, and the chief of the fairies of the hill deter- mined in person to drive away the new comers ; and the way she thought of was this. "When the b2 4 THE LEGEND OF KNOCKSHEOGOWNA. harvest nights came on, and the moon shone bright and brilliant over the hill, and the cattle were lying down hushed and quiet, and the herdsman, wrapt in his mantle, was musing with his heart gladdened by the glorious company of the stars twinkling above him, she would come and dance before him,—now in one shape—now in another, —but all ugly and frightful to behold. One time she would be a great horse, with the wings of an eagle, and a tail like a dragon, hissing loud and spitting fire, then in a moment she would change into a little man lame of a leg, with a bull's head, and a lambent flame playing around it. Then into a great ape, with duck's feet and a turkey- cock's tail. But I should be all day about it were I to tell you all the shapes she took. And then she would roar, or neigh, or hiss, or bellow, or howl, or hoot, as never yet was roaring, neigh- ing, hissing, bellowing, howling, or hooting, heard in this world before or since. The poor herdsman would cover his face, and call on all the saints for help, but it was no use. With one puff of her breath she would blow away the fold of his great coat, let him hold it never so tightly over his eyes, and not a saint in heaveu paid him the slightest attention. And to make matters worse, he never could stir ; no, nor even shut his eyes, but there was obliged to stay, held by what power he knew not, gazing at these terrible sights until the hair of his head would lift his hat half a foot over his crown, and his teeth would be ready to fall out from chattering. But the cattle would scamper about mad, as if they were bitten by the fly ; and this would last imtil the sun rose over the hill. THE LEGEND OF KNOCKSHEOGOWNA. The poor cattle from want of rest were pining away, and food did them no good ; besides, they met with accidents without end. Never a night passed that some of them did not fall into a pit, and get maimed, or may be, killed. Some would tumble into a river and be drowned : in a word, there seemed never to be an end of the accidents. But what made the matter worse, there could not be a herdsman got to tend the cattle by night. One visit from the fairy drove the stoutest- hearted almost mad. The owner of the ground did not know what to do. He offered double, treble, quadruple wages, but not a man could be found for the sake of money to go through the horror of facing the fairy. She rejoiced at the successful issue of her project, and continued her pranks. The herd gradually thinning, and no man daring to remain on the ground, the fairies came back in numbers, and gambolled as merrily as before, quaffing dew-drops from acorns, and spreading their feast on the heads of capacious mushrooms. What was to be done ? the puzzled farmer thought in vain. He found that his substance was daily diminishing, his people terrified, and his rent-day coming round. It is no wonder that he looked gloomy, and walked mournfully down the road. Now in that part of the world dwelt a man of the name of Larry Hoolahan, who played on the pipes better than any other player within fifteen parishes.
Recommended publications
  • Article Fairy Marriages in Tolkien’S Works GIOVANNI C
    article Fairy marriages in Tolkien’s works GIOVANNI C. COSTABILE Both in its Celtic and non-Celtic declinations, the motif the daughter of the King of Faerie, who bestows on him a of the fairy mistress has an ancient tradition stretching magical source of wealth, and will visit him whenever he throughout different areas, ages, genres, media and cul- wants, so long as he never tells anybody about her.5 Going tures. Tolkien was always fascinated by the motif, and used further back, the nymph Calypso, who keeps Odysseus on it throughout his works, conceiving the romances of Beren her island Ogygia on an attempt to make him her immortal and Lúthien, and Aragorn and Arwen. In this article I wish husband,6 can be taken as a further (and older) version of to point out some minor expressions of the same motif in the same motif. Tolkien’s major works, as well as to reflect on some over- But more pertinent is the idea of someone’s ancestor being looked aspects in the stories of those couples, in the light of considered as having married a fairy. Here we can turn to the often neglected influence of Celtic and romance cultures the legend of Sir Gawain, as Jessie Weston and John R. Hul- on Tolkien. The reader should also be aware that I am going bert interpret Gawain’s story in Sir Gawain and the Green to reference much outdated scholarship, that being my pre- Knight as a late, Christianised version of what once was a cise intent, though, at least since this sort of background fairy-mistress tale in which the hero had to prove his worth may conveniently help us in better understanding Tolkien’s through the undertaking of the Beheading Test in order to reading of both his theoretical and actual sources.
    [Show full text]
  • Dublin Internship Program Fall 2012 Course Selection
    Dublin Internship Program Fall 2012 Course Selection To assist us in determining class enrollments, please indicate which ALL OTHER INTERNSHIP TRACKS courses you intend to take during your semester in Dublin. If you change your mind about a course after submitting your course Core Courses selection form, please notify us in writing of your course change by These two courses are required courses and meet during the first six sending an email to [email protected]. You should in all cases clear your weeks of the program. course selections with your academic advisor prior to arrival in Dublin. Students are required to take a full course load (16 credits) during their • CAS SO 341 Contemporary Irish Society (required of all students) semester in Dublin. • CAS HI 325/PO 381 History of Ireland (required of all students) Circle one: HI (History) or PO (Politics) The Dublin Internship Program has a two-part semester calendar. For the first part of the semester, you will take two required four-credit core Elective Courses courses: SO 341: Contemporary Irish Society and either HI325/PO381: You must enroll in one of the following; so please check off only one History of Ireland or SAR HS 422: Ethics in Health Care. box: Upon successful completion of these intensive courses, you will begin o CAS EN 392 Modern Irish Literature the seven-week internship. Elective courses run throughout the entire o COM CM 415 Mass Media in Ireland duration of the program and meet once per week. o CFA AR 340 The Arts in Ireland o SAR HS 425 Health Care Policy and Practice in
    [Show full text]
  • Katie Martin
    Katie Martin Some fact´s at first… When and where were you born? I was born in Coventry, England on the 1st of September 1980. Your height? 5’ 7 ½ . What is your favourite food? Seafood and Pasta Your favourite music? Chart music and R´and´ B. Joss Stone, maroon 5, Lucie Silvas, Kelly Clarckson, etc. Your favourite movie? „Notting Hill“, „My best friends Wedding“, „Stepmom“. Julia Roberts is my favourite actress. Your favourite city / place in the world, you have visited so far? Cape town in South Africa is my most favourite place in the whole world. Do you have any hidden talents, we don’t know about? I have a Diploma in make up artistory for film and television. What’s the most treasured moment in your life, so far? My most treasured moment in the Show is dancing in Hyde Park with Feet of Flames and also performing Lead for the first time. About your family… Please tell us something about your parents - what do they do for their living? Do they dance as well? My dad is an engineer and my mom is a nurse. My mum is also an amazing Irish Dancing teacher and was my very first teacher. Do you have any brothers or sisters? How old are they? Do they dance, too? What do they do for their living? My brothers name is Thomas and he is 23 years old. He is also in Troupe 1. Is it hard for you, to be apart from your family for such a long time while touring? How often are you able to travel back home again? It can be hard but because we have been touring for so many years we´re use to it now.
    [Show full text]
  • Folk-Tales of Bengal
    ;v\ i </, E * »^»i BOOK 39- , , , %{> 1^^ FOLK -TALES OF BENGAL MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO DALLAS • SAN FRANCISCO THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TORONTO "She rushed out of the palace . and came to the upper world." FOLK-TALES OF BENGAL BY THE REV. LAL BEHARI DAY AUTHOR OF 'BENGAL PEASANT LIFE,' ETC. WITH 32 ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR BY WARWICK GOBLE MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON 1912 ^T?^ COPYRIGHT First Edition 1883 With Colovred [llustrations hy Warwick Goble, 191 e TO RICHARD CARNAC TEMPLE CAPTAIN, BENGAL STAFF CORPS F.R.G.S., M.R.A.S., M.A.I., ETC. WHO FIRST SUGGESTED TO THE WRITER THE IDEA OF COLLECTING THESE TALES AND WHO IS DOING SO MUCH IN THE CAUSE OF INDIAN FOLK-LORE THIS LITTLE BOOK IS INSCRIBED PREFACE In my Peasant Life in Bengal I make the peasant boy Govinda spend some hours every evening in listening to stories told by an old w^oman, who was called Sambhu's mother, and who was the best story-teller in the village. On reading that passage, Captain R. C. Temple, of the Bengal Staff Corps, son of the distinguished Indian adminis- trator Sir Richard Temple, wrote to me to say how interesting it would be to get a collection of those unwritten stories which old women in India recite to little children in the evenings, and to ask whether I could not make such a collection. As I was no stranger to the Mahrchen of the Brothers Grimm, to the Norse Tales so admirably told by Dasent, to Arnason's Icelandic Stories translated
    [Show full text]
  • Camelot -.: Carton Collector
    Mitos y Leyendas - Camelot (236) cartoncollector.cl 001 UR Draig Goch 081 R Levantar Muerto 161 V Paiste 002 UR Clídna 082 R Vampiro de Almas 162 V Dragón del Monte 003 UR Morgause 083 R Alas del Murciélago 163 V Blue Ben 004 UR Arthur Pendragón 084 R Regresar la Espada 164 V Serpopardo 005 UR Duelo de Dragón 085 R Coronación 165 V Glatisant 006 UR Seducción 086 R Excalibur Liberada 166 V Gwiber 007 UR Invocar Corrupción 087 R Torneo 167 V Rhydderch 008 UR Garra de Cristal 088 R Letanía del Rayo 168 V Tlachtga 009 MR Dragón Blanco 089 R Aura Bendita 169 V Ceasg 010 MR Gwyn ap Nudd 090 R Llamar a los Antiguos 170 V Lady Blanchefleur 011 MR Fuath 091 R Licántropos Rampantes 171 V Bugul Noz 012 MR Balin dos Espadas 092 R Yelmo Montadragón 172 V Gancanagh 013 MR Bridei I 093 R Hacha de los Bosques 173 V Guinevak 014 MR Incinerar 094 R Clarent 174 V John de la Costa 015 MR Relámpago Faérico 095 R Primera Excalibur 175 V Korrigan 016 MR Bendición de Armas 096 R Cementerio Dragón 176 V Addanc 017 MR Cortamundos 097 R Isla de Avalón 177 V Wight 018 MR Nido de Uolot 098 R Cementerio Impuro 178 V Cu Sith 019 M Dragón Inferno 099 R Guardia Gozosa 179 V Palamades 020 M Merlín Ambrosius 100 C Cockatriz 180 V Agravain 021 M Sir Perceval 101 C Wyvern Negro 181 V Gaheris 022 M Auberón 102 C Ave Boobrie 182 V Lucán 023 M Oilliphéist 103 C Stollenwurm 183 V Sir Héctor 024 M Lancelot del Lago 104 C Vouivre 184 V Mark de Cornwall 025 M Morgana de la Sombra 105 C Dragón de Dalry 185 V Olwen 026 M Claíomh Solais 106 C Roba Almas 186 V Pellinore 027 M Dullahan
    [Show full text]
  • 2014–2015 Season Sponsors
    2014–2015 SEASON SPONSORS The City of Cerritos gratefully thanks our 2014–2015 Season Sponsors for their generous support of the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. YOUR FAVORITE ENTERTAINERS, YOUR FAVORITE THEATER If your company would like to become a Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts sponsor, please contact the CCPA Administrative Offices at 562-916-8510. THE CERRITOS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (CCPA) thanks the following current CCPA Associates donors who have contributed to the CCPA’s Endowment Fund. The Endowment Fund was established in 1994 under the visionary leadership of the Cerritos City Council to ensure that the CCPA would remain a welcoming, accessible, and affordable venue where patrons can experience the joy of entertainment and cultural enrichment. For more information about the Endowment Fund or to make a contribution, please contact the CCPA Administrative Offices at (562) 916-8510. MARQUEE Sandra and Bruce Dickinson Diana and Rick Needham Eleanor and David St. Clair Mr. and Mrs. Curtis R. Eakin A.J. Neiman Judy and Robert Fisher Wendy and Mike Nelson Sharon Kei Frank Jill and Michael Nishida ENCORE Eugenie Gargiulo Margene and Chuck Norton The Gettys Family Gayle Garrity In Memory of Michael Garrity Ann and Clarence Ohara Art Segal In Memory Of Marilynn Segal Franz Gerich Bonnie Jo Panagos Triangle Distributing Company Margarita and Robert Gomez Minna and Frank Patterson Yamaha Corporation of America Raejean C. Goodrich Carl B. Pearlston Beryl and Graham Gosling Marilyn and Jim Peters HEADLINER Timothy Gower Gwen and Gerry Pruitt Nancy and Nick Baker Alvena and Richard Graham Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Roots and Routes of Irish Step Dancing: Issues of Identity and Participation in a Global World Catherine E
    studying culture in context The roots and routes of Irish step dancing: issues of identity and participation in a global world Catherine E. Foley Excerpted from: Routes and Roots Fiddle and Dance Studies from around the North Atlantic 4 Edited by Ian Russell and Chris Goertzen First published in 2012 by The Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen, MacRobert Building, King’s College, Aberdeen, AB24 5UA ISBN 0-9545682-7-3 About the author: Catherine Foley is course director of the MA in Ethnochoreology and the MA in Irish Traditional Dance Performance at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick; she also supervises doctoral research (academic and practice-based) at the Academy. She is Founding Chair Emerita of Dance Research Forum Ireland, Director of the festival, Tráth na gCos, and Project Leader of the National Dance Archive of Ireland. Copyright © 2012 the Elphinstone Institute and the contributors While copyright in the volume as a whole is vested in the Elphinstone Institute, copyright in individual contributions remains with the contributors. The moral rights of the contributors to be identified as the authors of their work have been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. 11 The roots and routes of Irish step dancing: issues of identity and participation in a global
    [Show full text]
  • Heroes, Gods and Monsters of Celtic Mythology Ebook
    HEROES, GODS AND MONSTERS OF CELTIC MYTHOLOGY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Fiona Macdonald,Eoin Coveney | 192 pages | 01 May 2009 | SALARIYA BOOK COMPANY LTD | 9781905638970 | English | Brighton, United Kingdom Heroes, Gods and Monsters of Celtic Mythology PDF Book This book is not yet featured on Listopia. The pursuit was a long one, and Caorthannach knew St. Danu DAH-noo. Details if other :. Co Kerry icon Fungie the Dolphin spotted after fears he was dead. The pair is said to whip the horses with a human spinal cord. Though the saint was desperately thirsty, he refused to drink from the poisoned wells and prayed for guidance. Scota SKO-tah. Showing The Dullahan rides a headless black horse with flaming eyes, carrying his head under one arm. He is said to have invented the early Irish alphabet called Ogham. Patrick when he banished the snakes out of Ireland. Cancel Reply. One monster, however, managed to escape — Caorthannach, the fire-spitter. Comments Show Comments. Carman is the Celtic goddess of evil magic. Leanan Sidhe would then take her dead lovers back to her lair. Ancient site of Irish Kings and the Tuatha de Danann. Now the Fomori have returned to their waters and transformed into sea monsters who prey on humans. Bay KIL-a. Patrick would need water to quench his thirst along the way, so she spitfire as she fled, and poisoned every well she passed. Several of the digital paintings or renderings for each of the archetypes expressed by various artists. According to Irish folklore, Sluagh are dead sinners that come back as malicious spirits.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Economy and Media Coverage of the European Economic Crisis
    ‘Austerity as a policy harms the many and benefits the few. In a democracy that’s sup- posed to be hard to sell. Yet the democracies most effected by the European financial crisis saw no such democratic revolt. Mercille tells us why. Updating and deploying the Chomsky-Herman propaganda model of the media in a systematic and empirical way, he shows us how alternative policies are sidelined and elite interests are protected’. Mark Blyth, Professor of International Political Economy, Brown University ‘This is one of the most important political economy books of the year. Julien Mercille’s book is set to become the definitive account of the media’s role in Ireland’s spectacular and transformative economic boom and bust. He argues convincingly that critical poli- tical economic perspectives are a rarity in the Irish media and Mercille’s devastating critique painstakingly chronicles the persistent failures of the Irish media’. Dr. Tom McDonnell, Macroeconomist at the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) ‘The European economies remain trapped in high levels of unemployment while more austerity is promoted as the solution. Yet the media plays a key role in presenting these austerity policies as though “there is no alternative”. This book, with a focus on Ireland, provides compelling evidence on the ideological role of the media in the presentation of the policies favoring the economic, financial and political elites. A highly recommended read for its analyses of the crises and of the neo-liberal interpretation from the media’. Malcolm Sawyer, Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Leeds ‘The basic story of the economic crisis is simple.
    [Show full text]
  • Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, by 1
    Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, by 1 Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, by William Butler Yeats This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry Author: William Butler Yeats Editor: William Butler Yeats Release Date: October 28, 2010 [EBook #33887] Language: English Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, by 2 Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY AND FOLK TALES *** Produced by Larry B. Harrison, Brian Foley and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) FAIRY AND FOLK TALES OF THE IRISH PEASANTRY. EDITED AND SELECTED BY W. B. YEATS. THE WALTER SCOTT PUBLISHING CO., LTD. LONDON AND FELLING-ON-TYNE. NEW YORK: 3 EAST 14TH STREET. INSCRIBED TO MY MYSTICAL FRIEND, G. R. CONTENTS. THE TROOPING FAIRIES-- PAGE The Fairies 3 Frank Martin and the Fairies 5 The Priest's Supper 9 The Fairy Well of Lagnanay 13 Teig O'Kane and the Corpse 16 Paddy Corcoran's Wife 31 Cusheen Loo 33 The White Trout; A Legend of Cong 35 The Fairy Thorn 38 The Legend of Knockgrafton 40 A Donegal Fairy 46 CHANGELINGS-- The Brewery of Egg-shells 48 The Fairy Nurse 51 Jamie Freel and the Young Lady 52 The Stolen Child 59 THE MERROW--
    [Show full text]
  • Tradition and Innovation in Irish Instrumental Folk Music
    TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN IRISH INSTRUMENTAL FOLK MUSIC by ANDREW NEIL fflLLHOUSE B.Mus., The University of British Columbia, 1990 B.Ed., The University of British Columbia, 2002 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Music) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA August 2005 © Andrew Neil Hillhouse, 2005 11 ABSTRACT In the late twentieth century, many new melodies were composed in the genre of traditional Irish instrumental music. In the oral tradition of this music, these new tunes go through a selection process, ultimately decided on by a large, transnational, and loosely connected community of musicians, before entering the common-practice repertoire. This thesis examines a representative group of tunes that are being accepted into the common- practice repertoire, and through analysis of motivic structure, harmony, mode and other elements, identifies the shifting boundaries of traditional music. Through an identification of these boundaries, observations can be made on the changing tastes of the people playing Irish music today. Chapter One both establishes the historical and contemporary context for the study of Irish traditional music, and reviews literature on the melodic analysis of Irish traditional music, particularly regarding the concept of "tune-families". Chapter Two offers an analysis of traditional tunes in the common-practice repertoire, in order to establish an analytical means for identifying traditional tune structure. Chapter Three is an analysis of five tunes that have entered the common-practice repertoire since 1980. This analysis utilizes the techniques introduced in Chapter Two, and discusses the idea of the melodic "hook", the memorable element that is necessary for a tune to become popular.
    [Show full text]
  • How Perception, Power, and Practice Altered Memory of Irish Ceili Dances
    Vol. 11(1), pp. 1-9, January-June 2021 DOI: 10.5897/JMD2020.0082 Article Number: C8FA78A66197 ISSN 2360-8579 Copyright © 2021 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article Journal of Music and Dance http://www.academicjournals.org/JMD Full Length Research Paper Examining “The book”: How perception, power, and practice altered memory of Irish Ceili dances Helen Buck-Pavlick Independent Researcher, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Received 29 May, 2020; Accepted 9 February, 2021 This paper is an ethnographic examination and exploration of the power politics of the Ar Rinci Foirne and the subsequent changes in perceived nationalism, stylizations, and memory of Irish dance as it refers to both the practiced repertoire and textual archive of ceili dancing within Ireland and the Diaspora. The researcher examined each iteration of the Ar Rinci Fiorne antecedent and relevant texts the socio-political climate following the Irish Civil War, and the aims of the Gaelic League to determine how the textual archiving through the 2014 edition of “Ar Rinci Foirne'' affected embodied memory of Irish Ceili dancing. Theories of transculturation, ethnography, post-structuralist criticism, archiving with thematic and chronological examination of texts were utilized with a qualitative methodology. Through the intentional inclusion and exclusion of dances, the Ar Rinci Foirne functions as codification and propaganda of Irishness through dance, while systematically altering and erasing embodied memory of ceili dances within Ireland and the Diaspora. Key words: Irish dance, ceili, ethnography, embodied memory, folk dance. INTRODUCTION An Coimisiun played a significant role in the preservation the periphery by this act, and what dances or styles of Irish dance repertoire while simultaneously erasing flourished as a result? 2.
    [Show full text]