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ML 4080 the Seal Woman in Its Irish and International Context

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ML 4080 the Seal Woman in Its Irish and International Context Mar Gur Dream Sí Iad Atá Ag Mairiúint Fén Bhfarraige: ML 4080 the Seal Woman in Its Irish and International Context The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Darwin, Gregory R. 2019. Mar Gur Dream Sí Iad Atá Ag Mairiúint Fén Bhfarraige: ML 4080 the Seal Woman in Its Irish and International Context. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:42029623 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Mar gur dream Sí iad atá ag mairiúint fén bhfarraige: ML 4080 The Seal Woman in its Irish and International Context A dissertation presented by Gregory Dar!in to The Department of Celti# Literatures and Languages in partial fulfillment of the re%$irements for the degree of octor of Philosophy in the subje#t of Celti# Languages and Literatures (arvard University Cambridge+ Massa#husetts April 2019 / 2019 Gregory Darwin All rights reserved iii issertation Advisor: Professor Joseph Falaky Nagy Gregory Dar!in Mar gur dream Sí iad atá ag mairiúint fén bhfarraige: ML 4080 The Seal Woman in its Irish and International Context4 Abstract This dissertation is a study of the migratory supernatural legend ML 4080 “The Mermaid Legend” The story is first attested at the end of the eighteenth century+ and hundreds of versions of the legend have been colle#ted throughout the nineteenth and t!entieth centuries in Ireland, S#otland, the Isle of Man, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, S!eden, and Denmark. I explore a number of related questions concerning this legend: its development and dissemination throughout this geographi# area+ the meanings it conveys for its traditional audiences and performers, and its afterlife in contemporary media and literature4 The first chapter provides an overvie! of all the known versions of The Mermaid Legend, demographi# information about storytellers and colle#tors, its typi#al forms, and the motifs or subtypes whi#h are subje#t to geographi# variation. I argue that the legend originated in Ireland or Gaeli# S#otland and spread from Gaeli# S#otland to Shetland and Orkney, and from there to the rest of the Norse world. My se#ond chapter explores the relationship bet!een The Mermaid Legend and other Irish and S#ottish traditions about seals and mermaids4 I conclude that they represent a stable body of belief concerning s$#h beings+ and relate to broader concerns about the relationship bet!een humans and their environment. In my third chapter, I explore medie)al and early modern Irish literary depi#tions of seals and mermaids4 i) The fourth chapter explores the question of the possible functions and meanings of the legend, at both the colle#tive and individual le)el. I in#lude t!o individual case studies of versions of the legend re#orded from storytellers with large repetoires and s$"fi#ient biographi#al information: Éamonn a Búrc of Carna+ County Gal!ay, and Peig Sayers of Dún Chaoin, County ;erry. In the fi"th and final chapter, I explore a number of films and literary works by Irish #reators whi#h retell or dra! inspiration from this legend. I explore both the relationship bet!een these creators and oral tradition, as well as the ways in whi#h the legend is adapted to address #ontemporary issues and debates about transnationalism, gender, the environment, and more4 ) Table of Contents Abstra#t4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444iii Table of Contents44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444) Abbre)iations Used44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444vii A#kno!ledgements4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444ix edi#ation44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444xii 0. Introduction4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444- 0.1 The S#ope of the Problem and Previous Work4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444< 0.2 Sources4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444= 0.3 Genres44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444. 0.4 Methodology and Outline4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444-- 0.5 Texts and Translations44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444414 1. Distribution and Demographi#s of The Mermaid Legend444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444-? 1.1 Si@e of Corpus and Geographi#al Distribution4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444-? 1.2 Sources44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444-= 1.2.1 Ireland4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444418 1.2.2 S#otland44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444,- 1.2.3 Isle of Man4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444,, 1.2.4 Norway444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444,< 1.2.5 S!eden444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444,< 1.2.6 Denmark444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444424 1.2.7 Faroe Islands444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444424 1.2.8 Iceland4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444,> 1.3 Length and Style44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444,? 1.4 Demographi#s44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444428 1.4.1 Colle#tor Demographi#s444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444428 1.4.2 Informant Demographi#s44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444430 1.4.3 Source Demographi#s44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444<- 1.5 A#tors and Obje#ts44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444<> 1.5.1 The Supernatural Woman.4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444<> 1.5.2 The Stolen Obje#t44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444<. 1.5.3 The Man4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444442 1.6 Encounter and Capture4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 1.7 Marriage and cohabitation44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444450 1.8 Dis#overy and es#ape4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444>< 1.9 Subsequent events444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444>= 1.10 Stable texts44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444460 1.10.1 “Shiubhail mB an domhan”4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444?- 1.10.2 “3C mar sin atD tigh m’athar-sa644444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444?> 1.10.3 “A Mhéirdrea#h Bhalbh!”444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444?= 1.10.4 “Súil UC Dhúda le hArd na Ria64444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444468 1.10.5 “MBr er um og ó”444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444470 1.10.6 “Í kvöld verði eg konuleysur!”4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444=, vi 1.10.7 “1are!ell444 I al!ays loved my first husband m$#h better4644444444444444444444444444444444444444=< 1.10.8 “Mairg a thugann cúl le cine644444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444474 -4-1 Conclusions44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444=>
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