In Fairyland Or Thereabout: the Fairies As Nationalist Symbol in Irish Literature by and After Willaim Allingham
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Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Spring 2009 In Fairyland Or Thereabout: The Fairies as Nationalist Symbol in Irish Literature by and after Willaim Allingham Cassandra M. Schell Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Recommended Citation Schell, Cassandra M., "In Fairyland Or Thereabout: The Fairies as Nationalist Symbol in Irish Literature by and after Willaim Allingham" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 169. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/169 This thesis (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “IN FAIRYLAND OR THEREABOUT”: THE FAIRY AS NATIONALIST SYMBOL IN IRISH LITERATURE BY AND AFTER WILLIAM ALLINGHAM by CASSANDRA M. SCHELL (Under the Direction of Howard Keeley) ABSTRACT This essay is a look at a little known Irish poet, William Allingham, who invokes the fairy as a vehicle for a political change in Ireland. It offers a close reading of a few of his poems as well as historically approaches the use of fairies in the popular culture of the nineteenth century. In Chapter I, I use an historical approach to discuss the biography of William Allingham and his place in Irish literature as “a poet we have neglected.” I also discuss a cultural study of the portrayal and use of the fairy in the nineteenth century. This chapter begins my essay as a foundation of Allingham’s knowledge of the fairy from childhood. In Chapter II, I use a New Critical Approach to discuss the use of the fairy as a nationalist symbol in an amalgamation of Allingham’s works. This chapter addresses Allingham’s Diary as well as his poems “Vivant!” and “Fireside Magic” in order to discuss Allingham’s religio-cultural anxieties. In Chapter III, I discuss both W.B. Yeats and William Allingham in reference to their use of the scary fairy as a means of working out their anxieties over the future of Ireland. I discuss Yeats’s “The Stolen Child” as well as Allingham’s “The Fairies” and “The Ban-shee, A Ballad of Ancient Erin.” To conclude, I look at the use of fairies in the popular culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with an emphasis on Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series. INDEX WORDS: Fairy, Fairies, Faerie, Faery, Fairyland, Tuatha de Danaan, William Allingham, Ireland, Folklore, Poetry, Pagan, Druid, Enchantment, Magic, Patron Saints of Ireland, Celtic, W.B. Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory. “IN FAIRYLAND OR THEREABOUT”: THE FAIRY AS NATIONALIST SYMBOL IN IRISH LITERATURE BY AND AFTER WILLIAM ALLINGHAM by CASSANDRA M. SCHELL B.A., University of Central Florida, 2005 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS STATESBORO, GEORGIA 2009 iii © 2009 CASSANDRA M. SCHELL All Rights Reserved iv “IN FAIRYLAND OR THEREABOUT”: THE FAIRY AS NATIONALIST SYMBOL IN IRISH LITERATURE BY AND AFTER WILLIAM ALLINGHAM by CASSANDRA M. SCHELL Major Professor: Howard Keeley Committee: Joe Pellegrino Mary Villeponteaux Electronic Version Approved: May 2009 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Howard Keeley, Assistant Professor, Literature and Philosophy Department for his unfailing efforts to provide guidance during the writing process. His knowledge of Irish history and literature is unparalleled, his enthusiasm valued, and his abilities to adequately convey the importance of certain aspects of Irish history invaluable to the direction of my thesis. I first became interested in Irish literature in Dr. Keeley’s course in Modern Irish Literature as well as his Seminar in W.B. Yeats. Through his charming and wholehearted lectures and avid storytelling, Dr. Keeley allowed for me an opportunity to write a scholarly thesis on the often whimsical subjects of fairies and folklore in Irish literature and to explore the work of a little known Irish poet, William Allingham. He has instilled in me a lifelong curiosity for the politics which compel the writing of Irish poetry and encouraged an interest in the fairy realm I have had since childhood. I appreciate his passion for teaching and his efforts in the direction of my thesis more than I can express. I would also like to thank Dr. Joe Pellegrino, Assistant Professor, Literature and Philosophy Department whose entertaining lectures have instilled in me a lasting interest in World literatures and cultures. Without having to request help, Dr. Pellegrino offered his time and guidance in the interest of course and thesis work as well as career options. His invested attention to my success as a student is greatly appreciated. Additionally, Dr. Mary Villeponteaux, Assistant Professor, Literature and Philosophy Department who graciously offered her time and grammatical expertise as a reader on my thesis defense panel. Finally, I would like to thank my parents for their unwavering support. I grew up in a fun and nurturing environment, one that would allow me to explore and learn with guidance but not criticism. My introduction into literature began in childhood with bedtime stories, nursery vi rhymes and fairy tales, and my desire to study literature as an adult was met with enthusiasm and encouragement. Their belief in my abilities as a writer has never changed and their faith in my success has seen me through the most trying of days. My parents taught, by example, the importance of hard work, responsibility and determination. Without them I would not be as accomplished as I currently am. They are my ultimate inspiration for everything and I love and respect them more than I can say. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................v INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................9 CHAPTER I WILLIAM ALLINGHAM AND THE FAIRY The Bard of Ballyshannon ..................................................................................11 Fairy Fancies .......................................................................................................20 II WILLIAM ALLINGHAM’S FAIRY POLITICS Fairies and the Land of Ireland ............................................................................51 Fairies and the Spiritual Realm ............................................................................63 Allingham’s Political Call to Action....................................................................82 The “Fireside Magic” of the Fairy Realm ............................................................94 III SCARY FAIRIES AND OTHER SORTS .................................................................112 IV EPILOGUE ...............................................................................................................126 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................140 viii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1: Puck ................................................................................................................................27 Figure 2: Frontispiece to Canto III, The Rape of the Lock ............................................................29 Figure 3: Ferdinand Lured by Ariel ...............................................................................................36 Figure 4: Cock Robin Defending His Nest ....................................................................................37 Figure 5: Who Killed Cock Robin .................................................................................................37 Figure 6: Climbing .........................................................................................................................39 Figure 7: Stealing ...........................................................................................................................39 Figure 8: Triumphal March of the Elf King ...................................................................................40 Figure 9: Elf and Owls ...................................................................................................................40 Figure 10: Old Mr. Salford ............................................................................................................41 Figure 11: The Serpantine is a lovely lake .....................................................................................42 Figure 12: Fairies never say, ‘We feel happy’: what they say is “We feel dancy’ ........................43 Figure 13: The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke .................................................................................45 Figure 14: Come Unto These Yellow Sands ..................................................................................46 Figure 15: Titania Sleeping ............................................................................................................46 Figure 16: Puck ..............................................................................................................................48 Figure 17: untitled ..........................................................................................................................48