AN EXPLORATION OF THE FOLK TALE TRADITIONS OF THE ISLE OF MAN: RE-IMAGINING SOPHIA MORRISON'S MANX FAIRY TALES Kieran A. Metcalfe Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, 1976 PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN LIBERAL STUDIES In the Liberal Studies Program O Kieran A. Metcalfe, 2007 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2007 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author APPROVAL Name: Kieran Anthony Metcalfe Degree: Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Title of Thesis Project: AN EXPLORATION OF THE FOLK TALE TRADITIONS OF THE ISLE OF MAN: RE- IMAGINING SOPHIA MORRISON'S MANX FAIRY TALES Supervisory Committee: Chair: Michael Fellman, PhD Professor of History and Liberal Studies Director, Graduate Liberal Studies June Sturrock, PhD Senior Supervisor Professor Emeritus, Department of English Anne-Marie Feenberg-Dibon, PhD Supervisor Associate Professor of Humanities Associate Director of Graduate Liberal Studies Christine Jones, PhD External Examiner Lecturer, Department of Humanities Date DefendedIApproved: March 26,2007 SIMON FRASER &&tl7 UNIVERSITY~i bra ry DECLARATION OF PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENCE The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection (currently available to the public at the "Institutional Repository" link of the SFU Library website <www.lib.sfu.ca> at: ~http:/lir.lib.sfu.calhandlell8921112>)and, without changing the content, to translate the thesislproject or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's written permission. Permission for public performance, or limited permission for private scholarly use, of any multimedia materials forming part of this work, may have been granted by the author. This information may be found on the separately catalogued multimedia material and in the signed Partial Copyright Licence. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, BC, Canada ABSTRACT The rich history and folklore of the Isle of Man, comprising Celtic, Scandinavian and English cultural influences infused with both pagan and Christian religious beliefs, cannot but inspire creative responses. Until very recent times, the rural populace of the Island, isolated as they were by geography, language and culture, held a predominant and persistent belief in the existence of fairies and other supernatural beings. This work places these folk beliefs in their historical context and creates three new 'fairy' stories inspired and informed by Manx folk tradition - particularly as it was collected and preserved by Sophia Morrison in her 19 1 1 collection of Manx Fairy Tales. Key Words: 'Isle of Man', Manx, folklore, fairy, 'fairy tale', 'Sophia Morrison' DEDICATION To my Manx parents who helped me become what 1 am today, and who were able to save me from being 'took' as a child; to a beautiful young preemie of my acquaintance who inspires everyone who knows her; and to my own Llziarznan Slzee, who, though she has been known by many names, allows me to call her 'Nicole7-I dedicate this work. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thanks to Simon Fraser University and especially to the staff, faculty and my fellow students in Graduate Liberal Studies for their encouragement, support and inspiration. I am especially grateful to Professor June Sturrock who was able to reawaken in me a passion for the fairy tale traditions of my homeland. I must also acknowledge the excellent work being done on the Isle of Man to research, collate, preserve and make available the rich cultural heritage of the Island. In particular, I would like to thank Yvonne Cresswell, the Social History Curator at Manx National Heritage; Dr Breesha Maddrell, Lecturer in Manx Studies at the Centre for Manx Studies; and Ms. Frances Coakley, the editor of A Manx Note Book-that extremely valuable electronic compilation of documents 'past and present connected with the Isle of Man'. TABLE OF CONTENTS .. Approval .......................................................................................................................... 11 ... Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 111 Dedication .........................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................v Table of Contents .............................................................................................................vi .. List of Figures ................................................................................................................VII 1: The Manx Fairy Tale Tradition .................................................................................1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................2 An Overview of Manx History .......................................................................................10 Pre-Historic Era: .....................................................................................................10 Fairy Origins: .............................................................................................................. 12 Early Christian Period: ............................................................................................... 15 Age of the Norsemen: ................................................................................................. 17 The Early Modern Period: The Rule of the Stanleys ................................................. 20 Early Commentators on Manx Folk Beliefs ...................................................................22 Historical and Social Context of the Folklorist ..............................................................31 The Manx Folklorists .....................................................................................................34 Introduction to Tales of a Manx Preemie .......................................................................42 The Fairy World: ........................................................................................................ 42 A Manx Bestiary: ....................................................................................................... 47 Story Elements Referenced from Sophia Morrison's Manx Faity Tales: .................. 51 A Comment about Preemies: ...................................................................................... 53 Appendix: A Sample Tale from Sophia Morrison's Manx Fairy Tales ..................... 54 2: Tales of a Manx Preemie ...........................................................................................55 The Preemie and the Pixilated Boy ........................... ................................................56 The Preemie and the Port Soderick Outing ....................................................................98 The Preemie and the Peel Hound ................................................................................. 159 Works Cited ....................................................................................................................223 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Location of the Isle of Man .................................................................................. 3 Figure 2: The Manx Countryside ...................................................................................... 65 Figure 3: 'Lady Isabellar - The Laxey Water Wheel .........................................................76 Figure 4: Climbing Snaefell Mountain ............................. .............................................80 Figure 5: The Summit of Snaefell Mountain ..................................................................... 85 Figure 6: Kayleigh's Map of her First Adventure ..............................................................97 Figure 7: The Hills Above Port Soderick Bay ................................................................108 Figure 8: A Manx Loaghtan Sheep ................................................................................-120 Figure 9: Sugarloaf Rock ..............................................................................................141 Figure 10: Ancient Stone Circle Overlooking Stacka Bay ............................................ 154 Figure 11: Kayleigh's Map of her