RODNEY WALSHE IRELAND ESSAY COMPETITION 2014 The significance of Irish folklore in the context of modern global issues By Emily Williams Columba College, Dunedin "Is fhearr na'n t-òr sgeul air inns' air chòir" -Better than gold is the tale well told Gaelic Proverb 1 It is perhaps the Irish love of storytelling that allows its folklore to contain a complexity and relevance beyond that of the average child's fable. The messages embedded in these tales both resonate with today's readers and can be projected internationally to provoke thought by modern leaders, encouraging understanding and evaluation of contemporary concepts through simple allegory. Traditional Irish folklore has shown the strengths of female characters in a way that can be considered ahead of its time. The Legend of Knockmany, 2 from which came the famous retelling The Giant's Causeway, tells of how Oonagh, the wife of the legendary Fionn Mac Cumhail 3 saves him from a deathly conflict with the giant Cucullin. She takes advantage of her skills, learned through practising the traditional Irish roles of women, to fool Cucullin into thinking Fionn's size and strength is much greater than his own using only oatcakes and stones. During the story it is written that Oonagh remains fearless and astute: "Fionn felt the sweat of fear oozing out through every pore of his skin; but Oonagh, depending upon her woman's wit, felt not a whit daunted." Beneath the expertly written text and playful wording, which allows Irish folklore to distinguish itself internationally, there is an appreciation of 'woman's wit': the 1 Gaelic Proverbs & Proverbial Sayings, T.D. MacDonald, 1926 2 The Legend of Knockmany: Collected by Joseph Jacobs in Celtic Fairy Tales, 1892 3 Fionn Mac Cumhail, known as Finn McCool in the English language, was the leader of the famous warrior group called the Fianna, and they key character in the Ossianic Cycle of Irish folklore. 1
unique ability considered at the time to be held only by those that have experienced to trials of womanhood. Though it is somewhat ironic that Oonagh uses her cooking skills to bend the stereotypical "damsel in distress" female mould, The Legend of Knockmany shows the appreciation of traditional women's roles in a respectful manner. This early representation of powerful women foreshadows the later progress of the nation as it strives towards prevalent values of equality. Another Gaelic proverb states "Chan ann leis a chiad bhuille thuiteas a chraobh": "it is not with the first stroke that the tree falls"; initial, smaller happenings such as the inclusion of admirable female roles in early Irish folklore summate with later feminist campaigns to catalyse the current, successful movement for parity internationally today. Evidence in our society to suggest growing respect for women is the increased number females present in leadership roles- for example, Helen Clark and Julia Gillard as previous prime ministers of New Zealand and Australia respectively- and the growing number of females as Chief Executives Officers worldwide. Susan Denham, the first female Chief Justice of Ireland 4, accompanies these influential women. Action in Ireland compares with that of other nations; recently women have been at the forefront of Ireland's education system. In 2011 Irish females were more likely to excel during secondary education, obtain a tertiary degree and less likely to leave school early than males. 5 This shows the increasing achievement of women in many aspects of today's society, extending 'The Legend of Knockmany's' idea of respect for traditional women's roles to that of esteem for women in all areas of life. Irish folklore can also be used to understand the importance of interdependence between nations through the tale King Iubdán and King Fergus 6. The tale speaks of 4 Susan Denham, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ireland, was appointed by Mary McAleese (the eighth President of Ireland) on July 25th, 2011 5 Press Release Women and Men in Ireland, Central Statistics Office, 2011 6 'King Iubdan and King Fergus': Collected by T.W. Rolleston in "The High Deeds of Finn and Other Bardic Romances of Ancient Ireland", 1910 2
monarchs- King Iubdán, the King of the Leprechauns, and King Fergus, King of the Humans- who near conflict when they disregard each other s power. In the beginning King Iubdán believes himself to be the most powerful ruler ever, but when he goes to King Fergus' court to see the human king's size and power for himself, King Fergus takes him captive to entertain others who visit. This ends King Iubdán s egotistic thinking. King Fergus also learns to respect the other kingdom and its ruler. King Fergus believed King Iubdán could provide nothing of adequate usefulness in exchange for his freedom. He learns the value of the leprechaun's possessions when he is given magic shoes that allow him to walk on water: "Fergus never tired of donning the shoes of Iubdán and traversing the secret depths of the lakes and rivers of Ulster." In his acquisition of King Iubdán's shoes he conquers a beast that lives in the lake, thus benefiting the kingdom despite a fatal wound from the monster. "The Ulster lords went back to Emania, sorrowful yet proud, for they knew that a seed of honour had been sown that day in their land from which should spring a breed of high-hearted fighting men for many a generation to come." King Iubdán and King Fergus is a perfect example of the importance of mutual respect and co-dependence internationally, as it shows the advantage of combining two cultures together to achieve a common task. In a world that is now referred to as a global village, communication between nations is more accessible. It is crucial that balance is created in our society in order to stop the overconsumption of those in the wealthiest countries and the suffering of those in the poorest. Effective communication, respect and sharing of assets- for example reallocation of clean water and health care resources- could create a more sustainable economy to last generations, creating a similar long-term effect as in King Iubdán and King Fergus by defeating our own modern monsters. 3
The Twelve Wild Geese 7 is another Irish tale that communicates the theme of how people relate, though in this instance it shows the importance of the right to free speech. When a young, mute queen gives birth to a son, her jealous stepmother throws the baby out the window and puts blood around the queen's mouth to make it seem like she devoured her own child. As the queen cannot speak she cannot defend herself. As the story progresses she is about to be burned at the stake for her actions when she is given the power to talk: "The moment after she sprang up, and shouted out, 'I am innocent; call my husband!' The executioners stayed their hands," Since the queen has been empowered she can share her own perspective, enabling the conflict to be resolved and the truth to be revealed. This can be related to a topical issue today: the way Western media presents undeveloped societies that do not have the economic and technological power to counteract prejudiced views of their politics, people and culture. If we gave these countries the ability to communicate as developed nations do through the media, then they would be provided with the power to further the prosperity of their nation, while international viewers and readers would also have greater opportunity to become informed global citizens. The true value of Irish folklore is presented not simply through its ability to entertain but the underlying progressive ideas that are still applicable centuries later. The parallels between fantastical issues within the texts and the real ones we face today prove that these tales are timelessly relevant, informative and perhaps even instructive for the members of today's global society. The Legend of Knockmany, King Iubdán and King Fergus and The Twelve Wild Geese are all stories that provide a 7 'The Twelve Wild Geese': collected by Patrick Kennedy in "The Fireside Stories of Ireland", 1875 (Evinity Publishing Inc., 2011) 4
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