Sinéad Garrigan Mattar
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199268955
- eISBN:
- 9780191710148
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199268955.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
In his famous 1860 lectures ‘On the Study of Celtic Literature’, Matthew Arnold argued that the time was ripe for a reassessment of what was meant by the term ‘Celticism’. In the latter half of the ...
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In his famous 1860 lectures ‘On the Study of Celtic Literature’, Matthew Arnold argued that the time was ripe for a reassessment of what was meant by the term ‘Celticism’. In the latter half of the century, the burgeoning of comparative science transformed the way that Celtic culture was viewed, and this development bifurcated Celticism in a way which persists to this day. The confirmation of links between Celtic and Sanskrit was both a turning and a sticking point in terms of the primitivism of Celticism. Arnold echoed much of Ernest Renan's arguments (and even his sources), but still protested his own scientism against Renan's avowed Celticism. Yet Arnold's own approach to the study of Celtic literature was far from scientific. The ‘old school’ of primitivist popular Celticism had to be put in its place if Celtology was to succeed. The Irish Revival writers were to realise the belatedness of popular Celticism only during the first decade of the 20th century, when they increasingly had recourse to Celtological versions of the past as an antidote to the idealisations of ‘Irish Ireland’.Less
In his famous 1860 lectures ‘On the Study of Celtic Literature’, Matthew Arnold argued that the time was ripe for a reassessment of what was meant by the term ‘Celticism’. In the latter half of the century, the burgeoning of comparative science transformed the way that Celtic culture was viewed, and this development bifurcated Celticism in a way which persists to this day. The confirmation of links between Celtic and Sanskrit was both a turning and a sticking point in terms of the primitivism of Celticism. Arnold echoed much of Ernest Renan's arguments (and even his sources), but still protested his own scientism against Renan's avowed Celticism. Yet Arnold's own approach to the study of Celtic literature was far from scientific. The ‘old school’ of primitivist popular Celticism had to be put in its place if Celtology was to succeed. The Irish Revival writers were to realise the belatedness of popular Celticism only during the first decade of the 20th century, when they increasingly had recourse to Celtological versions of the past as an antidote to the idealisations of ‘Irish Ireland’.
W.J. Mc Cormack
- Published in print:
- 1985
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198128069
- eISBN:
- 9780191671630
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198128069.003.0007
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century Literature and Modernism
No account of Anglo-Irish literature can be complete without some attention to the question of its relation to Gaelic culture, the 19th-century decline of Gaelic as a vernacular and the movement to ...
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No account of Anglo-Irish literature can be complete without some attention to the question of its relation to Gaelic culture, the 19th-century decline of Gaelic as a vernacular and the movement to revive it. This chapter focuses on Celticism and the three dominating scholars of Celtic language. In the subsequent sections of this chapter, attention is focused on Ernest Renan and his scholarly interest on Celtic literature. The works of Matthew Arnold and his sentiments on the Celtic language are discussed in this chapter as well. In addition, the irritating yet instructive feature of Irish cultural life in the 19th century wherein there was a proliferation of similar or identical individuals is also discussed. Particular attention is given to Standish O'Grady who attempted to revive Anglo-Irish literature and who was a believer of the repetitive patterns of name in Irish culture as not mere biographical or social steps but visible features of a largely concealed totality in which the broader activities of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland took place.Less
No account of Anglo-Irish literature can be complete without some attention to the question of its relation to Gaelic culture, the 19th-century decline of Gaelic as a vernacular and the movement to revive it. This chapter focuses on Celticism and the three dominating scholars of Celtic language. In the subsequent sections of this chapter, attention is focused on Ernest Renan and his scholarly interest on Celtic literature. The works of Matthew Arnold and his sentiments on the Celtic language are discussed in this chapter as well. In addition, the irritating yet instructive feature of Irish cultural life in the 19th century wherein there was a proliferation of similar or identical individuals is also discussed. Particular attention is given to Standish O'Grady who attempted to revive Anglo-Irish literature and who was a believer of the repetitive patterns of name in Irish culture as not mere biographical or social steps but visible features of a largely concealed totality in which the broader activities of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland took place.
Mary-Ann Constantine and Éva Guillorel
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780197266199
- eISBN:
- 9780191851483
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266199.003.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Folk Literature
The Introduction offers a comprehensive account of the Breton gwerz or narrative song tradition. It situates the discovery of the tradition in the context of a broader European Romantic revival of ...
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The Introduction offers a comprehensive account of the Breton gwerz or narrative song tradition. It situates the discovery of the tradition in the context of a broader European Romantic revival of interest in popular culture, and introduces readers to the major collectors and collections of gwerziou from the early 19th century to the present day. It discusses the strengths and limitations of the corpus as it has come down us—what types of song may or may not have survived. It also examines the main generic characteristics of the Breton ballad form, comparing them briefly with narrative songs from France and the other Celtic-speaking countries. It then considers the songs’ relationship to history: what events are recorded/remembered in the songs, and how are they presented? The Introduction concludes by considering aspects of performance and the social contexts that have given these songs their cultural meaning and ensured their renewal and survival to the present day.Less
The Introduction offers a comprehensive account of the Breton gwerz or narrative song tradition. It situates the discovery of the tradition in the context of a broader European Romantic revival of interest in popular culture, and introduces readers to the major collectors and collections of gwerziou from the early 19th century to the present day. It discusses the strengths and limitations of the corpus as it has come down us—what types of song may or may not have survived. It also examines the main generic characteristics of the Breton ballad form, comparing them briefly with narrative songs from France and the other Celtic-speaking countries. It then considers the songs’ relationship to history: what events are recorded/remembered in the songs, and how are they presented? The Introduction concludes by considering aspects of performance and the social contexts that have given these songs their cultural meaning and ensured their renewal and survival to the present day.
Mary-Ann Constantine and Éva Guillorel
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780197266199
- eISBN:
- 9780191851483
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266199.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Folk Literature
This book offers an introduction to one of the most fascinating and little-known song traditions in Europe, the Breton gwerz or ballad. These narrative songs, collected in Western Brittany from the ...
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This book offers an introduction to one of the most fascinating and little-known song traditions in Europe, the Breton gwerz or ballad. These narrative songs, collected in Western Brittany from the 19th century to the present day, recount a wealth of stories based on tragic local events (shipwrecks, abductions, accidents and murders) or legends (miraculous rescues, penitent souls, strange journeys). Two of the foremost scholars in the field present a selection of thirty-five ballads in the original Breton with English translations and musical notation. An accompanying CD showcases some of the most famous Breton traditional singers, and a comprehensive introductory essay explores the nature of the songs and the contexts in which they have been performed. These are strikingly dramatic, often deeply moving stories of violence, love and grief, which will touch listeners and readers of all interests.Less
This book offers an introduction to one of the most fascinating and little-known song traditions in Europe, the Breton gwerz or ballad. These narrative songs, collected in Western Brittany from the 19th century to the present day, recount a wealth of stories based on tragic local events (shipwrecks, abductions, accidents and murders) or legends (miraculous rescues, penitent souls, strange journeys). Two of the foremost scholars in the field present a selection of thirty-five ballads in the original Breton with English translations and musical notation. An accompanying CD showcases some of the most famous Breton traditional singers, and a comprehensive introductory essay explores the nature of the songs and the contexts in which they have been performed. These are strikingly dramatic, often deeply moving stories of violence, love and grief, which will touch listeners and readers of all interests.
Bernhard Maier
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748616053
- eISBN:
- 9780748672219
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748616053.003.0016
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter begins with discussion of political developments such as the Norman conquest and the division of Wales into twelve counties with the right of appropriate representation in the English ...
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This chapter begins with discussion of political developments such as the Norman conquest and the division of Wales into twelve counties with the right of appropriate representation in the English parliament. It then discusses Middle Welsh literature and the Celtic contribution to world literature.Less
This chapter begins with discussion of political developments such as the Norman conquest and the division of Wales into twelve counties with the right of appropriate representation in the English parliament. It then discusses Middle Welsh literature and the Celtic contribution to world literature.
Mary-Ann Constantine and Éva Guillorel
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780197266199
- eISBN:
- 9780191851483
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266199.003.0004
- Subject:
- Literature, Folk Literature
This section comprises a selection of thirty-five Breton ballads, presented in the original Breton with English translations. Each ballad text is followed by a short analysis giving, where possible, ...
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This section comprises a selection of thirty-five Breton ballads, presented in the original Breton with English translations. Each ballad text is followed by a short analysis giving, where possible, information on its provenance and exploring the literary and historical context of the events it describes. Reference is also made to other versions and occasionally to international parallels. The material covers a wide range of topics, from shipwrecks and murders to penitential journeys, the plague, scenes from war and encounters in love. It draws on themes from the European medieval literary tradition, the literature of other Celtic-speaking countries, and events from Breton history, particularly from the turbulent early modern period.Less
This section comprises a selection of thirty-five Breton ballads, presented in the original Breton with English translations. Each ballad text is followed by a short analysis giving, where possible, information on its provenance and exploring the literary and historical context of the events it describes. Reference is also made to other versions and occasionally to international parallels. The material covers a wide range of topics, from shipwrecks and murders to penitential journeys, the plague, scenes from war and encounters in love. It draws on themes from the European medieval literary tradition, the literature of other Celtic-speaking countries, and events from Breton history, particularly from the turbulent early modern period.
