Abstract
The study of the international folktale types ATU 550 and ATU 551
in Irish folklore tradition entails a number of problems that require a
detailed analysis. Firstly, one may refer to the problem of distribution.
Various oicotypes of ATU 550 and ATU 551 were recorded around
Ireland in the south (in Kerry, Waterford, Clare), in the west (Galway
and Sligo) and in the north (Donegal) and have been collected in
the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries by such eminent
collectors as Jeremiah Curtin, Seumas MacManus (1900) as well as
by Proinsias De Burca and Seán Ó Suilleabháin. Secondly, there is
the problem of language in which the folktales have been presented
to the audiences. Primarily, the tales have been collected through the
medium of the Irish language (so far, I was only able to find just one
example rendered by the storyteller in English). While Curtin and
MacManus have subsequently rendered their tales in English, having
published them in various books and journals (Curtin 1894, 1941), De
Burca and Ó Suilleabháin collected for the Irish Folklore Commission
(IFC) and had a different task in mind. The printed works of Jeremiah
Curtin exhibit highly embellished and sophisticated language, and
with difficulty can be deemed as reflecting the authentic oral tradition.
De Burca and Ó Suilleabháin’s transcripts of storytelling sessions
seem to be authentic, but may be constrained by the limitations of the
IFC methodology. Finally, the problem of provenance and popularity
has to be mentioned as well. The folktales exhibiting ATU 550 and
551 types have been popular with the 19th century publishers; the
collections produced in 1960s-1970s (Ó Suilleabháin 1966, 1974; Ó
hEochaidh 1972) focus on different types, such as ATU 300 (“The
Dragon Slayer”), ATU 425 (“Search for the Lost Husband”) and ATU 580 (“Beloved of Women”), among others, but the ATU 550 and ATU
551 completely vanish from these editions. They also vanish from the
focus of the folklore collectors. For example, the celebrated Irish writer
and antiquarian Michael J. Murphy, working in Northern Ireland
in 1970s, mainly dealt with religious tales (ATU 750-849) (Murphy
1973), while Prof. Bo Almqvist, Chair of the UCD Department of
Folklore, working in Kerry in the same period, was concerned with
migratory tales (Christiansen 1958) or realistic anecdotes and jokes
(AT1559B ‘The Uglier Foot’, Almqvist 1991). Can this disappearance
from tradition be explained by the absence of printed works in which it
was registered and which it nourished? Or is this to be explained by the
popularity in genres among the storytellers whose interest in magical
folktales diminished and who were mainly concerned with the genres
popular with their kinsmen?
in Irish folklore tradition entails a number of problems that require a
detailed analysis. Firstly, one may refer to the problem of distribution.
Various oicotypes of ATU 550 and ATU 551 were recorded around
Ireland in the south (in Kerry, Waterford, Clare), in the west (Galway
and Sligo) and in the north (Donegal) and have been collected in
the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries by such eminent
collectors as Jeremiah Curtin, Seumas MacManus (1900) as well as
by Proinsias De Burca and Seán Ó Suilleabháin. Secondly, there is
the problem of language in which the folktales have been presented
to the audiences. Primarily, the tales have been collected through the
medium of the Irish language (so far, I was only able to find just one
example rendered by the storyteller in English). While Curtin and
MacManus have subsequently rendered their tales in English, having
published them in various books and journals (Curtin 1894, 1941), De
Burca and Ó Suilleabháin collected for the Irish Folklore Commission
(IFC) and had a different task in mind. The printed works of Jeremiah
Curtin exhibit highly embellished and sophisticated language, and
with difficulty can be deemed as reflecting the authentic oral tradition.
De Burca and Ó Suilleabháin’s transcripts of storytelling sessions
seem to be authentic, but may be constrained by the limitations of the
IFC methodology. Finally, the problem of provenance and popularity
has to be mentioned as well. The folktales exhibiting ATU 550 and
551 types have been popular with the 19th century publishers; the
collections produced in 1960s-1970s (Ó Suilleabháin 1966, 1974; Ó
hEochaidh 1972) focus on different types, such as ATU 300 (“The
Dragon Slayer”), ATU 425 (“Search for the Lost Husband”) and ATU 580 (“Beloved of Women”), among others, but the ATU 550 and ATU
551 completely vanish from these editions. They also vanish from the
focus of the folklore collectors. For example, the celebrated Irish writer
and antiquarian Michael J. Murphy, working in Northern Ireland
in 1970s, mainly dealt with religious tales (ATU 750-849) (Murphy
1973), while Prof. Bo Almqvist, Chair of the UCD Department of
Folklore, working in Kerry in the same period, was concerned with
migratory tales (Christiansen 1958) or realistic anecdotes and jokes
(AT1559B ‘The Uglier Foot’, Almqvist 1991). Can this disappearance
from tradition be explained by the absence of printed works in which it
was registered and which it nourished? Or is this to be explained by the
popularity in genres among the storytellers whose interest in magical
folktales diminished and who were mainly concerned with the genres
popular with their kinsmen?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 44 |
| Number of pages | 45 |
| Publication status | Unpublished - 9 Oct 2024 |
| Event | ‘The Bird of a Thousand Songs’ and ‘The Three Golden Children’: : The International Conference on Fairy Tales - Hovhannes Toumanian Museum, Yerevan, Armenia Duration: 9 Oct 2024 → 11 Oct 2024 Conference number: 14 https://www.toumanian.am/arm |
Conference
| Conference | ‘The Bird of a Thousand Songs’ and ‘The Three Golden Children’: |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | Rethinking Old Narratives |
| Country/Territory | Armenia |
| City | Yerevan |
| Period | 9/10/24 → 11/10/24 |
| Internet address |