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Gaelic Literature
of the Poetry and song: introduction |
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N.B. This site is best viewed on a
desktop or laptop PC Introduction This work is based upon my thesis presented for the
degree of M.Litt. at the Here the bibliographical citations are presented as
they were in the original work, but with the annotations abbreviated in a
number of cases. I have also modified
the way in which some of the sections are arranged. The present work was updated in 2006 with the
addition of new material with updating continuing for a few years after
that. I should point out that this new
material has not been as comprehensively listed and researched as that in the
original work. This has led to certain
inconsistencies, but I felt it better to update the work to some extent
rather than not at all. For anyone wishing to study Gaelic poetry and song,
I would recommend as a starting point Derick Thomson's An Introduction to Gaelic Poetry (Thomson 1974) and Domhnall MacAmhlaigh's Nua-Bhàrdachd
Ghàidhlig (MacAmhlaigh
1976). Sources Although the title of this bibliography refers to
the lsland of Skye, it also encompasses those islands immediately adjacent to
Skye: Raasay, The main categories of my source materials were
periodicals, anthologies, individual collections and miscellaneous books and
articles in the libraries of As this is a bibliography of printed works, there
are no main entries for manuscript and AV material, although some references
may be made to such material in the annotations and any referred to or
consulted are listed in the References
and Sources section. Criticisms :
Translations Critical material is normally referred to in the
annotation, rather than being cited as a main entry. Exceptions are made in two cases. Subsequent to the first publication of J.C.
Watson's edition of the poems of Màiri Nighean
Alasdair Ruaidh (Watson 1934) there has been
some significant published research concerning this work which is cited in
this work in the form of main entries.
A selection of critical material on the poetry of Somhairle
MacGill-Eain is also cited in the form of main entries. Translations are not normally noted unless they have
been published alongside works cited.
An exception has been made in the case of Somhairle MacGill-Eain, with
translations of some of his works made by other poets being cited. Language Use Where an author's name is used as a main heading, I
normally use the Gaelic form if this occurs in any of that author's works
which are cited. However, there are
certain exceptions. For instance, the
greater part of the work of Coinneach MacLeòid has been published under the
anglicised form of his name, Kenneth MacLeod and this is the form which I use
as the main heading. In all cases,
appropriate cross-references are made. Where any
item cited is exclusively in Gaelic, Gaelic descriptive terms are usually
used within the citation, e.g.
fear-deasachaidh, etc. Individuals: Poets, Songwriters, Traditional Singers,
Authors, Collectors etc. I generally include material by persons who belong
to the area through birth or long residence. Bibliographical
Form Citations are made in the form of the Anglo-American
Cataloguing Code, with some modifications to accommodate the nature and form
of this work. Traditional Poetry and Song:
Known Authorship Included are the works of those poets who have
belonged to Skye and its adjacent islands, either through birth or long
residence. The exact criteria may
vary, depending upon circumstances.
For instance, William Ross (1762-1790) was born and spent his
childhood years in Skye, but his active poetic life was spent on the mainland
Gaidhealtachd. With the exception of
one poem, 'Còmhradh eadar
am Bòrd agus Blàth-bheinn' I do not feel that he
can be called a Skye poet, although I recognise that there are those who will
disagree with me on this point. Where a recognised collected edition of a poet's
work exists, separate publication of an individual item included in such an
edition is not cited here unless there are significant textual variations
between the two versions and the variant version is not noted in the
collected edition. Where the published title of a poem is descriptive,
rather than derived from the text, the first line is quoted in the
annotation. Where recorded versions of a poet's work have been
issued in conjunction with the printed text these are noted and wherever
possible, printed versions of tunes for poems or songs published separately
from the texts cited are noted. Traditional Poetry and Song:
Anonymous Included in this category is any anonymous poem or
song which, according to internal or external evidence, may have originated
in Skye or one of its adjacent islands.
The strength of this evidence may vary from the strong to the tenuous.
Also included in this category are versions from
within the area of songs which may have originated elsewhere or whose origins
are indeterminate. Within an oral
tradition it is not uncommon for a song which has originated in one place to
travel over a wide geographical area with different versions becoming
embedded in the oral tradition of many different districts. Modern social conditions and modern media
have of course affected the oral tradition and a traditional singer's
repertoire may now include items which do not have any clear link with his or
her home district. Traditional Poetry and Song:
Collectors and Collections 'Collections' includes collections of material from
the repertoire of individual tradition-bearers as well as collections made by
both professional and amateur collectors.
Such collections may include both material of known authorship and
anonymous material. The 20th Century saw a remarkable flowering in
modern Gaelic literature. For those
wishing to commence a study of the subject I would recommend Chapter 7 of
Derick Thomson's An Introduction to
Gaelic Poetry (Thomson 1974:
249-295) and the bilingual introduction to Domhnall MacAmhlaigh's
Nua-Bhàrdachd Ghàidhlig (MacAmhlaigh 1976: 19-68). Raasay-born Somhairle MacGill-Eain (Sorley MacLean)
has been described by Domhnall MacAmhlaigh as being the "vital and incomparable link"
between the older, traditional poetry and the new, modern poetry (MacAmhlaigh 1976:54). There is a substantial section in this
bibliography devoted to the work of Somhairle MacGill-Eain. There is a selective listing of the work of new modern poets who
have worked and are working in Skye today. Anne Loughran October 2016 |
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A-C D-Domhnall Domhnallach-Dz E–G H–L M–MacA MacB–MacC MacD MacE-MacK, MacLa-MacLeod MacLeòid A-H MacLeòid I-Z MacM-MacN MacO-MacZ M N O-Q R-Z Annie Arnott An Cabairneach Carmina Gadelica
Catriona
Dhùghlas Tormod Domhnallach Marjory Kennedy-Fraser Angus Lamont K. N. MacDonald Johan MacInnes Hugh MacKinnon Calum I. MacLean Sorley MacLean Kenneth MacLeod Niall MacLeòid Màiri
Nighean Alasdair Cairistiona
Mhàrtainn Alexander Morison Kenneth Morrison Angus Nicolson Portree
HS Magazine Lachlann
Robertson Frances Tolmie I Frances Tolmie II Somhairle
MacGill-Eain The New Poetry Books
etc: A-L Books etc: MacA-MacL Books etc: MacM-Z Periodicals, MSS, AV |
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© Sabhal Mòr Ostaig 2018