To pass time in early Ireland, up until very recently, people would tell stories. These stories—seanchas which were short lore and legends, and scéal which were hours long tales of fiction—were usually told by men during the bleak winter months. The characters were often flat, with no development, their personalities only just described by their actions, and they often interacted with otherworldly creatures as if they were an everyday occurrence. The storyteller, or scéalaí, would be the only one allowed to tell the story with everyone gathered around him by the fireside.
In contrast, when my family had large gatherings, all the older adults would ramble, recounting stories about previous generations’ lives and all the funny things that happened to them. One person would start recalling a fond memory before someone else interjected with what they thought, with everyone adding to the story, throwing around names and odd personality traits about the subject.
Although, both are somewhat similar as well. In early Ireland the family and neighbors all converged to enjoy each other’s company and pass time when there was no work to be done. Comparably, my family would gather to celebrate a special occasion or just to catch up with each other; any occasion inevitably turning to stories of the past. The storytellers of both early Ireland and my family would articulate these wild stories with vigor and emotion, enthralling and bringing joy to the people around them.
What are your family gathering like? Are they similar with lots of stories and ruckus or somewhat different? Please share.
Below you will find some links to the Ireland National Archives to some folklore and folktales.
- Here are the main two sites. I find the Dúchas site a little easier to navigate.
- You can search for various topics, like leprechauns, fairies, or other famous characters like Finn MacCool and Daniel O’Connell.
- This last link is an interesting story I found: “A True Story”
Photo credit: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/folklore-of-ireland/Folklore-of-ireland/tellers-and-their-tales-i
Spencer's Ireland Blog 