ipl-logo

Fenian Irish Storytelling Essay

1252 Words6 Pages

Oral literature is one the main component of folklore. Indeed, the oral Irish storytelling tradition is very ancient. According to Seán Ó Súilleabháin 's definition in Storytelling in Irish Tradition, tales have several functions such as entertainment. Indeed, before the invention of the television and all the modern means of amusement, storytelling was vey valuable to spend the long, dark, winter nights. It was very important for the social cohesion of the community, it gathered people together. It also allowed to transmit information about the community, the individual, the landscape, the history, the past. Storytelling also has some cathartic functions, indeed, an identification with the hero is possible. But the storytelling tradition is the reflect of a fundamental need for self-expression. As a result, the tales also allow the listener to learn something about his commnity, his culture... In this essay, the focus will be on the Fenian cycle and why those stories are important in the Irish storytelling tradition. The main features of this cycle will first be examined with some examples of stories. And this will lead the essay towards the comparison of two stories from the cycle.

The Fenian cycle belongs to the folkltale tradition. According to Seán Ó Súilleabháin, “a folktale may be described as a narrative which is traditional in the sense that it is usually handed down orally from one person to another. (…) A tale may have been written down in manuscript from

Show More
Related

  • Comparing The Necklace 'And The Scarlet Ibis' By James Hurst

    1361 Words  | 6 Pages

    There are many similarities and differences between the stories “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant and “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst; however, “The Scarlet Ibis “is the story that is entitled to be called “great.” A great story is one that has a structure plot-conflict that the reader can easily follow and a character that the individuals can relate to. Elements of literature, such as settings can convey the emotions the reader may feel by describing the environment from the dead of autumn to the shabbiness of an apartment. In addition, point of view gives individuals a chance to walk in the characters shoes to see and experience how they feel. In “The Scarlet Ibis” and “The Necklace,” structure plot, elements of literature, and point

    Read More

  • Scots-Irish Research Paper

    564 Words  | 3 Pages

    The oppressive past that the Scots-Irish faced in their home country optimalized the isolated geography of the Greater Appalachian region, as they were able to construct a society that was rooted in individual liberty as opposed to materialism. When living in Great Britain, the Scots-Irish were forced out due to a large increase in rent put upon by the landlords. As noted by a Scot-Irish in American Nations, “We having been, before we came here, so much oppressed and harassed by under landlords in our country, from which we with great losses, dangers, and difficulties came [to]... this foreign world to be freed from such oppression” (Woodard 104). Thus, as evidenced, the Borderlanders travelled to the New World in search of a life free of oppression.

    Read More

  • Irish Dbq Essay

    1903 Words  | 8 Pages

    The events of the Irish Revolution of 1798 are directly tied to the American and French revolutions. The ideas of Liberty were taken straight from American and French pamphlets. Ireland gained its nationalist identity through the formation of The Volunteers, a group that came to power because of the American Revolution. And France’s government gave legitimacy to the United Irishmen. Without these foreign influences, the United Irishmen would have never gained the support needed to launch a rebellion.

    Read More

  • Irish Immigration To America Essay

    222 Words  | 1 Pages

    Many immigrants, such as the Irish, came to America for a better life. The potato famine, which started in the mid to late 1800’s, infected many Irish people. About 2,000,000 Irish men, women, and children perished during this terrible incident (document 1.) The majority of the Irish people were farmers and planted many potatoes. That meant during the potato famine, many potatoes were infected and rotten, so many farmers became poor and helpless.

    Read More

  • The Odyssey: A Hero's Journey

    762 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Odyssey, one of the world’s most famous stories, has been under debate on whether on whether or not it conforms to be a hero’s journey, a type of pattern theorized to be at the core of many myths. To understand its potential monomyth-hood, the story has be understood, as well as the different phases of a hero’s journey. A hero’s journey, by definition, must include a few characteristics: a phase where the hero leaves their home and decides on a quest, a period marked by a discovered conflict, an all-out struggle, the development of the hero, and the hero bettering the lives of those back at home. In The Odyssey, Odysseus, the protagonist, journeys to his home, in Ithaca, from Troy, where he waged and won a war. Along the way, Odysseus

    Read More

  • Nostalgia In Briar Rose

    877 Words  | 4 Pages

    Traditional storytelling is far different than any other way of

    Read More

  • The Tain: Gender Roles In Irish Literature

    1477 Words  | 6 Pages

    Gender role is basically an arrangement of societal standards directing what sorts of practices are by and large viewed as satisfactory, suitable or alluring for a man in view of their real or actual sex. In this paper I will focus on the gender roles with reference to the mini-epic” the tain” This piece of Irish literature presents a very good distinction between the old period and the medieval time period. Formerly, men were the protagonists, leaders or the saviors in the literature. A man had to go to the wars and fights, to preserve the territory and honor (women) was their duty.

    Read More

  • Stylistic Analysis Of The Payoff By Susan Perabo

    794 Words  | 4 Pages

    In order to fully understand the story it must be evaluated to show what lesson is to be learned from the reading. The story has an epiphany implemented into the writing which gives a new realization in the importance of this part. A major evaluation to this short story is to fully understand the main characters in it. One significant character in this story is Louise.

    Read More

  • The Truth About Stories By Thomas King Sparknotes

    1363 Words  | 6 Pages

    We grow on stories. Stories we tell, stories we hear. The private and the public one just like our stories and the others’. As social animals, these stories we hear and tell link us. Thomas King’s book, The Truth About Stories: A Native narrative, tells us all kind of stories.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Beowulf: A Hero's Journey

    503 Words  | 3 Pages

    A hero's journey is a pattern of narrative identities that appears in many dramas, storytellings, myths, and psychological development. The journey consist of twelve different steps and in the story Beowulf we read about the magnificent and rough journey that Beowulf and this men accomplish. Many people question if Beowulf is considered a hero and if what he did was good. The journey that he embarked on, leads me to believe that Beowulf is a hero and always will be. The first step in the hero's journey is called the “call to adventure” this is when something is disturbed from external pressure of from inner conflict.

    Read More

  • James R. Barrett's The Irish Way

    594 Words  | 3 Pages

    Irish integration to America was a very important part of the immigration history of this nation. James R. Barrett, professor at the University of Illinois, writes The Irish Way: Becoming American in the Multiethnic City, an account of the story of second and third generation Irish immigrants whose experiences in America changed their lives in more ways than they could have imagined. The book primarily focused on the social history through; their shaky relationship with African Americans, politics and “The Machine”, religious opposition from other immigrants, and their strife in the workplace. Thoroughly developed with illustrations and facts, this book provides new insight into the topic of “Americanization” among immigrants coming to our nation.

    Read More

  • They All Just Went Away Joyce Carol Oates

    787 Words  | 4 Pages

    This gives the readers the feeling that some of them might have experienced stories. In this essay I will mention two stories that relates to the author’s story. Oates's essay reminds me of my Canadian friend Ashley in sixth grade in Montreal Canada. She was in my art class.

    Read More

  • The Relationship Between The Hero's Journey And The Foundational Myth

    848 Words  | 4 Pages

    Social Studies Booklet Maria Jose Velasquez 4/12/17 Index Part 1 The hero 's journey Part 2 The foundational myths Part 3

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Storytelling In Native American Culture

    1031 Words  | 5 Pages

    Stories have played an undeniably important role in Native American culture throughout history. An integral tradition for Native Americans, storytelling is used a variety of ways, acting as a way for Native Americans to communicate and connect with one another, encourage and give strength through tough times, and pass valuable knowledge down. Many Native American authors have expressed the importance of storytelling in their works, some even utilizing stories to teach about heritage and life lessons. Storytelling is an fundamental tradition in Native American culture, acting as a communal activity and a method of bonding. The importance of storytelling is communicated in an interview with Ceremony author, Leslie Marmon Silko.

    Read More

  • Storytelling Toolan Analysis

    1165 Words  | 5 Pages

    Question Discuss Toolan’s view that storytelling is a ‘core human activity’ which is directly connected to the ‘making and remaking of our identity and our relationships’ (2006, p. 76 & p. 54). Storytelling is a core human activity related to identity and relationships Para 1 Discussion of the nature and importance of spoken narrative in general. Every day, we speak and communicate with others through the act of telling story. Toolan (2006) says narrative or story is a ‘core’ structuring form, found in major literary genres, such as novels and short stories, folk tales, fairy tales and epics, as well as in other art forms, both verbal and non-verbal, such as pictures and film, ballet and mime, etc.

    Read More

More about Fenian Irish Storytelling Essay

Open Document