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The Magic of the Spoken Word
Draíocht na bhfocail ráite
The region of Baile Mhuirne in West Cork on the Kerry border was once considered the “Capital of the Gaeltacht”.
It was here that one of the first dictionaries of the Irish language was compiled. An ancient Bardic School of Poetry
(associated with Aogán ‘O Raghaille) continued up until the early 18th century not far from here. Today, Peadar ‘O Riada
continues an ancient tradition of learning in the form of Damhscoil Mhúscraí – bringing ancient songs back to life, as
entities to be experienced.
For the ancient poets of Ireland theirs was a rigorous training. A boy would leave his family prior to the onset of puberty
and go on to learn over 400 rhyming meters, their combination and effects. A young poet would be sent into darkness,
where in the absence of sensorial stimulation a poem could emerge. Images of the houses of poets prior to the fall of the
Gaelic Order illustrate the esteem in which they once were held. Heritage of druidic times, the relation of the King to his
poet or file (fill-e) was an intimate one. For it was from the poets that the kingship received it’s power. A king would be
wedded to the land and the poet provided the spiritual animation of a kings power. We can see in the poem of Amerghin,
poet or Druid of the Milesians, the mighty power that could be evoked through enunciation of Words. A humility too can
be seen in Amerghin’s vision of totality and oneness.
When we look to the manuscripts created by Irish monks, we can regard them as records of a culture out of time. In
the life world inhabited by Oral Cultures world wide, there is a markedly different relationship between man and his
environment. Man lived in health and harmony with nature and his environment for thousands of years as is evidenced
by native cultures worldwide, from the Americas to the rain-forests of Africa. In Ireland too man survived in even
the most hostile of conditions along the Wild Atlantic Way. The bonds of family and community and a meaningful
relationship with the land itself – facilitating feelings of home, of belonging. This is something that has been quietly
eroded over the past two hundred years..
The coming of the written word has been too long regarded as a mark of superiority and civilization. However, if we turn
to ancient Greece we find the myth of the river of forgetfulness. In learning to write and keep records, we cease to rely
on our interior resources. Today, we might ponder are we more or less nourished within our souls , than were peoples of
bygone eras? Does our culture allow us to connect with the world beyond the material physical plane? How do we cope
with Change?
It would do well for the planet to acknowledge the value of Oral culture as a way of living and being at one with an
environment that is constant change. Where the written word pins something down, as we can see this the storytelling
traditions of Ireland, our wonder and awe is rekindled in the presence of living words – words spoken, with heart and
feeling and Presence.
A sample of early Irish writing
48
Draíocht na bhfocail ráite
The region of Baile Mhuirne in West Cork on the Kerry border was once considered the “Capital of the Gaeltacht”.
It was here that one of the first dictionaries of the Irish language was compiled. An ancient Bardic School of Poetry
(associated with Aogán ‘O Raghaille) continued up until the early 18th century not far from here. Today, Peadar ‘O Riada
continues an ancient tradition of learning in the form of Damhscoil Mhúscraí – bringing ancient songs back to life, as
entities to be experienced.
For the ancient poets of Ireland theirs was a rigorous training. A boy would leave his family prior to the onset of puberty
and go on to learn over 400 rhyming meters, their combination and effects. A young poet would be sent into darkness,
where in the absence of sensorial stimulation a poem could emerge. Images of the houses of poets prior to the fall of the
Gaelic Order illustrate the esteem in which they once were held. Heritage of druidic times, the relation of the King to his
poet or file (fill-e) was an intimate one. For it was from the poets that the kingship received it’s power. A king would be
wedded to the land and the poet provided the spiritual animation of a kings power. We can see in the poem of Amerghin,
poet or Druid of the Milesians, the mighty power that could be evoked through enunciation of Words. A humility too can
be seen in Amerghin’s vision of totality and oneness.
When we look to the manuscripts created by Irish monks, we can regard them as records of a culture out of time. In
the life world inhabited by Oral Cultures world wide, there is a markedly different relationship between man and his
environment. Man lived in health and harmony with nature and his environment for thousands of years as is evidenced
by native cultures worldwide, from the Americas to the rain-forests of Africa. In Ireland too man survived in even
the most hostile of conditions along the Wild Atlantic Way. The bonds of family and community and a meaningful
relationship with the land itself – facilitating feelings of home, of belonging. This is something that has been quietly
eroded over the past two hundred years..
The coming of the written word has been too long regarded as a mark of superiority and civilization. However, if we turn
to ancient Greece we find the myth of the river of forgetfulness. In learning to write and keep records, we cease to rely
on our interior resources. Today, we might ponder are we more or less nourished within our souls , than were peoples of
bygone eras? Does our culture allow us to connect with the world beyond the material physical plane? How do we cope
with Change?
It would do well for the planet to acknowledge the value of Oral culture as a way of living and being at one with an
environment that is constant change. Where the written word pins something down, as we can see this the storytelling
traditions of Ireland, our wonder and awe is rekindled in the presence of living words – words spoken, with heart and
feeling and Presence.
A sample of early Irish writing
48
