A working definition of phronesis:
Application of knowledge granted from experience which is gifted from one person to another. Phronesis is the embodiment of practical wisdom toward inspiring the embodiment of ‘right action.’
What do you define folklore as?
Folklore can be cultural, organizational, familial, or even relationship-based. It is the passing on of experience from those who have been through (things) before you. The Irish term for folklore is “beal oideas” (mouth education or education by mouth). Traditionally that is how knowledge was passed between generations in a culture, organization or family – word of mouth. Origin myths bring communities together. The different domains typically have different types of folklore.
Irish cultural folklore covers areas such as health and well-being, the land, the weather and sometimes economic. With urbanisation, much of this folklore is being lost.
In large organisations, organisational folklore is passed to newcomers by the “old hands” and generally concerns tips and tricks on how to effectively carry out the functions of the organisation more effectively. Irish workplaces of the past had a reputation for collegiality. With the advent of global work practices, this helping of newcomers has faded. Knowledge is seen as power and kept to oneself. It is hard to datafy organisational culture and the increase in automated processes has led to a diminuition of this.
Families create their own folklore that helps to solidify the bonds between family members. “Remember that time when Granny …..” [1]
What kind of folklore or stories did you grow up with in Ireland? What kind of superstitions or supernatural stories did you hear growing up?
For context, I was born in Nottingham, England of Irish parents and came to Ireland to live when I was six. I would have spent 6 to 8 weeks in Ireland each summer from the age of three.
Proverbs:
Pithy sayings that would often be repeated were:
· A fool and his money are easily parted.
· Nil aon tintán mar do tintán fein. (There is no fireplace like your own fireplace).[2]
· Tús maith, leath an obair. (A good start halves the work).
· A penny saved is a penny earned.
· Not sure if this is uniquely Irish, but Grandad Patrick was a fisherman:
When the wind is in the North, the skillful fisher goes not forth.
When the wind is in the East, ‘tis neither good for man or beast.
When the wind is in the South, it blows the fly into the fish’s mouth.
When the wind is in the West, then it is the very best.
· Red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning.[3]
· To each cow it’s calf. [4]
Stories
From an early age, I would have heard stories of fairies, leprechauns, and banshees and the adventures of the Irish “superheroes”.
Fairies were the “little people” and were to be feared and respected. There was a malevolent aspect to them that seems to be missing in today’s representation. They were changelings who could lead you astray. They could take the place of newborn babies. They lived in another dimension accessed through fairy forts or rings. These were to be avoided and nothing, not even a twig or a flower should be taken from them and in no circumstances brought into your house. Unexplained happenings were ascribed to them.[5] I later heard that they were the people who originally lived in Ireland – the Tuatha Dé Dannan (the people of (the goddess) Danu). Ancient Ireland was invaded by the Milesians. The Tuatha Dé Dannan agreed to surrender half of Ireland to the Milesians, expecting the land to be divided in two. Instead, the Milesians took everything above ground and the Tuatha Dé Dannan were left with everything underground. This led them to despise the Milesians who are our progenitors. This shows that the original Irish could be ambiguous in their successful agreements and we can find traces of this still today. Another lesson might be to read the small print of what you are agreeing to.
Leprechauns are also “little people”, small old men who were cobblers. I really only heard about them when rainbows were out and that their crock of gold was hidden at the end of the rainbow. If you caught a leprechaun, you had to keep your eyes on them at all times or they would escape. They would trick you into looking away and they disappeared. So no-one has ever found the leprechauns gold. The moral of this story I suppose is that some people are always chasing rainbows and looking for an easy way to become wealthy, but the people who might lead you to this wealth are crafty and likely to trick you. Beware of get rich quick schemes!!
Banshees were spirits of old women whose screaming was heard before someone died. They were generally dressed in white, were tall and spent time combing their hair. It was considered unlucky to find one of their combs. For me witches were much more real and I had many nightmares about them.
My mother was from Wexford and knew some fishing lore. In her time, most fishermen did not learn how to swim as it was felt that it only gave false hope and prolonged the agony before death. She also spoke of selkies. Some believed that seals had the ability to take on human form. There are variations. One is that on coming onto land and taking human form, the seal hid its skin and tail. It could not return to the sea if it could not later find its skin. My mother’s story is the other variation that seals watched humans from the sea and might set their eye on a human. They had one chance to come ashore and woo that person, but if they ever returned to the sea, they would revert to being a seal and could never take on human form again.[6]
Other stories centred on adventure stories of the (super) heroes of old. I was a big Batman and Superman fan.
Cuchulainn/Setanta: The hero of the Tain (The Cooley Cattle Raid. I remember the adventure part of Cuchulainn overcoming the men of Connacht, being seriously injured and brought back to full health more than the “politics” behind the story.
Fionn MacCumhall: Eating the Salmon of Knowledge, becoming leader of the Fianna and defeating a fire breathing giant. His son Oisin going to Tir Na nOg. His betrothed, Grainne, eloping with one of his captain’s Diarmuid which became a tale of its own.
Eisirt: The King’s poet who had psychic powers. We learnt this story at school. The king was having an affair and Eisirt was belittling his reputation. We learnt this through Irish. A concept from this story that always intrigued me was the placing of a curse on a person if they failed to comply with some obligation. The wording was “Cuirim faoi geasa duit ..” – “I put you under an obligation to/not to”. Disaster befell those who did not keep their obligation.
Children of Lir: In the early 70s, a statue of the Children of Lir was installed in the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin. I remember it as being a big deal at the time and the story behind it was told and retold. The story bridges a gap of 900 years, from the time of the Tuatha Dé Danann to St Patrick and the arrival of Christianity. I don’t know if there was a legend in this regard prior to the arrival of Christianity. If so, it was appropriated by the Christian Church and turned into a tale of redemption through suffering and faith (the four children endure suffering as swans in three different lakes for 900 years, before being freed and baptised before dying. The Christian beliefs were more powerful than pagan beliefs. It also features a wicked stepmother.
Loftus Hall: Again from my mother. Loftus Hall is on the Hook Head peninsula in Wexford. Legend has it that a stranger stopped by the hall looking for shelter on a stormy night. He was welcomed in, fed, and settled down to play cards with the family. The daughter of the house fell for the stranger. She accidently dropped her cards, and when she looked down to pick them up she saw that the stranger had cloven feet. At that point the stranger turned into a ball of fire and shot up into the sky. The daughter never recovered living the rest of a short life locked in her room. After she died it was reported that her ghost can be seen around the house at night.
Hell Fire Club Dublin: This is an abandoned building in the Dublin mountains. It is said to have been built over an ancient burial site. It came into the possession of the Dublin Hellfire Club. This club was set up by young Irish dilettantes as a channel for them to let of steam and explore the wider side of their nature, drinking to excess and gambling. It was rumoured that they dabbled in black magic and held satanic masses and pagan sacrifices on the site. Similar to Loftus Hall, a stranger arrives to play cards and is discovered to have cloven feet but in this case is made welcome. A local farmer who spied on events was struck dumb and unable to tell what he saw. The building was burnt down allegedly during an exorcism involving the devil disguised as a cat.
Superstitions
Many of the superstitions are bound up with the church. When Christianity came to Ireland, it appropriated pagan festivals and traditions.[7]
· If you walk around the Black Church[8] anti-clockwise on Good Friday the Devil will appear to you.
· Don’t eat fruit picked after 31st October[9] as the spirits will have poisoned them.
· Throwing salt over your shoulder if you spill some at the dinner table.
· Bad luck to walk under ladders.
· On the eve of a wedding the bride to be puts a statue of The Infant of Prague in her garden facing away from the house to guarantee good weather for the following day.[10]
· It is unlucky for the bride to be to see her future husband after dark on the eve of the wedding.[11]
· On the eve of St. Brigid’s Day (February 1st), a cloth was left outside (the Brath Bríde). This cloth would then be used to cure coughs and sore throats during the year.
· In rural areas there is a practice of sprinkling Holy Water on you as you leave the house to keep you safe. If you are driving, your car will also be sprinkled with the water.
· There are numerous holy wells across Ireland. My wife’s family “swear by” St. Berrihert’s well in Co. Tipperary. In my opinion it is more of a bubbling pond than a well. They say the water cannot be boiled. It is used for curing burns and scalds and is also recommended for eye problems. It appears to be on the site of an old graveyard. I have heard it said that young babies who died before being baptised were sometimes buried there. Church law at the time was that you had to be baptised to be interred in a Christian graveyard. People leave votive offerings and tie “crooties” (pieces of cloth/rags) to nearby trees.
What were your favorite, if any, Irish folklore stories that you grew up with?
Finn McCool was a favourite. He disobeyed his master, but acquired great knowledge in doing so (through the Salmon of Knowledge). A flawed character like us all so he is someone I could relate too. The traditions around Bealtaine and Samhain were important to me because they represent periods of change where the real and the other worlds cross for a brief period. The Selkie stories also appealed to the romantic me. There is something beautiful about someone who takes a risk to give up everything they know and hold dear to follow a dream. Most of the stories then relate the self-sacrifice in surrendering future happiness to save a loved one. There are life lessons in that.
What are/were your feelings or understandings of Irish folklore?
As a child you just think of them as stories, that are great when told well. With time you begin to understand that there are hidden “truths” in folklore that can sometimes be hard to unpick as there are many variations and changes over time.
How common was it for those around you to reference certain stories in order to teach lessons?
I don’t think it was that common in the city. As regards proverbs, a lot of them related to land and weather. Teachers from the country who taught us were amazed that we did not know some of the stories that were very familiar to them. I think they tried, but a lot of city children were not that open taking them on board.
How do you think Irish folklore has affected Irish culture? What role does wisdom plays in folklore?
Folklore provided a common bond and understanding that cemented and unified society providing a mythology of how the Irish came to be in Ireland, their trials and tribulations, and some element of what it might mean to be Irish. As happens within families or close relationships the lore provides a bond. I think it is an extremely important aspect of culture.
As briefly mentioned earlier, the role of religion and folklore needs to be considered. It reminds us that folklore can also be used for political/propaganda purposes. The stories are often long with many twists and turns and before books, radio, television or social media, needed to be entertaining to retain the audience’s attention. The storytellers (seanchaí) would have adapted the stories to suit the audience. There had to be some added bonus too and I think this is where the wisdom would have been passed on. Folklore often contains elements of truth or the stories would not hang together and last. If the advice was not useful, it would be dropped from the oral tradition.
Questions arising from one recital might be incorporated into the narrative for the next recital. I think our great storytelling culture is rooted in these traditions.
In organisations the folklore is based on experience and what has worked in the past. This accumulated wisdom can be taken, adjusted and applied to current scenarios. Very often it is not found in reports and must be delivered orally.
To what extent is Irish folklore reflective of Irish culture?
I think it reflects the values, beliefs and behaviours that underpin our culture.As I have said it reveals traits that are still evident in (parts of) Irish culture today.
What would you say is the practical wisdom of the Irish? What is the purpose of practical wisdom?
It can be used as a guide to negotiating life, recognising that human nature is frail and full of contradictions. I think that in the past the storyteller (seanchaí) would have discussed the story with his listeners afterwards to bring out the often hidden wisdom.
Did you read stories or were they based on by word of mouth?
I was an avid reader so I would mainly have read the stories. When we were in England we were treated as Irish. Back in Ireland with our English accents we were treated as English. I suppose I struggled to establish my cultural identity. I paid attention to the nuances and possible meanings that were relevant. I sometimes challenged the storyteller where they had deviated from what I read. I learnt that writing and storytelling are different skills.
Do you think that cultural stereotypes are reflected by Irish folklore and stories?
It depends on which stereotypes are being examined.
I don’t think there is a lot of excessive drinking in the stories, but there is plenty of fighting and a certain craftiness. There is also music and laughter and a desire to enjoy oneself.
The stories also show that Irish people are persistent and succeed through struggle. They also have a capacity for ambiguity, possibly deception.
Do you think that Irish folklore plays an impact on how people view the Irish and Irish culture?
I think outsiders have a mixed view. Those with Irish connections probably look more for it. Those without a connection probably think of Irish culture in terms of the arts (authors, poets, artists, actors, musicians) and sport, and are only vaguely aware of the folklore elements they contain. There has been an element of globalising Irish culture which tends to dumb down the folklore. This is then re-imported into Ireland and can become the norm. For example, fairies have lost their malevolence and have become cute. Younger families now decorate their trees with “fairy doors” and charms to “welcome” the fairies. Irish people are more inclined to be dismissive of a lot of folklore dismissing it as “piseóg” – a superstitious tradition with no sense despite being around for a long time.[12] But we are happy to regenerate and modernise ancient customs, particularly those around the seasons: Imbolg (1st February, Spring time and rebirth), Bealtaine (1st May, Summer time and workers), Lunaghsa (1st August, Autumn and harvest time and fruitfulness) and Samhain (1st November, Winter and the realm of the dead)
What constitutes common knowledge or practical wisdom in Ireland? How important do you think sharing practical wisdom is to Irish culture? Is it a regular part of our wider heritage?
Irish people are good at negotiating difficult situations, seeing opportunities for change and taking risks while not being to tied to baggage from the past (being ambiguous again!!) and taking positive action. This can be seen say in the Good Friday Agreement, in changing attitudes to social issues. In the past it allowed us to accommodate Christian and pagan beliefs at the same time.
I think it has changed over the last 20 years or so. As mentioned above, on the one hand globalisation has “flattened” and sanitised folklore and much of the old wisdom has been excised. This is part of a modernisation process that began with electrification, and the spread of media platforms. There is a desire to be more progressive and to leave the past behind, which is a pity. On the other hand however those who do take an interest in their folklore and culture are finding new and creative ways to express it that gives our artists and creators a unique gift.
What did you love most about growing up in Ireland?
For me it was being close to extended family after coming back from England. In addition, living on what was basically an urban farm had great freedom compared to city life in Nottingham.
What parts of Irish culture are most related to storytelling? (Be that dance, music, poetry, writing, etc.) What do you think practical Irish wisdom looks like? How is it transmitted?
I think storytelling impacts on all aspects of Irish culture, although I cannot speak for the dance medium. I would be most familiar with music and writing media and these are heavily influenced by storytelling, even if it might not be immediately obvious. Most of U2’s songs have a message, are often steeped in religious imagery and are ambiguous.
Irish wisdom is cultivated initially at home and through the education system and grows through storytelling reflected and expressed in books of stories and poetry, film and music, and public art. In the past, writing (poetry, plays and novels) and music would have been central. Visual storytelling was present in art but has found greater expression more recently in graphic novels, film and even in video games. I love the Thin Lizzy song Roisin Dubh[13] and how it musically draws on traditional Irish music, American Folk Music (Shenendoah), and Rock ‘n’ Roll and lyrically draws on ancient legends, blended in playful wordplay with more recent artists.
How did storytelling affect your perceptions of the world and of your culture?
I grew up in the age of the superhero, Batman, Superman and my favourite, Thor. In these stories there was a constant battle between good and evil. Irish folklore seeped in as my sense of Irish identity grew. This would have been influenced by the rise of Irish nationalism grom the late 1960s. Deeper readings of the legends revealed a more complex and playful world of real people with real emotions and struggles. I think Irish storytelling makes me look beyond the obvious to dig a little deeper into not only my own culture but other cultures too.
Footnotes:
[1] The person recounting the story may not have witnessed it and may not even have been born when the events took place, but the language used reflects how real the lore has become for the narrator.
[2] I find that this is a pearl of wisdom that has stuck. When I was younger I took it to mean that you could only fully relax in your own house no matter how well you were treated when visiting others. Later it came to mean that it was important to own your property rather than renting it.
[3] Again not sure if this is uniquely Irish
[4] This is widely considered to be the first expression of copyright law!!
[5] I remember my father blaming them for blunting his shaving blades!! I don’t think he was serious.
[6] I love this song by Makem & Clancy. Interestingly it originally come from Maine, but the legend is from Ireland/Scotland: It is in 2 parts:
[7] This Celtic church later clashed with the Roman church over festivals and rituals and eventually the Pope gave permission to the English (Henry II) to come to Ireland to impose Roman church teaching on the Irish and bring them back into line.
[8] A Protestant church in Rathmines, near Milltown. Similar stories attach to other Protestant churches.
[9] Halloween or Samhain in Irish.
[10] This practice has spread beyond weddings with the statue being placed outside on the eve of any big event where you want the weather to be good (mainly dry).
[11] In my own case, I was advised by an “advance party” to leave a house and a pub by the back door because my wife to be was about to enter.
[12] Again interestingly a piseóg can also mean a powerful verbal curse that is put on someone or place.
[13] https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=83be47b5044b1e30&sxsrf=ACQVn080uZPeNC-4fsyJoOLy93OEy5zrgA:1709331811259&q=Thin+lizzy+roisin+dubh+with+lyrics+youtube&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjK86abjdSEAxVwWEEAHe80BPMQ1QJ6BAg0EAE&biw=1536&bih=776&dpr=1.25#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:df17bd70,vid:3vZgev6OcOY,st:0
And from the punk days is Song of the Faithful Departed by The Radiators from Space, a more modern take with a melody taken from the Irish National Anthem: https://www.google.com/search?q=Faithful+departed+radiators&sca_esv=83be47b5044b1e30&biw=1536&bih=776&sxsrf=ACQVn08vVxsclQFxysdRQlrA1DDSW3ZPfQ%3A1709332186237&ei=2lbiZdyMDu-yhbIPyZ6YWA&ved=0ahUKEwjc4Y3OjtSEAxVvWUEAHUkPBgsQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Faithful+departed+radiators&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiG0ZhaXRoZnVsIGRlcGFydGVkIHJhZGlhdG9yczIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSO80UJkMWOgvcAJ4AJABAJgBZaAByAWqAQM3LjK4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgugAv4FwgIJEAAYBxgeGLADwgINEAAYgAQYigUYQxiwA8ICCBAAGIAEGLADwgIJEAAYCBgeGLADwgIOEAAYgAQYigUYhgMYsAPCAgYQABgWGB7CAgsQABiABBiKBRiGA8ICBBAhGBXCAgUQIRifBcICBxAhGAoYoAGYAwCIBgGQBgeSBwM4LjOgB6sd&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:888070e7,vid:0Dfrcj98j7Y,st:0
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