CSANA Samain 2014 - Celtic Studies at UCLAceltic.cmrs.ucla.edu/csana/newsletter/csana_32.1.pdf ·...

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Samain 2014 32.1 1 CSANA C ELTIC S TUDIES A SSOCIATION OF N ORTH A MERICA Newsletter 32.1 Samain 2014 Contents Announcements 3 CSANA/CCC 2015 dates announced! Conferences 8 Book Reviews Deborah Hayden on Saltair Saíochta, Sanasaíochta agus Seanchais A Festschrift for Gearóid Mac Eoin 12 Sharon Paice McLeod on Archaeology and Celtic Myth: an Exploration 16 Timothy P. Bridgman on The Origins of the Irish 18 Gregory J. Darling on The Cult of the Saints and the Virgin Mary in Medieval Scotland 19

Transcript of CSANA Samain 2014 - Celtic Studies at UCLAceltic.cmrs.ucla.edu/csana/newsletter/csana_32.1.pdf ·...

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CSANA

CELTIC STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA

Newsletter  32.1               Samain  2014    

Contents  

   Announcements           3  

CSANA/CCC  2015  dates  announced!  

   Conferences             8  

   Book  Reviews  

Deborah  Hayden  on  Saltair  Saíochta,  Sanasaíochta  agus  Seanchais  

  A  Festschrift  for  Gearóid  Mac  Eoin           12  

Sharon  Paice  McLeod  on  Archaeology  and  Celtic  Myth:  

  an  Exploration                 16  

Timothy  P.  Bridgman  on  The  Origins  of  the  Irish         18  

Gregory  J.  Darling  on  The  Cult  of  the  Saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary  

  in  Medieval  Scotland               19  

       

 

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CELTIC STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA On  the  web  at  http://celtic.cmrs.ucla.edu/csana/  

Dan  Wiley’s  blog  at  http://csanablog.blogspot.com/  

Officers:    President:  Charlene  Eska,  Virginia  Polytechnic  Institute  and  State  University    Vice-­‐President:  Michael  Meckler,  Ohio  State  University  Secretary-­‐Treasurer:  Elissa  R.  Henken,  University  of  Georgia  

 

Members  at  Large:       Georgia  Henley,  Harvard  University     Michael  Newton,  St.  Francis  Xavier  University  

Patrick  Wadden,  Belmont  Abbey  College    

Bibliographer:  Karen  Burgess,  UCLA  Executive  Bibliographer:  Joseph  F.  Nagy,  UCLA    Yearbook  Editor:    Joseph  F.  Eska,  Virginia  Polytechnic  Institute  and  State  University  Newsletter  Editor:  Jimmy  P.  Miller,  Temple  University  Past  President:  Paul  Russell,  Pembroke  College,  Cambridge  University    

Incorporated  as  a  non-­‐profit  organization,  the  Celtic  Studies  Association  of  North  America  has  members  in  the  United  States,  Canada,  Ireland,  Wales,  Scotland,  Europe,  Australia  and  Japan.  CSANA  produces  a  twice-­‐a-­‐year  newsletter  and  bibliographies  of  Celtic  Studies.  The  published  bibliographies  (1983-­‐87  and  1985-­‐87)  may  be  ordered  from  the  Secretary-­‐Treasurer,  Professor  Elissa  R.  Henken,  Dept.  of  English,  Park  Hall,  University  of  Georgia,  Athens,  GA  30602,  USA  (Email:  [email protected]  ).    

The  electronic  CSANA  bibliography  is  available  at:  http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/celtic/csanabib.html.  The  electronic  bibliography  is  available  at  cost  in  printed  form  to  members  who  request  it  from  Bibliographer  Karen  Burgess,  [email protected].  The  bibliographer  welcomes  updates,  corrections,  and  information  about  out-­‐of-­‐the-­‐way  publications  of  relevance  that  should  be  included  in  the  Bibliography.    

The  privileges  of  membership  in  CSANA  include  the  newsletter  twice  a  year,  access  to  the  bibliography  and  the  electronic  discussion  group  CSANA-­‐L  (contact  Professor  Joe  Eska  at  [email protected]  to  join),  invitations  to  the  annual  meeting  for  which  the  registration  fees  are  nil  or  very  low,  the  right  to  purchase  the  CSANA  mailing  list  at  cost,  and  an  invaluable  sense  of  fellowship  with  Celticists  throughout  North  America  and  around  the  world.    

Membership  in  CSANA  is  open  to  anyone  with  a  serious  interest  in  Celtic  Studies.  Dues  are  payable  at  Beltaine.    New  and  renewing  members  should  send  checks  in  either  of  the  two  accepted  currencies  to  Elissa  R.  Henken  (Department  of  English,  Park  Hall,  University  of  Georgia,  Athens,  GA  30602  USA).  Please  note  that  the  currency  changes  the  Payable  to  line.  Checks  in  U.S.  dollars,  payable  to  CSANA,  must  be  drawn  on  a  U.S.  bank  or  an  affiliate  of  a  U.S.  bank  (international  money  orders  cannot  be  accepted).  Cheques  in  British  Sterling  must  be  made  payable  to  Elissa  R.  Henken.  Payment  may  also  be  made  by  credit  card  through  PayPal.    [Go  to  the  PayPal  website  (www.paypal.com),  press  the  tab  “send  money,”  type  in  the  e-­‐mail  address  [email protected].    Remember  to  pay  in  U.S.  dollars.  Put  CSANA  in  the  e-­‐mail  subject  line.  In  the  Note  box,  type  in  your  name,  postal  address,  e-­‐mail  address,  and  for  what  exactly  you  are  paying  (dues  year,  membership  rate,  Yearbook  number).]    

Membership  categories:  Associate  (student,  retiree,  unemployed,  institution)  $20  US,  £13  GBP,  Sustaining  Member  (basic)  $40  US,  £26  GBP  Contributor  $60  US,  £39  GBP  Patron  $100  US,  £65  GBP  Benefactor  $250  US,    £163  GBP  

 

(Contributors,  Patrons  and  Benefactors  support  the  creation  of  the  CSANA  bibliography,  help  to  defray  expenses  of  the  annual  meeting,  and  allow  CSANA  to  develop  new  projects.  Please  join  at  the  highest  level  you  can.)  

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Announcements    

CSANA  2015/CCC  37  dates  announced  The  2015  conference  of  the  Celtic  Studies  Association  of  North  America  and  the  37th  California  Celtic  Conference  will  take  place  jointly,  March  5-­‐8,  2015,  on  the  campus  of  the  University  of  California,  Berkeley.  

Invited  speakers  include:  • Tomas  O  Cathasaigh,  Harvard  University  • Diarmuid  O  Giollain,  Notre  Dame  University  • Lisa  Bitel,  University  of  Southern  California  

The  CSANA  text  seminar  will  be  on  a  text  by  Myles  na  gCopaleen  and  will  be  led  by  Catherine  Flynn  of  UC-­‐Berkeley.  Watch  your  inboxes  for  more  details  soon!  

 

Southern  Celtic  Studies  Consortium  A  collaborative  Southern  Celtic  Studies  Consortium  is  in  the  process  of  being  formed,  organized  by  Lindy  Brady  (Department  of  English,  University  of  Mississippi)  and  Joshua  Byron  Smith  (Department  of  English,  University  of  Arkansas).  We  have  received  two  SEC  Visiting  Faculty  Travel  Grants  in  support  of  this  consortium,  for  

summer  2014  and  summer  2015,  and  hope  to  go  “live”  after  summer  2015.  

Recognizing  that  Celtic  Studies  is  a  difficult  and  highly  specialized  field  and  that  scholars  are  often  forced  to  work  in  isolation,  both  geographically  and  intellectually,  we  envision  this  consortium  as  a  longstanding  collaborative  initiative  that  will  give  graduate  students  access  to  advanced  and  specialized  areas  of  study,  provide  better  networking  opportunities  for  scholars  working  in  these  areas,  open  the  door  for  future  collaborative  research,  and  increase  the  visibility  of  Celtic  Studies  in  the  South.  We  welcome  suggestions  from  Celticists  working  in  the  Southeastern  United  States  (roughly,  Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  Mississippi,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  West  Virginia,  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Alabama,  Georgia,  and  Florida)  as  to  what  you  would  like  to  see  in  such  a  consortium,  but  we  envision  two  immediately  practical  benefits.  First,  we  hope  to  facilitate  cross-­‐institutional  study  (and  course  credit)  for  graduate  students  at  member  institutions,  combining  resources  to  offer  our  graduate  students  a  level  of  specialized  training  in  Celtic  Studies  that  is  otherwise  very  difficult  for  them  to  attain.  Along  those  lines,  we  envision  a  (password-­‐protected!)  online  interface  for  the  consortium  that  would  contain  a  master  calendar  of  events  and  classes  hosted  at  all  our  partner  institutions  and  facilitate  exchanges  of  course  materials  among  interested  members.  Second,  we  hope  to  host  an  annual  workshop  for  consortium  members  (intended  to  complement  rather  than  compete  with  extant  conferences)  to  exchange  ideas,  ask  advice,  and  receive  feedback  on  works  in  progress.  If  you  are  a  Celticist  in  the  Southeastern  U.S.,  stay  tuned  for  updates!  

–  Lindy  Brady  and  Joshua  Byron  Smith  

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Lectureship  in  Early  and  Medieval  Irish  at  UCC  Applications  will  close  Nov.  24  for  the  role  of  Lecturer  in  Early  and  Medieval  Irish  at  University  College  Cork,  Ireland  (NUI,  Cork).  Reporting  to  the  Head  of  Department,  the  Lecturer  will  contribute  to  core  teaching  in  Early  and  Medieval  Irish  /  Celtic  Civilisation  at  undergraduate  and  postgraduate  level.  The  successful  candidate  will  have  a  strong  track  record  of  teaching,  research  and  publication  in  Early  and  Medieval  Irish  language  and  literature  /  Celtic  Studies.  The  Lecturer  will  be  expected  

to  contribute  to  current  and  future  initiatives  in  the  Department  of  Early  and  Medieval  Irish.  

Informal  enquiries  can  be  made  in  confidence  to  Professor  John  Carey,  Head  of  Department  of  Early  and  Medieval  Irish,  Tel:  021  4902999,  Email:  [email protected].  For  further  information  on  the  Department  of  Early  and  Medieval  Irish,  please  visit  http://www.ucc.ie/academic/smg/    

Appointment  may  be  made  on  the  Lectureship  Salary  Scale:  €31,821  -­‐  €51,270/€62,353  -­‐  €76,942.  

The  opening  became  available  because  of  the  retirement  of  Professor  Máire  Herbert.  John  Carey  was  subsequently  promoted  to  Professor,  and  Kevin  Murray  was  promoted  to  Senior  Lecturer.  

   

Indo-­‐European  Studies  opening  at  UCLA  The  Program  in  Indo-­‐European  Studies  at  the  University  of  California,  Los  Angeles,  invites  applications  for  an  open-­‐rank  position  in  Indo-­‐European  Studies.  Senior  applicants  will  be  considered  for  the  A.  Richard  Diebold  Chair  in  Indo-­‐European  Studies.  Applicants  should  have  the  PhD  in  hand  and  broad  training  in  the  linguistics  and  philology  of  the  principal  ancient  and  medieval  Indo-­‐European  languages  and  in  the  linguistic  and  cultural  reconstruction  of  Proto-­‐Indo-­‐European.  Field(s)  of  

specialization  open.  Candidates  should  demonstrate  a  strong  commitment  to  scholarly  research  and  publication  as  well  as  dedication  to  undergraduate  and  graduate  teaching.  The  appointment  will  be  effective  July  1,  2015.  Salary  will  be  commensurate  with  education  and  experience.  

Applicants  should  make  use  of  the  UCLA  job  application  website  (https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/apply/JPF00568)  to  submit  a  cover  letter,  curriculum  vitae,  representative  publication(s),  and  contact  information  for  three  recommenders.  The  deadline  for  applications  is  December  15,  2014.  Inquiries  may  be  directed  to  Prof.  Stephanie  Jamison  [email protected].  

 

New  Appointment  to  Australian  Chair  With  the  retirement  in  2013  of  Anders  Ahlqvist,  the  first  professor,  Jonathan  Wooding  becomes  the  second  occupant  of  the  Sir  Warwick  Fairfax  Chair  of  

Celtic  Studies  at  the  University  of  Sydney  (Australia).  

Wooding  was  born  and  raised  in  Sydney,  but  spent  the  past  two  decades  living  in  Ireland  and  then  

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Wales,  where  he  was  most  recently  Reader  in  Church  History  at  the  University  of  Wales,  Lampeter  (now  Trinity  Saint  David).  He  has  published  widely  on  early  medieval  Irish  as  well  as  Welsh  topics,  with  interests  ranging  across  literature,  history  and  theology.  His  studies  on  the  legend  of  St.  Brendan  and  the  Irish  peregrini  might  be  most  familiar  to  CSANA  members.  

He  writes:  “I  am  enjoying  the  opportunity  to  build  upon  a  well-­‐established  programme.  In  this  I  benefit  especially  from  the  enduring  legacy  of  goodwill  created  by  Anders  Ahlqvist.”  The  program  will  continue  under  Wooding’s  leadership  to  offer  a  range  of  teaching  in  medieval  as  well  as  modern  Celtic  studies,  including  some  new  offerings  in  medieval  literature.  Wooding  notes  that  “the  only  problem  about  coming  back  to  your  alma  mater  is  that  it  feels  like  a  time-­‐warp  back  to  when  I  was  a  student.  I  keep  expecting  the  real  owner  of  my  office  to  turn  up!”  

Readers  might  also  be  interested  to  hear  news  of  recent  publications  from  Sydney’s  Series  in  Celtic  Studies.  In  2013  were  published  the  following  new  volumes  (SSCS  11-­‐15):  

• Anders  Ahlqvist,  Grammatical  Tables  for  Old  Irish.  • Anders  Ahlqvist  &  Pamela  O’Neill  (eds),  Medieval  Irish  Law:  Text  and  Context.  • Rowena  Finnane,  Late  Medieval  Irish  Law  Manuscripts:  A  Reappraisal  of  Methodology  and  

Content.  • Pamela  O’Neill  (ed.),  The  Land  beneath  the  Sea:  Essays  in  Honour  of  Anders  Ahlqvist’s  

Contribution  to  Celtic  Studies  in  Australia.  • Anders  Ahlqvist  &  Pamela  O’Neill  (eds),  Celts  and  their  Cultures  at  Home  and  Abroad:  A  

Festschrift  for  Malcolm  Broun.  

For  further  information  see:  http://sydney.edu.au/arts/celtic_studies/research/index.shtml    

Wooding  also  is  shortly  launching  a  new  series  with  University  of  Wales  Press  entitled  “New  Approaches  to  Celtic  Religion  and  Mythology”  and  has  joined  Professor  Margaret  Clunies-­‐Ross  as  a  general  editor  of  the  Brepols  series  “Medieval  Voyaging.”  He  welcomes  enquiries  about  either  series.  

And  do  watch  out  for  the  next  Australian  Conference  of  Celtic  Studies,  for  that  long-­‐planned  trip  down  under!  

 

The  William  B.  Neenan,  S.J.,  Visiting  Fellowship  at  Boston  College-­‐Ireland  Applications  are  invited  for  the  William  B.  Neenan,  S.J.,  Visiting  Fellowship,  to  be  held  at  Boston  College-­‐Ireland  in  2015.  The  Fellowship  is  named  in  honor  of  Fr.  

Neenan,  who  came  to  Boston  College  in  1979  as  the  first  Thomas  I.  Gasson  Professor.  He  served  as  dean  of  the  College  of  Arts  and  Sciences  from  1980  to  1987  before  assuming  the  role  of  academic  vice  president  and  dean  of  faculties.  From  1998,  he  was  vice  president  and  special  assistant  to  the  president.  He  passed  away  in  2014.  

The  Fellowship  is  open  to  any  scholar  working  in  the  field  of  Irish  Studies  who  requires  time  to  research  in  Dublin.  The  Fellowship  can  be  held  at  any  time  during  2015,  and  must  be  held  for  a  minimum  of  two  months  during  the  course  of  the  year.  The  holder  of  the  Fellowship  will  be  awarded  a  stipend  of  €5000  and  have  access  the  Boston  College-­‐Ireland  building,  an  office,  and  administrative  

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support  during  their  time  in  Dublin.  The  holder  of  the  Fellowship  will  also  work  with  Boston  College  Ireland  to  organize  a  funded,  one-­‐day  symposium  based  around  the  topic  of  their  research.  

The  closing  date  for  the  Fellowship  is  Dec.  5,  2014.  To  apply,  please  send  your  CV,  an  explanation  of  the  research  you  wish  to  undertake  in  Ireland,  and  details  of  proposed  outputs  to  Professor  Mike  Cronin,  [email protected].  

 

Jesus  Chair  of  Celtic  fundraising  appeal  The  University  of  Oxford  is  asking  for  donations  toward  an  endowment  to  permanently  fund  the  Jesus  Chair  of  Celtic,  which  the  university  has  left  vacant  since  the  retirement  of  Thomas  Charles-­‐Edwards.  

Oxford  established  the  Jesus  Chair  of  Celtic  –  the  oldest  chair  of  Celtic  in  the  world  –  in  1877,  and  it  is  Oxford’s  oldest  chair  in  a  modern  language.  To  ensure  that  its  Celtic  scholarship  continues  both  in  the  short  term  and  for  generations  to  come,  the  University  of  Oxford  must  raise  £2.64  million,  creating  a  permanent  endowment  for  the  Jesus  Chair  of  Celtic.  

For  more  information  or  to  download  the  appeal  brochure,  visit  http://www.mod-­‐langs.ox.ac.uk/celticappeal.  Direct  inquiries  can  be  sent  to  Antony  Green,  Head  of  Development  –  Humanities  on  [email protected].  

 

Geiriadur  Prifysgol  Cymru  freely  available  online  The  University  of  Wales  Dictionary  of  the  Welsh  Language  (Geiriadur  Prifysgol  Cymru)  is  now  available  online  in  a  full  version  which  is  freely  accessible.  It  is  the  only  standard  historical  dictionary  of  Welsh  and  is  broadly  comparable  in  method  and  scope  with  the  Oxford  English  Dictionary.  

GPC  Online  allows  the  user  to  search  for  Welsh  headwords,  variant  forms,  and  collocations,  as  well  as  synonymous  words  and  phrases  in  the  English  definitions.  The  vocabulary  is  defined  in  Welsh  with  English  synonyms,  so  GPC  is  not  intended  to  be  used  as  a  translating  dictionary.  However,  when  the  English  definitions  are  searched,  the  results  are  ordered  according  to  the  relevance  of  the  searched  term  in  the  definition,  so  as  to  give  precedence  to  synonymous  words.  

GPC  Online  is  the  culmination  of  a  process  dating  back  to  the  1920s  when  a  reading  program  was  set  up  at  the  National  Library  of  Wales  by  the  University  of  Wales  Board  of  Celtic  Studies  to  read  and  collect  citations  from  all  published  Welsh  material  prior  to  1800  together  with  a  large  proportion  of  early  Welsh  manuscripts  and  later  printed  material.  Editorial  work  began  in  1948/9  and  the  Dictionary  was  published  in  64-­‐page  fascicles  from  1950  onwards.  The  first  edition  was  completed  in  2002.  

Since  then,  work  has  been  ongoing  to  completely  re-­‐edit  and  extend  the  very  earliest  sections  dealing  with  A  and  B  as  well  as  to  add  entirely  new  vocabulary  throughout  the  alphabet.  

It  has  been  the  intention  for  some  time  that  the  Dictionary  should  go  online  but  it  has  been  a  long  process  as  it  was  necessary  to  encode  all  the  Dictionary  data  –  around  8  million  words  in  all  –  in  XML.  

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From  now  on  the  Dictionary  will  be  published  online  only,  although  the  previously  published  volumes  and  parts  are  still  available  to  purchase.  Further  details  can  be  found  on  the  GPC  website,  www.geiriadur.ac.uk.  

 

Medieval  Law  Conference  papers  captured  on  YouTube  Recordings  of  select  papers  from  the  one-­‐day  Medieval  Law  conference  in  honor  of  Professor  Fergus  Kelly  on  his  retirement  are  online  at  https://www.youtube.com/user/OraclePicturesStudio  

The  conference  was  June  28  at  the  Dublin  Institute  for  Advanced  Studies.  

 

ACIS  scholarships,  awards  and  publications  The  ACIS  graduate  fellowship  committees  are  now  ready  to  accept  applications  for  projects  to  be  undertaken  in  2015.  ACIS  offers  two  graduate  fellowships  to  support  travel  costs  for  doctoral  research  by  students  enrolled  in  Ph.D.  programs  in  North  America.  The  Larkin  Fellowship  supports  graduate  research  in  the  fields  of  history  

and  the  social  sciences.  The  Krause  Fellowship  is  awarded  to  assist  research  on  the  topic  of  Irish  literature.  The  deadline  for  each  year's  competition  is  December  1st.  Applicants  must  send  a  two-­‐  or  three-­‐page  letter  of  application  describing  the  project  and  its  purpose,  a  CV,  and  two  letters  of  recommendation  to  each  of  the  committee  members.  Contact  information  for  sending  applications  and  eligibility  guidelines  can  be  found  on  the  graduate  fellowships  page  of  the  ACIS  website:  http://acisweb.org/prizes-­‐and-­‐fellowships/graduate-­‐student-­‐fellowships/    

For  those  intending  to  nominate  a  book  or  dissertation  for  an  ACIS  book  prize,  the  deadline  for  receipt  of  submissions  is  Jan.  12,  2015.  All  submissions  must  have  a  publication  year  of  2014  (or,  in  the  case  of  the  Dalsimer  prize  for  best  dissertation,  a  completion  year  of  2014).  ACIS  recognizes  outstanding  publications  through  six  prizes:  

• The  James  S.  Donnelly,  Sr.  Prize  for  Books  on  History  and  Social  Sciences  • Duais  Leabhar  Taighde  na  Bliana  Fhoras  na  Gaeilge/The  ACIS  Award  for  Books  in  the  Irish  

Language  • The  Michael  J.  Durkan  Prize  for  Books  on  Language  and  Culture  • The  Donald  Murphy  Prize  for  Distinguished  First  Books  • The  Robert  Rhodes  Prize  for  Books  on  Literature  • The  Adele  Dalsimer  Prize  for  Distinguished  Dissertations  

Authors,  publishers,  or  ACIS  members  wishing  to  nominate  a  book  or  dissertation  should  arrange  to  have  a  copy  of  the  publication  sent  to  each  member  of  the  relevant  prize  committee.  A  full  list  of  eligibility  rules  and  committee  member  information  can  be  found  on  the  ACIS  Book  and  Dissertation  Prizes  web  page:  http://acisweb.org/prizes-­‐and-­‐fellowships/book-­‐and-­‐dissertation-­‐prizes/    Prize  winners  are  announced  at  the  annual  ACIS  national  meeting  in  the  spring.  

Finally,  the  papers  of  Emmet  Larkin,  long-­‐time  historian  at  the  University  of  Chicago  and  a  founding  member  of  the  American  Conference  for  Irish  Studies,  were  donated  to  the  John  J.  Burns  Library  of  

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Boston  College  by  Dianne  Larkin  and  are  now  open  for  research.  A  full  announcement  and  a  link  to  the  guide  for  the  papers  can  be  found  here:  http://acisweb.org/announcement/emmet-­‐larkin-­‐papers-­‐now-­‐available-­‐john-­‐j-­‐burns-­‐library-­‐boston-­‐college/    

 

Irish  Texts  Society  discount  for  CSANA  members  CSANA  and  the  Irish  Texts  Society  have  agreed  on  a  collaboration:    in  return  for  our  helping  announce  ITS  works,  CSANA  members  in  good  standing  will  receive  a  33  percent  discount  on  ITS  publications.  

The  Irish  Texts  Society  continues  to  be  a  leader  in  the  publication  of  scholarly  editions  and  translations  of  Irish  texts.  ITS  most  recent  “Main  Series”  (texts  and  translations)  volume  is  Anathomia  Gydo  (ed.  Eithne  Ní  Ghallchobhair,  2014),  the  only  surviving  medieval  surgical  text  to  have  been  translated  into  Early  Modern  Irish.  Its  most  recent  subsidiary  series  (lectures  on  past  Main  Series  titles)  volume  is  Buile  Suibhne:  Perspectives  and  Reassessments  (ed.  John  Carey,  2014).  ITS  also  is  publishing,  in  fascicles,  the  ongoing  Historical  Dictionary  of  Gaelic  Placenames,  ed.  Pádraig  Ó  Riain,  Diarmuid  Ó  Murchadha  and  Kevin  Murray.  

To  take  advantage  of  the  partnership,  go  to  the  ITS  website,  www.irishtextssociety.org,  where  the  full  catalogue  of  ITS  publications  can  be  found.  When  ordering,  you  will  be  transferred  to  the  Royal  Irish  Academy  website  where  ITS  books  are  listed  with  their  prices.  Enter  the  word  "texts"  in  the  box  entitled  "coupon  code,"  and  CSANA  members  in  good  standing  will  receive  the  33  percent  discount.  

For  questions  about,  or  problems  related  to,  ordering  ITS  volumes  with  the  CSANA  member  discount,  please  contact  CSANA  Secretary/Treasurer  Elissa  R.  Henken,  [email protected].  

   

Conferences    

CSANA  at  Kalamazoo  CSANA  will  be  represented  in  two  Sessions  at  the  50th  International  Congress  on  Medieval  Studies,  scheduled  May  14-­‐17  at  Kalamazoo,  Michigan.  One  of  the  sessions  will  be  cosponsored  by  the  American  Society  of  Irish  Medieval  Studies.  

The  first  session  is  “New  Work  by  Young  Celtic  Studies  Scholars,”  chaired  and  organized  by  Frederick  Suppe,  Ball  State  University:  

• “A  ‘Paradise’  of  Birds?  Demonology  in  the  Navigatio    of  St.  Brendan”  by  Mary  Helen  Galluch,  University  of  Notre  Dame  

• “Early  Irish  Geneaology:  Ethnogenesis,  Mythogenesis,  and  Statecraft”  by  Matthew  Holmberg,  Harvard  University  

• “Where  is  Alba  exactly?    Journeys  in  the  Irish  Mythological  Landscape”  by  Elizabeth  Kempton,  St.  Louis  University  

Session  two,  cosponsored  by  CSANA  and  ASIMS,  is  “Travel,  Maps,  and  Itineraries  in  Medieval  Ireland  

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and  Britain”:  • “On  the  March:  Travelling  in  the  Irish  Women’s  Saints’  Lives”  by  Dorothy  Africa,  Harvard  

University  • “’Such  a  Great  Multitude’:  Biblical  Numerology  as  a  Literary  Device  in  Navigatio  Sancti  

Brendani”  by  Darcy  Ireland,  Providence  College  • “The  Associative  Branches  of  the  Irish  Barnacle:    Gerald  of  Wales  and  the  Natural  World”  by  

Sarah  Jane  Sprouse,  Texas  Tech  University  

   

Gerald  of  Wales  conference  at  Harvard  Gerald  of  Wales,  also  known  as  Giraldus  Cambrensis  or  Gerald  de  Barri,  is  one  of  the  most  widely  referenced  authors  of  the  twelfth  century,  and  an  important  source  of  information  for  life  in  the  insular  medieval  world.  Much  of  his  work,  however,  remains  understudied,  with  scholarly  focus  usually  limited  to  his  works  

on  Ireland  and  Wales,  while  his  religious  and  other  writings  remain  almost  untouched.  Recent  scholarship  on  the  complete  manuscripts  of  his  works  by  Catherine  Rooney  at  the  University  of  Cambridge,  however,  as  well  as  recent  studies  on  his  ethnographic  writings  and  the  vernacular  transmission  of  his  work,  has  opened  up  new  possibilities  and  renewed  interest  in  his  life  and  writings,  including  several  forthcoming  new  editions.  This  conference,  scheduled  April  10-­‐11,  seeks  to  bring  together  scholars  of  Gerald  of  Wales  from  around  the  world,  considering  this  remarkable  writer  in  his  own  right,  both  in  the  context  of  the  twelfth  century  and  throughout  the  later  Middle  Ages,  stimulating  new  dialogue  and  allowing  a  platform  for  new  work  in  the  future.  

The  conference  will  be  hosted  by  Harvard  University’s  Department  of  Celtic  Languages  and  Literatures  and  the  Standing  Committee  on  Medieval  Studies.  Plenary  addresses  will  be  given  by  Robert  Bartlett  (University  of  St.  Andrews)  and  Huw  Pryce  (Bangor  University).  Visit  http://harvardgerald.wordpress.com/  for  more  information.  

 

MLA  2015  Celtic  Languages  and  Literatures  session  The  Modern  Language  Association’s  Celtic  Languages  and  Literatures  Discussion  Group  is  hosting  a  session  at  MLA  2015  in  January  in  Vancouver.  Titled  “The  Carry-­‐Ons  of  the  Celtic  World:  How  to  Pack  Your  Power  and  Prestige,”  the  session  will  be  chaired  by  Lahney  Preson-­‐Matto,  Adelphi  University.  Scheduled  lineup:  

• Natasha  Sumner  “Fianna  on  the  Move:  Aspects  of  the  Fenian  Tradition  from  Coast  to  Coast  to  Coast”  

• Jessica  Hemming  “A  Thousand  Years  of  Snow  in  Welsh  Poetry”  • Antone  Minard  “The  Vancouver  Welsh:  Mae'r  Hen  Iaith  yn  Parháu”  • Marie  Sanquer  “The  Breton  Red  Bonnets  Re-­‐enacting  1675  in  2013:  Political  Scam  or  Historian  

Slam?”    

 

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15th  Celtic  Congress  The  15th  International  Congress  of  Celtic  Studies  will  be  held  July  13-­‐17  at  the  University  of  Glasgow.  

The  International  Congress  of  Celtic  Studies  is  the  foremost  international  gathering  of  scholars  researching  the  languages,  literatures  and  cultural  traditions  of  the  Celtic-­‐speaking  peoples.  Held  once  every  four  years,  the  Congress  provides  a  forum  in  which  experts  from  across  the  full  range  of  Celtic  Studies  —  including  linguistics,  literature,  history,  archaeology  and  art  history  —  come  together  to  share  the  fruits  of  their  work.  

Visit  http://www.celticstudiescongress.org/index.php/home/  for  more  information  or  to  join  the  Congress  mailing  list.  

 

Monastic  Europe:  Landscape  &  Settlement  The  Irish  Research  Council-­‐funded  “Monastic  Ireland:  Landscape  and  Settlement”  research  team  is  happy  to  announce  that  it  is  hosting  a  three-­‐day  conference  in  August  2015.  

Conference  themes  will  include:  • The  topography  of  medieval  monastic  settlement  (1100-­‐1700),  in  both  urban  and  rural  

environments  • The  impact  of  Church  reforms  on  the  physical  structures  and  landscapes  of  the  monastic  

Church  • Monastic  space  (liturgical,  social  and  architectural  aspects)  • Patronage  networks  • Architecture  and  identities  • Written  sources  for  understanding  the  monastic  environment  

We  welcome  proposals  for  20-­‐minute  papers  exploring  this  theme  across  the  stated  time  span,  throughout  Europe.  Papers  may  deal  with  either  case  studies  or  broader  methodological  questions,  and  are  not  limited  to  delivery  in  English.  

Deadline  for  proposals  is  Nov.  28,  2014.    Proposals  to  be  sent  to  [email protected]  For  more  information,  visit  http://www.discoveryprogramme.ie/research/current-­‐projects/monastic-­‐ireland/264-­‐monastic-­‐europe-­‐landscape-­‐a-­‐settlement.html    

 

Cambridge  Postgraduate  ASNAC  Colloquium    The  Department  of  Anglo-­‐Saxon,  Norse  and  Celtic  at  the  University  of  Cambridge  invites  proposals  from  postgraduate  students  for  its  annual  interdisciplinary  conference,  scheduled  Feb.  7,  2015.  Please  submit  a  300-­‐word  abstract  for  a  20-­‐minute  paper  in  accordance  with  this  year’s  theme,  “Communication  and  Control””  

to  [email protected]  by  Dec.  10.  

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The  keynote  speaker  will  be  Professor  Stefan  Brink,  chair  in  Scandinavian  Studies,  University  of  Aberdeen,  who  will  give  a  talk  on  “Medieval  laws:  the  most  important  written  sources  for  understanding  Scandinavian  society.”  

 

International  Association  for  the  Study  of  Irish  Literatures  The  annual  conference  of  the  International  Association  for  the  Study  of  Irish  Literatures  comes  to  England  July  20-­‐24  at  the  University  of  York  and  in  venues  across  the  historic  city  of  York  itself.  

Scheduled  plenary  speakers  are  James  Chandler,  Hugh  Haughton,  Máire  Ní  Mhaonaigh,  and  Eve  Patten.  

The  theme  for  2015  will  be  “Reconciliations,”  and  all  reconciliations,  be  they  political,  aesthetic  or  psychic  will  be  explored,  both  as  limits  and  tensions  in  Irish  literary  study  and  criticism.  Papers  are  invited  on  the  matter  of  reconciliation  between  languages  (Irish  and  English)  between  competing  ideas  of  national  literary  history  (the  genres  of  the  novel,  theatre  and  film,  poetic  form,  cultural  criticism,  children’s  literature  and  other  generic  developments  in  Irish  criticism),  and  in  the  many  thematic  preoccupations  of  Irish  literature  with  states  of  transition  and  dialogue.  

Organizers  seek  to  reflect  the  study  of  Irish  Literature  across  all  of  its  periods  and  languages.  We  actively  encourage  papers  from  Irish  language  scholars,  from  critics  of  medieval,  early  modern  and  eighteenth  century  literature,  as  well  as  from  contemporary  literature,  theatre  and  film.  Papers  and  panels  dealing  with  other  Irish  literary  and  historical  topics  are  also  welcome,  and  since  2015  is  the  150th  anniversary  of  his  birth,  talks  about  William  Butler  Yeats  and  his  influence  on  our  conception  of  Irish  literature  and  drama  and  his  continuing  and  problematic  example  in  the  present  day  are  especially  welcome.  

IASIL  2015  will  also  feature  a  full  program  of  cultural  events  and  performances  in  York  and  excursions  to  sites  in  Yorkshire  of  historical,  cultural  and  aesthetic  significance.  

Email  [email protected]  for  more  information.  Deadline  for  300-­‐word  abstract  submission  and/or  three-­‐member  panel  proposals  is  Jan.  31.  Please  also  include  a  brief  biography  (50  words  including  affiliation).  Individual  papers  should  be  no  more  than  20  minutes.  

Subject  to  confirmation,  the  full  fee  for  the  conference  will  be  £200.  Student,  unwaged  and  daily  rates  will  be  available.  University  accommodation  will  be  offered  to  all  delegates,  and  the  cost  will  be  in  the  region  of  £35  per  night.  The  conference  banquet  will  be  in  the  medieval  Merchant  Adventurers’  Hall  at  additional  cost.  

     CSANA  on  the  web:  http://celtic.cmrs.ucla.edu/csana/    

Dan  Wiley’s  CSANA  blog:  http://csanablog.blogspot.com/      

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Book  Reviews    

Dónall  Ó  Baoill,  Donncha  Ó  hAodha  and  Nollaig  Ó  Muraíle  (eds),  Saltair  Saíochta,  Sanasaíochta  agus  Seanchais.  A  Festschrift  for  Gearóid  Mac  Eoin.  Dublin:  Four  Courts  Press,  2013.  xxv  +  516  pp.  ISBN  978-­‐1-­‐85182-­‐570-­‐7.  €60.  

This  collection  of  essays  pays  tribute  to  the  scholarly  career  of  Professor  Gearóid  Mac  Eoin,  who  formerly  held  the  Chair  of  Old  and  Middle  Irish  and  Celtic  Philology  at  

University  College,  Galway.  As  noted  by  the  editors  (xiii  and  xv),  it  is  not  the  first  such  celebration  of  Mac  Eoin’s  wide-­‐ranging  interests  and  achievements,  being  preceded  by  two  collections  published  by  German  academics  in  1990  and  1999  respectively.1  This  circumstance  has  not,  however,  adversely  impacted  the  number  and  variety  of  contributions  received  for  the  present  volume,  which  fittingly  reflect  the  breadth  and  significance  of  Mac  Eoin’s  work.  As  is  perhaps  to  be  expected  in  such  an  extensive  and  diverse  collection,  the  contributions  vary  considerably  in  length  from  brief  notes  to  more  in-­‐depth  studies,  and  include  some  useful  editions  and  translations  of  previously  neglected  texts.  As  promised  by  its  title,  the  volume  contains  much  that  will  be  of  interest  to  scholars  of  the  Celtic  languages  and  literatures  from  the  medieval  period  to  the  modern  day.  Its  contents  consist  of  a  biography  of  the  honorand  in  both  Irish  and  English,  a  select  list  of  the  dedicatee’s    publications,  a  brief  preface,  and  41  chapters  arranged  alphabetically  by  author,  followed  by  a  bibliography  and  index.  The  linguistic  medium  of  the  contributions  is  chiefly  divided  between  English  (23)  and  Irish  (16),  while  a  further  two  chapters  are  written  in  German.  

A  significant  proportion  of  the  volume  is  concerned  with  medieval  Irish  language  and  literature,  encompassing  manuscript  studies,  narrative  and  religious  works,  toponymy,  genealogy,  legal  doctrine,  history  and  linguistics.  A  handful  of  essays  deal  with  Early  Modern  and  Modern  Irish  texts,  while  a  few  address  Welsh  and  Scottish  Gaelic  (mainly  linguistic)  themes,  and  several  others  deal  with  issues  of  modern  language  policy.  It  comes  as  no  surprise,  however,  that  many  of  the  studies  cross  these  generic  boundaries  in  various  ways,  e.g.  by  tracing  literary  or  linguistic  developments  from  the  medieval  period  to  the  modern  one,  engaging  in  comparative  analysis  of  Celtic  languages  and  cultures,  or  probing  literary  sources  for  evidence  of  historical  context.  

The  rich  corpus  of  early  Irish  narrative  literature  is  considered  from  multiple  angles.  Petra  Hellmuth  outlines  the  manuscripts  in  Scottish  libraries  containing  copies  of  Táin  Bó  Cúailnge,  and  discusses  the  history  of  one  particular  such  manuscript,  NLS  Adv.  MS  72.1.32    (also  known  as  the  Leabhar  Chille  Bhríde),  which  is  now  lost  but  which  can  be  partly  reconstructed  by  examining  later  descriptions  of  the  codex  and  copies  of  the  texts  it  contained  (57-­‐63).  The  Ulster  Cycle  also  receives  attention  from  Máire  West,  who  rejects  the  interpretation  of  claideb  (corthaire)  and  claideb  garmne  as  synonymous  terms  meaning  a  “weaver’s  beam”  in  Cecile  O’Rahilly’s  editions  of  the  various  versions  of  the  Táin.  Drawing  on  archaeological,  material  and  contextual  evidence,  she  proposes  the  more  literal  translations  “fringe  sword/fringe  rod”  and  “beam  sword”  respectively  for  these  references  to  the  

1  Hildegard  L.  C.  Tristram  (ed.),  Deutsche,  Kelten  und  Iren:  150  Jahre  Deutsche  Keltologie,  Gearóid  Mac  Eoin  zum  60.  Geburtstag  gewidmet  (Hamburg,  1990);  Erich  Poppe  and  Hildegard  L.  C.  Tristram  (eds),  Übersetzung,  Adaptation  und  Akkulturation  im  insularen  Mittelalter,  Studien  und  Texte  zur  Keltologie  4  (Münster,  1999).  

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ornate  metal  instrument  carried  by  the  prophetess  Fedelm,  to  reflect  more  accurately  their  specialist  meaning  in  weaving  terminology  and  to  inform  the  significance  of  this  imagery  in  a  literary  context  (463-­‐74).  Muireann  Ní  Bhrolcháin  likewise  explores  the  depiction  of  female  figures  in  medieval  Irish  literature,  surveying  numerous  instances  in  which  early  sources  portray  the  speech  of  women  as  suspect,  untrustworthy  or  foolish  (199-­‐200).  

Religious  texts  are  the  focus  of  six  contributions.  Máire  Herbert  discusses  the  eighth-­‐century  Vita  of  the  Uí  Néill  saint,  Bishop  Áed  mac  Bricc,  as  a  window  on  changing  political  realities  in  the  Irish  midlands  during  the  pre-­‐Viking  period  (64-­‐74).  The  considerably  later  Life  of  Colum  Cille  compiled  by  Maghnus  Ó  Domhnaill  in  1532  is  the  subject  of  another  chapter  by  Jan  Erik  Rekdal  (407-­‐14).  Caitríona  Ó  Dochartaigh  examines  the  metrical  account  of  Biblical  history  known  as  Saltair  na  rann,  and  provides  an  edition  and  translation  of  poems  138-­‐41  (297-­‐310).  Donncha  Ó  hAodha  offers  a  further  brief  note  on  the  metrical  features  of  the  twelfth-­‐century  calendar  of  saints  by  Máel  Muire  Ua  Gormáin  (315-­‐18).  Pádraig  Ó  Riain  discusses  the  close  connection  between  the  prose  liturgical  calendar  found  in  the  Book  of  Lecan,  written  in  Connacht  at  the  end  of  the  fourteenth  century,  and  the  poem  beginning  Bliadhain  so  solas  a  dath,  of  which  the  earliest  extant  witness  dates  to  the  seventeenth  century  (384-­‐94).  Máirtín  Mac  Conmara  pays  homage  to  Mac  Eoin’s  work  on  Old  and  Middle  Irish  homilies  by  considering  what  these  works  reveal  about  the  text  and  understanding  of  the  Bible  in  the  period  from  600-­‐1200  (124-­‐43).  

The  remaining  essays  that  are  concerned  primarily  with  Ireland  in  the  medieval  period  examine  a  range  of  literary  and  learned  texts.  In  a  study  of  the  legendary  king  of  Tara  Loegaire  mac  Néill,  Joseph  Nagy  ponders  what  we  might  infer  about  historical  and  cultural  circumstances  in  early  medieval  Ireland  from  the  insistent  focus  on  death  and  defeat  in  tales  relating  to  this  figure  (181-­‐9).  Brian  Ó  Broin  compares  Irish  and  Norse  accounts  of  the  tenth-­‐  and  eleventh-­‐century  king  of  Dublin,  Sigtryggr  Silkiskegg  (285-­‐96).  Legal  material  is  the  subject  of  a  contribution  by  Patricia  Kelly,  who  revisits  a  short  passage  on  “Horse-­‐qualities”  that  was  first  edited  by  Fergus  Kelly  in  Appendix  A  of  his  Early  Irish  Farming.2  She  tentatively  posits  an  alternative  reading  of  the  phrase  slan  [t]aib  “healthy  with  regard  to  side”  as  slan  gaib,  “healthy  with  regard  to  mouth,”  plausibly  suggesting  that  one  of  the  positive  attributes  sought  when  purchasing  such  an  animal  was  how  well  it  had  been  trained  to  accept  a  bit  (83-­‐7).  

The  transition  from  the  medieval  to  the  modern  period  is  bridged  by  Diarmuid  Johnson’s  discussion  of  literary  inheritance  and  renewal  in  the  mythological  tale  Oidhe  Chloinne  Tuireann,  of  which  the  oldest  manuscript  version  dates  to  the  seventeenth  century,  but  which  has  clear  affinities  with  earlier  tradition  relating  to  the  Tuatha  Dé  Danann  (78-­‐82).  Gearóid  Denvir  turns  our  attention  to  the  eighteenth  century  with  his  analysis  of  the  dramatic  qualities,  literary  parallels  and  stylistic  features  of  Brian  Merriman’s  satirical  poem  Cúirt  an  Mheán  Oíche  (43-­‐56).  Mícheál  Mac  Craith  offers  a  subtle  analysis  of  Colm  Mac  Confhaola’s  prize-­‐winning  historical  novel  Ceol  an  phíobaire,  published  in  1998,  and  its  wide-­‐ranging  depiction  of  the  events  unfolding  in  Wexford  during  the  1798  rebellion  and  its  aftermath  (144-­‐52).  Breandán  Ó  Madagáin’s  essay  on  “Earlier  functions  of  Irish  vocal  music”  

2  Fergus  Kelly,  Early  Irish  Farming  (Dublin,  2000),  pp.  555-­‐6.  

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considers  the  development  of  Irish  song  tradition  within  a  wider  European  context,  and  in  particular  its  relationship  to  belief  in  magic  and  the  supernatural  (319-­‐30).  Seán  Ó  Briain  examines  the  opposing  themes  of  interiority  versus  exteriority  and  past  versus  present  in  Máirtín  Ó  Cadhain’s  Cré  na  Cille,  and  highlights  the  similarities  between  political  and  social  events  in  the  novel  and  the  period  that  Ó  Cadhain  spent  in  the  Curragh  Camp  during  the  Second  World  War  (274-­‐84).  Máirtín  Ó  Briain  examines  the  various  extant  versions  of  the  Fenian  lay  Geinealach  Oisín  alongside  other  genealogical  sources  that  provide  evidence  for  its  development  (261-­‐73).  Bo  Almqvist  contributes  an  insightful  analysis  of  Irish  folkloric  accounts  in  which  Aristotle  is  portrayed  as  an  imperfect  sage,  focusing  mainly  on  stories  in  which  the  philosopher  is  outwitted  by  clever  or  ambitious  women,  and  tracing  the  evolution  of  this  tradition  from  early  Continental  sources  to  tales  collected  from  modern  storytellers  in  the  Blasket  Islands  (6-­‐16).  

Three  chapters  deal  with  Irish  place-­‐names.  Breandán  Mac  Aodha  draws  attention  to  some  of  the  most  common  elements  in  names  of  coastal  features,  such  as  headlands,  harbours,  rivermouths  and  islands,  which  he  illustrates  with  eight  useful  maps  indicating  their  geographical  distribution  (99-­‐11).  Mícheál  Ó  Mainnín  offers  a  note  on  the  etymology  of  various  names  for  the  Blackwater  River  in  Tyrone  and  Armagh,  in  particular  the  earliest-­‐recorded  form  Dabhall  (331-­‐4).  In  one  of  the  most  substantial  contributions  to  the  volume,  Nollaig  Ó  Muraíle  presents  several  passages  from  a  sixteenth-­‐century  Connacht  manuscript  relating  to  the  Clann  Uilliam  Íochtair  in  Mayo,  as  well  as  a  fragment  of  another  text  concerned  with  the  Burkes  of  Munster.  In  attempting  to  link  the  place-­‐names  mentioned  in  these  tracts  with  known  locations,  Ó  Muraíle  builds  on  his  important  previous  work  on  the  place-­‐names  of  Mayo  and  Limerick;  in  particular,  his  edition  of  the  fragment  relating  to  the  Burkes  of  Munster  brings  some  welcome  improvements  to  that  produced  by  O’Grady  as  an  appendix  to  his  1929  edition  of  Caithréim  Thoirdhealbhaigh.3  Ó  Muraíle’s  editions  are  followed  by  three  helpful  lists  of  the  place-­‐names  mentioned  in  the  tracts:  one  in  text-­‐order  with  identifications,  one  arranged  according  to  parish,  and  one  given  alphabetically  with  cross-­‐references  (335-­‐78).  

Several  papers  shed  light  on  other  Celtic  languages  and  literary  traditions.  Máirtín  Ó  Murchú  offers  a  note  on  the  etymology  of  Scottish  Gaelic  dachaigh  “habitation,  abode”  (379-­‐83),  while  Donald  Mac  Aulay  examines  the  system  of  person  in  that  language,  with  a  particular  focus  on  the  development  of  the  pronominal  element  ar  in  a  spoken  context  (112-­‐16).  Mícheál  Ó  Flaithearta  considers  the  Indo-­‐European  etymology  and  cognates  of  O.Ir.  richt  (Mod.  Ir.  riocht)  “form,  shape,  guise”  (311-­‐14).  Graham  Isaac  investigates  the  origins  of  Welsh  llais  “voice,”  suggesting  that  it  may  be  a  loan  from  Latin  lexis  “speech,”  and  therefore  an  additional  piece  of  evidence  for  the  influence  of  learned  schools  of  rhetoric  in  the  fourth,  fifth  and  sixth  centuries  on  the  basic  vocabulary  of  the  Brittonic  vernacular  (75-­‐7).  In  the  only  contribution  concerned  specifically  with  Welsh  literary  tradition,  Andrew  Breeze  revisits  his  previously  published  argument  that  the  Four  Branches  of  the  Mabinogi  might  be  regarded  as  the  work  of  Gwenllian,  daughter  of  the  twelfth-­‐century  king  of  Gwynedd,  Gruffudd  ap  Cynan.  Here  Breeze  highlights  several  correspondences  between  the  vocabulary  used  in  the  Four  Branches  and  that  found  in  the  poetry  of  Gwenllian’s  nephew  Hywel,  an  illegitimate  son  of  her  brother  Owain  Gwynedd  (17-­‐24).  

3  S.  H.  O’Grady  (ed.  and  trans.),  Caithréim  Thoirdhealbhaigh.  The  Triumphs  of  Turlough,  Irish  Texts  Society,  vols  26-­‐7  (1929),  I,  159-­‐61;  II,  169-­‐71.    

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Other  papers  concerned  with  linguistic  matters  include  Patrizia  De  Bernardo  Stempel’s  discussion  of  the  relative  chronology  of  the  separate  developments  shown  by  the  five  main  Celtic  languages  (25-­‐42),  and  Dónall  Ó  Baoill’s  revision  the  1988  work  of  McCloskey  and  Sells  on  controlled  clauses  in  Modern  Irish,  where  he  introduces  some  new  data  and  offers  a  fresh  analysis  of  this  phenomenon  (235-­‐46).  A  contribution  by  the  late  Karl  Horst  Schmidt  examines  several  examples  of  suppletion  and  aspect  in  the  Old  Irish  verbal  system  (415-­‐21).  Three  chapters  address  matters  relating  to  the  definite  article  in  Irish.  That  by  the  late  Proinsias  Mac  Cana  looks  at  some  medieval  Welsh  and  French  cognates  for  the  Irish  syntactical  structure,  especially  common  in  poetry,  whereby  the  article  may  be  used  to  link  an  adjective  to  a  preceding  substantive  qualified  by  a  possessive  pronoun  (117-­‐23).  Séamus  Mac  Mathúna  examines  the  article  at  various  stages  in  the  development  of  Irish  under  the  light  of  classical  Russellian  logic  and  other  semantic  theories  of  definiteness,  and  observes  a  shift  in  the  later  language  towards  use  of  the  article  in  an  ever-­‐increasing  range  of  circumstances  (153-­‐80).  Jürgen  Uhlich  revisits  various  conflicting  opinions  concerning  the  contexts  in  which  the  article  might  be  omitted  before  an  antecedent  in  an  early  Irish  relative  sentence  (429-­‐62).  Máire  Ní  Neachtain’s  chapter  provides  an  interesting  case-­‐study  of  Irish  language  acquisition  in  children,  reporting  on  material  collected  from  recordings  of  a  Cois  Fharraige  toddler  made  over  a  period  of  eight  months  (211-­‐18).  In  one  of  two  papers  dealing  with  Irish  lexicography,  Nóilín  Nic  Bhloscaidh  gives  a  detailed  account  of  the  semantic  development  of  words  meaning  “swift”  and  “easy”  from  Old  to  Modern  Irish  (219-­‐34).  Anders  Ahlqvist  argues  in  favour  of  two  revisions  to  technical  terminology  recorded  in  dictionaries  of  Modern  Irish:  first,  the  use  of  réim,  a  term  long  attested  in  medieval  grammatical  sources  as  a  reference  to  nominal  declension,  in  preference  to  paraidím  as  a  translation  of  English  “grammatical  paradigm;”  and  second,  the  inclusion  of  the  term  séimhse  for  “(an  academic)  semester,”  a  suggestion  previously  put  forward  by  Mac  Eoin  himself  (1-­‐5).  

The  final  four  chapters  deal  mainly  with  issues  relating  to  modern  language  policy  and  cultural  identity  amongst  the  Celtic-­‐speaking  peoples.  Jean  Le  Dû  surveys  the  history  of  Breton  language  use  and  education,  and  looks  at  the  future  of  language-­‐teaching  in  Brittany,  paying  particular  attention  to  the  vexed  question  of  dialect  versus  written  standard  (88-­‐98).  Many  of  these  themes  are  echoed  in  Feargal  Ó  Béarra’s  discussion  of  current  Irish  usage  and  the  role  of  the  caighdeán  oifigiúil,  which  also  offers  an  interesting  account  of  similar  preoccupations  with  the  notion  of  a  linguistic  standard  in  medieval  and  early  modern  Irish  sources  (247-­‐60).  The  last  two  essays  in  the  volume  examine  the  role  of  Celtic  languages  and  cultures  through  a  somewhat  wider  lens:  Seán  Ó  Riain  addresses  the  status  of  Irish  and  other  minority  languages  as  a  means  of  communication  within  the  European  Union  (395-­‐406),  while  Patrick  Sims-­‐Williams  draws  on  personal  experience  to  contribute  some  further  thoughts  to  his  ongoing  discussion  of  “Celtoscepticism”  (422-­‐8).  

Although  such  a  succinct  summary  cannot  do  justice  to  the  many  and  diverse  issues  raised  in  this  volume,  it  is  nonetheless  clear  that  its  contents  offer  something  for  nearly  everyone  interested  in  the  Irish  language  from  its  earliest  sources  to  the  modern  day,  as  well  as  several  related  areas  of  Celtic  Studies.  One  potential  caveat  for  the  reader,  however,  is  that  acknowledged  rather  briefly  by  the  editors  in  the  preface  to  the  volume,  where  it  is  stated  that  the  work  has  been  “a  very  long  time  in  gestation,  partly  by  reason  of  technical  difficulties”  (xxv).  Indeed,  it  is  noted  by  several  contributors  that  their  chapters  are  based  on  research  papers  or  theses  presented  towards  the  end  of  the  1990s  (e.g.  De  Bernardo  Stempel  (25);  Mac  Aulay  (112  n);  Nashimoto  (190  n);  Ní  Bhrolcháin  (199  n)  Ó  Flaithearta  (311  n)).  This  does  not  necessarily  impact  the  scholarly  value  or  relevance  of  many  of  the  

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discussions  per  se,  of  course,  and  some  authors  have  clearly  updated  their  work  at  a  more  recent  stage,  or  at  the  very  least  acknowledged  by  way  of  a  footnote  some  related  work  that  has  been  published  in  the  meantime  (e.g.  De  Bernardo  Stempel,  Ó  Béarra,  Ó  Muraíle,  Sims-­‐Williams).  Such  does  not  seem  to  be  the  case  for  all  of  the  contributions,  however,  as  is  indicated  in  part  by  the  relatively  small  percentage  of  entries  in  the  bibliography  that  date  to  the  current  millennium,  most  of  which  are  associated  with  the  work  of  just  a  few  contributors.  

These  concerns  aside,  the  editors  of  this  volume  deserve  praise  for  producing  a  publication  that  is  reasonably  free  of  typographical  errors  and  inconsistencies.  Most  such  faults  that  I  have  noted  are  quite  minor  inaccuracies  of  spacing  or  spelling,  although  pages  134-­‐51  in  particular  would  have  benefitted  from  more  careful  proofreading.  The  publication  is  otherwise  attractively  presented,  and  priced  by  Four  Courts  Press  at  €60  for  the  hardback  version.  

Deborah  Hayden  Dublin  Institute  for  Advanced  Studies      

John  Waddell,  Archaeology  and  Celtic  myth:  an  exploration.  Dublin:  Four  Courts  Press,  2014.  232  pp.  ISBN  978-­‐1-­‐84682-­‐494-­‐4.  €45  

In  this  work,  archeologist  John  Waddell  proposes  to  shine  some  light  into  dark  corners  of  our  understanding  of  early  Irish  culture  through  a  comparison  of  archaeology  and  literature,  a  multi-­‐disciplinary  approach  which  is  more  and  more  

coming  to  the  fore  in  Celtic  studies.  Although  there  is  some  risk  involved  in  such  a  venture,  promising  work  has  been  done  in  Scandinavia,  as  an  example,  and  Waddell  sets  out  to  examine  symbols  and  motifs  that  may  have  had  a  long  lifespan  in  Ireland  and  other  parts  of  pre-­‐literate  Europe.  

In  the  Preface  (xiii),  he  quotes  Tomás  Ó  Cathasaigh’s  1984  article  “Pagan  survivals:  the  evidence  of  early  Irish  narrative”:  

…  what  is  remarkable  about  the  Irish  situation  is  the  extent  and  richness  of  the  vernacular  literature  which  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  early  medieval  period.  Much  of  this  literature  is  firmly  rooted  in  ancient  myth  and  remains  robustly  pagan  in  character;  it  has  been  used,  along  with  other  evidence,  to  build  up  at  least  a  partial  picture,  not  only  of  the  pagan  religion  of  the  Irish,  but  also  that  of  the  Celts,  and  it  has  even  been  laid  under  contribution  in  the  comparative  study  of  Indo-­‐European  mythology.1  

In  Chapter  One,  “Confronting  ancient  myth,”  Waddell  discusses  the  mythic  dimension  of  various  sites  in  the  Irish  archaeological  landscape,  cautioning  against  the  malleability  of  mythological  interpretation  while  bringing  valuable  methods  of  comparative  ethnography  into  the  discussion.  He  discusses  and  defines  a  number  of  important  preliminary  concepts,  including  the  varied  origins  of  the  literary  corpus  and  the  uses  of  myth.  A  quote  from  Jaan  Puhvel  brings  the  significance  of  the  study  into  sharp  focus  (11):  

1  T.  Ó  Cathasaigh,  in  P.  Ní  Catháin  and  M.  Richter  (eds),  Irland  und  Europa,  291.  

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Myth  in  the  technical  sense  is  a  serious  object  of  study,  because  true  myth  is  by  definition  deadly  serious  to  its  originating  environment.  In  myth  are  expressed  the  thought  patterns  by  which  a  group  formulates  self-­‐cognition  and  self-­‐realization,  attains  self-­‐knowledge  and  self-­‐confidence,  explains  its  own  source  and  being  and  that  of  its  surroundings,  and  sometimes  tries  to  chart  its  own  destinies…  Myth  operates  by  bringing  a  sacred  (and  hence  essentially  and  paradoxically  ‘timeless’)  past  to  bear  preemptively  on  the  present  and  inferentially  on  the  future  …  2  

The  study  starts  out  on  a  very  strong  footing  in  Chapter  2,  “The  Otherworld  hall  on  the  Boyne.”  A  helpful  overview  of  the  archaeological  evidence  is  followed  by  a  detailed  collection  of  literary  and  mythic  references  to  the  monuments  of  the  Boyne  Valley.  Important  concepts  such  as  chthonic  ritual  activities  and  the  concept  of  Otherworld  time  are  explored  to  excellent  effect.  

Chapter  3,  “The  elusive  image,”  was  not  as  persuasive  as  the  previous  chapter,  due  to  the  identification  of  a  number  of  literary  characters  as  ‘sun  gods’  and  an  over-­‐use  of  T.F.  O’Rahilly’s  Early  Irish  History  and  Mythology.  However,  Waddell’s  presentation  of  solar  imagery  in  the  archaeological  record  was  quite  convincing,  including  the  phases  of  the  solar  journey  and  the  use  of  inverted  images.  

In  the  following  section,  “In  pursuit  of  the  Otherworld,”  the  author  brings  his  prodigious  expertise  to  bear  on  the  less  well  known  but  equally  intriguing  monuments  at  Rathcroghan.  This  section  was  very  strong,  exploring  the  chthonic  aspects  of  Úaimh  na  gCat  and  discussing  the  symbolism  and  use  of  caves  and  souterrains,  prophetic  activities  and  votive  offerings,  and  portals  to  the  Otherworld.  This  is  followed  by  a  discussion  of  inverted  imagery  and  rites  

of  reversal,  a  compelling  and  thought  provoking  analysis  which  will  no  doubt  evoke  on-­‐going  discussion  and  application  of  these  methods  of  inquiry  to  various  branches  of  Celtic  studies.  

Chapter  5,  “The  horse  goddess,”  and  Chapter  6,  “The  goddess  of  sovereignty,”  present  a  quite  comprehensive  overview  of  literary  references  to  horse-­‐  and  sovereignty-­‐goddesses.  Waddell  compares  these  with  the  archaeological  symbolism  of  the  ritual  complex  at  Navan  Fort,  and  presents  a  fascinating  overview  of  female  symbolism  associated  with  ritual  drinking  paraphernalia  and  imagery.  A  detailed  exploration  of  female  burials  in  Continental  settings  helps  bring  these  motifs  into  perspective.  

In  Chapter  7,  “Sacral  kingship,”  Waddell  explores  the  landscape  of  Tara,  as  well  as  written  evidence  pertaining  to  early  medieval  kingship.  The  section  on  funerary  evidence  from  the  Continent  was  top-­‐notch,  and  his  discussions  of  one-­‐shoed  kings,  the  crown  of  wisdom,  and  the  symbolism  of  a  group  of  nine  provide  fertile  ground  for  additional  exploration.  

In  spite  of  leaps  of  connection  between  mythic  or  pseudo-­‐historical  personages  and  solar  deities,  and  the  occasional  over-­‐use  of  out-­‐dated  notions  pertaining  to  early  people’s  projected  fascination  with  (and  alleged  confusion  concerning)  the  sun,  the  study  was  overall  both  strong  and  compelling.  Many  new  areas  of  potential  inquiry  have  been  opened  up  to  Celticists  through  the  presentation  of  evidence  pertaining  to  the  widespread  use  of  mythic  symbols  in  the  archaeological  record.  The  book   2  Puhvel,  Comparative  mythology  (2006),  p.  128.  

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makes  an  important  contribution  by  providing  readers  with  a  number  of  new  tools  and  methodologies  for  analyzing  early  Irish  mythic  narratives  and  the  ritual  landscapes  associated  with  them.  This  type  of  visionary  interdisciplinary  approach  is  to  be  commended,  and  it  is  hoped  that  others  will  follow  Waddell’s  courageous  example.  

Sharon  Paice  MacLeod  Celtic  Institute  of  North  America      

J.P.  Mallory  The  Origins  of  the  Irish.  London:  Thames  and  Hudson,  2013.  320  pp.  £19.95  

The  Origins  of  the  Irish  is  a  delightful,  thoroughly  enthralling,  in-­‐depth  exploration  of  the  prehistory  and  history  of  Ireland  as  a  geographical  entity  and  the  Irish  as  a  people  and  nation.  Author  J.P.  Mallory  uses  clear  definitions  as  starting  points  and  

then  expands,  mostly  using  archaeology  to  illustrate  what  is  known  and  understood  about  each  phase  in  the  prehistory  and  history  of  Ireland  and  the  Irish.  It  is  more  than  impressive  that  he  starts  his  work  about  10,000  B.C.  Also,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  based  on  the  evidence  presented  in  this  work,  that  climate  change,  including  global  warming  and  cooling,  has  always  existed  throughout  the  periods  dealt  with  and  that  it  is  not  a  new  phenomenon.  Mallory’s  analysis  is  extremely  detailed  and  comprehensive  because  he  uses  geological,  geographical  and  climatological  sources,  pollen  analysis,  dendrochronological  dating,  faunal  and  floral  remains,  potassium-­‐argon  and  carbon  dating,  genetic  studies  and  linguistic  sources.  Moreover,  the  author  is  always  careful  to  embed  and  highlight  Ireland’s  role  in  the  wider  European  context,  emphasizing  that  it  was  never  a  far-­‐away  enigmatic  island  perched  on  the  edge  of  Europe,  as  many  ancient  Hellenic  and  Roman  authors  wrote.  Mallory  treats  the  “Roman  problem”  judiciously  saying  that  while  there  have  been  some  Roman  artifacts  found  in  Ireland  and  scanty  traces  of  Romans  actually  living  there,  there  is  absolutely  no  evidence  to  substantiate  any  Roman  occupation  or  organization  of  Ireland  into  a  province  of  the  empire.  The  authors  is  also  careful  to  emphasize,  as  Barry  Rafftery  had  done  before  him,  that  the  archaeological  sources  for  Ireland  and  the  literary  sources  for  the  origins  of  the  Irish  seldom  correspond  and  that  it  is  imperative  to  separate  mythology  from  fact,  including  mythology  created  by  archaeologists  when  there  are  no  sources  (the  Beaker  complex,  for  example).  Mallory  writes  in  good,  clear,  crisp  prose  which  is  virtually  devoid  of  ambiguity.  

Mallory’s  conceit,  however,  involving  Niall,  son  of  Eochaid  Mugmédon,  nicknamed  Noígiallach  (“of  the  nine  hostages”)  is  quite  unnecessary.  Futhermore,  it  has  a  tendency  to  confuse  and  exasperate  the  reader.  Niall  lived  about  450  A.D.  or  so,  yet  the  author  looks  on  him  as  a  “standard  Irishman”  throughout  history.  This  does  not  make  sense  and  can  be  agitating,  as  Mallory  states  that  “they  have  no  claim  to  being  Irish  unless  they  have  lived  on  the  island”  (p.12).  If  this  is  true,  then,  those  Welsh  people  who  live  in  Patagonia  are  not  Welsh,  even  though  they  speak  Welsh  and  use  Welsh  culture.  The  author’s  whole  argument  obfuscates  and  clouds  the  historical  fact  of  colonization  and  its  effects  on  the  Irish  throughout  history.  It  was  not  necessary  either  to  go  into  the  chemical  composition  of  an  Irish  person  or  the  big  bang  theory  either.  These  just  throw  the  reader  off  point  (pp.  11-­‐12).  Mallory  

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states  that  “the  earliest  Irish  were  direct  products  of  the  land  they  occupied”  and  that  if  there  had  been  no  geology  of  Ireland,  there  would  not  have  been  any  Irish.  He  then  goes  on  to  contradict  himself  by  saying  that  the  earliest  inhabitants  of  Ireland  were  not  Irish  at  all,  but  from  the  southern  part  of  the  continent.  Mallory  further  clouds  the  point  by  not  emphasizing  that  the  first  appearance  of  the  people  we  would  call  Irish  today  was  not  until  about  500  B.C.  or  so,  and  that  before  then,  we  do  not  know  anything  about  the  ethnic  identity  or  languages  that  were  spoken  on  the  island.  Mallory  does  not  really  address  the  question  “what  is  it  to  be  Irish?”  nor  does  he  attempt  to  define  ethnicity  in  any  meaningful  and  evolving  historical  context.  Furthermore,  the  author  barely  mentions  Saint  Patrick  or  the  effects  of  Christianity  on  Ireland  and  the  Irish.  Also,  this  book  could  have  definitely  benefitted  from  color  maps  and  illustrations;  black  and  white  is  just  not  sufficient  for  a  work  of  this  magnitude  and  quality.  

Finally,  the  author’s  own  sense  of  style  and  humor  really  add  to  his  work  and  help  to  make  this  book  a  wonderful,  charming  read.  

Timothy  P.  Bridgman  Binghamton  University  and  Broome  Community  College    

 Steve  Boardman  and  Eila  Williamson,  eds.  The  Cult  of  the  Saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary  in  Medieval  Scotland.  Rochester:  Boydell  Press,  2010.  209  pp.  $99.  

The  Cult  of  the  Saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary  in  Medieval  Scotland  grew  out  of  a  conference  held  in  Edinburgh  in  2007  –  a  conference  which  was  the  culmination  of  a  project  titled  The  Survey  of  Dedications  to  Saints  in  Medieval  Scotland.  For  the  many  

readers  who  did  not  attend  the  conference,  the  book  includes  papers  given  on  that  occasion,  plus  a  number  of  extra  contributions.  Another  book,  Saints’  Cults  in  the  Celtic  World,  also  a  development  of  this  project,  was  published  earlier,  in  2009.  The  editors  note  that  "the  main  aim  of  the  project  is  to  stimulate  and  facilitate  research  into  the  cult  of  saints  and  the  associated  themes  of  piety  and  religious  enthusiasm  in  medieval  Scotland"  (xi).  The  Cult  of  the  Saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary  in  Medieval  Scotland  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  that  laudable  undertaking.  The  database  put  together  by  the  project  can  be  accessed  at  http://www.shca.ed.ac.uk/Research/saints/.  

This  book,  The  Cult  of  the  Saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary  in  Medieval  Scotland,  according  to  its  editors,  Steve  Boardman  and  Eila  Williamson,  enhances  the  project  in  a  two-­‐fold  manner:  first,  the  paradigmatic  approaches  offered  in  articles  by  Thomas  Owen  Clancy  (“The  Big  Man,  the  Footsteps,  and  the  Fissile  Saint:  paradigms  and  problems  in  studies  of  insular  saints’  cults”)  and  David  Ditchburn  (“The  ‘McRoberts  thesis’  and  patterns  of  sanctity  in  late  medieval  Scotland”);  second,  the  studies  on  an  array  of  topics,  provided  by  other  contributors  to  this  volume  (xii).  

In  connection  with  the  paradigms  guiding  hagiographical  study,  noteworthy  about  Clancy,  according  to  the  editors  Williamson  and  Boardman,  is  that  he  focuses  “on  the  various  ways  in  which  place-­‐name  evidence  has  been  used  to  trace  or  analyze  the  development  of  saints’  cults  in  early  medieval  Celtic  societies”  (xi).  The  reader  will  find  Clancy’s  discussion  illuminating,  especially  since  he  calls  for  “a  greater  openness  about  the  fact  that  we  interpret  the  available  evidence  of  these  cults  using  a  number  of  different  paradigms”  (5).  Those  readers  fascinated  by  the  influence  of  nationalism  on  the  development  of  saints’  cults  will  find  Ditchburn’s  essay  thought  provoking.  Ditchburn  questions  what  

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he  calls  the  “McRoberts  thesis,”  advocated  in  Monsignor  David  McRoberts's  article  in  Innes  Review  in  1968.  “McRoberts,”  according  to  Ditchburn,  “argued  that  the  fifteenth  century  witnessed  a  new  and  what  he  called  ‘nationalist’  trend  in  Scottish  religious  observation”  (177).  This  tendency,  according  to  Ditchburn,    “was  especially  apparent,  McRoberts  argued,  in  the  veneration  of  saints”  (177).  Ditchburn,  in  response,  note  the  editors,  argues  that  devotion  in  Scotland  in  the  later  medieval  period  appears  to  reflect  to  a  great  extent  “wider  trends  in  Western  European  piety,  with  an  increased  emphasis  on  cosmopolitan  christocentric,  biblical  and,  especially,  Marian  cults..."  (xii.)  Ditchburn  observes  that  the  emphasis  on  Christ  in  devotional  matters  was  complemented  “by  a  flourishing  interest  in  his  family  and  friends”  (180).  

The  book  also  presents  articles  on  a  variety  of  different  subjects.  In  her  essay,  “Saint  Munnu  in  Ireland  and  Scotland:  an  exploration  of  his  cult,”  Rachel  Butter  emphasizes  the  necessity,  as  noted  by  the  editors,  of  approaching  devotion  towards  “a  particular  saint  figure  as  a  malleable  social  phenomenon”  (xii).  Butter  notes  of  St.  Munnu  that  the  portrayal  of  this  saint  may  be  somewhat  oversimplified,  in  that  “his  simple  characterization  as  a  Leinster  saint  and  a  saint  with  important  connections  with  Iona,  may  not  be  the  most  helpful  way  in  which  to  approach  his  cult”  (41).  Four  other  essays  are  concerned  with  Marian  devotion.  In  his  essay,  “Royal  and  aristocratic  attitudes  to  saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary  in  twelfth-­‐  and  thirteenth-­‐century  Scotland,”  Matthew  Hammond  takes  up  for  the  interested  reader  the  issue  of  nationalism,  observing  “in  the  late  eleventh  and  early  twelfth  centuries,  the  

challenge  to  insular  saints  and  their  familiae  was  coming  not  so  much  from  ‘universal’  European  saints  as  from  a  renewed  emphasis  on  the  worship  of  Christ,  the  three-­‐fold  divine  expression  as  exhibited  by  the  trinity,  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary”  (67).  Nevertheless,  Hammond  points  out  the  continuity  of    “devotion  to  local  and  insular  saints”  in  Scottish  domains  (84).    Family-­‐oriented  readers  will  be  enthralled  by  the  essay,  “Mothers  and  their  sons:  Mary  and  Jesus  in  Scotland,  1450-­‐1560,”  by  the  late  Audrey-­‐Beth  Fitch,  who  observes  that  in  the  100  years  or  so  before  the  Reformation,  “people  still  honored  saints  and  the  fatherly,  middle-­‐aged  God,  but  most  turned  to  the  compassionate  and  merciful  Mother  Mary  and  her  Son  Jesus  for  models  of  morality,  religious  devotion,  and  filial  bonding”  (176).  In  his  essay,  “Wo/men  only?  Marian  devotion  in  medieval  Perth,”  Mark  A.  Hall  examines  Marian  devotion  in  a  particular  setting.  Readers  who  are  fascinated  by  the  topic  of  miracles  will  find  useful  Sím  R.  Innes's  essay,  “Is  eagal  liom  tá  na  hagra:  devotion  to  the  Virgin  in  the  later  medieval  Gàidhealtachd”  (xiii).  Innes  recommends  a  less  dismissive  approach  to  “Marian  miracle  tales”  so  that  these  narratives  might  be  studied  as  manifestations  of  ideal  practices:  

An  approach  which  does  not  solely  dismiss  these  Marian  miracle  tales  as  “excessive”  but  allows  us  to  use  them  as  evidence  of  (desired)  religious  practice  is  particularly  useful  for  the  study  of  piety  in  a  culture  for  which  other  evidence  is  scarce.  (140)  

For  those  readers  captivated  by  the  mystique  of  sanctity,  the  question  of  “the  recognition  and  promotion  of  sanctity”  is  taken  up  by  Helen  Birkett  (“The  struggle  for  sanctity:  St  Waltheof  of  Melrose,  Cistercian  in-­‐house  cults  and  the  canonisation  procedure  at  the  turn  of  the  thirteenth  century”)  and  Steve  Boardman  (“A  saintly  sinner?  The  ‘martyrdom’  of  David,  duke  of  Rothesay”),  as  noted  by  the  editors  (xiii).  According  to  Birkett,  her  essay  traces  “the  development  of  Waltheof’s  cult  

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during  its  first  fifty  years”  in  the  context  of  the  Melrose  locale  (45).  Local  support  is  a  more  important  factor  than  papal  canonization:  

The  continuing  success  of  the  cult  shows  that  while  papal  authorization  was  a  desired  asset—so  much  so  that  the  community  appears  to  have  commissioned  a  Vita  in  order  to  acquire  it—it  was  more  a  way  of  keeping  up  with  ecclesiastical  fashions  of  the  day  than  the  ultimate  authenticator  of  Waltheof’s  status  (59).  

Boardman's  study,  however,  is  concerned  with  a  more  questionable  figure,  David,  duke  of  Rothesay  (ob.  1402).  Boardman  observes  that  “the  celebration  of  Rothesay  as  a  saintly  figure  was  hardly  straightforward  or  universal,  for  a  powerful  counter-­‐narrative  existed,  preserved  in  a  series  of  fifteenth-­‐  and  sixteenth-­‐century  texts”  (87).  In  these  texts,    Duke  David  is  described  “as  an  immoral,  womanizing  degenerate  who  had  to  be  removed  from  power  by  his  uncle  in  order  to  save  the  kingdom  from  the  baleful  effects  of  his  rule”  (87).  On  the  other  hand,  Alan  Macquarrie  in  his  essay,  “Scottish  saints’  legends  in  the  Aberdeen  Breviary,”  through  his  emphasis  on  the  vital  role  of  the  Breviarium  Aberdonense  ,  as  observed  by  the  editors,  “gives  an  insight  into  a  clerical  venture  to  direct  popular  veneration  through  the  production  of  a  national  liturgy”  (xiii).  The  Breviary,  according  to  Macquarrie,  “is  modeled  on  the  English  Sarum  Breviary,  but  with  important  modifications:  a  large  number  of  English  local  saints  are  excluded  from  the  Calendar  and  their  places  taken  by  Scottish  saints,  while  other  English  feasts  are  downgraded  and  the  Scottish  ones  elevated”  (146).  

The  various  perspectives  on  hagiographical  issues  offered  by  these  essays  provide  a  thought-­‐provoking  treasure  trove  for  our  understanding  of  the  development  of  piety,  saints’  cults,  and  Marian  devotion  in  the  culture  and  society  of  medieval  Scotland.  

Gregory  J.  Darling  Fordham  University  and  John  Jay  College  of  Criminal  Justice    

 

Call  for  news  and  book  reviews  CSANA  seeks  book  reviews  and  announcements  for  its  twice-­‐a-­‐year  newsletter.  If  you  would  like  to  review  a  recent  book  for  the  newsletter,  please  let  me  know,  and  I  will  contact  the  publisher  about  obtaining  a  review  copy.  We  welcome  reviews  of  books  on  all  aspects  of  Celtic  Studies.  We  also  welcome  

any  announcements  that  would  be  of  interest  to  members:  job  ads,  conferences,  calls  for  papers,  competitions  and  prizes,  funding  announcements,  etc.  The  newsletter  is  published  at  Samain  and  Beltaine.  Announcements  and  queries  about  book  reviews  can  be  sent  to  [email protected]  (note  one  "L"  in  philip).  

Books  received  that  need  a  reviewer  (though  reviews  of  any  recent  books  are  welcome!):  • In  Dialogue  with  the  Agallamh:  Essays  in  Honour  of  Seán  Ó  Coileáin,  ed.  Aidan  Doyle  and  Kevin  

Murray  • Memory,  Myth  and  Long-­‐Term  Landscape  Inahbitation,  ed.  Adrian  M.  Chadwick  and  Catriona  

D.  Gibson  • Yeats  and  Afterwords,  ed.  Marjorie  Howes  and  Joseph  Valente  • Seamus  Heaney’s  Regions,  Richard  Rankin  Russell  

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Samain  2014                    32.1  

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CSANA Membership and Order Form

Name: __________________________________________________________ Postal Address: __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ E-mail address: ___________________________________________________ Student’s Institution________________________________________________ Membership in CSANA is open to anyone with a serious interest in Celtic Studies. Dues are payable at Bealtaine. New and renewing members should send this form and checks in either of the two accepted currencies to Elissa R. Henken (Department of English, Park Hall, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA). Please note that the currency changes the Payable to line. Checks in US dollars, payable to CSANA, must be drawn on a US bank or an affiliate of a US bank (international money orders cannot be accepted). Cheques in British Sterling must be made payable to Elissa R. Henken. Payment may also be made by credit card through PayPal. [Go to the PayPal website (www.paypal.com), press the tab “send money,” type in the e-mail address [email protected]. Remember to pay in US dollars. Put CSANA in the e-mail subject line. In the Note box, type in your name, postal address, e-mail address, and for what exactly you are paying (e.g. dues year, membership rate, Yearbook number).] Membership categories (please check one): ___Associate (student, retiree, unemployed, institution) $20 US, £13 GBP ___Sustaining Member (basic) $40 US, £26 GBP ___Contributor $60 US, £39 GBP ___Patron $100 US, £65 GBP ___Benefactor $250 US, £163 GBP Paying dues for year(s) _________________, e.g. 2014-2015 (means May 1, 2014-April 30, 2015) All membership subscriptions run May 1 to April 30. CSANA Yearbook (members’ prices, please check many) ___CSANAY 1, $50 US, £33 GBP ___CSANAY 5, $50 US, £33 GBP ___CSANAY 2, $50 US, £33 GBP ___CSANAY 6, $50 US, £33 GBP ___CSANAY 3-4, $70 US, £46 GBP ___CSANAY 7, $60 US, £39 GBP TOTAL______________ Newsletters will be sent electronically unless you specifically request a paper copy. updated May 1, 2012