2) Tadhg Dall O'Huiginn
The trunk of the tree of Irish poetry, the central pillar of the old
society, the heart, eyes and memory for many generations of Irish people
was bardic.
According to Eleanor Knott, editor and translator of what has survived
of his work, no better representative of the key centuries between c.
1200 and 1600 can be found than Tadhg Dall O'Huiginn (1550-1591).
He flourished in a period when the art had reached the highest and
widest development of which it was susceptible under the bardic
system. p. xlv
Placing him within the historical context of the flourishing of bardic
poetry, she has made this interesting comment:
The bardic profession was built up on the ruins of--or perhaps we
might say a protective metamorphosis of--the ancient druidic order,
and was always a craft with its own dues, privileges and perogatives,
decided by itself. p. xli
Eleanor Knott's introduction to her two volume edition of O'Huiginn's
work in the Irish Texts Society includes reference to material on the
training of the bardic poet, the bardic school attended by an aspiring
poet, some of these schools run by masters in a family throughout a
number of generations. These were run during the winter months (from
Samhain to March). The poet was taught to compose his verses in the
dark.
Once trained and having asserted his competency, the experienced bard
was the esteemed voice of a lord's praise, eulogists on his special
occasions and the recipients of his special favours. The bard's praise
poetry included the ability to recite the splendours of royal and
chiefly genealogy and extoll the deeds of the glorious ancestors.
O'Huiginn's poetry demonstrates the bard's familiarity with Classical
Greek and Roman mythology and history. In poem number, 20 addressed to
MacWilliam Burke, for example, we find a recounting of the Icarus
legend. One interesting point here is O'Huiginn's use of his material
to bolster his praise of Burke's moderation. Thus, not only is Icarus
and his too close proximity to the sun adduced, but also one who flew
too close to the waves, allowing full praise of one, like Daedalus or
Burke, proceeding neither too high, nor too low.
Poem 18, to Edmund Burke, not only draws from Irish legend on the
conflict between Eber and Eremon, but also speaks of the contention
between Caesar and Pompey at Rome. number 26, to Owen Og MacSweeny,
mentions Agamemnon leading the Greek hosts against the walls of Troy
which withstood the invaders for ten years and would have persisted
unconquered, had Troy not been delivered from within.
There are, of course, some Christian references: a mention of Christ's
glove (p. XX), Jerusalem called "The centre of the world," (p. XX) and
drawing on the story of Noah. This last is in number 7, a poem to
Turlogh Luineach, to whom O'Huiginn spells out his analogy in stanza 42:
Is i/ di/le na danair,
is i/ an a/irc Cla/r Conchobhair,
slatcharmarsaidh chraoi Theamhrach --
Naoi an talmhansoin Toirdhealbach. p. 47
The foreigners are the deluge, the Plain of Conchobhar is the ark,
and the Noah of that land is Turlogh, noble, hospitable, scion of
Tara's fold. p. 32; Irish quotes from vol. 1, English from vol. 2
Among the things which stand out in a reading of the corpus of the
surviving poems of Tadhg Dall O'Huiginn is that he is not composing for
a single patron, that he is very much one inhabiting a fractious and
contentious landscape and that he, or at least these his verses,
disdains peace and lauds the manly clash of arms:
da/ mhac Ce/in na/r cheannaigh si/odh. p. 209
Cian's two sons that never purchased peace p. 139
Poem number 27, to MacSweeny of Fanad, opens:
Leithe/id Almhan i nUltaibh,
ar bhuaidh chatha ar chumhachttaibh;
ar dhi/on Bhanbha na mbrugh bhfionn,
ar sgur fhaghla na hE/irionn.
Ar chur gcliathcha, ar chorcradh reann,
ar cheo/l, ar chliuchibh fidcheall;
ar shu/r e/achta, ar shu/r she/ilge,
ar run/ de/anta di/bheirge. p. 195 (where dots occur in text, a h
has been typed in this essay; i.e. after f in third line and after
s (all three) in the second last line).
The Counterpart of Allen is in Ulster, for victory in battle, for
wizardry; for defending the fair mansions of Banbha, for staying
the rapine of Ireland.
For waging conflicts, for reddening blades, for music, for
chessplaying; for seeking of killing and chasing, for desire of
foray. p. 130
One note on the translation concerns the word "chessplaying." Willard
Fiske in his 1905 study CHESS IN ICELAND has examined the Icelandic
literature and drawn attention to the game hnefetaafl (however that's
spelled). It is likely that the Irish game fidcheheall (however that's
spelled) is either the same game, or one closer to it than to what is
commonly understood by the word chess.
Returning to the theme of war, poem number 16, to Brian na Murrtha,
begins:
D'fhior chogaid comhailtear si/othcha/in,
seanfhocal na/ch sa/roighthear;
ni/ fhagann shi/oth acht fear faghla
feadh Banbha an mba/nfhoithreadh. p. 108
Towards the warlike man peace is observed, that is a proverb which
cannot be outdone; throughout the fair forests of Banbha none save
the fighting man finds peace. p. 72
The poem continues urging continued fighting, warning against offers
of truce and producing a fable about only footprints leading into the
lions den. Rather, reflecting the violent age, the poet encourages war.
He foresees an Irish victory, for example this is stanza 68:
Muidhfidh ainnse/in ar fho/ir Saxan
re/ si/ol Ghaoidhil ghe/irreannaigh,
na/ch bia do shi/or o/n a/gh d'fho/gra
o/s chla/r Fho/dla acht E/ireannaigh. p. 118
Then will the Saxan tribe be vanquished by the seed of keen-weaponed
Gaedheal, so that from the proclamation of war there will never be
any save Irishmen over the land of Fodla. p. 78
Another feature of O'Huiginn's poems that may be noticed by a modern
reader is the normal length of the poems. They are generally several
dozen four line stanzas long. Number 32 is 84 stanzas long, number 16
71 stanzas, number 17 70 stanzas, number 31 62 stanzas and number 20 61
stanzas. This is especially interesting in the context of encomium. Most
of these are praise poems and a modern observes notes that generally at
present there is a much greater focus on the pithy saying, the ad jingle
or the political sound bite. O'Huiginn is evidence of a society with the
leisure to hear a bard's more time absorbing praise poems.
Tadhg Dall O'Huiginn also composed some humourous and satirical verse.
one favourite piece of his is number 37 (pp. 260-261 Ir; p. 172 Eng.)
his eight stanzas exaggerating some less than perfect butter he once was
offered. There is a stanza he hurled against Mac an Bhaird, as well as
that satirists retort against O'Huiginn. A modern reader may be less
impressed by references to O'Huiginn having a physical disability (being
blind) than some in the Sixteenth Century.
More serious, especially it is said this cost O'Huiginn his life, is the
satire he composed against a half dozen O'Harras who it seems visited
him and drank a lot of milk. The satire ridicules their clothing and
the state of their weapons. pp. 278-280 Ir; pp. 185-186 Eng.
The introduction in volume one besides some considerable remarks on the
pronunciation and grammar of this corpus of poetry (p. LXVff) also
mentions poetic expressions and allusions used (p. Liff).
Closing Tribute to Tadhg Dall O'Huiginn
How tell in words that lack the harper's sounds
What lies inside very verdant elfin mounds?
How may modern pretense at poetry
Relate in any way to one as thee?
And one enclosed within a huge city
Attempt to view what easily you see?
Your mind contains unchained the Irish dawn.
You stride the woods amidst stag, doe and fawn,
And Banba's land's the green you stand upon.
For you there shines the noon day sun that shone
On you and all the champions you knew.
And now displayed's a peaceful sky so blue,
As wars have waned, and joys that were so few
Become your daily fare, your normal brew.
Extolling heroes passing in sad song,
Recalling ancient deeds gone ages long,
Retaining names of those so fair and strong,
Your own, Tadhg Dall O'Huiginn, leads the throng.
The Irish bards aren't stuck beneath the grounds.
Their tunes still shake the skies, still know no bounds.
Michael McKenny October 2005
Appendices: A) On the Supplementary Material in the Irish Texts Society
Volumes.
An interesting feature of the books of the Irish Texts Society is that
these, or at least some of them, contain supplementary material. The
volumes actually read as periodicals of the society and contain normal
content for a club's or organization's newsletter: financial report,
names of officers, annual reports, even, very interestingly, names and
addresses of the members. At the end of the first O'Huiginn volume there
are some ten pages (10 to 19 of the supplementary pages) providing such
membership info. This would seem an additional resource for period
interest in the Irish language. An examination of these pages also could
be of interest also to some doing genealogical research
B) On the Reading of O'Huiginn For This Essay
One adornment of this tapestry of tribute to Irish literature arises
from my exposure to the volumes of the Irish Texts Society permitting
this essay to be written. I had obtained an Ottawa Public Library smart
card allowing me borrowing privileges at the University of Ottawa's
library. This I first used to borrow the volumes on Egan O'Rahilly and
later Suibhne Geilt and an anthology of bardic verse.
When I went with the two volumes of Tadhg Dall O'Huiginn, the check out
clerk complained that I was exceeding my limit of four books. I drew his
attention to the O'Rahilly volume I'd just returned. He allowed me to
take out the two O'Huiginn volumes, but grumbled that when the students
returned the next week, I ought not continue borrowing books, as this
would interfere with what he deemed the legitimate use of the library.
After his grumble, he then stamped the books due in two weeks time, on
September 16, 2005. I later noticed that each of O'Huiginn's volumes,
text and translation, had one previous due date stamped on it, November
13, 1974. It occurred to me that as the only person to take these books
out in more than thirty years, my reading of them during these two weeks
was very unlikely interfering with the other patrons of the library.
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