Black Boneens
Encyclopedia
The "Black Boneens" is the nickname of a fictional rival regiment mentioned in "The Mutiny of the Mavericks" by Rudyard Kipling
.
The term Boneen is Newfoundland
Gaelic
dialect for a young pig (derived from Dineen > Erse
Gaelic
). The slang probably indicates that the unit is either from Newfoundland or the Maritimes region of Canada or served there during its history.
They seem to be a rowdy lot with poor discipline. As an example, the men of the "Mavericks" mention in barracks gossip that a platoon of the "Boneens" were currently being court-martialed for almost killing a new recruit while hazing him. It seems the recruit had been trying to spread Fenian propaganda and encourage desertion and insurrection in the unit. The former was tolerated but the latter, disloyalty to the Regiment, seemed to be the cause of the incident.
, a Canadian regiment raised in 1858 to serve in India during the Mutiny. In 1881, it was paired with a former Honourable East India Company regiment
to form the Prince of Wales' Own Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
.
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
.
The term Boneen is Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
Gaelic
Newfoundland Irish
Newfoundland Irish is an extinct dialect of the Irish language specific to the island of Newfoundland, Canada. It was very similar to Munster Irish, as spoken in the southeast of Ireland, due to mass immigration from the counties Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Tipperary, and Cork.-Irish settlement...
dialect for a young pig (derived from Dineen > Erse
Erse
Erse can be:*an alternative name for any Goidelic language, especially Irish, from Erische.*a 16th-19th Century Scots name for Scottish Gaelic...
Gaelic
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
). The slang probably indicates that the unit is either from Newfoundland or the Maritimes region of Canada or served there during its history.
They seem to be a rowdy lot with poor discipline. As an example, the men of the "Mavericks" mention in barracks gossip that a platoon of the "Boneens" were currently being court-martialed for almost killing a new recruit while hazing him. It seems the recruit had been trying to spread Fenian propaganda and encourage desertion and insurrection in the unit. The former was tolerated but the latter, disloyalty to the Regiment, seemed to be the cause of the incident.
The Real "Boneens""
The regiment seems to resemble the 100th Prince of Wales' Royal Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)100th (Prince of Wales's Royal Canadian) Regiment of Foot
The 100th Foot was raised in Canada as the 100th Royal Canadians to serve as a regular regiment of the British army. Recruiting is recorded to have begun mid March, 1858 and took 3 months. The initial enlistment was for 10 years, but not to exceed 12 years...
, a Canadian regiment raised in 1858 to serve in India during the Mutiny. In 1881, it was paired with a former Honourable East India Company regiment
109th Regiment of Foot (Bombay Infantry)
The 109th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1862 to 1881, when it was amalgamated into The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment ....
to form the Prince of Wales' Own Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment
The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 100th Regiment of Foot and the 109th Regiment of Foot...
.