Seanachie
Encyclopedia
A seanchaí (ˈʃan̪ˠəxiː or ʃan̪ˠəˈxiː - plural: seanchaithe ˈʃan̪ˠəxɪhɪ) is a traditional Irish
storyteller/historian. A commonly encountered English spelling of the Irish word is shanachie.
The word seanchaí, which was spelled seanchaidhe (plural seanchaidhthe) before the Irish-language
spelling reform of 1948, means a bearer of "old lore" (seanchas). In the ancient Celtic culture, the history and laws of the people were not written down but memorized in long lyric poems which were recited by bards (filí
), in a tradition echoed by the seanchaithe.
The seanchaithe made use of a range of storytelling conventions, styles of speech and gestures that were peculiar to the Irish folk tradition and characterized them as practitioners of their art. Although tales from literary sources found their way into the repertoires of the seanchaithe, a traditional characteristic of their art was the way in which a large corpus of tales was passed from one practitioner to another without ever being written down.
Because of their role as custodians of an indigenous oral tradition
, the seanchaithe are widely acknowledged to have inherited – although informally – the function of the filí of pre-Christian Ireland.
Some seanchaithe however were not part of a clan , some were itinerants, traveling from one community to another offering their skills in exchange for food and temporary shelter. Others were members of a settled community and might be termed "village storytellers" who told their stories and tales at ceremonies and community events, simialar to the servant Seanchaithe.
The distinctive role and craft of the seanchaí is particularly associated with the Gaeltacht
(the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland), although storytellers recognizable as seanchaithe were also to be found in rural areas throughout English-speaking Ireland. In their storytelling, some displayed archaic Hiberno-English
idioms and vocabulary distinct from the style of ordinary conversation.
such as Padraic Colum
took a great interest in the art of the seanchaí, and through them the stories that they told were written down, published, and distributed to a global audience.
At events such as mummer
s' festival in New Inn, County Galway
, and the All-Ireland Fleadh Ceoil storytellers who preserve the stories and oratory style of the seanchaithe continue to display their art and compete for awards. Eddie Lenihan is one notable modern-day seanchaí, based in County Clare
, Ireland
.
under the title The Seanachaí.
attached to the households of ancient Gaelic nobility
. In Scotland, it is commonly anglicised as shen(n)achie.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
storyteller/historian. A commonly encountered English spelling of the Irish word is shanachie.
The word seanchaí, which was spelled seanchaidhe (plural seanchaidhthe) before the Irish-language
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...
spelling reform of 1948, means a bearer of "old lore" (seanchas). In the ancient Celtic culture, the history and laws of the people were not written down but memorized in long lyric poems which were recited by bards (filí
Fili
A fili was a member of an elite class of poets in Ireland, up into the Renaissance, when the Irish class system was dismantled.-Elite scholars:According to the Textbook of Irish Literature, by Eleanor Hull:-Oral tradition:...
), in a tradition echoed by the seanchaithe.
The traditional art
Seanchaithe were servants to the chiefs of the tribe and kept track of important information for their clan.They were very well respected in their clan.The seanchaithe made use of a range of storytelling conventions, styles of speech and gestures that were peculiar to the Irish folk tradition and characterized them as practitioners of their art. Although tales from literary sources found their way into the repertoires of the seanchaithe, a traditional characteristic of their art was the way in which a large corpus of tales was passed from one practitioner to another without ever being written down.
Because of their role as custodians of an indigenous oral tradition
Oral literature
Oral literature corresponds in the sphere of the spoken word to literature as literature operates in the domain of the written word. It thus forms a generally more fundamental component of culture, but operates in many ways as one might expect literature to do...
, the seanchaithe are widely acknowledged to have inherited – although informally – the function of the filí of pre-Christian Ireland.
Some seanchaithe however were not part of a clan , some were itinerants, traveling from one community to another offering their skills in exchange for food and temporary shelter. Others were members of a settled community and might be termed "village storytellers" who told their stories and tales at ceremonies and community events, simialar to the servant Seanchaithe.
The distinctive role and craft of the seanchaí is particularly associated with the Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
(the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland), although storytellers recognizable as seanchaithe were also to be found in rural areas throughout English-speaking Ireland. In their storytelling, some displayed archaic Hiberno-English
Hiberno-English
Hiberno-English is the dialect of English written and spoken in Ireland .English was first brought to Ireland during the Norman invasion of the late 12th century. Initially it was mainly spoken in an area known as the Pale around Dublin, with Irish spoken throughout the rest of the country...
idioms and vocabulary distinct from the style of ordinary conversation.
Modern times
Members of the Celtic RevivalCeltic Revival
Celtic Revival covers a variety of movements and trends, mostly in the 19th and 20th centuries, which drew on the traditions of Celtic literature and Celtic art, or in fact more often what art historians call Insular art...
such as Padraic Colum
Padraic Colum
Padraic Colum was an Irish poet, novelist, dramatist, biographer, playwright, children's author and collector of folklore. He was one of the leading figures of the Celtic Revival.-Early life:...
took a great interest in the art of the seanchaí, and through them the stories that they told were written down, published, and distributed to a global audience.
At events such as mummer
MUMmer
MUMmer is a bioinformatics software system for sequence alignment. It is based on the suffix tree data structure and is one of the fastest and most efficient systems available for this task, enabling it to be applied to very long sequences. It has been widely used for comparing different genomes...
s' festival in New Inn, County Galway
New Inn, County Galway
New Inn is a village in east County Galway, Ireland. It lies mostly within the townland of Knockbrack, northeast of Loughrea. The village is on the Eiscir Riada, a series of hills which stretches across the Great Plains of Ireland. There are many ancient forts or raths scattered throughout the...
, and the All-Ireland Fleadh Ceoil storytellers who preserve the stories and oratory style of the seanchaithe continue to display their art and compete for awards. Eddie Lenihan is one notable modern-day seanchaí, based in County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Podcast
Since 1 January 2005, Patrick E. McLean has written and produced a podcastPodcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
under the title The Seanachaí.
Other uses of the term
The term is also found within Scottish Gaelic where it is spelt seanchaidh ˈʃɛnaxɪ. All uses ultimately have their roots in the traditional poetsBard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
attached to the households of ancient Gaelic nobility
Irish nobility
This article concerns the Gaelic nobility of Ireland from ancient to modern times. It only partly overlaps with Chiefs of the Name because it excludes Scotland and other discussion...
. In Scotland, it is commonly anglicised as shen(n)achie.
See also
- Batt Burns, from County Kerry, is a living seanchaí.