On the three types of commemoration in the Irish saga narrative: some observations and comments
https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-5294-2023-6-3-10-29
Abstract
As a starting point, the present research work assumes that the main function of a text in archaic cultures is commemoration of a warrior or a ruler, which task can only be performed by a professional poet. The paper cites three key cases representing three ways of creating a commemorative text: an oral poem, an inscription in Ogham on a wooden stave and a Latin written record on tablets. In all three cases, the one who possesses the skill of capturing historical memories is a fili poet. The author traces the quasi-chronology of the saga sources and concludes that the collective memory of those who recorded the tradition linked the oral form with the earliest historical period (around 1st c. AD), Ogham script – with 2nd c. AD, and tablets with 4th to 5th cc. AD. This legendary chronology clearly corresponds with main stages of actual evolution of literacy in Ireland. However, the arrival of new writing techniques as new types of commemoration did not mean that the earlier methods of preserving information were abandoned, which is also confirmed by examples found in the texts. At the same time, the narrative texts fail to mention the historical method of recording the tradition (by writing on parchment), and this fact needs further investigation.
About the Author
T. A. Mikhailova
Institute of Linguistics RAS; Russian State University for the Humanities
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Tatyana A. Mikhailova, Dr. of Sci. (Philology)
1, Bolshoi Kislovsky Lane, Moscow, 125009
6, Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125047
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Review
For citations:
Mikhailova T.A. On the three types of commemoration in the Irish saga narrative: some observations and comments. Folklore: Structure, Typology, Semiotics. 2023;6(3):10-29. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2658-5294-2023-6-3-10-29
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