Gaelic Literature

Abstract

The great German Celtic scholar Kuno Meyer described Gaelic literature as “the earliest voice from the dawn of West European civilization.” The Romans had not brought Ireland within the empire, and consequently the native culture had not been overwhelmed by the Latin. With Christianity, however, came a knowledge of classical literature and the art of writing. As might have been expected, there was a tendency among the early Christian clerics to look askance at the vernacular and its lore as something barbaric and pagan, but from the first there were men among them who knew better. We have the two views represented in The Life of Colmcille (Vita Sancti Columbae) written by Adamnan, the ninth abbot of Iona. Adamnan, who wrote in Latin, apologizes to his readers for having to use the crude Irish forms of names of people and places. Nevertheless, he tells us a story about Colmcille which reveals that his great predecessor was indeed a lover of poetry and poets. According to the story, Colmcille was sitting one day on the bank of the River Boyle when a certain Irish bard came up to him and engaged him in conversation for a while. Then when he had proceeded on his way, the monks who were in Colmcille’s company asked him why he did not ask the bard for a song. Colmcille replied that he could not do so because he knew the poor fellow was about to meet his death.