Bards, Druids, and Poets of Early Ireland
The druids of pre-Christian Ireland were responsible for educating new generations of poets, historians, and priests in bardic schools. These classes eventually became known collectively as "bards," but they originally…
Location: Ireland
Music and poetry are some of the oldest traditions in Ireland. Since Celtic times, both were the domain of highly educated bards and filid poets. Although they performed similar roles in Irish society, bards and filid were distinct classes. The filid were pulled from select families bound to a royal clan. They acted as poets, seers, and philosophers, guiding their kings to glory or defeat. Bards filled a more limited duty, serving as musicians, storytellers, historians, and praise-poets. Both remained an essential part of Gaelic-Irish courts through the 17th century and influence Irish culture to the present day.[1][2]
Poetry and Music in Druidic Schools
The bards and filid of Ireland were responsible for preserving its history and tracking noble pedigrees. At this time, the two orders were likely members of the same class, separated by status. They attended schools run by druids, the priests and philosophers of the pre-Christian Irish. There, a student might train for 10 to 20 years, memorizing annals, stories, and bloodlines through poetry and song. The bards emphasized musicianship and poetry, while the filid also trained as seers.[3]
The master filid of Ireland commanded the same respect as minor kings or chieftains. There were several ranks within the learned classes of Ireland, the highest being ollamh. A fili became an ollamh if he came from the right family and could recite over 350 stories. In compensation, he was given an annual stipend of 20 cattle and 24 attendants to serve him, as well as additional cattle for every new work he completed.[2]
Bards and Filid Poets in Medieval Ireland
When Christianity spread to Ireland in the 5th century, the filid adapted by allying themselves with the church. This allowed them to continue serving their noble families. The bards, however, were nearly destroyed in the 6th century. Their "great number," "insolence," and "insatiable greed," most notably their mockery of the nobility, pushed the High King Aedh to consider destroying them in 575 CE.
It was supposedly St. Columba, a trained poet himself, who intervened on their behalf. Columba argued that ending the order would do more harm than good. Instead, he suggested that the number of bards be limited. Through his help, the bards survived to find audiences among the Gaelic lords, monasteries, and roadside inns of medieval Ireland.[4][5]
Praise and Satire in Ireland
Over time, the two classes merged back together under the general name of bard. By the late Middle Ages, bards served in courts as praise-poets. Poet composed long odes to kings, ladies, and fallen warriors. Lower-class bards entertained the public. Many recited bardic romances made popular by the French influence of the Anglo-Normans.
While most bards earned their keep through praise, a wronged bard wielded the potent weapon of satire. His education and unique status allowed him to take aim at some of the most powerful members of Irish society. One poetic family, the Uí Dhálaigh or O'Daleys, reached particular fame. In the early 14th century, one Ó Dálaigh chief supposedly satirized a lord so harshly that he moved his seat to a different county.[1] This system allowed the critique of the nobility, a literary tradition that would survive the bards through Irish writers like Jonathan Swift.[6]
Bardic Traditions Through the Modern Day
Bards continued to serve in Gaelic courts even after the Flight of the Earls in the early 17th century. But their order declined in the following decades, and at last fell into obscurity. The last widely recognized Irish bard was the blind harpist Turlough O'Carolan, who died in 1738. Although the bardic order no longer exists, its influence can still be seen in the literary revival of the late 19th century, as well as modern Irish verse and musicianship.[7]
Bibliography
Edel Bhreathnach and Raghnall Ó Floinn, "Ireland: Culture and Society," in A Companion to Britain in the Later Middle Ages, S. H. Rigby, ed. (Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009).
Joseph C. Walker, Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards (Dublin: Printed for the author by Luke White, 1786), 6-26.
Seán Duffy, Ailbhe MacShamhráin, and James Moynes, eds., Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia (New York: Routledge, 2005), 10-11.
St. Adamnan and William Reeves, The Life of Saint Columba (Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas, 1874), xx-xxii.
Charles Forbes Montalembert, The Monks of the West: from St. Benedict to St. Bernard (Boston: Thomas B. Noonan, 1860), 192-196.
Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burden to Their Parents or the Country (Dublin: Weaver Bickerton, 1730).
Nora Joan Clark, The Story of the Irish Harp: Its History and Influence (Lynnwood, WA: North Creek Press, 2003), 76-82.
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