--- title: Early Bardic Literature, Ireland., part 4 — Early Bardic Literature, Ireland. · full text with trees · page 2 description: Early Bardic Literature, Ireland., part 4, «Early Bardic Literature, Ireland.» by Standish O'Grady: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Educated Irishmen are ignorant of, and indifferent to, their history; yet from the hold of that history they canno --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8109/4/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Early Bardic Literature, Ireland.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8109/) / Early Bardic Literature, Ireland., par… # Early Bardic Literature, Ireland., part 4 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8109/4/) **2** Poor Ireland, with her hundred ancient epics, standing at the door of the temple of fame, or, indeed, quite behind the vestibule out of the way\![56](../../56/ "tree and pragmatics") To see the Swabian enter in, crowned, to a flourish of somewhat barbarous music, was indeed bad enough, but Mr. MacPherson\![57](../../57/ "tree and pragmatics") They manage these things rather better in France, \_vide passim\_ "La Revue Celtique."[58](../../58/ "tree and pragmatics") Of the literary value of the bardic literature I fear to write at all, lest I should not know how to make an end.[59](../../59/ "tree and pragmatics") Rude indeed it is, but great.[60](../../60/ "tree and pragmatics") Like the central chamber of that huge tumulus \[Note: New Grange anciently Cnobgha, and now also Knowth.\] on the Boyne, overarched with massive unhewn rocks, its very ruggedness strikes an awe which the orderly arrangement of smaller and more reasonable thoughts, cut smooth by instruments inherited from classic times, fails so often to inspire.[61](../../61/ "tree and pragmatics") The labour of the Attic chisel may be seen since its invention in every other literary workshop of Europe, and seen in every other laboratory of thought the transmitted divine fire of the Hebrew.[62](../../62/ "tree and pragmatics") The bardic literature of Erin stands alone, as distinctively and genuinely Irish as the race itself, or the natural aspects of the island.[63](../../63/ "tree and pragmatics") Rude indeed it is, but like the hills which its authors tenanted with gods, holding dells \[Note: Those sacred hills will generally be found to have this character.\] of the most perfect beauty, springs of the most touching pathos.[64](../../64/ "tree and pragmatics") On page 33, Vol. I., will be seen a poem \[Note: Publications of Ossianic Society, page 303, Vol. IV.\] by Fionn upon the spring-time, made, as the old unknown historian says, to prove his poetic powers--a poem whose antique language relegates it to a period long prior to the tales of the Leabhar na Huidhre, one which, if we were to meet side by side with the "Ode to Night," by Alcman, in the Greek anthology, we would not be surprised; or those lines on page 203, Vol. I., the song of Cuculain, forsaken by his people, watching the frontier of his country--[65](../../65/ "tree and pragmatics") "Alone in defence of the Ultonians, Solitary keeping ward over the province"[66](../../66/ "tree and pragmatics") or the death \[Note: Publications of Ossianic Society, Vol. I.\] of Oscar, on pages 34 and 35, Vol. I., an excerpt condensed from the Battle of Gabra.[67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") Innumerable such tender and thrilling passages.[68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") To all great nations their history presents itself under the aspect of poetry; a drama exciting pity and terror; an epic with unbroken continuity, and a wide range of thought, when the intellect is satisfied with coherence and unity, and the imagination by extent and diversity.[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") Such is the bardic history of Ireland, but with this literary defect.[70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") A perfect epic is only possible when the critical spirit begins to be in the ascendant, for with the critical spirit comes that distrust and apathy towards the spontaneous literature of early times, which permit some great poet so to shape and alter the old materials as to construct a harmonious and internally consistent tale, observing throughout a sense of proportion and a due relation of the parts.[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") Such a clipping and alteration of the authorities would have seemed sacrilege to earlier bards.[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") In mediaeval Ireland there was, indeed, a subtle spirit of criticism; but under its influence, being as it was of scholastic origin, no great singing men appeared, re-fashioning the old rude epics; and yet, the very shortcomings of the Irish tales, from a literary point of view, increase their importance from a historical.[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") Of poetry, as distinguised from metrical composition, these ancient bards knew little.[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") The bardic literature, profoundly poetic though it be, in the eyes of our ancestors was history, and never was anything else.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") As history it was originally composed, and as history bound in the chains of metre, that it might not be lost or dissipated passing through the minds of men, and as history it was translated into prose and committed to parchment.[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") Accordingly, no tale is without its defects as poetry, possessing therefore necessarily, a corresponding value as history.[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") But that there was in the country, in very early times, a high and rare poetic culture of the lyric kind, native in its character, ethnic in origin, unaffected by scholastic culture which, as we know, took a different direction; that one exquisite poem, in which the father of Ossian praises the beauty of the springtime in anapaestic \[Note: Cettemain \| cain ree\![78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") \| ro sair \| an cuct \| "He, Fionn MacCool, learned the three compositions which distinguish the poets, the TEINM LAEGHA, the IMUS OF OSNA, and the DICEDUE DICCENAIB, and it was then Fionn composed this poem to prove his poetry."[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") In which of these three forms of metre the Ode to the spring-time is written I know not.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") Its form throughout is distinctly anapaestic.--S. O'G.\] verse, would, even though it stood alone, both by the fact of its composition and the fact of its preservation, fully prove.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") Much and careful study, indeed, it requires, if we would compel these ancient epics to yield up their greatness or their beauty, or even their logical coherence and imaginative unity--broken, scattered portions as they all are of that one enormous epic, the bardic history of Ireland.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") At the best we read without the key.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") The magic of the names is gone, or can only be partially recovered by the most tender and sympathetic study.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") Indeed, without reading all or many, we will not understand the superficial meaning of even one.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") For instance, in one of the many histories of Cuculain's many battles, we read this--[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") "It was said that Lu Mac AEthleen was assisting him."[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") This at first seems meaningless, the bard seeing no necessity for throwing further light on the subject; but, as we wander through the bardic literature, gradually the conception of this Lu grows upon the mind--the destroyer of the sons of Turann--the implacably filial--the expulsor of the Fomoroh--the source of all the sciences--the god of the Tuatha De Danan--the protector and guardian of Cuculain--Lu Lamfada, son of Cian, son of Diancect, son of Esric, son of Dela, son of Ned the war-god, whose tomb or temple, Aula Neid, may still be seen beside the Foyle.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") This enormous and seemingly chaotic mass of literature is found at all times to possess an inner harmony, a consistency and logical unity, to be apprehended only by careful study.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") So read, the sublimity strikes through the rude representation.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") Astonished at himself, the student, who at first thinks that he has chanced upon a crowd of barbarians, ere long finds himself in the august presence of demi-gods and heroes.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") A noble moral tone pervades the whole.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") Courage, affection, and truth are native to all who live in this world.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") Under the dramatic image of Ossian wrangling with the Talkend, \[Note: St. Patrick, on account of the tonsured crown.\] the bards, themselves vainly fighting against the Christian life, a hundred times repeat through the lips of Ossian like a refrain--[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") "We, the Fianna of Erin, never uttered falsehood, Lying was never attributed to us; By courage and the strength of our hands We used to come out of every difficulty."[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") Again: Fergus, the bard, inciting Oscar to his last battle--in that poem called the Rosc Catha of Oscar:--[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") "Place thy hand on thy gentle forehead Oscar, who never lied."[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") \[Note: Publications of Ossianic Society, p. 159; vol. i.\][98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") And again, elsewhere in the Ossianic poetry:--[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8109/4/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8109/4/) - next →: [Early Bardic Literature, Ireland., part 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8109/5/) - ↑ back to [Early Bardic Literature, Ireland.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg8109/)