Literary Tour of '07-'08
During the 2007-08 school year, we are spending more time sampling literature from the three dialects: Ulster in the fall, Connaught in the winter, Munster in the spring.
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Literary Tour of '07-'08During the 2007-08 school year, we are spending more time sampling literature from the three dialects: Ulster in the fall, Connaught in the winter, Munster in the spring.
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12/12/07 |
Tour 07-08 |
Grammar | Vocabulary || Summaries | 07-08 Tour Home | Book Lists | Back to Will's Class |
This is our primary story for the fall term. The main purpose of this page is to provide a little help with vocabulary and grammar, and to maintain an English language summary for people who have to skip over a section.
This story was part of Séamus Ó Grianna's 1927 (maybe 1926) collection of short stories,Cith 's Dealán ("Shower and Sunshine"-- dealán is related to gealán, from geal, bright.) The collection was republished (after some wrangling) after his death, with the spelling, etc. updated by editor Niall Ó Dónaill, of dictionary fame. Séamus had worked with Ó Dónaill on the dictionary, so they knew one another well.
Additional background about some of the family was introduced in the songs handout. I've added their photo to the page with the map.
About Names |Other General Grammar | Vocabulary
We need to pay more attention to tense! I know you can get the meaning from context, but you will learn more if you actually figure out how each verb is being used.
Ó Grianna makes heavy use of the "leasainm" system in his tales, so much so that Myles na gCopaleen had some fun with this in his satire, An Béal Bocht.
But it is a good opportunity to notice how some names are put into the genitive. Let's start with our hero, Conall Pheadair Bhig.
That "bhig" is a genitive form of the adjective beag. Consider, then, that:
A little later in the story, we'll meet Sábha Néill Óig. Again, it isn't Sábha who is young (she may be, but that isn't the point), but she is the daughter of Niall Óg.
Remember that we use níos deise to mean "nicer" and is deise to mean "nicest." Both of those involve the copula.
So when Séamus is writing about the past, he puts the copula in the past. "Nicest" becomes ba deise. This isn't as common as it was, but it is still in use, especially in writing, and it was very common when Ó Grianna was writing these stories.
We saw something like this in our tale from Bab a couple of weeks ago (a dh'fháilt, she said). This is a construction where the verbal nouns is proceeded by a (for a consonant) or this dh' (before a vowel), sometimes a + dh' before a vowel.
In this case, the verbal noun is basically an object of the verb. Gabháil a dh'iarraidh . . . to go asking . . .. Gabháil a dh'iascaireacht . . . to go fishing. Tá mé ag smaoineamh a ghabháil . . . I'm thinking of going (after) . . .
These days, you would probably see those expressed as ag + verbal noun: Gabháil ag iascaireacht . . .
We expect to see the conditional after dá, and regular (dependent) forms of the verb after mura and go. But Ó Grianna may actually use the subjunctive in these places, so you get things like mura dtéadh féin, mura baine, ba chóir go rachadh agat.
Don't worry about it, if you see something funny in "if" expressions, that's probably what's going on. These days we use the subjunctive almost exclusively for wishes of the blessing or curse form, such as Go raibh maith agat.
Grammar Notes | G1-G2 | G3-G4 |G5-G6 | G7-G9 | G10-G12 | G13-G14 | G15-G16 | G17-G19
In general, there are a lot of small spelling differences, mostly slender where you expect broad, and vice versa. So if you can't find a word in your dictionary, try it with slightly different vowels.
added some from G11 and G12 on 10/29
I'll post summaries by page as I've marked them -- G1, G2, etc. Summaries will be posted after we have discussed our translations in class.
If you fall behind, please just read the summary and jump back in at the next assigned section.
G1| G2 | G3 | G4 | G5 | G6 | G7 | G8 | G9 | G10 | G11 | G12 | G13 | G14 | The End
Courting time comes around and our hero, Conall Pheadair Bhig, decides that he would like a wife. This will be a challenge, because Conall doesn't go about among people much. He only goes to Mass once a year (St. Pat's), but that's more from a loack of clothes than a lack of faith. He is always dressed in threadbare rags that his mother buys at various fairs (and there is some suggestion that he would quickly reduce a new suit of clothes to a similar state).
He wanted to find a wife by Shrovetide (beginning of Lent), but without a decent stitch of clothing, he asked his mother to loan him some money. But she had only enough to pay the rates. She suggested that if he had found a woman, he could borrow the pants (or their value) from her.
But Conall was embarrased to ask for the loan of britches from someone that he was going to marry.
Conall and his mother argued a bit about this, she seeing no problem with asking, and thinking that he should get a wife, and then get pants to be married in. But Conall thinks that the pants come first.
His mother has a relation who is unusual in owning three pair of britches, so he borrows the "half-worn" set, and then starts on the next step.
His desired is Sábha Néill Óig, whom he'd admired for some time, but never had the courage to approach. Of course, he would send someone else to open the negotiations, namely Micí Sheáinín Gréasaí, a cheerful, talkative sort who was fond of Sábha. So he contacts Micí and lets him know that he's thinking about getting a wife.
Conall asks Micí to be his messenger, and Micí says he'd be happy to do so. But he is astonished when he finds out the object of Conall's affections is Sábha Néill Óig. That's the woman Micí himself is after. He wanted to wait a couple of years before asking her, in part because he believed if he married his father would cut him off with very little. But he knew Sábha was no fool, and was also worried that if she got an offer, she might take it instead of waiting.
So Micí tried to persuade Conall that he should consider some other woman. He claims that he heard that Sábha is betrothed to someone else. And he argues that there's a risk Conall will be refused, and that no woman will touch another woman's leftovers. Micí suggests a couple of other choices.
Conall simply says that if Micí doesn't want to deliver his message, he'll get someone else to do it. Micí realizes that Conall's right, so he figures he'll take the message, and if it looks like it might be accepted, Micí will jump in with his own offer of marriage, and take his chances with his father.
He got a warm welcome from the household of Niall Óg, who offered him a pipe (I believe). The wife thought Micí had neglected them a bit, however.
Micí tells them he has a funny story to tell them, namely that someone is seeking a wife. He makes light of the message he is bringing, emphasizing that he is merely doing his duty as messenger, and naturally they want to know who it is.
Micí first says that he tried to get the fellow to lower his sights. On being questions again, he says it is Conall. He quickly launches into an attack on Conall's reputation, painting him as drinker and spendthrift.
He makes a point of telling how Conall beat up an old fellow, Séamus. But Sábha saw that fight, and says that Séamus started it, and that she thoroughly approves of Conall's response. And when Micí claims that Conall is lazy about planting and harvesting, Sábha somewhat sarcastically wonders who turned the field by his house.
Micí is much taken aback that Sábha is defending Conall and decides he took the wrong tack with his criticisms and stories. He asks the parents their opinions about this match, but they are clear that it is entirely up to Sábha. Fearing that he'll miss his chance, Micí admits that he wants Sábha.
To which no one responds. Finally, the mother points out that she didn't think Micí was planning on getting married. And then Sábha launches into a lecture condemning the kind of backbiting that Micí has been doing.
Finally, the mother asks her to "cut the sermon" and give an answer.
Sábha says she didn't have any attention of getting married this year. Her father tells her to cut to the chase, and she replies, grumpily, that she wanted time to get proper clothes, and she scolds Micí for not letting her know he was coming.
At any rate, things are quickly arranged -- the gossip of the town the next day, how Micí supplanted Conall -- and they were married a week later. Conall went to the wedding, although he wasn't invited, being quite drunk, and hung around, making himself obvious.
After they were out of his way, Micí talked aobut how he'd like to throttle Conall, but Sábha argued that Conall wasn't worth the fuss.
Sábha says that if Conall had any sense in the first place, he never would have imagined that she would marry him. Micí brings up how she defended Conall that earlier evening, and she responds taht she was so mad at him (Micí) that she was determined to oppose anything he said. And Micí suggests they drop the discussion there.
(end of Part 1, start of Part 2)
Five years later, Micí is on his death bed, with Sábha constantly at his side. She doesn't even respond when the author's father brings them turn, or when his mother brings them milk.
Finally, the author's mother asks how the previous night went, and Sábha says it went badly, that Micí run is reaching its limit.
Conall comes in and asks babout him, and she says Micí is about spent. And she's right, he dies that night.
The house was full for the wake, and Conall brought starw for the cattle, and brought turg. A couple of other poeple got tobacco and pipes, and prepared the house. Sábha asks Conall to distribute the tobacco, and to be generaous about it, and heads to the bed side to begin her lament.
Micí's mother, an old crippled woman, joins in the keening, but the old woman doesn't add much, just saying a few words over and over. But Sábha could be heard a mile from the house, and in her keen talks about how he's lying there, in heavy sleep, how he was thirsty the night before but is no more, how his child is asking when daddy will awake, and that the son will be waiting a long time for his father's eyes to open.
Conall continues to be very helpful, and in fact, the authors parents comment on it. (The father's name is . . .Feilimí!)The father praises him for his help, when many in his situation would have avoided the place entirely. And the mother suggests that maybe those two (Sábha and Conall) will get together yet.
The author's mother continues with her observation that Sábha greeted Conall very kindly the other day, and Feilimí comments that she is a good one at picking up what's really going on.
The funeral is held and Sábha continues to keen. A neighbor woman tells her she has done enough, that she should go home. But Sábha keeps thinking about Micí, things he did and said, places they shared. The neighbors try to make her see sense.
One (Siúgaí) basically tells her that she is better off, young and with only one child, than many a widow. But Sábha thinks she has hardly lamented enough, and doesn't care what happens to her now that her husband is gone.
Siúgaí also visits Micí's parents, who seem to be crushed by their loss. She brings up poor Sábha . . .
Micí's mother responds by saying that Micí worked himself to death trying to make things easy for Sábha, and that she never let him take care of herself. Sábha is quick to keen, she says, but it Micí's parents who really have the sorrow.
[end of part 2, start of part 3]
A week later Conall shows up at Sábha's, determined to cheer her up. Sábha says that if only Micí were here, that he often spoke of Conall.
Conall suggests that it's no good to be keening, but that just winds Sábha up. So Conall tells how the priest told Conall's mother, when Peadar Beag (his father) died), that too much lamentation does harm, that it holds back the soul of the departed from entering heaven.
Sábha doesn't want that to happen to Micí, and Conall suggests that prayer is better than keening. To which Sábha responds that she would like to put a tombstone on the grave.
Conall says that Micí rests in a nice place, and Sábha would like to make it nicer with shell sand and round stones from the beach. Conall says they'd have to out to the Dún Mór sandback to get . . . and that he'll be ready with a boat anytime she'd likd.
So one nice summer morning, when many boats are heading out for fishing, out comes a boat with Conall and Sábha in it. There's a good wind and it's just past high tide. Another boat is overtaking Conall's boat, and the crew are chatting.
One says he doesn't recognize the boat, but another says it belonged to Peadar Beag (who is dead). Who is at the tiller? Conall. And who is that woman? It looks like Sábha.
They pull up to Conall's boat and exchange greetings about the lovely day, and then resume their gossip as they pull away.
Niall Sheimisín observes that Sábha seems to be getting into the spirit of widowhood (hint: not the gloomy side) already.
The gossip in the other boat continues, and one of them predicts that Conall and Sábha will be married within the year. Another disagrees, referring to her keening, but the first says that there was way too much "music in her keening" (in other words, he agrees with Micí's mom).
Conall and Sábha collect the materials, and cook lunch on an island while they wait for the tide. They chat about the lovely weather a bit, and then head into shore, with Conall promising they will fix things up the next morning.
The next day they do a lovely job of fixing up the grave with the shell sand and the stones. Sábha is pleased and grateful for Conall's efforts, and he himself says there isn't a grave in the churchyard to comapre with Micí's now.
She insists that he come in to have some tea, and rest. While there, Conall discovers that his pipe is broken, in his pocket, and Sábha gives him Micí's.
[Time Jump] October comes, and with it, the season for fishing for herring. Conall says he'd be out fishing, but his net was bundled up in the barn, and must have gotten wet, for the strands had rotted when he unrolled it. Sábha offers him Micí's net. She also needs the income it might provide, if it were put to use.
Conall agrees, and spreads out Micí's net on the lawn to patch it up. He fixes a couple of tears in the mesh, and reinforces some loose spots, and then takes it off fishing.
The next week he sells two pounds (money, not weight) worth of fish, of which half goes to Sábha. He goes to her place and they sig by the fire.
He gives Sábha her share, and she is very pleased, but he says he hasn't done well at all. He explains that the fish are far out to sea, at this time of year, and it's the ones who have the right boats to go out there that are bringing in the big loads. Sábha tries to be hopeful, but Conall reports that Bob Dulop, who knows much about the fishing, thinks that this year's fishing might be done, at least for the small boats.
Sábha muters about the will of God, and seems to think that at least that one punt she received is something. Conall looks into his purse.
Conall decides to give her the other pound he earned from fishing. Sábha demurs, saying Conall worked hard to earn it. She says that if she needs it badly, she will borrow a couple of schillings from Conall. And she expresses hope that God will look after things, and maybe the herring will cooperate.
[End of Part 3, start of Part 4]
It is the time of courting again, and Conall is visiting Sábha and her little son Seáinín. Seáinín asks Conall for a penny to buy sweet sticks.
Sábha scolds the boy (gently), and Conall, too, saying that the kid has been up at night with toothache.
Then Seáinín asks Conall for a match, or tinder, just to see the blue light it makes. Sábha is losing patience and is more threatening about the boy's lack of manners.
But the boy asks Conall if he is a relation. Before he can answer, Sábha tells Seáinín to get his clothes off, and sends him to bed.
Conall mentions how fond he has become of the boy, and Sábha replies that the feeling is mutual.
Later, Conall and Sábha are discussing how there seems to be very little activity, compared to previous years, during this season's "courting time." She mentions that there are lots of lads of marriageable age, but Conall counters that he has been thinking of getting a woman himself. However, his problem is that the women he's interested in aren't interested in him, and vice versa.
He mentions Síle Chonaill an Pholláin, but Sábha thinks he can do much better. She suggests Máire Shéamais Duibh, which embarrasses Conall, who asked her a couple of years ago and was rejected.
Eventually, Conall works his way around to saying that he really wants Sábha. She comes up with a flurry of excuses, that it is it too soon, etc. But he know she is going to say yes.
The only problem? He doesn't have decent trousers to be married in. But Sábha has an old pair of Micí's -- grásta ó Dhia air -- that might fit . . .
Any questions or comments, drop me an e-mail.