We introduce a new co-host and chat about one of the most fascinating (and powerful) figures in medieval Irish society: the fili, or poet.

Main topics addressed: poets, seers, praise poetry, satire, ominous background characters, working in a bar

This episode includes sexual references and swearing.

References and Suggested Media:

Binchy, D. A. ‘The Date and Provenance of Uraicecht Becc’, Ériu 18 (1958), 44-56

Breatnach, Liam. Uraicecht na Ríar: The Poetic Grades in Early Irish Law (Dublin: DIAS, 1987).

Gwynn, Edward. ‘Sinann I’ and ‘Sinann II’ in The Metrical Dindshenchas vol 2, electronic ed. (Cork: CELT  2004, 2008), pp. 288-299. (Irish / English)

Kelly, F. A Guide to Early Irish Law (Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 2020).

Knott, Eleanor. 1916. ‘Why Mongán was Deprived of Noble Issue’, Ériu 8, 156-160, available at https://iso.ucc.ie/Scela-mongain/Scela-mongain-text.html

Ní Chatháin, Próinséas. ‘Some Themes in Early Irish Lyric Poetry’, Irish University Review 22(1) (1992), 3-12 (p. 5).

 Nutt, Alfred and Meyer, Kuno. The Voyage of Bran (London: D. Nutt, 1895), pp. 49-52. https://archive.org/details/cu31924096849629/page/n73/mode/2up

Transcript:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PrI-g_u5Thi7-wks6giZFAjwHGedEgWiQ-fsl0Nzfj4/edit?usp=sharing