Paper short abstract:

Rivers and lakes have long been part of the physical and cultural landscape of Ireland. The presentation will compare narratives about the formation and naming of major lakes and rivers from medieval literature and modern folklore, and provide insights into the life and imagination of the Irish.

Paper long abstract:

Irish culture, both written and oral, is peppered with narratives on place formation and etymologies.

Lough Neagh, Lough Dearg, the River Shannon and the River Liffey are major landmarks, as noted in the medieval tales The Second Battle of Moytura (Gray, 1982) and The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel (Knott, 1916). Stories about the formation and naming of the aforementioned landmarks occur in both medieval literature and modern folklore. As these lakes and rivers are substantial, they have captured the imagination of literati and ordinary people alike. The overarching research question is whether the same narratives occur in the two bodies of tradition. All in all, the narratives express that intimate relationship between people and landscape, encapsulated in Danaher's words: 'There is scarcely a hill, a rock, or river pool, a ruined castle or abbey which has not its own story…All these are part of the oral currency of the countryside' (1978,111). This, and other functions of the narratives will be explored, showing that waterways are indeed socio-culturally adaptable ecosystems (Vallerani and Visentin, 2018).

References

Danaher, K. (1978). Stories and Storytelling in Ireland. In E. Speed Norton (Ed.) Folk Literature of the British Isles. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press, 107-114.

Gray, E. A. (1982). Cath Maige Tuired. The Second Battle of Mag Tuired. Naas: Irish Text Society Vol. LII.

Knott, E. (1916). Togail Bruidne Da Derga. Dublin: Mediaeval and Modern Irish Series Vol. VIII.

Vallerani, F. & Visentin, F. (2018) Waterways and the Cultural Landscape. London: Routledge.