Since we were speaking of unclear poetry... For a course in Old-Irish we once had to translate Fingal Ronan. In that story a young stephmother tries to seduce her stephson, yet he rejects her and after she insists on meeting him his foster brother even beats her with his riding whip. That evening she taunts him into making a poem, which she continues. Her husband thinks his son was after his wife and orders him and his foster brother killed, only when he's dying the truth comes out. A bloodbath follows and in the end at least seven people die because of a misinterpreted poem...
Speaking in unclear poems
Can be such a deadly thing
Who seduced whom that cold night?
Máel rejected Echaid's daughter
By her cunning words he died
A misinterpreted poem
Laid waste to a royal house
Not a thing is more deadly
Than rejecting a woman
Or ambiguous poetry:
Is fuar fri clói ngáithe [It's cold against the whirlwind]
do neocht ingair bú Aífe [for someone who herds the cows of Aífe]
iss ed ingaire mada [It's herding in vain]
cen bú, cen neocht no chara [without cows, without someone to love]
These words put him to the spear...
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Written by Phil (6738 comments posted) 22nd November 2007 |
Lovely title.
These lines:
Not a thing is more deadly
Than rejecting a woman
Or ambiguous poetry
made me laugh.
Phil |
Written by Fledermaus (3321 comments posted) 22nd November 2007 |
Thanks Phil.
The title comes of course from the Old-Irish poem, so unfortunately I didn't make that up myself.
Well in Mael's case it was those two things that killed him (and in the end his foster brother, his clown, his father, his stephmother, her family and the tribe's champion).
The 'Cows of Aife' were probably some rocks where lovers used to meet. Mael had invited his stephmother there with the intention of rejecting her once and for all, however, he gave her an opportunity to twist his words as well. |
Written by wt (137 comments posted) 22nd November 2007 |
Appropriate for sure
I think that the poem is a reflection in essence of the people reading it as much as it is of the writer.
The example you use is an example of the power of ambiguity when people are too set in their ways, dogmatic, insecure...
Fledermaus, would you burn ambiguity at the stake for heresy?!
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Written by Fledermaus (3321 comments posted) 22nd November 2007 |
Hi wt,
Thanks for your comment. Of course I won't. ambiguity is fun! But since we were playing around with it, and because gshelme asked about Celtic mythology (which made me search through my bookshelfs and encounter Fingal Ronan), I thought it was an interesting thing as to what it could lead to in the extreme case.
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Hello Fledermaus
Written by Josie (2796 comments posted) 22nd November 2007 |
| What I laugh at especially, is the subjects you choose to write on. I wondered what on earth was next when I saw the title! Congratulations on such a wide range of subjects. I would imagine that most wars are caused as a result of human speech - and many marriages broken. No wonder man and dog get on so well together. They never misunderstand each other. My dog knew me inside and out, and never a word spoken, and a truer friend there never was. What a shame humans can't be the same! Amen. |
Crikey
Written by punchy (500 comments posted) 22nd November 2007 |
Fledermaus, you are like an encyclopedia, were you born brainy or just possessed? I bet you get invited to lots of dinner parties! Much like Stephen Fry who is apparantly after a survey said to be the most popular choice as an ideal dinner guest.( I'm a big fan)
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Written by Fledermaus (3321 comments posted) 22nd November 2007 |
Thanks Josie and punchy.
Josie: Yes, people need words to quarrel. Thinking about that and mythology, it seems that most tragedies started out with a simple quarrel or misunderstanding.
Punchy: Wow thanks! I don't know... IRL I'm a bit shy, so it usually takes some time before I'd start telling stories. As for the encyclopedia; When I was a kid I liked to read encyclopedias, just for fun. Mainly the things which had to do with history though. Somehow I'm very interested in what my brother likes to call 'useless things'  |
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