The most popular type of story in the Irish tradition for both the teller and the listener is the story with a religious theme. These stories have a distinct medieval flavor, along with a mixture of pre-Christian and Christian motifs. According to Sean O’Sullivan, Irish folklorist, many of these stories centered around “severe penances” imposed on or by a priest, either voluntarily (to save parents from hell, for example) or to prove innocence and escape from the clutches of the devil. As would be expected, the “miraculous” powers of the priest show up in these stories. For example, a priest causes rain to fall in a time of drought, or he changes meat into fish when fish is offered to him on Friday, or he restores the dead to life, or he proves an evil landlord is in hell. The last example is similar to the tale I was told when I was growing up in
The devil has a prominent role in many of these stories. Many times the devil appears as a tempter or temptress or as having some human in his power. In most cases, the devil is stopped either by a priest or by the innocence and trust in God of the victim and the devil is banished in a “blaze of sulphurous fire.” Satan may consume the body of the victim, but the victim’s soul is saved.
Journeys to the next world with visions of heaven, purgatory, or hell are the settings for many folk tales. Heaven has beautiful gardens with fruits and flowers, heavenly music, fine foods and great beds! In purgatory, souls awaiting their entrance into heaven perform labors that will atone for their sins. For example, a man who defrauded one of his workers is shown as an ass drawing heavy loads. In purgatory, time may be spent seeking shelter in inclement weather under bushes or in some cold, wet place or in a narrow, confined place such as between the bark of a tree and its wood.
Hell is often described as having a room specifically reserved for a certain person. The devil might live like any other “man-of-the-house” and have problems with his family and servants. Judgment
scenes are part of these stories where the good and bad deeds of someone who
dies are weighed. A crumb of bread given in alms may tip the scales in a
person’s favor. There are many stories too where the dead return to give an
account of how they have fared beyond the grave, telling of some good deed that
gained them heaven or of some sin, great or small, for which they had to atone.The power of innocence and its reward are the themes in many of these stories: the simple boy, rather than the “exalted contenders,” is chosen as bishop or Pope; a boy talks with the Lord in a holy picture and is invited to a heavenly banquet; a simple girl who prays before going to bed is protected by angels.
Other stories emphasize the power and value of prayer. For example, there is the old woman whose simple trust in God overcomes the power of the devil. I think of my own mother, who has had great trust and belief in the power of prayer all her life. Miraculous occurrences abound in these tales: food is provided for a starving family who gave its food to others; a crop of oats grows from chaff; stones are turned into potatoes; and children who have died are found alive and healed.
The “animal tale” is one of the oldest types in the storytelling tradition. These stories are usually short, consisting of one or two episodes and having a specific theme. One purpose of these stories is to explain certain animal characteristics, for example, why sheep have wool while goats have hair, or why dogs like to be outdoors while cats seek the comfort of the home. Quite common in the Irish tradition are stories about how the wren became king of the birds or how the plaice got its crooked mouth. Most popular of all are stories about the clever fox. In these stories the fox usually outwits the unimaginative wolf and on some occasions, human beings. At other times, the fox may be fooled by an equally clever bird that he desires to eat but who escapes. “Rivalry and the interplay of wits thus lead to humorous situations, and variety is provided by the many actors who figure into the tales: cat, mouse, dog, ass, bullock, hare, wren, eagle, goose, crow, cuckoo, thrush, sparrow, magpie, scoldcrow, crane, duck and seagull.” (Folktales of
The figures of Fionn macCumhaill and his Fianna and Cu Chulainin dominate the “mythological” aspects of the Irish storytelling tradition. Fionn and his warriors were involved in fighting for and defending
In the tales, romances and legends of the Ulster Cycle, Conchobhar, king of
Along with the Fionn and Cu Chulainin tales are other “Irish Hero” tales which were popular among storytellers in both Gaelic-speaking
A close relative of the “Hero” tales are the “Tales of Magic.” Of the four hundred and fifty types of tales
listed by Aame-Thompson in their work, one-third of the “Tales of Magic”
have been recorded in Another category is “Tales of the Stupid Ogre.” As its title suggests, stories in this category describe ways in which the ogre (in Irish versions, usually a giant) is fooled and outsmarted by his smaller human opponent. The plots may involve situations where there is a partnership between them or a contest of strength (squeezing a stone or throwing a hammer) or in racing or eating (the hero wins by using a sack as a false stomach).
The reader may have thought while reading this essay, “How were these stories collected and saved for our enjoyment?” The people who did this important work in
(Written by Jim Hawkins, September 2000)
© Irish Cultural Society of the Garden City Area
