Scottish Gaelic women's poetry

From the four-hundred-year span of our project, more than two hundred Gaelic songs attributed to female poets have survived. Many of these are addressed to members of the poets’ families, to their husbands, children or friends, but many more offer praise of their chieftains, advice for their clan in times of conflict, or undisguised criticism of the contemporary status quo. Songs of elegy and commemoration for the dead were especially important, some representing the private realm of personal grief, others the public commemoration of a celebrated individual (the earliest datable song composed by a woman in the Gàidhealtachd, ca. 1470s, is an elegy, addressed by its subject’s wife, Aithbhreac inghean Coirceadail, to her husband Niall Óg MacNeill).

Unlike Lowland Scotland, where the majority of pre-1700 poetry was composed by women of the upper class, neither one’s age nor one’s rank appears to have affected the likelihood that women in the Gàidhealtachd did or could compose poetry. Women of most ages and most social classes are represented by the surviving corpus of poems, and if many of these items are anonymous others can be associated securely with women whose names have also been preserved. Prior to around 1600, the ability to compose verse depended more upon one’s proximity to other poets, thus one’s exposure to training in the styles and techniques which characterize the so-called Classical Gaelic period, beginning ca. 1200. During this time the production of poetry was confined largely to hereditary families of trained poets praising a series of patrons at different stages of their career, whether in battle, marriage or death. Perhaps surprisingly, formal education of this kind was not denied to women, although its accessibility would appear to have been restricted to the close kin of known male poets, whose works have survived together in the pages of duanaireadh (family books). This system began to decline in before 1650, resulting in a fairly dramatic shift between formal, strict-metre poetry and verse of the so-called sub-literary tradition (a description not of its merits but of its much less rigid style of composition). A wider stratum of women’s poetry is accessible to us after this time, much of it recorded from consistent survival within the oral tradition as far as the beginning of the twentieth century.

Anthology texts: Scottish Gaelic

Scottish Gaelic women's poetry: a selection, 1400-1800

 

 

1400s

1. [E] Aithbreac inghean Corceadail, ‘A[uctor] huius Effrich neyn Corgitill’ (ca. 1470)
2. [S] Iseabal, Countess of Argyll, ‘Autor huius Contissa Ergadien Issobell’ (before 1510)
3. [L] Iseabal ní Mheic Cailéan (Iseabal 'the younger'), ‘Yssbel Ne V’ Kellan’ (i.e. ‘Alas for the one who is love-sick’) (ca. 1490-1520)
4. [L] Iseabal ní Mheic Cailéan (Iseabal 'the younger'), ‘Isbell ne vek Callein’ (i.e. Iseabal Ni Mheic Cailein) (ca. 1490s‒1520)

1500s

5. [E/L] Gun orra, ‘Cumha: Oran Sheathain’ (after 1567)
6. [P] Gun orra, ‘Là Mille Gàraidh’ (ca. 1570)
7. [P/S] Gun orra, ‘Ùisdean Mac Gille-Easbuig Chléirich’ (ca. 1581)
8. [Pa] Gun orra (muime of subject), ‘An Iorram Dharaich’ (before 1585)
9. [E/F] Gun orra, ‘Nach fhreagair thu, Chairistiòna?’ (ca. 1500s)

1600‒1660

10. [L] Gun orra, ‘Oran a rinn Oigh d’ a Leannan’ (before 1605)
11. [E] Beasa nighean Eòghain mhic Fhearchair, ‘Cumha. Do Dh-Iain Ruadh Mac Dhughaill (ca. 1610) *
12. [O/S] Gun orra, ‘Oran Arabhaig: Là Lethag’ (ca. 1614)
13. [E] Màiri nighean Aonghais, ‘Marbhrann Do Shir Dòmhnull, Triath Chlann Ràghnaill’ (ca. 1618) *
14. [P/Pa] Diorbhail Nic a’ Bhruthainn, ‘Oran do dh’ Alasdair Mac Colla’ (ca. 1644) *
15. [E/P] Gun orra (widow of subject), ‘'S e Caimbeulach a bha am Fear Ghlinne-Faochain’ (ca. 1645)
16. [L/P] Gun orra, ‘Clann Dòmhnuill an cogadh Rìgh Tearlach I’ (ca. 1644‒5) *
17. [O/P] Gun orra, ‘Duanag’ (ca. 1645) *
18. [O/P] Gun orra, ‘Oran Luathaidh do Alasdair Mac Colla’ (after September 1645)
19. [P/Pa] Gun orra, ‘Rainn do Alasdair Mac Colla’ (ca. 1646) *
20. [L] Mary Cameron of Callart, ‘Oran Mhairidh Challaird’ (ca. 1646) *
21. [P/S] Fionghal Campbell (?), ‘Tuireadh Baintighearna Chola’ (ca. 1646)
22. [E] Gun orra, [Untitled, begins ‘Tha mulad orm fèin’] (ca. 1640s) *
23. [E] Gun orra, ‘Marbhrann forsair Choire an t-Sithe’ (ca. 1700s) *  

Key to song-classification

* denotes an item previously unpublished in English translation

Gun orra - anonymous
muime - foster-mother / nurse

D - Dialogue verse
E – Elegy & lament
F – Friendship / songs to other women
L – Love & relationships
O – Orain luaidh (waulking songs)
P – Political verse
Pa – Panegyric / songs of praise
S – Satire & flyting

1661‒1700

  1. [E/P] Ni Mhic Raghnaill, ‘Cumha Ni Mhic Raonuill’ (ca. 1663)
  2. [L/Pa] Gun orra (muime of subject), ‘Luinneag do Choinneach Og Triath Chinntàile leis a bhanaltrum’ (ca. 1665)
  3. [Pa] Gun orra, ‘Òran Mór Scoirebreac’ (ca. 1671) *
  1. [E] Nighean Mhic-GilleChaluim of Raarsaidh, ‘Cumha. Do dh-Iain Garbh Mac Ghille-chaluim’ (ca. 1671)
  2. [O/S] Nic a’ Mhanaich & Nic Iain Fhinn, ‘Cha téid Mòr a Bharraigh bhrònaich’ (ca. 1670s)
  1. [L] Mòr McLeod, ‘Ged is grianach an latha’ (ca. 1680)
  2. [L] Gun orra, ‘Duanag do Dhòmhnall Chana’ (before 1686) *
  3. [E] Gun orra, ‘Do Ghilleaspuig McCalum Sealgair sa Bhein mhoir’ (after 1688) *
  4. [E] Ní Mhic 'ic Raghnaill, ‘Oran Cumhaidh, le mhnaoi fein, do dhuine uasal de Chloinn Donuill…’ (ca. 1690) *
  5. [L] Nighean Tighearna Ghrannd, ‘Oran do Dòmhnall Donn, mac Fhir Bhoth-Fiondainn’ (ca. 1691)
  6. [O] Màiri nighean Alasdair Ruaidh, ‘Siuthadaibh, siuthadaibh, a mhnathan’ (ca. 1696)

 1700s 

  1. [E] Catriona nighean Eoghainn mhic Lachlainn, ‘Cumha Do Sheumas Mac-Gilleain, A Fear’ (ca. 1700)
  2. [E/F] Catriona nighean Eoghainn mhic Lachlainn, ‘Do Chatrìona Nic-Gilleain, Nighean Fhir Bhrolais’ (ca. 1725) *
  3. [Pa] Màiri nighean Alasdair Ruaidh, ‘Fuaim an Taibh’ (before 1705)
  4. [R] Sìleas na Ceapaich, ‘Comhradh ris a’ Bhas’ (ca. 1700‒10)
  5. [L] Sìleas na Ceapaich, ‘Oran do Mhàiri a Nighean’ (ca. 1714‒15)
  6. [P] Sìleas na Ceapaich, ‘Oran do Righ Seumus nuair a bha e anns an Fhraing’ (before July 1715)
  7. [R] Sìleas na Ceapaich, ‘Laoidh air a Bhas agus an caochladh bheir e man cuairte’ (ca. 1720)
  8. [E/P] Sìleas na Ceapaich, ‘Oran le Silis ni Mhic Raonuill Bain-Tighearna Bhail-Dornui, air Bas a fir’ (ca. 1720)
  9. [E/P] Mairghread nighean Lachlainn, ‘Gaoir nam ban Muileach’ (after March 1716)
  10. [P] Nic-Gille Sheathanaich, ‘Do Dh-Uilleam a Bhorluim’ (ca. April 1716) *
  11. [L] Gun orra, ‘Oran le Beantighearna Dun-da-Ramh do a fear agus a piuthair’ (ca. 1720) *
  12. [F] ‘An Aigeannach’, ‘Oran Do Bhean Chladh-na-macraidh, Leis An Aigeannach’ (ca. 1720s) *
  13. [P/S] Gun orra, [Untitled, begins ‘Dà rent, dà rent, dà rothond’] (after October 1721)
  14. [P/Pa] Nighean Aonghais Òg, ‘Òran air teachd Phrionnsa Thearlaich’ (ca. July 1745)
  15. [L] Mairea Strong, ‘Air Alasdair Butter’ (before April 1746) *
  16. [P/Pa] Gun orra, ‘Òran do Phriunnsa Tearlach’ (ca. April 1746)
  17. [P] Margaret Campbell (Mrs Stevenson), ‘Oran mu 'n eideadh Ghaidhealach’ (ca. 1746‒47)
  18. [D] Gun orra, [Untitled, begins ‘Chunna mise bean’] (before 1770) *
  19. [D] Gun orra, [Untitled, begins ‘'S ann a thainig orm cadal’] (before 1770) *
  20. [D] Gun orra, ‘29th Oran gaoil’ (before 1770) *
  21. [L] Gun orra, [Untitled, begins ‘O tha mo rùn ort’] (before 1770) *
  22. [L/O] Gun orra, ‘Iorram a rinn te ga leannan 'n deidh, dho bean eille a posda’ (before 1776) *
  23. [R] ‘Bean Torra Dhamh’ (Mary Macpherson), ‘Gairm Gu Earbs' Ann An Criosd’ (before 1785)
  24. [O] Gun orra, ‘'S fhad tha mi 'm ònaran’ (before 1786) *
  25. Pa] Raonaid Nighean Mhic Neill, ‘Òran Fir Heisgir’ (ca. 1780s) *
  26. [S] Gun orra, ‘Mairearad nan cuireid’ (1700s)
  27. [L] Beathag Mhòr, ‘An Cùl Bachalach’ (1700s)
  28. [L] Gun orra, ‘Oran do Dhòmnall Mac Calamain’ (1700s) *
  29. [D] Gun orra, ‘Còmradh eadar Nighean Óg agus Each-Uisge’ (ca. 1700s) *
  30. [E] Gun orra, ‘Oran mullad a roinn bean chuaidh bhathagh’ (ca. 1700s)
  31. [E/O] Gun orra, ‘Cumha Peathair’ (ca. 1700s) *
  32. [E] Màiri Nic Phail, ‘Cumha Do dh-Eachann Og Mac-Gilleain a Tireadh’ (ca. 1700s) *
  33. [L] Gun orra, ‘An Cù[bh]rachan’ (ca. 1700s) *
  34. [O] Gun orra, ‘Gura mise tha fo éislean’ (recorded 1893)
  35. [O] Gun orra, [Untitled, begins ‘Tha 'n latha 'n diu’] (recorded 1893)
  36. [O] Gun orra, [Untitled, begins ‘'S mise chunnaic an t-iaonadh’] (recorded 1904)