Prince Edward Island Folklore: An Overview with Celtic Overtones

Event

2004-03-26

01:22:11

This is a lecture by John Cousins titled “Prince Edward Island Folklore: An Overview with Celtic Overtones”, where he John discusses folklore and customs, Celtic origins, Tom Dunn, Scottish and Gaelic influences, songs brought from Boston. This lecture is presented partially through playing music and singing.

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Held by Benevolent Irish Society

[The presentation, Prince Edward Island Folklore:An Overview with Celtic Overtones, is in progress when the recording starts.]
The speaker explains that folklore was brought to PEI by our ancestors. Oral folklore is what is passed on orally in a story or song. In contrast, the speaker explains that customary folklore is talking accompanied with actions such as it is “bad luck to meet people on the stairs”, or “don’t change the calendar before the …” or “don’t whistle in a boat”.... Laughter
The speaker explains the Celtic words and phrases crept into folklore such that the English used on PEI reflects Irish culture. The speaker gives two Irish Gaelic words he is familiar with noting that they would be the anglo version of the Gaelic word.
The speaker relates that Gaelic is a very expressive language. For instance, there are 50 different ways to say “darling”. The speaker also comments that the Celtic language is the language of love.
Laughter
The Scots had the same issue of using English as did the Irish. The speaker gives the example of Andrew MacPhail who lived east of Charlottetown who avoided using English as he believed it was the second best language.

In general, it was a challenge for Gaelic speakers to convey their meaning using English.
The speaker relates the story of Tom Dunn who passed down Irish folktales that included a mythical element. As an example, the speaker relates the story when Tom Dunn was challenged by the devil.
Typically, in Irish folklore the devil is portrayed as being stupid with the Irish getting the best of him. Because it was a Tom Dunn story the listeners laughed knowing it was a humorous story, but being English language learners they would not actually understand the humour.
The speaker explains that there was a confusion about the use of gender by both Irish and Scots Gaelic speakers of English. The speaker tells two stories about the misuse of pronouns to indicate gender.
One story was in the “Islander” newspaper of 1864 about a bear chasing (distorted)MacDonald up a tree. Captain Rodrick, John Hamilton and Andrew Bell were also referenced in the article.
The second story is about Duncan MacPherson referring to himself using female pronouns.
The speaker explains that there is also proverbial folklore. The speaker tells of a proverb used by a farmer when his wife complains that all the money was being used to keep up the barn. Another proverb the speaker provides is “Never trust people that sit in front of the church.”
The speaker explains that it is not appropriate to use the term myth as a myth has a sense of fabrication.
The speaker tells the story of Tom Dunn going to a ball. (Parts of this story is distorted)

The speaker explains, with examples, that vestiges of mythology are found in Irish folklore.
The speaker reads the folktale “The Little Red Bull” given to him by a student. This story is one of the few complete folktales the speaker has found in Island folklore. The speaker explains that this story has a “magical” element also found in the folklore of Norway and Ireland.

The speaker explains the Gaelic term “sloouk(?)”, a malevolent force which carried people miles away and they would wake up not knowing how you got there.
The speaker relates that when his grandfather went out at night he would not come back until morning. The speaker’s family believed that this happened because a “sloouk” had taken his grandfather. The family also said that if the grandfather had rolled up his pant legs, he would not have been taken.
Laughter
The speaker introduces Charles ballads, the oldest and rarest of folk songs.
The speaker recites or sings and discusses “Edward” ,“Mary Hamilton” also known as “The Four Marys” and “Wild Colonial Boy”. These songs were popularised when recorded in the 1960’s by singers such as the Clancy Brothers.
Break in recording
The speaker sings and discusses the Child ballads including “Where Will You … ” (the end of the title is distorted) and “The Mermaid”.
The speaker talks about broadside ballads started in the 1500’s, printed on inexpensive paper and sold and are considered to be Irish ballads.
The speaker continues to discuss broadside ballads noting that they were written in English, included many topics, and were a method of spreading news since they were sung by travelling singers. This type of ballad spread to America and PEI.
The speaker reads an article about Miss Heron from the December 3, 1852, edition of the “Islander” newspaper that included the first stanza of the “Bold Soldier Boy”.
The speaker relates an anecdote from 1872 when sailors escaped from a schooner that went aground off Tignish including 3 or 4 fiddlers with their fiddles. John T Watson and the Captain of the vessel were asked to give a recital. At the recital the hat was passed around to help pay for the church’s new organ.
Laughter
The speaker explains how the original settlers brought folk songs with them, but also later when Islanders, who went to America to work, brought back Irish and American Irish songs. Additionally, local Island song makers would pattern their songs after the Irish folk songs.
There were traditional songs that came from New Brunswick. The speaker is unable to play a recording of a folk song (name is distorted) from New Brunswick.
The speaker sings the broadside song “City of Baltimore”.
The speaker explains that Irish ballads are characterised by young lovers, ideal qualities of characters and with a nostalgic view of Ireland and outnumber all other types of ballads.
The speaker explains one of the reasons why singers such as the Clancy Brothers would come to the Island is because their Celtic music was part of Island culture. The speaker sings part of “Nightingale”, a song of the Clancy Brothers.
End of lecture.
Applause.
Questions. The speaker makes the following points:
Ninety percent of folk songs are Celtic with 80% of that 90% are Irish broadside songs.
The Monaghans of Kelly’s Cross were good singers.
Recites the beginning of “Flying Cloud”, the most famous of all broadside songs.
Explains that Irish folk songs are romantic and very lyrical. He sings “The Old Sidecar” as an example.
Describes and then sings “My name is Peter Amberley” , a song about an Islander who died when injured in the New Brunswick lumber woods.
Applause.
The host of the presentation talks about the term “angishore” , its use in Newfoundland and its use in Ireland.
SIDE B ENDS