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The Memorization of Tales
| When grouping the stories and personages of Celtic mythology into cycles, it is important to understand that the ancient storytellers, although doubtlessly aware of the existence of these separate cycles, did not memorize them in such manner. Rather, the stories were grouped according to the subjects with which they were concerned--according to subject (births, deaths, etc.), rather than by cycle or chronology. The antiquity of this form of classification is undetermined, however, we do know that the medieval versions of it (now designated as List A and List B) were already
extant in the tenth century. In the Book of Leinster, the following preamble precedes List A: "Of the qualifications of a Poet in Stories and in Deeds, here follows, to be related to kings and cheifs, viz.: Seven times Fifty Stories, i.e., Five times Fifty Prime Stories, and Twice Fifty Secondary Stories; and these Secondary Stories are not permitted (assigned) but to four grades only, viz., an Ollamh, a Anrath, a Cli, and a Cano. And these are the Prime Stories: Destructions, and Cattle-raids, and Courtships, and Battles, and Caves, and Voyages, and Violent Deaths, and Feasts, and Sieges, and Adventures, and Elopements, and Slaughters." After listing the tales under these twelve headings, the Book of Leinster goes on to illuminate five more: "It is as Prime Stories these below are estimated; namely, Irruptions, and Visions, and Loves, and Expeditions, and Invasions." It is interesting to note that out of 250 Prime Stories, only 200 or so are listed, and out of 100 Secondary Stories, we are given none. This creates a serious gap in our knowledge and creates the question as to why the Secondary Stories are not enumerated at all. Is it because they were the prerrogative of the first four grades of poets, suggesting that it was improper to tell them to the general public? Types in Lists A and B Destructions (Togla) Cattle-raids (Tana) Courtships (Tochmarca) Battles (Catha) Feasts (Fessa) Adventures (Echtrai) Elopements (Aithid) Slaughters (Airgne) Irruptions (Tomadma) Visions (Fisi) Lovers (Serca) Expeditions (Sluagid) Invasions (Tochomlada) Types in List A only Caves (Uatha) Voyages (Immrama) Violent Deaths (Oitte) Sieges (Forbassa) Types in List B only Conceptions and Births (Coimperta) Frenzies (Buili) Since it is understood that the ancient bards recognized the cyclical and chronological attributes of these stories, why then did they memorize them in this manner? It is suggested in the Vision of Mac Conglinne that stories were shared on particular occasions, such as at wedding feasts, "housewarmings", the eve before battle, etc.: "Nothing sorrowful shall be heard by anyone who has heard [that story]; it will be a year's protection to them.....The married couple to whom it is related the first night shall not separate without an heir; they shall not be in dearth of food or raiment. The new house in which it is the first tale told, no corpse shall be taken out of it; it shall not want food or raiment; fire does not burn it. The king to whom it is recited before battle or conflict shall be victorious. On the occasion of bringing out ale, or of feasting a prince, or of taking an inheritance or patrimony, this tale should be recited." Therefore, we may assume that there were tales appropriate to each occasion, and there is evidence that it was believed listening to such tales brought life, offspring, and prosperity. Also, the lives of the heroes provided a source of imitation and meaning within the mundane world. One can easily go down the lists and match the type of story to its occasion: "Battles" before embarking in war, "Cattle-raids" before undertaking a cattle-raid, "Voyages" on setting sail, "Conceptions and Births" at births, "Wooings" at weddings, "Death Tales" at wakes, and so on. In memorizing the tales according to these Lists, the bard could easily choose a story to fit the appropriate occasion. In comparing the Welsh bardic tradtion to the Irish, one discovers the Welsh word for story, cyfarwyddad, which means "guidance," "direction", "instruction", "knowledge", "skill", "prescription". The stem arwydd within the word means "sign", "symbol", "manifestation", "omen", "miracle", and derives from a root meaning "to see." The cyfarwydd (storyteller, roughly equivalent to the Irish Seancha) was, therefore, originally a seer and a teacher who guided the souls of his/her audience through the world of "mystery." Given the idea that the tales of the heroes were intended to be a source of imitation and meaning, together with the fact that there are many similarities between the Irish and Welsh traditions and their mythologies, one may assume that the Welsh bards memorized their tales according to lists similar, if not identical, to these. |
Copyright 2000, Taliesin Emrys