Beyond Green Beer and Leprechauns
That’s Another Story, a column by True Thomas
We are blessed in the storytelling and folk music community. The spirit of the Celts lives in the stories and songs of the Celtic isles. From the skirling notes in the penny whistle tunes to the many-leveled stories, there is a certain indefinable magic in the Celtic influences. Yet, as a nation, people surround themselves with plastic hats and shamrocks, making the obligatory jokes about drinking and finding pots of gold. This is one part of the Irish and Celtic character–a dark humor–and, in the case of the Irish, a pretty good example of how a nation that went through hell can have a brilliant, creative soul.
If you think about it, what other culture would allow themselves to be held up to such a stereotype? The crazy thing is that the USA is a nation filled with Celts! Although the demographics are changing, the population of many Americans are of European descent. And most of Europe, under the veneer of various nations and a lot of history, was at one time covered by Celtic tribes. London was named after the Londinii, and Belgium after the Belgae.
Our culture is full of veiled Celtic connections: Halloween (Samhain) is a fine Celtic holiday and our civil legal system was influenced by Irish brehon laws, among other examples. If you know where to look, Celtic influences are everywhere. And nowhere do we find a stronger sense of that magic than in the the stories and songs. After the surge of Irish rock/folk bands (everything from U2 to Enya), there have been many newcomers to the living, musical tradition of the Celts. There are people who want to make the connection but aren’t quite sure where to find it.
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hat’s where we come in. For the next couple of months, when you play a tune that has a Celtic influence, talk about it. If you are doing a ballad (say Paddy’s Lament), it might be worth while to mention that in Chicago, bricks were called “Irish Confetti” and there was a strong connection between the Irish famine and the workforce that helped build America and span the continent. And if you know the history of the “Kerry Recruit,” you could talk about the history of protest songs and the fine art the Irish made of protest (on either side) with songs and satirical wit.
Point your audience towards your favorite Celtic singers and groups. For additional media, I certainly recommend the movies, The Secret of Roan Inish (a traditional Selkie tale), My Left Foot, The Commitments, and Into the West, a little known movie with a strong dose of mythic involving the travelers (Irish Tinkers). And of course there’s the Irish tower in the field of writing with greats like George Bernard Shaw, Jonathon Swift, and W.B. Yeats. I encourage all storytellers to incorporate music into their storytelling concerts, and likewise, if you are having a hoot, a session, or a concert, please bring in a storyteller.
Archaeology tells us that the Celts were in large part a traveling people–quick to move on, quick to incorporate influences from other cultures. As populations grew, they migrated across Europe and finally to America. It might be genetic, this urge to move ever onward, a gift from our Celtic ancestors, a gift of fury, humor, and eloquence. It would not surprise me at all if someday, as we set foot on other planets, some of those future explorers might have a penny whistle in the luggage. So beyond the Leprechauns and the Green Beer, we can inspire, educate, and enjoy our heritage, plus help others find that note that raises the hair on the back of neck. But that’s another story.