Carmina Gadelica: Hymns and Incantations
Carmina Gadelica is the most comprehensive collection of poems and prayers from the Gaelic tradition of oral poetry. These hymns and incantations were gathered by Alexander Carmichael in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, “’from Arran to Caithness, from Perth to St. Kilda.” The poems were handed down through generations in a living oral tradition—a tradition and way of life that sustained it but have disappeared. Nevertheless, these poems and prayers live on in Carmina Gadelica to remind us of the faith of the unknown poets who composed them.
Previously available only as a bilingual text in six volumes, this single-volume in only English contributes to wider awareness of traditional Celtic literature. John MacInnes’ introduction places these poems in the context of the life and folklore of the Gaelic community.
About the Author
Alexander Carmichael (1832–1912) was born in Lismore, off the coast of Argyll, and was educated at Greenock Academy and in Edinburgh. As a civil servant with the Customs and Excise ministry, his work took him to Skye, Uist, and Oban, where Gaelic still dominated during the mid-nineteenth century. He collaborated with the folklorist John Francis Campbell (1822–1885) in his folklore collection and made his own large collection between 1855 and 1899, in particular from 1865 until 1882, while the family lived in the Hebrides. His collection consists mainly of Gaelic prayers and invocations, hymns, blessings, charms, as well as numerous songs. The material was collected from both mainland and island sources and range in time over several centuries. Carmichael eventually settled in Edinburgh. His best-known publications include Grazing and Agrestic Customs of the Outer Hebrides (1884)—which had been requested for the report of the Crofter Royal Commission—and Carmina Gadelica (1900).
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