Celtic Studies

This course considers the shifting nature of Gaelic identities in Scotland from the Middle Ages to the present and assesses the ideological and discursive presentation of these identities. The course also addresses the current sociolinguistic dynamics of the language, particularly in relation to the effect of English-Gaelic bilingualism and the impact of recent revitalization initiatives.

The Iron Age of Britain and Ireland is famed for its fabulous objects adorned with Celtic art: swords, shields, and cauldrons; torcs and horse-gear; as well as technological marvels such as the chariot. It has also given rise to some of the first "named" individuals we know from later prehistory as it entered the world of Rome: Commius, Boudicca, and Cartimandua. In this course, students explore the reality behind these myths, during this fascinating millennium (c. 800 BC-100 AD): the invention of smithing iron, the creation of the hillforts which still dominate our skylines, the fabulous hoards of weaponry and horse-gear buried in pits and rivers, and the burials through which we can explore the lives and deaths of some exceptional figures from the past. We will examine conflict and violence, feasting and craftwork, agricultural labor, and the sacrifice of both people and things. 

The Celtic literatures contain a variety of strong and memorable female and male characters, some positively portrayed and others negatively. The idealized gender characteristics which may underpin these portrayals is explored in the lectures. In the case of the ultimate model of masculinity, the male hero, the myth of heroic prowess coupled with the underlying threat of unpredictability and violence is examined. In addition, the blurred lines of gender identity in poetry is a particular focus. Saints' Lives of the Middle Ages, often an expected source of gender role reversal and fluidity, is also covered. A range of representative texts are read in translation, and discussed and analyzed in lectures.

This course examines the history of folkloristics and the documentation of popular tradition and folklore in Ireland and abroad, with reference to the various movements and interests which have shaped their development. Particular attention is paid to early collecting work in Ireland, and to the work of pioneers in the field. The evolution of collecting methodology in this country, and some of the more important approaches to the study of folklore, are examined and traced from the late 18th century to the present. The course makes reference to the National Folklore Collection's unique archive holdings at UCD, and to the library in the UCD Delargy Centre for Irish Folklore with its comprehensive collection of 18th and 19th century writings and publications.

Students learn to read and translate basic classical Old Irish. They describe the orthography of Old Irish and how it differs from its modern counterpart, learn to analyze the grammatical structure of basic Old Irish sentences with the appropriate terminology, and to describe the concept of the "paradigm" and apply it to the grammatical analysis. The course teaches students how to recognize and explain the main differences between Old and Modern Irish, how to apply the skills of grammatical analysis acquired in the study of Old Irish to any other language, and how to use textual glossaries competently.

Celtic Studies covers enormous distances of space (Europe, Asia Minor, North and South America) and time, covering some 3000 years. Who were the Celts? Where were they? What language(s) did they speak? What did their Neighbours (Greeks, Etruscans, Iberians, Romans) say about them? This course gives an overview of Celtic Studies by looking at the history and culture of the Celts from the earliest period down to the 17th century and shall touch upon archaeology, Celtic inscriptions, the Classical world and aspects of the medieval Celtic Culture of Britain and Ireland as well as the modern Celtic heritage.

This course is offered exclusively to visiting and exchange students and offers students with little or no background in Scottish studies an introduction to the development of Scotland through the ages from an interdisciplinary perspective. With contributions from academic staff in archaeology, Celtic and Gaelic, history, and Scottish literature, this course addresses how Scotland has been affected by change over time, and how – through the years – Scotland has sought expression in language and literature and the physical environment. 

Celtic languages are presently spoken in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, on the Isle of Man, in Cornwall and in Brittany, as well as in a small number of diasporic communities. This course explores the emergence of these Celtic speech communities into the historical record in the Middle Ages, the social, political and cultural forces which have shaped their development, and their current prospects for survival. The impact of the development of central state authorities, the protestant Reformation, wider British and French politics, the Enlightenment, Romanticism, the emergence of the modern nation-state, contemporary minority discourses will be considered. Literary and other sources in the various Celtic languages (in translation) will be used to explore these themes. While the focus will be sociolinguistic and literary, linguistic characteristics of the languages will be referred to from time to time.