Thesis (Inaug.-Diss.)--University of Göttingen. / Under the direction of Professor Friedrich Wöhler. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Inaug.-Diss.)--University of Göttingen. / Under the direction of Professor Friedrich Wöhler. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2004. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 232-241). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

This thesis examines the relationship between the character 'Deirdriu', depicted within Longes mac n- Uislenn, and the woman later referred to as Derdri, Deirdri, Deirdre or Derdrinne. It explores the initial construction and gradual evolution of this character, in relation to the manuscript tradition of Longes mac n-Uislenn and its descendants within the Ulster Cycle. It is proposed that the characterisation of Deirdriu constitutes a form of commentary upon the flawed nature of Conchobor mac Nessa’s kingship of Ulster, but that she is not a figure of sovereignty in the sense in which it has been understood by previous critics of the tradition. The thesis reassesses the contents, structure, and manuscript tradition of the textual witnesses to Longes mac n-Uislenn and Oidheadh Chloinne hUisneach, its later development, and assesses the validity of regarding both tales as primarily concerned with the portrayal of Deirdriu. It is argued that several distinct strands of material relating to the relationships between Deirdriu, the sons of Uisliu, Conchobor mac Nessa and Fergus mac Róich may be identified, ranging from the Early Medieval to the Early Modern period, and that these strands have exercised varying levels of influence upon subsequent revisions of these relationships, up to and including the period of the nineteenth- and twentieth-century Irish Renaissance. The conclusions of this thesis proceed from close textual analysis of the primary source material, supplemented, where appropriate, by narratological theory. Chapter 1 introduces the issues to be considered, and reviews the relevant literature to date. Chapter 2 outlines the methodological approaches adopted throughout the following textual analysis. Chapter 3 defines the episodic structure of Longes mac n-Uislenn, and analyses its contents. Chapter 4 presents a detailed consideration of the Glenmasan Manuscript, the earliest extant witness to Derdriu’s evolution within the Early Modern period. Chapter 5 argues that the characterisation of Deirdriu within the Ulster Cycle constitutes a form of commentary upon the flawed nature of Conchobor mac Nessa’s kingship of Ulster – within the earlier tradition – and upon the compromised honour of Fergus mac Róich within the later.

No description available.

This thesis explores the literary figure of the mythical early Irish judge, Fíthal, from the earliest literary reference to him, c. 800, until MacPherson’s Ossian of the mid-eighteenth century. It does so by close study of the texts within which Fíthal appears, with close attention to their assumptions and purposes. From this series of close studies we can chart the developing character of Fíthal from juridical authority in the legal and legalistic texts to ideal judge or chief judge in the wider literary tradition. The thesis is divided into seven chapters, a general introduction, and one appendix. Chapter 1 contains a literature review of the major authors and disciplines which contributed to the thesis. Chapter 2 explains Fíthal’s position as a Wisdom Figure and the international background of Irish didactic literature. Chapters 3 and 4 contain the survey of Fíthal’s existence in Irish literature including discussion of the authorial intent underlying each manifestation. Chapter 5 is a new critical edition of the most important poem concerning Fíthal. Chapter 6 is a discussion of some hitherto unexplored but important facets of Fíthal’s character and an assessment of the theoretical writings which have implications for an understanding of his status. This thesis contributes to the continuing debate concerning the relationship between early Irish law and early Irish literature while simultaneously updating and revising scholarly knowledge concerning Fíthal. The thesis ranges widely over early Irish literature as it touches on Fíthal and explains his role in the literature in both its native and international context. It is hoped that this treatment of a relatively obscure but widespread figure will demonstrate how it is possible within the extant evidence to capture a character with a continuing presence in the tradition – a conclusion with considerable implications for our understanding of the tradition itself.

How have the Scots, Irish, Welsh, Cornish, Manx and Bretons built and maintained their Celtic identities over the last three centuries? The Celtic revivals which Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and Wales started experiencing in the eighteenth century were not confined to these regions. They were supported by London and Paris, where expatriate Celts had settled. A comparison of the revivals demonstrates that the search for a distinct national voice encouraged the Welsh and Bretons, and subsequently the Scots, Irish, Manx and Cornish, to form a pan-Celtic union consolidated by three major Celtic congresses. Since the revivals, the Celtic regions have come closer together thanks to the ongoing influence of the Celtic languages, whose revitalisation has enabled the Celtic cultures to overcome attacks meant to eradicate them. Once regarded as backward and inadequate for economic prosperity, the Celtic tongues have adapted to modernity through the passage to writing and print, and through their extension to new fields. As a bridge between past and present, they form the memory of modern Celticism, annually reawakened during a festival like Pan Celtic. Comparatively, Galicia has fused memory and imagination together because this region no longer speaks any Celtic language. The Celticity Galicia began imagining in the mid-nineteenth century has given birth to Galician nationalism, embodied within an autonomous community. Similarly, the six Celtic regions have invented a Celtic ethnicity for themselves, since there is no continuity between the ancient and the modern Celts. The latter's ethnogenesis has developed into nationalisms that strengthen their distinctiveness from their dominant neighbours. Nationalism has exported Celticism beyond the geographical boundaries of the Celtic regions. The construction of Celtic Scottishness, a case study, results from a partnership between Scotland, the initiator of tartans, clan gatherings and Scottish Gaelic, and North America, which has made these aspects internationally popular. Diasporic versions of Scottish Celtic culture have been introduced into the homeland, so that original and diasporic Celtic Scottishness have blended together. The diaspora Celts give Celtic identities new forms of expression.

Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans))-Universiteit van Pretoria. 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

No description available.