Cartoon Saloon, an Irish animation studio based in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, explores themes of liminality, urbanization, and coming of age in its trio of Irish folklore-themed films. Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and Wolfwalkers each explore Irish identity, folklore, and community through different time periods and spaces to create truly Irish animated films. Each film explores the tension between folklore and Christianity, urban and rural community, and the challenges of coming of age in various ways through the lens of Irish folklore. By communicating these themes in animated films, Cartoon Saloon centers indigenous animation work in a country that has lacked an indigenous industry and uses the flexibility of animation as an art form to address Ireland's history and mythology through the writing, music score, and animation style of the three films. Cartoon Saloon stands at the forefront of a new revitalization of Irish culture reminiscent of the Gaelic and Celtic revivals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through their dedication to preserving and exploring Irish mythology, art, history, and language via an emergence of an indigenous Irish animation industry. / Master of Arts / Cartoon Saloon, an Irish animation studio based in Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, has released a trio of films centered on Irish folklore. These films explore Irish history, mythology, and tradition through several time periods and explore themes of liminality and coming of age. Secret of Kells, the first film, explores the Abbey of Kells and the creation of the Book of Kells through the eyes of Brandon, a young monk learning to find his place in the Abbey. He encounters a fairy girl and learns that there is more to his world than the Abbot had taught him. The second film, Song of the Sea, is set in modern times and tells the story of Ben's adventure to save his sister, who is half-selkie. The final film, Wolfwalkers, explores Kilkenny during English occupation through the adventures of Robyn, a young English girl who is turned into a wolfwalker and learns about the magic present in the Irish countryside. Each film explores the tension between folklore and Christianity, urban and rural community, and the challenges of coming of age in various ways through the lens of Irish folklore. Cartoon Saloon stands at the forefront of a new revitalization of Irish culture reminiscent of the Gaelic and Celtic revivals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through their dedication to preserving and exploring Irish mythology, art, history, and language via an emergence of an indigenous Irish animation industry.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/104103 |
| Date | 02 July 2021 |
| Creators | Hargrave, Rachel Irene |
| Contributors | English, Eska, Charlene Marie, Cleland, Katharine, Hodges, Kenneth |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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