The Culture ClubThe Irish culture consists of many, many different ideas. You have the folklore, the music, the foods, the fashion, the sense of humor, and a million other things that make the Irish differ from us Americans. On this page I will be discussing three of the parts of their culture: The music, The Folklore, and The Victorian Fashions of Ireland.
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"The only difference between Irish folk and American country is the brand of whiskey." -Heather Alexander, Irish Folk singer (a statement made when I saw her perform on April 12th, 2003) The Irish have a reputation between them and their alcoholic beverages, but what good would a fact like that be if not for the classic Irish drinking songs, that I'm willing to make a bet quite a few people know. To name a few Irish songs(and one Irish drinking song) I would like to also mention, that though these are quite a few years old, bands like The Chieftains, and The Dropkick Murphy's have made Celtic Rock song sout of them, you have "The Wild Rover(that drinking song I promised you), "The Rocky Road to Dublin", and "The Foggy Dew", U2 also has a song called "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" about Ireland. The Irish are known for their Highland Pipes, which are similar to the scottish Bag Pipe, but come on, we all know the Irish are better! :) The picture below is at a Medeval Recreational Society get together, featuring Medeval/Victorian clothing and those infamous Highland Pipes. |
The Victorian Clothing
Ah, yes, we all know of the era of fashion when your clothes weighed more then you did, who can't miss them! Ah, rest in peace ye good ol' days! But, I am going to discuss the clothing of the time with you, just because, even though I wouldn't be caught dead wearing them, I do happen to love them.The gown below is from the early 1820s, and you can see how the silhouette is moving toward the full skirt hem. Notice all the frou-frou on that dress as well. |
Mythology
The surviving stories that exist in present day are divded into four categories: The Mythological Cycle: contains stories of the Irish invaders. The Ulster Cycle: has stories about the hero CúChulainn. The Fenian Cycle: focuses on Finn mac Cumhail, Oisín, and the fiana. The Kingly Cycle: traces the origins of Ireland's ruling houses, especially Ui Neill (O'Neill). While the Celtic myths lack creation stories, and tales of many deities, what does appear throughout the myths is the importance of nature and its interface with the spirit. Birth, growth and death are seen as an ongoing, recurring process, driven by the spirit. As a result, this meant that the Celts were determined not to violate nature, but to be in one with it. |
