The
aisling (
IrishIrish is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now only spoken natively by a small minority of the Irish population but also plays an important symbolic role in the life of the Irish state, and is used...
for 'dream', ), or vision poem, is a poetic genre that developed during the late 17th and 18th centuries in
Irish languageIrish is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now only spoken natively by a small minority of the Irish population but also plays an important symbolic role in the life of the Irish state, and is used...
poetryThe history of Irish poetry includes the poetries of two languages, one in Irish and the other in English. The complex interplay between these two traditions, and between both of them and other poetries in English, has produced a body of work that is both rich in variety and difficult to...
. The word may have a number of variations in pronunciation, however, in the Irish language the first syllable always includes a [ʃ] ("sh") sound.
In an aisling, the island of Ireland appears to the poet in a vision in the form of a woman, sometimes young and beautiful, sometimes old and haggard.
The
aisling (
IrishIrish is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now only spoken natively by a small minority of the Irish population but also plays an important symbolic role in the life of the Irish state, and is used...
for 'dream', ), or vision poem, is a poetic genre that developed during the late 17th and 18th centuries in
Irish languageIrish is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now only spoken natively by a small minority of the Irish population but also plays an important symbolic role in the life of the Irish state, and is used...
poetryThe history of Irish poetry includes the poetries of two languages, one in Irish and the other in English. The complex interplay between these two traditions, and between both of them and other poetries in English, has produced a body of work that is both rich in variety and difficult to...
. The word may have a number of variations in pronunciation, however, in the Irish language the first syllable always includes a [ʃ] ("sh") sound.
Format
In an aisling, the island of Ireland appears to the poet in a vision in the form of a woman, sometimes young and beautiful, sometimes old and haggard. This female figure is generally referred to in the poems as a Spéirbhean (sky-woman; pronounced 'spare van'). She laments the current state of the Irish people and predicts an imminent revival of their fortunes, usually linked to the return of a
StuartThe House of Stuart, also known as the House of Stewart, is an important European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century. Their direct ancestors had held the title High Steward of Scotland since the...
pretender to the
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
throne.
The form developed out of an earlier, non-political genre which was essentially an Irish form of the
FrenchFrench poetry is a category of French literature. It may include Francophone poetry composed outside France and poetry written in other languages of France.-French prosody and poetics:...
reverdieThe reverdie is an old French poetic genre, which celebrates the arrival of spring. Literally, it means "re-greening". Often the poet will encounter Spring, symbolized by a beautiful woman....
, in which the poet meets a beautiful, supernatural woman who symbolises the spring season, the bounty of nature, and love.
The first and greatest of the aisling poets was Aodhagán Ó Rathaille, "athair an aisling" (i.e. father of the aisling). In his hands, the aisling is a powerful mode of political writing. In the 18th century, the form became something of an empty formula and became the target of jokes.
Probably the most famous example of aisling poetry is
Róisín DubhRóisín Dubh, meaning "Black Rose", written in the 16th century, is one of Ireland's most famous political songs. It is based on an older love-lyric which referred to the poet's beloved rather than, as here, being a metaphor for Ireland. The intimate tone of the original carries over into the...
.
Satire
The
ScottishScottish literature is literature written in Scotland or by Scottish writers. It includes literature written in English, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Brythonic, French, Latin and any other language in which a piece of literature was ever written within the boundaries of modern Scotland.-Earliest...
JacobiteJacobitism was the political movement dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
poet
Alasdair MacMhaighstir AlasdairAlasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair was a military officer during the Jacobite Rising as well as a legendary - sometimes regarded as the premier - poet in the Scottish Gaelic language...
poked fun at the aisling genre in his Anti-
CampbellClan Campbell is historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland Scottish clans.-Origins:The origins of Clan Campbell are uncertain. The earliest attested Campbell is Gilleasbaig of Menstrie , father of Cailean Mór, from whom the chiefs of the clan are thought to...
polemic "An Airce". Towards the end of the 18th century,
MunsterMunster is a province of Ireland, located in the south-west of the island. The province is not used as an administration division as such, with the counties filling that role. Much of the area aside from Clare is represented internationally by the South constituency of the European Parliament...
poet
Brian MerrimanBrian Merriman or in Irish Brian Mac Giolla Meidhre was an Irish language poet and teacher. His single surviving work of substance, the 1000-line long Cúirt An Mheán Oíche is widely regarded as the greatest comic poem in the history of Irish literature.-Merriman's life:Merriman appears to have...
also parodied the aisling form in his comic masterpiece "Cúirt An Mheán Óiche".
Other uses
- LÉ Aisling (P23)
LÉ Aisling is a ship in the Irish Naval Service. The ship was named Aisling to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Patrick Pearse...
is a ship in the Irish Naval service.
- Shane MacGowan and the Popes
Shane MacGowan and The Popes is a band formerly led by Shane MacGowan of the Pogues, who play a blend of rock, and Irish folk, sometimes referred to as Paddy Beat, borrowing from World Beat, a popular genre name in the 1980s. Shane MacGowan and the Popes released two studio and one live album in...
have a song on their album The SnakeThe Snake is the first solo album by Shane MacGowan with backing band The Popes, featuring Maire Brennan , Sinéad O'Connor and Johnny Depp on lead guitar.-Track listing:...
entitled "Aisling"
- "Aisling" is a poem by Seamus Heaney from the collection NORTH (1975).
- The acclaimed Irish author Ciaran Carson has said that much of his literature is based around the idea of the aisling, or, dream vision.
- There is an Irish band in Central Ohio who uses the name Aisling.
External links