Manx literature
Encyclopedia
Manx literature is literature in the Manx language
.
The earliest datable text in Manx (preserved in 18th century manuscript
s), a poetic history of the Isle of Man
from the introduction of Christianity
, dates to the 16th century at the latest.
Christianity has been an overwhelming influence on Manx literature. Religious literature was common, but surviving secular writing much rarer. The Book of Common Prayer
and Bible
were translated into Manx in the 17th and 18th centuries. The first Manx Bible was printed between 1771 and 1775 and is the source and standard for modern Manx orthography
. It was a collective translation undertaken by most the Manx clergy under the editorship of Philip Moore. Further editions followed in 1777 and 1819. A tradition of , religious songs or carols
, developed, probably with its roots in the pre-Reformation period. Until the 18th century, the authors of were generally clergy, but in the 19th century new words would be put to popular tunes for use in churches and chapels.
The first printed work in Manx, , dates from 1707: a translation of a Prayer Book catechism
in English by Bishop Thomas Wilson
.
Pargys Caillit was an abridged Manx version of Paradise Lost
by John Milton
published in 1796 by Thomas Christian, vicar of Marown 1780-1799.
Edward Faragher, of Cregneash
has been considered the last important native writer of Manx. From the age of 26, he wrote poetry, often on religious subjects, some of which were printed in the Mona's Herald and the Cork Eagle. Some of his stories are reminiscences of his life as a fisherman, and in 1901 , translations of selected Aesop
's Fables, was published.
With the revival
of Manx, new literature has appeared, including a Manx translation of Alice in Wonderland
by Brian Stowell
, published in 1990. In March 2006 the first full-length Manx novel was published: (The Vampire Murders), also by Brian Stowell.
Manx language
Manx , also known as Manx Gaelic, and as the Manks language, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, historically spoken by the Manx people. Only a small minority of the Island's population is fluent in the language, but a larger minority has some knowledge of it...
.
The earliest datable text in Manx (preserved in 18th century manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
s), a poetic history of the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
from the introduction of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, dates to the 16th century at the latest.
Christianity has been an overwhelming influence on Manx literature. Religious literature was common, but surviving secular writing much rarer. The Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
and Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
were translated into Manx in the 17th and 18th centuries. The first Manx Bible was printed between 1771 and 1775 and is the source and standard for modern Manx orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
. It was a collective translation undertaken by most the Manx clergy under the editorship of Philip Moore. Further editions followed in 1777 and 1819. A tradition of , religious songs or carols
Carol (music)
A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....
, developed, probably with its roots in the pre-Reformation period. Until the 18th century, the authors of were generally clergy, but in the 19th century new words would be put to popular tunes for use in churches and chapels.
The first printed work in Manx, , dates from 1707: a translation of a Prayer Book catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
in English by Bishop Thomas Wilson
Thomas Wilson (bishop)
Thomas Wilson was Anglican Bishop of Sodor and Man between 1697 and 1755.He was born in Burton and Ness, in the Wirral, Cheshire, in December 1663. Having studied medicine at Trinity College, Dublin, he was ordained priest in 1689...
.
Pargys Caillit was an abridged Manx version of Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
by John Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
published in 1796 by Thomas Christian, vicar of Marown 1780-1799.
Edward Faragher, of Cregneash
Cregneash
Cregneash or Cregneish is a remote village situated on Mull Hill in the south of the Isle of Man.Annual Manx festivals are held in Cregneash and it is home to a flock of the rare four-horned Loaghtan sheep. Much of the village forms a "Living Museum" dedicated to the preservation of the...
has been considered the last important native writer of Manx. From the age of 26, he wrote poetry, often on religious subjects, some of which were printed in the Mona's Herald and the Cork Eagle. Some of his stories are reminiscences of his life as a fisherman, and in 1901 , translations of selected Aesop
Aesop
Aesop was a Greek writer credited with a number of popular fables. Older spellings of his name have included Esop and Isope. Although his existence remains uncertain and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a...
's Fables, was published.
With the revival
Language revival
Language revitalization, language revival or reversing language shift is the attempt by interested parties, including individuals, cultural or community groups, governments, or political authorities, to reverse the decline of a language. If the decline is severe, the language may be endangered,...
of Manx, new literature has appeared, including a Manx translation of Alice in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
by Brian Stowell
Brian Stowell
Brian Stowell is a Manx radio personality, linguist and author. He is considered one of the primary people behind the revival of the Manx language. While a student he became fluent in the language, and made tape recordings of its elderly speakers. He became fluent in Irish and used his fluency to...
, published in 1990. In March 2006 the first full-length Manx novel was published: (The Vampire Murders), also by Brian Stowell.
See also
- Gaelic literatureGaelic literatureGaelic literature is literature in the vernacular Gaelic languages of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.Gaelic literature is recognised as one of the oldest literature traditions of Europe, excepting only Latin literature and Greek literature: literature has been written in Gaelic languages...
- British literatureBritish literatureBritish Literature refers to literature associated with the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. By far the largest part of British literature is written in the English language, but there are bodies of written works in Latin, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Cornish, Manx, Jèrriais,...
- Irish literatureIrish literatureFor a comparatively small island, Ireland has made a disproportionately large contribution to world literature. Irish literature encompasses the Irish and English languages.-The beginning of writing in Irish:...
- Scottish literatureScottish literatureScottish 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.The earliest...