Bardic poetry has often been portrayed as a genre that is entirely resistant to change and the bardic poet has even been depicted as a figure whose mindset differed little from that of the pagan priest or druid. It is asserted that this extreme conservatism is manifest in seemingly arcane beliefs such as the notion of the prince being married to his kingdom, the depiction of the poet and his prince as lovers and the entitlement of the poet to share his lord’s bed. This paper will argue that such a characterization ignores the social and political significance of these concepts and overlooks the prevalence of corresponding ideas in late medieval and early modern Europe. Particular attention will be paid to a bardic poem that throws much light on the poet-patron relationship, offers insights into the notion of bardic courtship and presents a novel view of how bardic poetry itself is conceived and created. The contention is that poems such as this must be read within their contemporary cultural and intellectual milieu rather than being seen as shadows of a dim pre-Christian past.
Ganed Ailbhe Ó Corráin ym Melffast a’i addysgu yng Ngholeg Sant Malachi a Phrifysgol y Frenhines Belffast. Y mae’n Athro Emeritus mewn Gwyddeleg ym Mhrifysgol Wlster ac yn gyn-Gyfarwyddwr y Sefydliad Ymchwil Gwyddeleg ac Astudiaethau Celtaidd, Doire (Derry). Bu’n darlithio gynt mewn Ieithoedd a Llenyddiaeth Geltaidd ym Mhrifysgol Uppsala, Sweden (1980–7 a 1989–94) ac mewn Ieithoedd Celtaidd ym Mhrifysgol Bonn, Yr Almaen (1987–9). Cafodd statws Docent ym Mhrifysgol Uppsala yn 1992, ac fe’i gwnaed yn Ymchwilydd Hyglod Hŷn yn Wlster yn 2009; bu hefyd yn Athro ar Ymweliad yn Uppsala rhwng 2008 a 2012. Y mae wedi cyhoeddi ar amryfal agweddau ar yr iaith Wyddeleg a’i llenyddiaeth, yn arbennig ym meysydd cystrawen, semanteg a barddoniaeth Wyddeleg Glasurol. Arweiniodd ei Ddarlith Marstrander ar Giolla Brighde Ó hEódhasa (Oslo 2012) at gyhoeddi The Pearl of the Kingdom: A Study of A fhir léghtha an leabhráin bhig by Giolla Brighde Ó hEódhasa (2013) ac fe’i dilynwyd gan ddau fonograff arall ynghylch yr un bardd, The Light of the Universe: Poems of Friendship and Consolation (2014) a The Dark Cave and the Divine Light: Verses on the Human Condition (2016). Ymhlith ei erthyglau arloesol ar iaith ac ieithyddiaeth y mae ‘On the Syntax and Semantics of Expressions of Being in Early Irish’ (1997); ‘Spatial Perception and the Development of Grammatical Categories in Irish’ (1997); Aspects of Voice in the Grammatical Structure of Irish’ (2001); ‘On the Evolution of Verbal Aspect in Insular Celtic’ (2013) a ‘Rudimenta Grammaticae Hibernicae’ (2017). Ef yw prif olygydd Studia Celtica Upsaliensia, Is-lywydd Societas Celtologica Nordica a chyn-lywydd yr European Society for Irish Studies. Mae’n aelod o Fwrdd Rheoli geiriadur Gwyddeleg hanesyddol Academi Frenhinol Iwerddon ac o bwyllgor yr Academi, Coiste Léann na Gaeilge, Litríocht na Gaeilge agus na gCultúr Ceilteach. Ef yw Cadeirydd éigse Cholm Cille a bu gynt yn aelod o Fwrdd Rheoli Ysgol Astudiaethau Celtaidd Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Dulyn.