Abstract
In early Ireland tales were told by official storytellers at great public assemblies and storytellers also provided entertainment in noble households. These were learned and, it would appear, professional storytellers, who were rewarded for their art, and mention is made of them in various contexts in early Irish literature. In the tragic story of ‘The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu’, for example, dating fromabout the beginning of the ninth century, such a storyteller (scélaige) is met with. He is Feidhlimid mac Daill, the father of Deirdre (of the Sorrows) and he is the storyteller of Conchobhar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster. The story implies that Feidhlimid is a man of substance and social standing as he is entertaining the king and his retinue in his house (Windisch 1880: I, 67, lines 2-3). Other storytellers are also glimpsed in medieval Irish literature, and extant tale-lists show that the professional activity of the file or learned poet included storytelling, and that his repertoire consisted of a large corpus of tales for narrating ‘to kings, princes and noblemen’ (Mac Cana 1980: 15-16, 137; Rees 1961: 16).
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
