Background info on Craigan White Hare

Subject: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: GUEST,radriano
Date: 05 Apr 00 - 02:59 PM

I'm looking for background information on an Irish song called The Craigan White Hare. There's also some question on the spelling of the title.

The song is not in the database - I'll post it once I'm sure of the spelling of the title.

Thanks, everyone
radriano

Subject: RE: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 05 Apr 00 - 03:14 PM

"Creggan", usually. If its not in the DT, did we have it in a thread some time ago? Karan Casey recorded it about two years ago and started the hare again (sorry!)

Regards

Subject: RE: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: GUEST,radriano
Date: 05 Apr 00 - 03:57 PM

Thanks, Martin. I had Creggan originally and then someone told me it should be Craigan. I'm working on the liner notes for an upcoming CD and I want to be sure I get my facts straight.

Cheers,
radriano

Subject: RE: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 05 Apr 00 - 05:06 PM

Heres the words, in an old thread:

CLICK HERE

Regards

Subject: RE: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: GUEST,radriano
Date: 05 Apr 00 - 07:00 PM

Thanks, Martin. I already had the words, apparently from the same source in that thread but I very much appreciate you sending me the link. I thought I had searched for previous threads (under Creggan as well as Craigan) - oh well.

Regards,
radriano

Subject: RE: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 07:16 AM

Karan Casey, in the sleeve notes to her "Songlines" CD says:

"A song about a witch who changes into a white hare that is too swift and wily for the hunters and hounds chasing her. The hare's fame lies in the fact that she never gets caught. This is a true story. I got this version from Pddy Tunney's book The Stone Fiddle "

I don't know where she got the story from - quite possibly from Paddy Tunney himself.

Me? I hae me doots...

Regards

Subject: RE: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 11:28 AM

In Chapter 16 of The Stone Fiddle, Paddy Tunney discusses hares and witch-hares, and then says, "Which brings me to that lovely song of a remarkable white hare that ran, not so many moons ago, on the turf banks of Creggan."  He makes no suggestion that there was anything supernatural about the hare in question, so it may be that Karan Casey's comments were the result of a misunderstanding, or simply romantic wishful thinking, on her part.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 11:34 AM

Thanks, Malcolm - that sounds plausible alright.

Regards

Subject: RE: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: GUEST,radriano
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 12:37 PM

I am gathering this information for a CD I'm producing of my former band Out of the Rain. I'd like very much to acknowledge those who provided me with song information. To avoid posting personal information at the Mudcat site please contact me at [e-mail]

radriano

Subject: RE: Background info on Craigan White Hare
From: GUEST,Annraoi
Date: 06 Apr 00 - 03:39 PM

Martin, I hae me doots as weel. I know the hare was indeed regarded with superstitious reverence / awe / fear etc. in rural Ireland, a perception going back into pagan times when all sorts of animals had supernatural attributes; what my old Prof. Heinrich Wagner called upon to bolster a theory of circumpolar religion involving animal totemism. Paddy Tunney also tells a might fine yarn. Annraoi