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An Maighdean Mhara
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Subject: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Angun Date: 06 Apr 00 - 07:02 PM Is there anybody who knows any versions of this song? Any language.....I think I´ve heard somewhere that it is a version of this song from Norway or Iceland...? Anyway, it´s a story about a fisherman that falls in love with a mermaid, and by taking her crown away she forget her orgins. When their children discover this crown and shows it to their mother and she place the crown on her head, she yearns for the sea and she leaves her husband and her children..... Angun |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Mbo Date: 06 Apr 00 - 07:07 PM Ooh, Aine knows this one, and sings it beautifully in Gaelic...just hang around till she comes over, she'll be glad to help! --Mbo |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Angun Date: 06 Apr 00 - 07:17 PM Maybe I should tell that I know the version that Altan sings ( 3 verses?) Angun |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Áine Date: 06 Apr 00 - 07:21 PM Here you go, Angun. Click here for the version on my webpage in Irish and an English translation. It's one of my favourite songs. -- Áine |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Angun Date: 06 Apr 00 - 07:22 PM |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Angun Date: 06 Apr 00 - 07:24 PM Thanks a lot Áine! Do you know if there exists any other versions of this song? Angun |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Áine Date: 06 Apr 00 - 07:42 PM Dear Angun, I know that I've heard a version sung in Scots-Gaelic -- I believe that Alisdair Fraser (sp?) does one. I know that there are supposedly several verses to the song, but the only one I've ever seen is the fourth verse I have on my webpage. I hope that Philippa sees this thread, because she probably knows where to find the verses if they can be found. Ádh mór ort, Áine |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Brendy Date: 06 Apr 00 - 08:01 PM Try getting your hands on Clannad's first album. Dudde at Rotspel may have it. I have it on CD here, but, you're miles away, aren't you? It's worth your while getting your hands on Clannad's early stuff. After all the bands at that time: Bothy Band, Skara Brae, Emmet Spiceland, Planxty, were responsible for the way people think about Irish music.ap> Don't listen to what Finbar Furey says, they never defined Irish music at any time. B. |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Philippa Date: 07 Apr 00 - 04:01 PM Do a search for Mhara and you'll see the text is already on the cat. I heard the Scottish song on the soundtrack of a promotional video for the Western Isles. I broke out laughing because I knew that the last line of the chorus means "You enticed me with deceit"! |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Mrrzy-at-work Date: 07 Apr 00 - 04:19 PM Sounds a lot like The Secret of Roan Inish, no? |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 07 Apr 00 - 05:22 PM Here is the link for the Scottish Gaelic version of the song http://www.tns.lcs.mit.edu/harp/archives/1998.03/0191.html
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Angun Date: 07 Apr 00 - 06:12 PM Thanks to everyone!! Mrrzy-at-work, how goes The Secret of Roan Inish ? All the best, Angun |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,C O Gealbhain Date: 07 Apr 00 - 07:30 PM Hi Angun, Still working on An Mhaighdean Mhara! Fair Play!! I thought you sang it really well in Norway. Anyway, I finally have that C.D for you - IN MY HAND. I'll send it Monday if you send an address to the Danú site. Take care agus go n-éirí ádh, Ciarán |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Áine Date: 07 Apr 00 - 09:28 PM Dear Angun, Below are the lyrics in Irish, and an English translation, to the Selke Song (as it's called on the CD insert) from the soundtrack to The Secret Of Roan Inish. The music is listed as 'traditional' (it's the same tune as An Mhaighdean Mhara) and the words are credited to Mason Darling. I've typed them as they appear on the CD insert, except for putting in the fadas where they belonged and correcting some very obvious spelling mistakes. The rest is how it appears on the insert. I'd like to know the opinions of the other commentators on this thread; however, I personally think Daring's Irish lyrics are a pale imitation of the traditional lyrics (and just plain bad poetry). But, I'm providing them to you for your information and comparison. Le meas, Áine
Selke Song |
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Subject: RE: An Mhaighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Philippa Date: 08 Apr 00 - 10:13 AM Roan (Rón) Inish (Inis) means "seal isalnd". As may be clear from Áine's message, this is the title of a film, not a song. The song Áine gives isn't very different from the way an Mhaighdean Mhara (the Irish, not the Scottish song) is usually sung. |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Angun Date: 08 Apr 00 - 05:33 PM Thanks a lot Áine and Philippa! And Ciarán - I will send you my adress at once! All the best, Angun |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Mrrzy-at-work Date: 10 Apr 00 - 02:09 PM Yes, Angun, I meant the film, which I recommend highly. But I am thrilled to see the lyrics to the song sung during the movie here, thanks, A'ine! (I'd do your name right if I could; how is it pronounced?) Also, I recommend the song that Joan Baez sings called The Great Silkie of Shull-Skerry (sp?), which is a version of a Child ballad. It's another one that I can't get through without bursting into tears. |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Áine Date: 10 Apr 00 - 02:20 PM Dear Mrrzy, It's pronounced 'Ahn-yah', and you can just copy my name from any post and paste it into a message, if you'd like to. You can type it 'Aine' if you want, that's fine too. -- Áine |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Eluned Date: 28 Apr 00 - 07:46 PM Can anyone tell me if Rennaisance's "Ocean Gypsy" is a version of a mermaid song? I've always loved the tune, but have been puzzled as to it's source. |
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Subject: RE: An Mhaighdean Mhara From: Felipa Date: 08 May 23 - 08:47 PM Is cosúil gur mheath tú Nó gur thréig tú an greann Tá an sneachta go freasach Fá bhéal na mbeann'/na n-áthann /trá Do chúl buí daite Is do bhéilín sámh Siúd chugaibh Mary Chinidh 'S í 'ndiaidh an Éirne 'shnámh A mháithrín mhilis Duirt Máire Bhán Fá bhruach an chladaigh 'S fá bhéal na trá Maighdean mhara, mo mhaithrín ard Siúd chugaibh Mary Chinidh 'S í 'ndiaidh an Éirne 'shnámh Tá mise tuirseach Agus beidh go lá Mo Mháire bhroinngheal/bhruinneall 'S mo Phádraig bán Ar bharr na dtonna 'S fá bhéal na trá Siúd chugaibh Mary Chinidh 'S í 'ndiaidh an Éirne 'shnámh Tá an oíche seo dorcha is tá an ghaoth i ndrochaird Tá an tSeisreach 'na seasamh 's na spearthaí go hard ách ar bharr na dtonnaí is fá bheal na trá Siúd chugaibh Mary Chinidh is í i ndiaidh an Éirne a shnámh |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Anne Lister Date: 10 May 23 - 05:23 PM My former (and sometime) singing partner Mary Mc Laughlin sings a beautiful version of the lyrics posted by Felipa, and has made quite a study of the story, too. We have teamed it up with my song about a Welsh fisherman whose song attracts a Welsh mermaid for occasional performances. IIRC, Mary's version of the story is that Mary Chinidh is a mermaid who has come to shore for love of her husband and has children with him. One child falls into the water, and Mary jumps in to save the child but in the process is doomed to revert again to being a mermaid and never see her children and husband again. |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GerryM Date: 10 May 23 - 06:50 PM "my song about a Welsh fisherman whose song attracts a Welsh mermaid for occasional performances." I have to admit I read the wrong meaning into that. |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Felipa Date: 10 May 23 - 06:53 PM The usual story is that the Mary Chinidh was trapped on land because her husband to be had stolen her mermaid tail (or her seal skin - the sea maiden can be a mermaid or a seal who has taken human form). When she finally finds her missing tail/skin she returns to the sea even when it means leaving her children behind. I don't know the version Angun cited about the mermaid's crown, but the tale is international. Scholars have suggested that the name "Mary Chinidh" (Mary Kenny) may derive from the name Mélusine in related European mythology.(when I referred in the previous paragraph to the tale being international, I had in mind stories more closely parallel with the background story of An Mhaighdean Mhara, however). |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: GUEST,Felipa Date: 11 May 23 - 11:57 AM You can read a version of the tale, about a mermaid in this case, from the northeast coast of Scotland at: https://johneckersley.wordpress.com/tales/mermaid |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Anne Lister Date: 12 May 23 - 11:37 AM I'm very familiar with many variants of the selkie story, as well as the Melusine tales. The story for An Maighdean Mhara, according to Mary Mc Laughlin (who has worked on it pretty thoroughly as well as speaking the language) is, as I said in my post, a slightly different one. Heartbreaking, too. The Welsh mermaid (not a selkie) is also different - she is attracted to the fisherman because of his song, and brings him treasure, as well as in due course bearing him several sets of twins. No question of him keeping her with him by coercion. They are not separated by any twists in the story and are last seen in the story heading off into the sunset together. My take on "Mary Chinidh" being connected to Mélusine? Bit of a stretch, linguistically. And the story is completely different. Mélusine marries a human who finds her (generally in the depths of a forest) and requires certain time to herself. One day the husband spies on her and discovers she's really a serpent/dragon/has a fish tail. She leaves him, often in a fairly dramatic way. There are other tales of a mermaid (French - sirène) who sings to attract a lover and then carries him off under the water. Generally a fatal result for the human. Neither of these story variants involve shape-shifting, seals or lost skins. You can find literally dozens of selkie stories on line, and there are books on the Melusine tales. I'd also suggest, if you're interested, that you contact Mary (Dr Mary Mc Laughlin, who will certainly know more about this song than most people who contribute to Mudcat). (And I took several deep dives into the Melusine/sirène stories myself in the course of my own PhD research, as I had to deal with an underwater fairy). |
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Subject: RE: An Mhaighdean Mhara From: Felipa Date: 12 May 23 - 02:25 PM The story of An Mhaighdean Mhara in Irish and in Scottish Gaelic usually includes the theft and hiding of either her tail (mermaid) or her pelt (seal). And she usually leaves her human children behind (though I did read a version of the tale in which she tried to bring them to the sea - I think that was one of the stories in the schools collection of the Irish Folklore Commission, 1937-39; see https://www.duchas.ie/en/info/cbe) The Scottish song, Òran Na Maighdinn-mhara, has a line in the chorus, "'S ann le foill a mheall thu mi", it's with guile/treachery that you deceived me. Mary Chinidh does shift-shape; she is either a mermaid or a seal who has taken on a human form, but who returns to being a sea creature when she gets the chance. |
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Subject: RE: An Maighdean Mhara From: Georgiansilver Date: 13 May 23 - 06:32 AM Clannad version. |
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