Allan The Ridge MacDonald (1794 Allt an t-Srathain,
Lochaber
Lochaber ( ; ) is a name applied to a part of the Scottish Highlands. Historically, it was a provincial lordship consisting of the parishes of Kilmallie and Kilmonivaig. Lochaber once extended from the Northern shore of Loch Leven, a distric ...
, Scotland – 1 April 1868
Antigonish County
Antigonish County is a historical county and Census divisions of Canada, census division of Nova Scotia, Canada. Local government is provided by the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, the Town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Antigonish, and b ...
, Nova Scotia, Canada) was a
bard
In Celtic cultures, a bard is an oral repository and professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's a ...
,
traditional singer
A traditional singer, also known as a source singer, is someone who has learned folk songs in the oral tradition, usually from older people within their community.
From around the beginning of the twentieth century, song collectors such as Cecil ...
, and ''
seanchaidh'' who emigrated from the
Gàidhealtachd
The (; English: ''Gaeldom'') usually refers to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and especially the Scottish Gaelic-speaking culture of the area. The similar Irish language word refers, however, solely to Irish-speaking areas.
The ter ...
of Scotland to Nova Scotia in 1816. He continued to compose Gaelic poetry on his two separate homesteads in Canada and remains a highly important figure in both
Scottish Gaelic literature
Scottish Gaelic literature refers to literary works composed in the Scottish Gaelic language, which is, like Irish and Manx, a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Gaelic literature was also composed in Gàidhealtachd communities ...
and in that of
Canadian Gaelic
Canadian Gaelic or Cape Breton Gaelic (, or ), often known in Canadian English simply as Gaelic, is a collective term for the dialects of Scottish Gaelic spoken in Atlantic Canada.
Scottish Gaels were settled in Nova Scotia from 1773, with the ...
. He is also, along with
John The Bard MacLean, one of only two 19th-century North American Gaelic poets from whom a sizeable repertoire survives.
Early life
Ailean MacDhòmhnaill was born at Allt an t-Srathan in Lochaber, in 1794. His mother, Mairi ni'n Dòmhnall 'ic Iain Duibh, was a member of
Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell ( ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The chief of the clan be ...
from Ach-a Mhadaidh in
Glen Roy
Glen Roy (, meaning "red glen") in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland is a glen noted for the geological phenomenon of three loch terrace (geology), terraces known as the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy. The terrace ...
. Ailean's father, Alasdair Ruadh mac Aonghas 'ic Alasdair Bhàin, was descended from the tacksmen of Bohuntine. After emigrating to Canada, Alasdair Ruadh MacDhòmhnaill would inherit the mantle of being ''ceann-taigh'' ("Chief Representative", "Chief of the Kindred") of the MacDonalds of Bohuntine.
Alasdair Ruadh MacDhòmhnaill (d. 17, June 1831) was a
cattle drover who resided at Ach nan Comhaichean, on the south banks of the
River Spean
The River Spean flows from Loch Laggan in a westerly direction to join the River Lochy at Gairlochy in the Great Glen in the West Highlands of Scotland. Major tributaries of the Spean include the left-bank Abhainn Ghuilbinn and River Treig, th ...
. According to tradition, Alasdair Ruadh was also a Gaelic poet of merit. None of his poetic compositions are known to survive.
In his youth, Ailean worked as a
shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...
for a local kinsman, Iain Bàn Inse ("Fair John MacDonald of
Inch
The inch (symbol: in or prime (symbol), ) is a Units of measurement, unit of length in the imperial units, British Imperial and the United States customary units, United States customary System of measurement, systems of measurement. It is eq ...
"), whom the poet was later to revile in verse as ''"fear a dhìobair an càirdeas"'' ("one who renounced the traditions of kinship") in the poem, ''Duanag le Ailean Dòmhnallacha bha 'n Achadh-nan Comhaichean air dha miothlachd a ghabhail ri Iain Bàn Ìnnse'' ("A Song by Allan MacDonald of Ach-nan-Comhaichean when he was displeased with Iain Bàn of Inch").
Furthermore, in his later poem ''Moladh Albainn Nuaidh'' ("In Praise of Nova Scotia"), Ailean a' Ridse would later deliver a, "bitter indictment of the working man's lot in Scotland", which has since caused his poem to be compared with the anti-landlord poetry composed by
Màiri Mhòr nan Òran
Mary MacPherson (), known as Màiri Mhòr nan Òran (English: Great Mary of the Songs) or simply Màiri Mhòr (10 March 1821 – 7 November 1898), was a Scottish Gaelic poet from the Isle of Skye, whose contribution to Scottish Gaelic literature ...
decades later to advance the agitation of the
Highland Land League
The first Highland Land League () emerged as a distinct political force in Scotland during the 1880s, with its power base in the country's Highlands and Islands. It was known also as the Highland Land Law Reform Association and the Crofters' Par ...
.
Until the end of the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
in 1815, demand for beef was very high and Alasdair Ruadh MacDhòmhnaill, as a cattle drover in
Glen Spean
The River Spean flows from Loch Laggan in a westerly direction to join the River Lochy at Gairlochy in the Great Glen in the West Highlands of Scotland. Major tributaries of the Spean include the left-bank Abhainn Ghuilbinn and River Treig, ...
, would have been fairly well off compared to other Lochaber
Gaels
The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celts, Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Goidelic languages, Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising ...
. In addition to the constant threat of eviction by the landlord, the economic downturn that followed the
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...
, would have been financially devastating to the MacDhòmhnaill family; particularly as large numbers of demobilized soldiers returned to Lochaber and became their competitors for food, land, and employment. These are believed to have been the reasons why Alasdair Ruadh MacDhòmhnaill decided to bring his whole family to
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
in 1816.
[Edited by Natasha Sumner and Aidan Doyle (2020), ''North American Gaels: Speech, Song, and Story in the Diaspora'', McGill-Queen's University Press. Pages 14–16.]
Nova Scotia
Although no documentation survives regarding which ship they sailed for Nova Scotia on, it is known to have been one of the five emigrant ships from
Aberdeen
Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
that arrived at the port of
Pictou
Pictou ( ; Canadian Gaelic: ''Baile Phiogto'' Miꞌkmawiꞌsimk: ''Piktuk'') is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km (6 miles) nor ...
in 1816.
[Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a'Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', ]Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press. Page 17.
At the age of only 22, Ailean a' Ridse versified the story of his family's voyage to Nova Scotia
in his poem, ''Tighinn do dh' America'' ("Coming to America"), which the Bard set to the tune, ''Sàil Beinn Mhic Duibhe''. Effie Rankin has called the result, "a remarkable song which resonates with the dynamic energy of sailing ships and stormy seas."
According an account passed down within the family oral tradition and later written down by Mary A. MacDonald (d. 1951) as "Grandfather's Perilous Adventure", the year after their arrival in
Pictou
Pictou ( ; Canadian Gaelic: ''Baile Phiogto'' Miꞌkmawiꞌsimk: ''Piktuk'') is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km (6 miles) nor ...
, the MacDonald family hired a
shallop
Shallop is a name used for several types of boats and small ships (French ''chaloupe'') used for coastal navigation from the seventeenth century. Originally smaller boats based on the chalupa, the watercraft named this ranged from small boats a ...
to sail them across the
Northumberland Strait
The Northumberland Strait (French: ''détroit de Northumberland'') is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada. The strait is formed by Prince Edward Island and the gulf's eastern, southern, and western sho ...
to
Port Hood,
Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...
.
[Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a'Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', ]Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press. Page 18.
According to Mary MacDonald, the shallop was passing
Arisaig, Nova Scotia
Arisaig (), () is a small village in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located on the north coast of eastern mainland Nova Scotia, on the Northumberland Strait, and is connected to the town of Antigonish to the southeast and to New ...
on 31 October 1817 when a violent snowstorm blew them off course. During the ensuing storm, every passenger except Ailean was in the hold. Moments before being swept overboard, Ailean grabbed ahold of a loom and, while holding the loom and gripping his plaid between his teeth, he swam to the shore of
Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...
. When the other passengers and crew also made it to shore, local people took them in and feasted them with potatoes,
herring
Herring are various species of forage fish, belonging to the Order (biology), order Clupeiformes.
Herring often move in large Shoaling and schooling, schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate wate ...
, and tea.
The Ridge of Mabou
As other Roman Catholic Gaels from Lochaber had been doing since at least 1800, the MacDonald family settled on a
homestead
Homestead may refer to:
*Homestead (building), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses
* Nguni homestead, a cluster of houses inhabited by a single extended family, typically with a kraal ...
upon the Southwest Ridge near
Mabou, Nova Scotia
Mabou (; ) is an unincorporated settlement in the Municipality of the County of Inverness on the west coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. The population in 2011 was 1,207 residents. It is the site of The Red Shoe pubBeinn Mhàbu ...
(). On, ''an Ridse'' ("The Ridge"), from whence their descendants continue to take their name, MacDonald lived for more than thirty years and continued to compose Gaelic poetry.
Like the other MacDonalds of the Ridge, Ailean is said at first to have enjoyed composing ''Òrain magaidh'' ("Mocking songs"), or
satirical poetry
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
.
[Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a' Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', ]Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press. Page 24.
The first is ''Òran Dhòmhnaill Mhòr'' ("Big Donald's Satire"), which Ailean a' Ridse composed to the air ''Latha Raon Ruairidh'', after a local immigrant from
Bornish,
South Uist
South Uist (, ; ) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the rest of the Hebrides, is one of the ...
, who was notorious for both his
cowardice
Cowardice is a characteristic wherein excessive fear prevents an individual from taking a risk or facing danger. It is the opposite of courage. As a label, "cowardice" indicates a failure of character in the face of a challenge. One who succumb ...
and physical ugliness, was beaten up in a fight and then went on the run from the police after being charged with swindling a local merchant.
With biting
sarcasm
Sarcasm is the caustic use of words, often in a humorous way, to mock someone or something. Sarcasm may employ ambivalence, although it is not necessarily ironic. Most noticeable in spoken word, sarcasm is mainly distinguished by the inflectio ...
, Ailean a' Ridse lampooned both Dòmhnaill Mòr and the cliches and excesses of Scottish clan
praise poetry
A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens.
Etymology
The word originated as a compound of - 'a ...
. The Bard called down a curse upon those responsible for the flight of Dòmhnaill Mòr from the police and his resulting absence from Cape Breton. He then pretended to praise Dòmhnaill Mòr, whom he called as courageous as the
Jacobite Army during the
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden took place on 16 April 1746, near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. A Jacobite army under Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, thereby endi ...
. He mockingly added that neither
Cuchulain,
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace (, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence.
Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of St ...
,
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...
,
The Great Montrose, nor even
Fionn Mac Cumhail
Fionn mac Cumhaill, often anglicised Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is the leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of young roving hunter-warriors, as well as being a seer and ...
and his
Fianna
''Fianna'' ( , ; singular ''Fian''; ) were small warrior-hunter bands in Gaelic Ireland during the Iron Age and early Middle Ages. A ''fian'' was made up of freeborn young men, often from the Gaelic nobility of Ireland, "who had left fosterage ...
would ever match Dòmhnaill Mòr in a fight. The Bard then described Dòmhnaill Mòr as a man of great physical attractiveness and who was worshipped and adored by the local women, and who was, "equally comely below the rump."
The second satire poem is aimed at the local population of
black bears, whom, as guns were scarce, plundered from the local population with impunity and were according both feared and intensely hated by the pioneer families of Mabou. Ailean a' Ridse is believed to have composed the song
[Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a' Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', ]Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press. Page 166. ''Aoir a' Mhathain'' ("The Bear's Satire"), for which no known tune survives, following an incident at the adjacent homestead of his brother, Dòmhnaill a' Ridse.
One evening, Dòmhnaill witnessed a bear making off with one of his sheep. Despite being armed only with an axe and a firebrand, Dòmhnaill immediately gave chase. He hurled the firebrand at the bear's head and buried his axe blade to its handle in the bear's rump. The bear dropped the sheep and fled, but Dòmhnaill's axe, a priceless tool at the time, was considered lost. Only many months later was the rusted axe found in a pile of animal bones in the forest.
In response, Ailean a' Ridse decided to resort to the magical power attributed to satirical poetry to drive the bears away from the Ridge of Mabou. Modeling the poem that followed upon the well-established "rat satire" tradition in
Scottish Gaelic literature
Scottish Gaelic literature refers to literary works composed in the Scottish Gaelic language, which is, like Irish and Manx, a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Gaelic literature was also composed in Gàidhealtachd communities ...
, which was believed to drive away other kinds of vermin, Ailean called down a curse upon the bears for their thievery and banished them from Mabou to the United States. He urged the bears to steal everything they could possibly get from the
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...
s () of
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
, "and the ritual crossing of water is invoked to ensure success. Although a great number of bear songs exist throughout
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
, ''Òran a' Mhathain'' appears to surpass them all in sheer vituperative vocabulary."
After he composed such a poem, supernatural music was heard from the nearby forest, which was seen as a bad omen and caused both Ailean and the other MacDonalds of The Ridge to cease composing satirical poetry. This is the reason why only two satires by Ailean a' Ridse are known to survive.
In 1841, the first resident
Roman Catholic priest
The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' re ...
, ''Maighstir Alasdair Mòr'' (Fr. Alexander MacDonald, 1801–1865) was assigned to
Mabou
Mabou (; ) is an unincorporated settlement in the Municipality of the County of Inverness on the west coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. The population in 2011 was 1,207 residents. It is the site of The Red Shoe pubBeinn Mhàbu t ...
, where he became, "a veritable chieftain and patron of poets." Fr. MacDonald was also a kinsman of the MacDonalds of the Ridge and was 8th in descent from Iain Dubh MacDhòmhnaill.
Antigonish County
In 1846, following a series of bad harvests caused by the
same blight as the
Great Irish and
Highland potato famine
The Highland Potato Famine () was a period of 19th-century Scottish Highland history (1846 to roughly 1856) over which the agricultural communities of the Hebrides and the western Scottish Highlands () saw their potato crop (upon which they ha ...
s, Ailean was clearing the land and burning brush when the form of a horse, or ''riochd eich'', briefly became visible in the smoke.
[Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a' Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', ]Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press. Page 31. As seeing a vision of a horse or
headless rider is traditionally regarded in Cape Breton as an omen of an imminent death within the family, Ailean and Catriona MacDonald joined an exodus of local Gaels from
Mabou
Mabou (; ) is an unincorporated settlement in the Municipality of the County of Inverness on the west coast of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. The population in 2011 was 1,207 residents. It is the site of The Red Shoe pubBeinn Mhàbu t ...
to
Antigonish County
Antigonish County is a historical county and Census divisions of Canada, census division of Nova Scotia, Canada. Local government is provided by the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, the Town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Antigonish, and b ...
().
In return for
C£250, Ailean sold their farm to his close friend, kinsman, fellow poet, and protege, Aonghas mac Alasdair, by whom the homestead was ever afterwards termed, ''Baile Bhàird'' ("The Farm of the Poet").
Despite his devotion to the Catholic Faith, Ailean a' Ridse sharply opposed Bishop
William Fraser William Fraser may refer to:
Military people
*William W. Fraser (1844–1915), American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
*William Archibald Kenneth Fraser (1886–1969), British army officer
*William Fraser (British Army officer) ( ...
's decision to institute the Total Abstinence Pledge in the
Diocese of Arichat
The Diocese of Antigonish () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in Nova Scotia, Canada. Its current diocesan ordinary is Wayne Joseph Kirkpatrick.
History
The Diocese was established on 22 September ...
in 1841.
[Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a' Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', ]Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press. Page 35.
According to Effie Rankin, Ailean a' Ridse saw the
Catholic temperance movement
Catholic involvement in the temperance movement has been very strong since at least the nineteenth century, with a number of specifically Catholic Church, Catholic societies formed to temperance movement, encourage moderation or teetotalism, to ...
, "as something that had its genesis in an alien culture and which was now posing a threat to traditional Gaelic values."
Ailean a' Ridse was far from alone in these attitudes, however, as Effie Rankin continues, "The Temperance Movement was thoroughly detested by most contemporary Gaelic poets. In his ''Òran dhan Uisge Bheatha'', Donald McLellan the
Broad Cove blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
cites
Scriptures
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...
when he condemns those who would outlaw whiskey, for
Christ
Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
Himself created quantities of fine wine at the
wedding of Cana;
Noah
Noah (; , also Noach) appears as the last of the Antediluvian Patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5–9), the Quran and Baháʼí literature, ...
was allowed to celebrate his survival from
the Flood, free from the censure of angels and prophets. According to MacLellan, temperance is doubly detestable because it is alien to the Gael."
Ailean a' Ridse composed his 1854 poem ''Òran dhan Deoch'',
("A Song to Drink"), which he set to the air ''Robai Dona Gòrach'',
[Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a' Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', ]Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press. Pages 144–151. after he found that not a drop of
whiskey
Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...
was available to drink upon Christmas Eve.
In the poem, Ailean declared himself a believer in, "The creed of
Bacchus
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...
". Ailean lamented the loss of merriment caused by the Church's ban against
Scottish traditional music
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
and alcohol, while also lamenting the damage that he had seen
alcoholism
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
cause in his own family and among many other families like them.
Despite his disagreement with Bishop Fraser over alcohol, the Bard was rendered heartbroken by the Bishop's death in 1851. In response, Ailean a' Ridse composed the poem ''Cumha do' n Easguig Friseal'' ("Lament for Bishop Fraser"), which he set to the air ''A' bliadhna leum dar milleadh''. In the poem, Ailean a' Ridse adapted the traditional iconography of a Highland clan mourning the death of their Chief to local Catholic
Gaels
The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celts, Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Goidelic languages, Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising ...
mourning for the death of their Bishop.
Personal life
Although no documentation currently survives, it is known that Ailean a' Ridse married Catherine MacPherson, the daughter of Muireach MacPherson of Bohuntine, around 1822 or somewhat earlier. They went on to have seven sons and two daughters, four of whom died young. Their oldest son, Alasdair a' Ridse MacDhòmhnaill, was born on the Ridge of Mabou on 27 February 1823 and went on to become a prolific
Canadian Gaelic
Canadian Gaelic or Cape Breton Gaelic (, or ), often known in Canadian English simply as Gaelic, is a collective term for the dialects of Scottish Gaelic spoken in Atlantic Canada.
Scottish Gaels were settled in Nova Scotia from 1773, with the ...
poet,
Traditional singer
A traditional singer, also known as a source singer, is someone who has learned folk songs in the oral tradition, usually from older people within their community.
From around the beginning of the twentieth century, song collectors such as Cecil ...
, and
Seanchaidh in his own right.
Death
According to his family's oral tradition, Ailean a' Ridse composed his last song, ''Òran do dh' Aonghas mac Alasdair'', upon his death bed. During his last illness, Ailean a' Ridse awoke from a dream in which he and his close friend, kinsman, fellow poet, and protege were together singing the Gaelic song, ''An cluinn thu mis' a charaide?'' ("Do you hear me my friend?"). In response, Ailean a' Ridse composed a new song set to the same air, which he addressed to Aonghas mac Alasdair. Ailean urged his young friend to continue to keep the traditions of a Highland Bard and to pass on the same traditions to the young. Ailean also expressed the hope of seeing his friend again, "before
Beltane
Beltane () or ''Bealtaine'' () is the Gaels, Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1 May, or about midway between the March equinox, spring equinox and summer solstice. Historically, it was widely ...
". This, however, was not to be.
Ailean a' Ridse MacDhòmhnaill died of the
palsy Palsy is a medical term which refers to various types of paralysisDan Agin, ''More Than Genes: What Science Can Tell Us About Toxic Chemicals, Development, and the Risk to Our Children'' (2009), p. 172. or paresis, often accompanied by weakness and ...
on 1 April 1868, at the age of 74. It is said that shortly before his death, he briefly rallied and recited a last poem,
[Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a'Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', ]Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press. Page 37.
;"Ged tha mi fàs nam sheann duine
;Gun gabhainn dram is òran!"
;"Though I am become an old man,
;I can still handle a drink and a song!"
Legacy
According to Natasha Sumner and Aidan Doyle, "due to exceptional circumstances",
John The Bard MacLean and Allan The Ridge MacDonald are the only 19th century North American Gaelic Bards from whom, "sizeable repertoires", still exist. Unlike John The Bard MacLean, however, who both wrote his own poetry down and successfully sought publishers for it, Allan The Ridge MacDonald was well known as a poet and ''
Seanchaidh'', "but he was not a compiler of manuscripts." The Gaelic verse of Allan The Ridge was shared by its author only as
oral literature
Oral literature, orature, or folk literature is a genre of literature that is spoken or sung in contrast to that which is written, though much oral literature has been transcribed. There is no standard definition, as anthropologists have used v ...
and we owe its survival primarily to
Canadian Gaelic
Canadian Gaelic or Cape Breton Gaelic (, or ), often known in Canadian English simply as Gaelic, is a collective term for the dialects of Scottish Gaelic spoken in Atlantic Canada.
Scottish Gaels were settled in Nova Scotia from 1773, with the ...
literary scholar and
Presbyterian minister
Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session (o ...
Rev. Alexander MacLean Sinclair (1840–1924), who persuaded the Bard's son, Alasdair a' Ridse MacDhòmhnaill, to write down everything he had learned from his father.
A phrase that was to become a
mantra
A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...
in the letters and manuscripts of Alasdair a' Ridse was, ''"Sin mar a' chuala mis' aig m' athair e"'', ("This is how I heard it from my father").
[Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a' Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', ]Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press. Page 11.
So much of the traditions of Lochaber and the Gaelic poetry of his father were written down by Alasdair a' Ridse that
Raasay
Raasay (; ), sometimes the Isle of Raasay, is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound, Scotland, Inner Sound. It is famous fo ...
-born poet
Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean (; 26 October 1911 – 24 November 1996) was a Scottish Gaelic poet, described by the Scottish Poetry Library as "one of the major Scottish poets of the modern era" because of his "mastery of his chosen medium and his engagement ...
, who along with
Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair
Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair (c. 1698–1770), legal name Alexander MacDonald, or, in Gaelic Alasdair MacDhòmhnaill, was a Scottish war poet, satirist, lexicographer, and memoirist.
He was born at Dalilea into the Noblesse, Scottish nobili ...
remains one of the two greatest figures in the history of Scottish Gaelic literature, was later to comment that Rev. Sinclair, "had no need to come or to write to Scotland, as there was in
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
a great ''Seanchaidh'', Alexander MacDonald of Ridge."
Allan the Ridge's grandson, Angus The Ridge MacDonald (1866–1951), spent his life on his family homestead and also became a legendary
Canadian Gaelic
Canadian Gaelic or Cape Breton Gaelic (, or ), often known in Canadian English simply as Gaelic, is a collective term for the dialects of Scottish Gaelic spoken in Atlantic Canada.
Scottish Gaels were settled in Nova Scotia from 1773, with the ...
traditional singer
A traditional singer, also known as a source singer, is someone who has learned folk songs in the oral tradition, usually from older people within their community.
From around the beginning of the twentieth century, song collectors such as Cecil ...
and tradition bearer. Beginning in 1937, Angus The Ridge MacDonald's repertoire of Gaelic songs, folklore, and oral literature from Lochaber and Nova Scotia was recorded by
John Lorne Campbell
John Lorne Campbell FRSE LLD OBE () (1 October 1906 – 25 April 1996) was a Scotland, Scottish historian, farmer, environmentalist and folklorist, and recognized literary scholar, scholar of both Celtic studies and Scottish Gaelic literature. Al ...
,
Margaret Fay Shaw
Margaret Fay Shaw (9 November 1903 – 11 December 2004) was a pioneering Scottish-American ethnomusicologist, photographer, folklorist, and scholar of Celtic studies. She is best known for her meticulous work as a folk song and folklore collect ...
,
Helen Creighton
Mary Helen Creighton, CM (September 5, 1899 – December 12, 1989) was a prominent Canadian folklorist. She collected over 4,000 traditional songs, stories, and beliefs in a career that spanned several decades, and she published many books and a ...
,
Laura Bolton, and
MacEdward Leach MacEdward Leach (1892-1967) was an American folklorist, whose work "greatly influenced the development of folklore as an academic discipline".
Early life and education
Leach was born near Bridgeport, Illinois. Later in life he sometimes gave his ...
.
Angus "The Ridge" MacDonald
"MacEdward Leach and the Songs of Atlantic Canada."
References
Further reading
* John Lorne Campbell
John Lorne Campbell FRSE LLD OBE () (1 October 1906 – 25 April 1996) was a Scotland, Scottish historian, farmer, environmentalist and folklorist, and recognized literary scholar, scholar of both Celtic studies and Scottish Gaelic literature. Al ...
(1990) ''Songs Remembered in Exile: Traditional Gaelic Songs from Nova Scotia Recorded in Cape Breton and Antigonish County in 1937, with an Account of the Causes of the Highland Emigration, 1790–1835''. Tunes mostly transcribed by Séamus Ennis
Séamus Ennis (; 5 May 1919 – 5 October 1982) was an Irish musician, singer and Irish music collector. He was most noted for his uilleann pipe playing and was partly responsible for the revival of the instrument during the twentieth centur ...
; illustrations by Margaret Fay Shaw
Margaret Fay Shaw (9 November 1903 – 11 December 2004) was a pioneering Scottish-American ethnomusicologist, photographer, folklorist, and scholar of Celtic studies. She is best known for her meticulous work as a folk song and folklore collect ...
. Published by Aberdeen University Press
Aberdeen University Press (AUP) is the publishing arm of the University of Aberdeen. Launched in October 2013, AUP is built on the legacy of the defunct printing firm and publishing house of the same name, which existed from 1900 to 1996. Unlike ...
1990, Reprinted in 1999 by Birlinn
The birlinn () or West Highland galley was a wooden vessel propelled by sail and oar, used extensively in the Hebrides and West Highlands of Scotland from the Middle Ages on. Variants of the name in English and Scots language, Lowland Scots inc ...
.
* Effie Rankin (2004), ''As a' Braighe/Beyond the Braes: The Gaelic Songs of Allan the Ridge MacDonald'', Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University (CBU) is a public university located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and on Cape Breton Island.
The university is enabl ...
Press
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ailean a' Ridse MacDhomhnaill
1794 births
1868 deaths
19th-century Canadian poets
19th-century Roman Catholics
19th-century Scottish Gaelic poets
Canadian Gaelic poets
Canadian Roman Catholic writers
Canadian satirists
Catholic Church in Nova Scotia
Catholic poets
Clan Donald
Clan MacDonald of Keppoch
Colony of Nova Scotia people
Farmers from Nova Scotia
People from Antigonish County, Nova Scotia
People from Cape Breton Island
People from Inverness County, Nova Scotia
People from Lochaber
Scottish Catholic poets
Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Nova Scotia
Scottish satirists
Scottish satirical poets
Poets from Nova Scotia