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Senchán Torpéist (c. 560–649 AD) was a
Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...
-Irish poet.


Background

Seanchan Torpest was the Chief Poet of Connacht c. 640 AD when he succeeded
Dallán Forgaill Eochaid mac Colla ( 560 – 640), better known as Saint Dallán or Dallán Forgaill (; ; Primitive Irish: ''Dallagnas Worgēllas''), was an early Christian Irish poet and saint known as the writer of the "'' Amra Coluim Chille''" ("Elegy of Sai ...
as
Chief Ollam of Ireland Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...
. He died in c. 649 AD. His father was Cuairfheartaigh from the Araidh sept on the northern Tipperary-Limerick border. According to suggestion of James Carney, Senchán recorded his own pedigree in a genealogical work on the Concangab Már, which he composed about 630. It states: ''Senchán, son of Úarchride, son of Adóer, of the Araid''. Senchan's mother's name was Dediva (also called Editua or Dedi or Deidi or Deighe or Deidiu or Deaga or Mediva), daughter of Tren, son of Dubhthach moccu Lughair, who was also a previous
Chief Ollam of Ireland Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...
and royal poet of King
Lóegaire mac Néill Lóegaire also Lóeguire, is said to have been a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. The Irish annals and king lists include him as a King of Tara or High King of Ireland. He appears as an adversary of Saint Patrick in several hagiographies. His ...
. Dediva's other children were Saint Senan of Laraghabrine, son of Fintan, Saint
Diarmaid the Just Saint Diarmaid the Just (also known as Diermit, Dhiarmuit, Dermod, Diermedus, Diermetus, Diermitius, Diermitius) was a Catholic abbot of Inis Clothrann (Inchcleraun), Lough Ree, County Longford and of Faughalstown, County Westmeath and a famous ...
, son of Lugna,
Saint Felim Saint Felim (also called Feilim, Feidlimid, Feidhlimidh, Felimy, Feidhilmethie, Feidlimthe, Fedlimid, Fedlimidh, Phelim, Phelime), an Irish Christian hermit and priest, was born, probably in Kiennacta Breagh, County Meath in the mid sixth centur ...
of Kilmore son of Carill, Saint Daigh of
Inniskeen Inniskeen, officially Inishkeen (), is a small village, townland and parish in County Monaghan, Ireland, close to the County Louth and County Armagh borders. The village is located about from Dundalk, from Carrickmacross, and from Crossmagl ...
son of Carill, Saint Femia, daughter of Carill, St. Mainchín of Corann, son of Collan of Corann and Saint Caillin, son of Niata, who in the
Book of Fenagh The ''Book of Fenagh'' () is a manuscript of prose and poetry written in Classical Irish by Muirgheas mac Pháidín Ó Maolconaire in the monastery at Fenagh, West Breifne (modern-day County Leitrim). It was commissioned by Tadhg Ó Rodaighe, ...
, page 215 states: "My blessing on thy men of song Who from mild Senchan may descend.” Seanchan must have been born about 560 AD to have allowed him time to complete the long course of study to be named Chief Ollam of Ireland. Furthermore, in Tromdámh Guaire he is referred to as "the aged Senchan" in c. 640 and
Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating (; – ) was an Irish historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became a Catholic priest and a poet. Biography It was generally believed unt ...
's History of Ireland states that at the Synod or Convention of Drumceat in c. 593 AD, "Seanchán mac Cuairfheartaigh" was made Chief Ollam over the province of Connacht. An explanation for his nickname is given in the Cóir Anmann (The Fitness of Names): "Entry 272: , i.e. Senchán whom a péistor monster profited when the spirit of wisdom appeared under a hideous form. At the time that Senchán went on a circuit into Scotland the spirit of poetry came in the shape of a loathly monster to meet him on his road, and conversed with him in the obscurity of poetry. Hence he was so named.)" Senchan's wife was Brigit, his son was called Muircc or Murgen and his daughter was Maeve Neidigh. Some of Senchan's work is preserved in the
Book of Lecan The ''Great Book of Lecan'' or simply ''Book of Lecan'' () ( RIA, 23 P 2) is a late-medieval Irish manuscript written between 1397 and 1418 in Castle Forbes, Lecan (Lackan, Leckan; Irish ), in the territory of Tír Fhíacrach, near moder ...
, folio 17, col. 2, a poem on the battles of Fergus, son of Rossa. He wrote a poem beginning , in Laud 610, fol 73 b 2 (ZCP 12, 1918, p. 378 Kuno Meyer); another called ; another beginning and a poem beginning "Co slonnad Conmaic fri Connad" (ZCP 14 1923 p. 48
Margaret Dobbs Margaret Emmeline Dobbs (19 November 1871 – 2 January 1962) was an Irish scholar and playwright, best known for her work to preserve the Irish language. Life and career Dobbs was born at 41 Lower Leeson Street in Dublin on 19 November 1871, ...
). Cath Maighe Léna contains a poem by Senchán commencing . In a list of ancient Irish authors contained in the
Book of Ballymote The ''Book of Ballymote'' (, RIA MS 23 P 12, 275 foll.), was written in 1390 or 1391 in or near the town of Ballymote, now in County Sligo, but then in the tuath of Corann. According to David Sellar who was the Lord Lyon King of Arms in ...
, p. 308, it states "Sencan Toirpeist in Rigfili".


King Guaire of Connacht

According to the old tale called Tromdámh Guaire (The Heavy Company of Guaire) or Imtheacht na Tromdhaimhe (The Proceedings of the Great Bardic Institution) he visited the residence of the King of Connacht,
Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin (died 663) was a king of Connacht. A member of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne and son of king Colmán mac Cobthaig (died 622). Guaire ruled at the height of Ui Fiachrach Aidne power in south Connacht. Early reign Guaire ap ...
accompanied by one hundred and fifty other poets, one hundred and fifty pupils ''"with a corresponding number of women-servants, dogs, etc"''. The accommodating powers of Guaire's establishment were strained during their stay of ''"a year, a quarter, and a month."'' To shame Seanchan into leaving, Guaire asked him to recite the long-forgotten
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
the
Táin Bó Cúailnge (Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "the Irish ''Iliad''", although like most other earl ...
, with the words: Bear the cup to Seanchan Torpest Yield the bard his poet's
mead Mead (), also called honey wine, and hydromel (particularly when low in alcohol content), is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alco ...
What we've heard was but a fore-taste Lays more lofty now succeed. Though my stores be emptied well-nigh Twin bright cups there yet remain Win them with the raid of Cualigne Chant us, bard, the famous Tain.
Seanchan was deeply offended; Thus in hall of Gort spoke Guaire for the king, let truth be told bounteous though he was, was weary of giving goblets, giving gold giving aught the
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 ...
demanded but when for the Tain he called Seanchan from his seat descended shame and anger fired the
skald A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry in alliterative verse, the other being Eddic poetry. Skaldic poems were traditionally compo ...
.
Seanchan departed, with the following farewall: We depart from thee, O stainless Guaire A year, a quarter, and a month Have we sojourned with thee, high King Three times fifty poets, good and smooth Three times fifty students in the poetic art Each with a servant and a dog They were all fed in the one great house. Each man had his separate meal Each man had his separate bed We never arose at early morning Without contentions, without calming. I declare to Thee, God Who canst the promise verify That, should we return to our own lands We shall visit thee again, O Guaire, tho' now we depart.


Táin Bó Cúailnge

The result of this incident was the gathering of all the poets of Ireland by Seanchan, to determine which one of them knew the entire of the Táin. While some knew different parts, none knew the whole epic; it been written in a book long since taken abroad. To rectify this, Seanchan, accompanied by his son Murgen and his second cousin Eimena, undertook to travel in search of the book and return the Táin to Ireland. This resulted in Murgen being lost in a magical mist, when he encountered the ghost of
Fergus mac Róich Fergus mac Róich/Róigh (literally "Virility, manliness, son of great stallion") is an Irish hero and a character in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Formerly the king of Ulaid, Ulster, he is tricked out of the kingship and betrayed by Conc ...
at his grave. Fergus related the whole of the Tain to Murgen, who returned and related the story to his brother and father, thus preserving the tale for future generations. Senchan and his wife also appear in the old tale
Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin The ''Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin'' () is an Old Irish prose tale of the ninth century or later. It forms part of the Cycles of the Kings. It deals with the exile and return of Cano mac Gartnáin in sixth century Scotland. The tale involves histori ...
and in
Cormac's Glossary ''Sanas Cormaic'' (; or ''Sanas Chormaic'', Irish for "Cormac's narrative"), also known as ''Cormac's Glossary'', is an early Irish glossary containing etymologies and explanations of over 1,400 Irish words, many of which are difficult or outda ...
where he visits the Isle of Man. The Middle-Irish poem c. 1100 'Aimirgein Glúngel tuir tend', attributed to Gilla in Choimded Úa Cormaic of Tulach Léis, refers to Senchan- Stanza 57. "Senchán Toirpéist ba rind ráid." ('Senchán Torpéist he was the apex of speech'). He also appears in the tale "Mac telene do feraib Muman". Senchan's wandering band of poets occur in traditional tales as far apart as Scotland and Nova Scotia, where they are referred to as "Cliar Sheanachain" (Senchan's lot) or "Cleith Sheanchair". A popular Highland tale featuring Senchan is "Great Bríd of the Horses" which is based on 'Tromdámh Guaire'.


References by Shakespeare

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
mentions the power of Irish poets ''"rhyming rats to death"'', a remark apparently based on an incident when Seanchan, finding that rats had eaten his dinner, uttered the vindictive aer: ''"Rats have sharp snouts/Yet are poor fighters..."'' which killed ten of them on the spot.


Notes


References

* Reprinted 1970. * * * *Dofallsigud Tána Bó Cuailnge ("The rediscovery of the Táin Bó Cuailnge"), in the
Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled and now kept in Trinity College Dublin. It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' ("Book of Nuachongbáil"), a monastic site known today as Oughaval. In 2023 ...
.


Further reading

* *
Rudolf Thurneysen Eduard Rudolf Thurneysen (14 March 1857 – 9 August 1940) was a Swiss linguist and Celticist. Biography Born in Basel, Thurneysen studied classical philology in Basel, Leipzig, Berlin and Paris. His teachers included Ernst Windisch and ...
. "Colman mac Lenene und Senchan Torpeist" in Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie 19 (1933) pp 193–209 *J. G. O'Keefe, ed., 'Mac Dá Cherda and Cummaine Foda', Ériu, 5 (1911), 18–44 *James Carney 'Three Old Irish Accentual Poems', Ériu Vol. 22 (1971), pp. 23–80


External links

* * *https://archive.org/stream/storyofirishprop00raitiala/storyofirishprop00raitiala_djvu.txt *http://home.earthlink.net/~merlynne6/eBooks/OLLAV.pdf *https://web.archive.org/web/20110122221123/http://sphinx-suche.de/weissagungen/katzenorakel.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Seanchan Torpest Writers from County Galway 7th-century Irish poets 7th-century Irish writers 560s births 640s deaths Year of birth uncertain Irish male poets Irish-language writers