Sìleas na Ceapaich (also known as Cicely Macdonald of Keppoch, Silis of Keppoch, Sìleas MacDonnell or Sìleas Nic Dhòmhnail na Ceapaich) was a Scottish poet whose surviving verses remain an immortal contribution to

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 ...

. She lived between around 1660 and 1729. Her given name ''Sìleas'' is Anglicised variously as Cicely or Julia.

Life

Sìleas was born into the

Scottish nobility The Scottish Noblesse means nobility in Scotland, including both those with peerage titles as well as those without. The concept was prominently advocated for by Sir Thomas Innes of Learney during his tenure as Carrick Pursuivant of Arms and l ...

() of 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 ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. She was the daughter of the 15th Chief of

Clan MacDonald of Keppoch Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, also known as Clan MacDonell of Keppoch or Clan Ranald of Lochaber ( ), is a Highland Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald. The progenitor of the clan is Alistair Carrach MacDonald, 4th great-grandson of the war ...

, Archibald (Gilleasbuig) Macdonald, and Mary Macmartin of the Macmartin branch of

Clan Cameron Clan Cameron is a West Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, with one main branch Lochiel, and numerous cadet branches. The Clan Cameron lands are in Lochaber, and within their lands lies Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isl ...

. Her brother

Coll Coll (; )Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 31 is an island located west of the Isle of Mull and northeast of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and fo ...

was 16th Chief. Although the Clan had lost some of its status, they were still considered to be part of the upper levels of Gaelic society. She grew up in

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 ...

. In 1685, she married Alexander Gordon of Camdell, estate

factor Factor (Latin, ) may refer to: Commerce * Factor (agent), a person who acts for, notably a mercantile and colonial agent * Factor (Scotland), a person or firm managing a Scottish estate * Factors of production, such a factor is a resource used ...

to the

Duke of Gordon The title Duke of Gordon has been created once in the Peerage of Scotland and again in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Dukedom, named after the Clan Gordon, was first created for the 4th Marquess of Huntly, who on 3 November 1684 wa ...

, and lived the rest of her adult life at Beldorney Castle,

Banffshire Banffshire (; ; ) is a historic county in Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. The historic county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975. Since 1996 the area has been spli ...

. She is known to have had at least eight children, five sons and three daughters. Scholar Colm Ó Baoill recalls what we know about her from the local

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (19 ...

: ''" ..in her youth she was rather frivolous, frolicsome as it is written in English: and it is not known that there is no truth; there are people who believe that her eldest son was an illegitimate son. The mouth will not tell tell us what effect Siléas's marriage (in 1685) had on this beadra [probably from Gàidhlig "beadarach" meaning "full of fun, playful"), but it is said that she had a 'meeting' with death. Later she changed her habits, became religious and began to compose hymns. It is not known what the truth is in this story, or if there is any truth at all"''

Work

She is most notable for the 23 poems she wrote in the Scottish Gaelic language. Many of her poems are political, having a strongly Jacobitism, Jacobite theme.Watson, ''The Literature of Scotland'', 2006, p.156 Others include anti-war laments for friends killed in the

Jacobite risings Jacobitism was a political ideology advocating the restoration of the senior line of the House of Stuart to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British throne. When James II of England chose exile after the November 1688 Glorious Revolution, ...

of the period, humorous advice to unmarried women, and a handful of devotional

Christian poetry Christian poetry is any poetry that contains Christian teachings, themes, or references. The influence of Christianity on poetry has been great in any area that Christianity has taken hold. Christian poems often directly reference the Bible, whil ...

. Among the Jacobite poems attributed to her is ''Tha mi am chadal'', "I am sleeping", closely related to the Irish air ''Táimse im' chodladh''.Mackenzie, ''Sar-obair nam bard gaelach'', 1865, p.60 Her best known poem is her c. 1723

eulogy A eulogy (from , ''eulogia'', Classical Greek, ''eu'' for "well" or "true", ''logia'' for "words" or "text", together for "praise") is a speech or writing in praise of a person, especially one who recently died or retired, or as a term o ...

for Alasdair Dubh, 11th Chief of

Clan MacDonald of Glengarry Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, also known as Clan Ranald of Knoydart & Glengarry () is a Highland Scottish clan and is a branch of the larger Clan Donald. The clan takes its name from River Garry, Inverness-shire, River Garry where the river Garry ...

, which praises the deceased for following the

code of conduct A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the social norm, norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party or an organization. Companies' codes of conduct A company code of conduct is a set of rules which is comm ...

traditionally demanded of a

Scottish clan chief The Scottish Gaelic word means children. In early times, and possibly even today, Scottish clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the clan, after whom the clan is named. The clan chief (''ceannard ci ...

and hearkens back to the

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...

poetry attributed to the

mythological Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, 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 ...

Amergin Glúingel Amergin ''Glúingel'' ("white knees") (also spelt Amhairghin Glúngheal) or ''Glúnmar'' ("big knee") is a bard and judge for the Milesians in the Irish Mythological Cycle. He was appointed Chief Ollam of Ireland by his two brothers, the kings ...

. Like her other work, the eulogy seems to have been aimed at a Jacobite audience mainly within the various branches of

Clan Donald Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald or Clan McDonald ( ), is a Highland Scottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title of Lord of the Isles until 1493 and two of those chiefs a ...

.Gaelic Bards of Keppoch
National Library of Scotland She was the main

war poet War poetry is poetry on the topic of war. While the term is applied especially to works of the First World War, the term can be applied to poetry about any war, including Homer's ''Iliad'', from around the 8th century BC as well as poetry of th ...

in the first

Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Francis Edward Stuart, James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland ...

but is also known for her

like the "Hymn On The Death Of Her Husband And Daughter". To The Army of the Earl of Mar or Song on the Battle of Sherriffmuir

Her surviving poems are in a mixture of

classical Gaelic Early Modern Irish () represented a transition between Middle Irish and Irish language, Modern Irish. Its literary form, Classical Gaelic, was used in Ireland and Scotland from the 13th to the 18th century. Classical Gaelic Classical Gaelic or C ...

syllabic metres (

Dán Díreach Dán Díreach (; Irish for "direct verse") is a style of poetry developed in Ireland from the 12th century until the destruction of the Irish clan system, Gaelic Ireland and the Bardic schools during the mid 17th-century. It was a complex form of ...

) and the newer stressed metres (), and were clearly intended to be sung, with some being based on popular folk song tunes of the time.Sanger and Kinnaird, ''Tree of Strings: a history of the harp in Scotland'',2015

References

External links

Gaelic Bards of Keppoch"Alasdair À Gleann Garadh" (English: Alexander Of Glengarry)

"Alasdair À Gleann Garadh" as performed by Rachel Walker

"Alasdair À Gleann Garadh" as performed by James Ruff

"Laoidh Air Bàs A Fir Agus A H-Ighne" (English: Hymn On The Death Of Her Husband And Daughter)

"Laoidh Mhoire Mhaighdeann" (English: Hymn Of Mary Maiden)"Laoidh Mhoire Mhaighdeann" as performed by Fiona Mackenzie"Laoidh Mhoire Mhaighdeann" interpreted by Maggie MacInnes on her album "Leaving Mingulay"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceapaich, Sileas na 18th-century Scottish Gaelic poets Scottish Gaelic women poets Scottish Gaelic poets Clan MacDonald of Keppoch 17th-century Scottish Gaelic poets 18th-century Scottish poets 18th-century Scottish women writers Scottish Catholic poets