Articles

Ancient Dancing - Irish

The Land of Eire

Of Giants & Trolls. Far back in the mists of time, a broad umbilicus of land joined the fair lands of Ireland and England and France in one great continent. The warm Atlantic current bathed the western shores of Ireland, and it was a more pleasant land than its eastern and colder neighbours. Great forests covered the hills and vales, and strange animals, now extinct, roamed this paradise.
8000 years ago, Neanderthal man moved into this emerald eden, and hunted and lived simply for 3 millennia! They were powerfully built, hairy, ugly, and not bright. To the following colonisers of Ireland, the first people became the giants and trolls of the forests who eventually faded into the legends of prehistory.

Stone Men. Modern man arrived from Europe about 3000BC with advanced stone tools, and gradually marginalised the first peoples. They cleared and farmed the land, built villages, wood and stone forts, developed bronze tools, jewellery, and beautiful pottery. Even though the land bridges became submerged, they obviously travelled, traded, and exchanged ideas all over the Europe for some 2500years ( - longer than all our conventional modern history of civilization!).
Stone masonry became their hallmark, especially creating rooves of stone without timber rafters. They built great burial chambers and mounds, forts, monuments, and temples, some 2 centuries before the Egyptians figured it out. Some examples remain even today in Ireland, England, and Europe.

Stone Dance. Religion centred around the sun, seasons, fire, and fertility. Dance was used to celebrate religious occasions. It is recorded as a jig, performed with springing steps, in groups and processions. Thus in the happy times of the men of stone, began the national dance of Ireland, little knowing what aeons of torment lay ahead.

Invasion 1, Magic Men. From the Elbe River district in Germany, came a fair skin fair hair people, the Tuatha De Danann, in 1600BC. They set up colonies in Ireland, but did not take over the country. They were skilled workers, so far technically and culturally advanced than the Irish, they were thought to be magic, even divine beings.
De Dananns brought the first real music, perhaps the harp, and held Ireland’s first Dance & Music festival in 1300BC. (If you remember Parry Hotter in the Otherworld, the De Danann’s were befriended by the Irish, taught them many things, and helped them in a desperate battle with an evil race of beings. Eventually the De Dananns left, or melded into Irish society).

Invasion 2, the coming of Celts. Meantime in central Europe, arose a warrior class of people, the Celts. Fierce fighters, clever craftsmen, iron weapons and tools. They spread all over Europe from the Black sea, to the British isles. About 500BC the Celts invaded Ireland. The locals built great defensive forts of earth and timber, and some of stone in remote places. Alas they could not prevail against the epidemic diseases the Celts brought with them, or their iron weapons.

Celtic Eire land. As with all invaders, the Celts succumbed to Ireland’s beauty, and ultimately absorbed its native people, stone craft, religions, and dance. A famous Celtic warrior named the green island, the land of “Eire”.
The Celtic society was based on a clan structure, and strong family responsibility. Women had equal rights, property rights, and divorce rights. Jewellery and metal craft of Ireland were exquisite. Their ancient writing of 16 characters, “Ogham“, was developed before the Greek alphabet. The people were industrious, and good sailors and traders.
Their religion was similar to the stone people, the priests were Druids, and the old dance routines received an upgrade of Celtic vigour! Large groups danced the jig “energetically” with waving arms and colourful costumes, in formations of circles around religious fires, or as rows of lines. Music was by “flute”, harp, and drums. The bagpipes arrived in 650 AD, (although they were not popular in Europe till 1000AD).
The island had about 150 small kingdoms, who often squabbled, but had no overall leadership. There were many battles, great heroes, mighty legends, and a rich history of the fourth people of Ireland that spanned the next 1200 years.

Rome. Roman civilisation came to England in 40AD, and pushed the Celts out back to Scotland and Wales. Rome did not invade Ireland, although there was contact, travel and trade between them. However Rome did bring Christianity to Ireland. Eventually Rome collapsed. Coin production ceased in 402, and by 460AD the British colony was bankrupt and defenceless. There was general collapse and lawlessness in England. There were also 10 years of severe cold, failed crops, and chaos. Dark times in England and Europe indeed. But Ireland remained stable and safe and green.

Invasion 3, Christianity. St Patrick and others, brought Roman Catholicism to Ireland in 432AD. St.Patrick travelled widely and wisely, and Christianity became well established throughout Ireland. Many monasteries and centres of learning flourished in this haven of civilisation. From here, Celtic missionaries eventually took religion back to England, Scotland, Europe, Holland, Iceland, and to America in the early 500’sAD.
The early Catholic church simply absorbed many of the pagan dances into the church rituals - in Europe by 200AD, and rapidly in Ireland after St.Pat. (Even the Pope gave dancing special approval in 1439). The Irish people, who loved their dancing, simply changed the religious figureheads, and kept on dancing.

Invasion 4, the Vikings. As Europe wallowed in cold and chaos, the Germans (Saxons) invaded England and destroyed what was left of Roman civilisation. Then came the Vikings from Norway and Denmark, plundering and looting villages, and eventually taking over the whole east half of England. It wasn’t long before the monasteries, churches, and villages of Ireland were mauled by the Vikings, starting in 795AD. Within 40 years, they had established towns and ports far inland on the great river estuaries (eg Dublin, Waterford). They established new art, coins, ship building, technical skills, and generally ran rings around the Celts.
After 200 years of this, the Celts unleashed the ferocious and legendary battle of Clontarf (1014), and defeated the Viking army. However the Norsemen did not leave, and simply became part of the peoples of the emerald land. Red hair, fair skin, pretty costumes and colourful scarves were added to the dances of Ireland. Sword Dances were invented, to reflect the struggles with the Vikings.

Invasion 5, Patrick O’Norman. In that fateful year of 1066, the French (Normans) invaded England and took over the whole country for ever. Ireland was ignored.
100 years passed. An adulterous king of a western Irish province was forced into exile. The king sought help from the French Earl Strongbow of Wales. Strongbow got the king’s lands back, but cleverly saw the country’s weakness of disunity.
So in 1169AD the French invaded Ireland with 600 men, and within 40 years had it all signed sealed and delivered. The Pope had actually given permission for this invasion of a catholic country! The Irish were thrown off their land, the Feudal system imposed, castles built everywhere.
The French masters took Irish wives, but as always in the past, were seduced by the ancient emerald land, and soon became as irish as the Irish! French “Round” dance was introduced to Erie, Song & Dance appeared in 1413, and the first great festival of performing arts was held in 1443AD.
Despite these festivities, the dispossessed Celts constantly struggled to regain control of their land, by mostly unsuccessful guerrilla warfare, revolts, uprisings, political pressure and terrorism. That struggle continued on and on and on, for the next 800 years! Dance was the only joy they had left, so they danced by day, and fought by night.

Dire Eire Days

Invasion 6, the English. Wicked Henry 8th tweaked the Catholic Church into the C of E. Ireland ignored his antics. Thus in the 15 & 1600’s AD, Henry and his heirs took to Ireland to suppress its insolence and its Catholicism. By draconian laws, banning of intermarriage and horses, seizing land, and outright force, the Irish were slowly choked into poverty and submission. British and Scottish landlords were installed, especially in North Ireland (still a problem today). There was great bitterness and several failed revolutions. The Scottish Reel dance of the new landlords was noted, and perversely altered into the distinctive Irish Reel. Otherwise, joy went out of their lives and hid in their dance.

Invasion 7, Cromwell hell. Oliver Cromwell came to power in England, executed the king, installed a parliament, and created a republic. So proudly acclaims the history books! In reality, he was a ruthless Protestant tyrant. In 1649 his army stormed through Ireland, inflicting the most vile invasion Erie had ever suffered. The pregnant were disembowelled, men slaughtered, monks beaten to death or burnt at the stake. Every Catholic church, monastery and castle in the country was destroyed. (This time is bitterly remembered even today, and a multitude of blue plaques throughout Ireland proclaim “This (building) was destroyed by Cromwell”.)

End of Dance. What you may not know - Cromwell also banned Dance, theatre, popular music, and sport! Religious activities were ok, hence church music, hymns and books thrived at this time. But the arts of the people disappeared, and hid underground. Cromwell’s ban had the most profound effect on Irish dance it had ever known. That effect lasted for the next 350 years!

The Squeeze. No more was there carefree celtic cavorting at the village crossroads. Instead the Irish kept their favourite dances alive secretly, at night, in the country. They met covertly in farmhouses. Houses were tiny by our standards, a kitchen and 1 or 2 bedrooms. A company of dancers crammed into the claustrophobic confines of a celtic kitchen, could only form a line, keep their arms tight by their sides, and do steps & kicks to the front. Thus the free wheeling energetic Irish dance of old, was compressed and redirected into a more rigid format. Tight arms and body, with nimble skilful footwork.
The new Dance became their hidden national pride, their secret rebellion against the English.

Road to Hell. Cromwell only lasted 40 years, and the King was reinstated. Protestant pressure on the Irish was lessened, but not removed. Dance briefly re-appeared in the country, and on Sunday afternoons in early 1700’s, it was noted “in every field a fiddle, and the lasses footing it till they were all of a foam.”

However the Church came to regard dancing especially as immoral, and for the next 2 centuries dance was severely monitored and suppressed by the moral Clergy. “In Dance are seen frenzy & woe, and thousands go to a black hell”. A Church edict of the 1800’s directed that “As many paces a man makes in Dancing, so many leaps he makes towards Hell!”
Although over time, Irish dance became more public, the straight arms, forward kicks and serious faces persisted. To the “moral guardians”, a dancer could not enjoy his efforts, nor grab his girl and have a cuddle. Solo dancing was developed during this time. The real joy and history of dance was kept alive by Teachers (Dance Masters). They travelled the country, quietly nurturing the great traditions in the face of moral and political adversity.

No spuds. In early 1845, a virus wiped out all the potatoes for 3 years. Due to inactivity and gross incompetence of the government, over 3 million people died of starvation or fled the country. They migrated mainly to America, but also Australia, NZ, and South Africa. In Australia they influenced our fledgling folk dances. In America, Irish dancers met the toe tapping Negroes, and thus was born the world of Tap Dancing as we know it today.

New life. After a long and bitter struggle of some 800 years, Ireland became a republic in 1942 - 49. (The struggle in the North is still unresolved). Irish art, literature, and the Gaelic language were re-instated. Dance became a national icon, and dance competitions spread throughout the land. Even so, the Irish Censorship Board still kept a moral eye upon things up until 1960.
Irish dance was celebrated by expatriate communities world wide, but remained a minority peculiarity to most other people.

Revolution

Celtic explosion. It began as a wild Irish idea, and exploded upon the world at the 1994 Eurovision Song contest. Jean Butler and “Riverdance” took the world by storm, and generated a spawn of copycats. Gone were Cromwell’s chains of repression. Returned were the vitality, celebrations, the emotions, the stories and history of 4 millennia. Every Irish dancer was filled with pride and enthusiasm, and a blazing awareness of their great heritage. Riverdance has been the greatest cultural revolution in Irish dancing since Cromwell’s time, and you and I lived through it.

Forever Eire. Riverdance has been performing for 10 years in America. A host of Irish-Americans have been inspired to revisit the ancient land of their ancestors. Today, some 2 million Americans visit Ireland every year. Thus tourism, tax free zones, and business incubators, have transformed an island of poverty into the Celtic economic tiger of today.

Irish dance is one of national pride and endurance. Whilst the ancient Polynesians celebrated their life with Hula, Irish dance embraced the many sufferings of an ancient people. It evolved over 4500years, from the age of the stone men, through many ages of peace and torment, to its revolution today. It has absorbed many influences, and yet still carries the fervour of the ancient fire and ceremonies.
Today, with modern choreography, costumes, and music, Irish dance takes its place on the world stage, and fires the heart of all who dare to watch this amazing ancient dance.

A.M. Cole 2004

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