Celtic myths, Gaelic blessings, and "Deep Peace" nevertheless!

My friend Donald Meek, retired Professor of Celtic Studies, has a healthy and quite sharp scepticism about what is often stated and overstated about Celtic Christianity. Not so much the reality and existence of such a tradition but its romanticisation, its overblown eco-friendliness, its surprisingly comforting resonance in a culture looking for nostalgic comfort. His book on Celtic Christianity feels like a bucket of icy peat-tinted water drawn from a Highland river in full spate and thrown over the heated imaginations and ahistorical enthusiasms of those who confuse feelgood vagueness with the realities of the darker ages on these islands.

All of which said, there is a rich tradition of poetry, story and oral liturgy that does indeed still convey a devotional and historically valid form of spirituality. There are rhythms of language that survive translation so long as the translator resists the urge to 'improve' or 'adapt' the words to contemporary taste. Translation of a historical text isn't about pleasing the contemporary consumer - it's an act of communication that works hard to make an original voice heard and read in all its integrity and oddity.

Over Christmas I bought a compilation of music on which Lesley Garrett sings a Gaelic blessing. I've come to love this piece of music, words sung out in compassionate benediction, and the words themselves capable of stirring restlessness as longing for peace and rest in a world that is so often hard-edged, demanding, selfish and lacking - well compassionate benediction.

Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the Son of peace to you, forever,
       (Early Scottish)
 The photo is from imagestar here. 

Comments

[Rosemonde]

Beannachd Dia dhuit

[Tim]

I was looking up the `Deep Peace' poem and the first website hit was `living wittingly'. A beautiful compassionate benediction indeed.
I hope you experience such a blessing anew Jim.