The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-09-27

and sculpture we have no records.
Her buildings we have already de.
scribed. noted for their stolid4cy per-
haps, rather than for any special
beauty. In metal work, however, even
In pagan times the Irish excelled and
splendid, carved spearheads, sword
hits and blades, brooches, etc., testi-
fy to this. The later development in
crosses, chalices, ETC., which have
aroused the admiration of the art Low.
ing world, do not belong to our period.
but found their germ no doubt in pa.
gan times, and are but the growth
and development of this native ability.
In music, however, the Irish native,
pagan and Christian, has special en-
dowment from God. 1t is somewhat
difficult to distinguish between poetry
and music in the old accounts, as the
words are used Interchangeable and
the musician was most always the
poet as well. The Irish poetry was
the most melodious of all poetry. The
meter and rhythm was most intricate,
resembling the double acrostic. 1t was
musical to degree, but was so arti.
fetal in form that the sense was sac
riaced to mere sound too often and
the poet was hampered and prevented
from great flights Of Imagination.
"Of course, there were no long sus.
tanned musical pieces, like the. modern
opera, oratorio or sonata. The tunes
were short and while they boasted a
harmony 1t was of simple sort, but
very exquisite by reason of the per-
feet blending of sound. The favorite
instrument was the harp and from
the very earliest dawn of historical
record the harp is closely allied with
the Irish national life. The harp was
Of 30 strings, played upon with the
fingers or finger nails, and was Of va
rious sizes. from the small hand harp
to the bardic harp Of six feet in
height. The bag pipes were also we'll
known in early times, but the pipes
were rather the instrument of the
poorer people, while the harp was the
instrument of the nobility and it was
part Of the accomplishment of every
noble gentleman to be able to sing q
sonnet to his lady's eyebrow to the
accompaniment of the harp.
while there was. in the old Irish
music tendency to sadness, yet the
great majority of Irish music and
song was gladstone. It fell into three
classes: the musical compositions to
arouse merriment, dance music, ETC.,
those to arouse sadness. the keens and
death tunes, and the slumber songs
and lullabyes. The Irish had also &C.
cupational tunes which accompanied
them at their work. The ploughman
had his quaint soothing whistle which
gave peace and content to the plough
horse, the mtlkmaid had her sweet.
melancholy milking song, under
whose gentling influence the cows
submitted all the more willingly in
the milking barns. The blacksmith
had his song, which echoed and re-
echoed with the clang Of the hammer
and the stertorous putting of the bel
lows. etc. This music was never writ
ten, of course, and much Of It per-
ished, but much Of it. remains, being
set down in later days and put to
new, words. and many popular song
today masquerading in modern dress
Is but an old Irish motif developed
according to the modern musical
science of harmony.
"Public assemblages of the people
for purposes Of trade and pleasure
and culture was custom Of the early
Irish. These assemblages or fairs.
called 'aenach,' were annual or tri-
ennial, as the case might be, and had
their origin in the funeral games that
were common In ancient Ireland, as
also they were customary in Greece.
At first they were held in ancient
cemeteries in which were inferred the
bones or ashes Of some noted king
chief or hero of history or legend. In
pagan times the Druids conducted
some sort of religious services, kin.
ding the sacred fire and burning the
sacrifices. Important affairs Of vari-
GUS kinds, national or local, were
transacted at these meetings. Laws
were promulgated, councils and courts
were held to consider various ques-
tions of right aud privilege, disputes
about property, taxes, etc, were set
tied. Acts of tyranny Of the powerful
over the weak were righted; the re-
pair Of the roads, the levying Of army
enlistment, ETC., all these and numer-
Gus other questions were considered
and settled by these unofficial plebe.
cita. Athletic games also formed q
mort ~ tho oatherlnrr ~ tho noon1o