Shenanigans And Malarkey
This may come as a surprise to you, dear reader, but I’m Irish.
Ok, well, to immediately clarify, I’m American (like more American than a bald eagle drinking bourbon while listening to Garth Brooks), but my family came over on the boat during the blight so by American standards I’m Irish while in Irish standards I’m American. It’s needlessly convoluted, and personally I blame the imperial system, but I digress.
You see, being Irish (in heritage. Please stop typing that hate mail now) I grew up on tales of Irish legend and history. The leprechaun made me laugh, the banshee made me quake, and the tales of starvation made me quiet. Whatever tale was told however, I always appreciated the soft magic of the seanchaí.
“Se-what now?” You may ask. “Gesundheit,” you may say.
No I didn’t sneeze while typing, dear reader, that’s a Gaelic term.
You see, a seanchaí is a keeper of lore. They learned by heart the sagas, tragedies, myths and histories of Ireland and spread the tales across the land. Now the Irish famously have a gift for gab but the seanchaí took it to the next level. They became true master storytellers, able to distinguish between talking at people and taking them on a journey. Weaving a tapestry of words they would transport their listeners to battlefields, feasts, and to faerie.
While all too often new writers are content to chuck words onto a page, heedless of how those words are perceived by their readers, a seanchaí was able to recite stories verbatim, live. This wasn’t a trick or manipulation of the rubes, either, but a demonstration of pure skill.
Such a feat is something every author aspires to but only a few obtain.
There’s something romantic about the archetype of The Storyteller being able to make you forget yourself in the grand telling of an old yarn. There is also magic in good storytelling, dear reader, a spark that can be nurtured into something truly special. And who wouldn’t want to add a touch of magic into their work?
And not just any magic. Irish magic, motherfucker. It’s mean and green and the best you’ve seen.
In all seriousness, you should always aspire to bring your readers along on such a journey, regardless of your skill level.
Treat them to something special.
Treat them as a seanchaí would.
