Filí

{{multiple issues| {{original research|date=December 2024|reason=The footnotes in this article imply [[WP:SYNTH|synthesis of materials]] to draw conclusions that are not made in the sources.}} {{tone|date=December 2024}} {{mos|date=December 2024}} }} {{Short description|Class of poets in Ireland and Scotland}} {{Other uses|Fili (disambiguation)}} {{EngvarB|date=July 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Quote box | width = 20em | align = right | quote = < '''fili''' > (plural: ''filid'', ''filidh'').<br>..."Member of a privileged<br>powerful caste of poets,<br>[[wikt: diviner#English|diviners]] and [[wikt: seer#English|seers]] in early Ireland.<br>To be distinguished from the<br>lower-status [[bard]] and the [[brehon]]...{{sfn|MacKillop|2004|pp=223}} | source = — [[James MacKillop (author)|James MacKillop]] }}

The '''fili''' (or ''filè''){{efn|name="Hyde_filla"| Hyde – ''Irish Literature''<br>..."There were two kinds of poets known to the early Gael, the principle of those was called the filè (filla); there were seven grades of filès, the most exalted being called an ollamh (ollav) ...{{sfn|Hyde|1913|pp=29}} }}{{efn|name="fili_or_filè"|Historians prefer to use the [[Old Irish]] ''fili'' rather than ''filè'' – to avoid confusion with modern Irish [[wikt:file#Irish|''file'']] – which has a different meaning.}} ({{IPA|sga|/ˈfʲilʲi/}}), plural '''filid''', '''filidh''' (or filès), was a member of an elite class of poets in [[Gaelic Ireland|Ireland]], and later [[Scotland in the Middle Ages|Scotland]], up until the [[English Renaissance|Renaissance]].{{efn|name="MacKillop_poet"| MacKillop – ''Celtic Mythology''<br>..."The simple translation of "poet" is misleading, as much of the writing of the fili in his guise as [[Seanchaí|senchaid]] (historian) was in prose ...{{sfn|MacKillop|2004|pp=223}} }} The filid were believed to have the power of [[divination]], and therefore able to foresee, foretell and predict important events.{{efn|name="MacKillop_esoteric"| MacKillop – ''Celtic Mythology''<br>..."the fili might use an esoteric language ...his craft was ''filidecht'' ...{{sfn|MacKillop|2004|pp=223}} }}{{efn|See also wiktionary:<br> [[Old Irish]] < [[wikt: filidecht#Old Irish|filidecht]] > ..."poetry, [[divination]]".}}

In an early society in which most people were illiterate – including its hierarchy of chieftains, sub-kings and kings – the [[oral tradition]] was an important means of communicating current news and historical events.{{efn|name="Coleman_250"| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."According to medieval Irish manuscripts, the [[Ollam|highest grade of poets]] had to commit to memory 250 major tales and 350 minor ones ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=146}} }}{{efn|name="Coleman_kings"| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."the audience for these primary tales were chieftains and kings ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=146}} }} As both a poet and [[wikt:storyteller#English|storyteller]], the fili would hope to gain a professional reputation for the authenticity and reliability of their information.{{efn| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."Early professional story tellers were highly honoured and [[wikt: peripatetic#English|peripatetic]], carrying tales from one kingdom to another...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=146}} }}

==Etymology== The term ''fili'' likely derives from [[primitive Irish]] ᚃᚓᚂᚔᚈᚐᚄ]VELITAS]; from [[Proto-Celtic language|Proto-Celtic]] *weleti ("to see"); and [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] *wel- ("to see, perceive").{{efn|See also wiktionary: English <[[wikt: perceive#English|perceive]]> # "To become aware of, to see; to understand. # "To interpret something in a particular way.}} An etymology from PIE ''welo- '' is offered by Matasović.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Matasović |first1=Ranko |title=Leiden indo-European Etymological Divtionary series ;9 |date=2009 |publisher=Leiden: Brill |location=Leiden |page=412}}</ref> He notes: "The semantic development of Olr.fil was from 'Lo, behold' (lmpv. of ''*wel-o-'' 'see') to 'there is'. Olr.file [d m] 'poet' is a derivative from this root (cf. Ogam Gen. sg. VELITAS). The original meaning was 'seer', PCelt. ''[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/wel%C4%ABts#Descendants *wel-et-]''."

The word "fili" is thought to derive from the Proto-Celtic ''*widluios'', meaning "seer, one who sees" (attested on the [[Gaulish language|Gaulish]] inscription from Larzac as "uidluias", which is the feminine genitive singular form), derived ultimately from the verb ''*widlu-'', "to see". This can be compared to the [[Latin]] ''vatis'' and the [[Ancient Greek]] ''ouateis'', stemmed in Gaulish, modern ''[[vates|vate]]'' improperly written ''ovate'' but still used by the [[OBOD]] [[neodruidism|neodruids]].

==Highest orders==

===Ollam=== {{main|Ollam}} There were seven orders of ''fili'', the highest order being the ''[[ollam]]'',{{efn|name="Hyde_filla" }}{{efn| MacKillop – ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology''<br>..."Of the seven orders of '''fili''', the ''[[ollam]]'' is the highest and most often cited ...{{sfn|MacKillop|2004|pp=223}} }} which required at least 12 years of training.{{efn| MacKillop – ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology''<br>..."Trained for at least 12 years in rigorous mental exercise ...{{sfn|MacKillop|2004|pp=223}} }} The ollam were required to commit to memory 250 major tales and 350 minor ones. {{efn|name="Coleman_250"}}

====''Ollamh Érenn'' (Ireland)==== {{main|Ollamh Érenn}} The ''Ollamh Érenn'' was the master poet of [[Ireland]]. There was a hierarchy of master poets: # Each [[túath]] had its own ollam. # Each province had a head ollam above the túath ollams. # The ''Ollamh Érenn'' was the head ollam above all others.

[[File:Alexander III and Ollamh Rígh.JPG|thumb|''An Ollaimh Righ'' at the coronation of [[Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III]] as [[King of Scots]], 1249.]]

====''Ollamh rig Alban'' (Scotland)==== In [[Scotland in the Middle Ages|medieval Scotland]] the ''Ollamh rig Alban'' – 'Master poet of Scotland' – was an important member of the king's court. Whenever a new king was [[Inauguration|inaugurated]], it was necessary for the Ollamh rig to recite the future king's [[genealogy]], in order to verify his legitimate right to succeed.{{efn| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."the ''Ollamh rig Alban'', 'master poet of Scotland', was a vital component of the [[inauguration]] of national monachs here up to the installation of [[Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III]] in 1249 ..."a Highlander came forward to bless Alexander and declare him as king of Scotland. Then he proclaimed the rulers lineage in a role which was doubtless a survival of the ceremonial's which took place long before in [[Dál Riata]] ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=32}} }}{{efn| Moffat – ''Scotland, A History...''<br>..."no delays could be allowed and the seven year old [[Alexander III of Scotland|Alexander III]] was quickly [[Inauguration|inaugurated]] at Scone on 13 July 1249. There exists an illustration of the moment in the ceremony when ''An Ollaimh Righ'' stood forward to recite the young kings [[genealogy]] and thereby assert his right to succeed ...{{sfn|Moffat|2017|pp=193}} }}

{| class=wikitable |- !Phrase !English ![[Scottish Gaelic]] |- |''Ollamh rig Alban'' |Master poet of Scotland |<[[wikt: Alba#Scottish Gaelic|''Alba'']]> Scotland |- |''An Ollaimh Righ'' |The master poet of the king |<[[wikt: rìgh#Scottish Gaelic|''rìgh'']]> king |- |''Do gairm rig'' |Proclamation of the king |<[[wikt: gairm#Scottish Gaelic|''gairm'']]> [[proclamation]] |}[[File:Scotland Dunadd 1.jpg|left|thumb|Footprint used in king-making ceremonies, [[Dunadd]] ]]

====''Do gairm rig'' (Dal Riata)==== The ancient traditions of the [[inauguration]] ceremony at [[Scone, Scotland#Traditional coronation site|Scone]] beside the [[River Tay]] in Scotland, including the recital of the future king's ancestry, probably originated at the [[Hill of Tara]] in [[County Meath]], [[Ireland]].{{efn| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."The pagan ceremony in one part of Ireland, where the king was ritually mated to his land (''Feis Temro'', the Feast of Tara) took place for the last time in the year 560 ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=32}} }}

Those traditions were introduced into Scottish [[Dal Riata]] – from Irish Dal Riata – where the ceremony was known as ''do gairm rig'' ..."Proclamation of the king".{{efn| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."The Inauguration of [[Áedán mac Gabráin|Áedán]] ...The chief poet of the kingdom will have advanced to exclaim the name and ancestry of this ruler. This solemn proclamation, called ''do gairm rig'', would formally give Áedán sovereignty. His bare foot would be placed into the hollow of the living rock ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=27}} }} The Dal Riata community later moved east to the [[Perthshire]] region of Scotland, following [[Vikings|Viking]] attacks on the west coast in the 9th century.{{efn|Foster – ''Picts, Gaels and Scots''<br>[[Kenneth MacAlpin|Cinaid mac Ailpin]] ..."but the Gaels may also have been impelled to move east due to the pressure of [[Vikings|Viking]] attacks on [[Argyll]] ...{{sfn| Foster|2014|pp=150-151}} }} {{clear left}}

====Kenneth MacAlpin==== Viking attacks on the north east coast of Pictland resulted in a power vacuum,{{efn|Foster – ''Picts, Gaels and Scots''<br>[[Kenneth MacAlpin|Cinaid mac Ailpin]] ..."His ambitions were helped by the fact that many of the Pictish nobles had been wiped out in a [[Battle of 839|battle with the Vikings in 839]] ...{{sfn|Foster|2014|pp=150-151}} }} and an opportunity for [[Kenneth MacAlpin]] to become the first leader of both Dal Riata and Pictland.{{efn| Moffat – ''Scotland, A History...''<br>..."While bards and [[seanchaí|seannachies]] attempted to legitimise [[Kenneth MacAlpin]]'s claim to the united throne as they sang of his glorious descent from the hero kings of the [[Cenél nGabráin]] ...{{sfn|Moffat|2017|pp=115}} }} A new royal power base and [[inauguration]] site was created at [[Scone, Scotland#Traditional coronation site|Scone]] beside the [[River Tay]].{{efn|Foster – ''Picts, Gaels and Scots''<br>..."Conceivably it was [[Kenneth MacAlpin|Cinaid mac Ailpin]] who chose to cultivate the Pictish centre at [[Scone, Scotland#Traditional coronation site|Scone]] to become a new royal power base and [[inauguration]] site. Certainly, in 849 he invested a church, thought to be [[Dunkeld]], with some of [[Columba|St Columba's]] relics from [[Iona]] ...{{sfn|Foster|2014|pp=150-151}} }}

===Seanchaí=== {{main|Seanchaí}} The term ''poet'' is misleading, because the filid were also ''[[seanchaí]]'' – historians – who advised chieftains and kings on political matters.{{efn|name="MacKillop_poet"}}{{efn|name="Coleman_kings"}} The filid were believed to have the power of [[divination]], and therefore able to foresee, foretell, predict – important events.{{efn| name="MacKillop_esoteric"}}

===Fear of satire=== The term ''poet'' is misleading, because the filid had extraordinary power and influence over the kings and political leaders who sponsored them. It was important for leaders to treat the filid with respect, and to reward them handsomely, in order to get good quality information on current affairs. The filid had the ability to portray their sponsors in a positive or negative way, and to influence neighbouring leaders.{{efn| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."Medieval poets in both Ireland and Wales were prone at times to extend the realistic influence of their patrons to magnify their importance ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=42}} }}

At the darker and more extreme end of the scale – if leaders failed to treat the filid with due respect – they ran the risk of satire. This was a kind of blackmail whereby the filid might [[Ridiculous|ridicule]] them in front of neighbouring leaders.{{efn| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."Should the lord or king fail to show appropriate welcome to the poets, or incur their displeasure otherwise, he might be subjected to their satire ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=66}} }}{{efn| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."the saint had a dispute with a poet and [[druid]] named Diarmait ...The [[List of kings of Connacht|king of Connacht]] refused to pronounce against the powerful druid, fearful of his threat of satire ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=5}} }}

The filid were believed to have the power of [[divination]], but they were also feared to have the power to [[Witchcraft|influence future events]].{{efn| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."dangerous effects of satire, specifically the power of poets to cause ulcers and deformity on the subject of their contempt, if indeed he did not immediately die ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=66}} }}{{efn| Coleman – ''Áedán of the Gaels...''<br>..."There may have been growing dissent between the poets and the royal sponsors they preyed upon...When they were threatened with expulsion...[[Columba|Colum Cille]] defended the 'wise men of Ireland' ...{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=66}} }}

==Classification== {{prose|section|date=December 2024}} ===Irish storytelling=== The tales regaled by the ''filid'' were classified as:{{sfn|Coleman|2022|pp=146}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="border-collapse: collapse; !style="text-align:left"|[[Old Irish]] !style="text-align:left"|English |- |''togla'' |destructions |- |[[wikt:táin#Irish|''tana'']] |[[Cattle raiding#Ireland & Britain|cattle raids]] |- |[[wikt:tochmarc#Old Irish|''tochmarca'']] |wooings |- |[[wikt:cath#Old Irish|''catha'']] |battles |- |[[wikt:úath#Old Irish|''uatha'']] |terrors |- |[[wikt:imram#Old Irish|''immrama'']] |voyages |- |''aite'' |deaths |- |''fessa'' |feasts |- |''forbassa'' |sieges |- |''echtrae'' |adventure journeys |- |[[wikt:athadh#Irish|''aitheda'']] |elopements |- |''airgne'' |plunderings |}

===Irish poetry=== {{See also|Irish poetry|Early Irish literature}}

====''Bérla na filed''==== ''Bérla na filed'' – "language of the poets" – was possibly an esoteric mix of [[Latin]], [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], [[English language|English]], and [[Irish language|Irish]].<ref group="Web">* {{cite journal |last1=Meyer |first1=Kuno |date=1905 |title=Three poems in bérla na filed. |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/zcph.1905.5.1.482/pdf |journal=Zeitschrift für Celtische Philologie |publisher=[[De Gruyter]] |volume=5 |doi=10.1515/zcph.1905.5.1.482 |access-date=3 March 2024|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==History== {{See also|Gaelic Ireland|Early Irish literature}}

===Elite scholars===

According to the ''Textbook of Irish Literature'', by [[Eleanor Hull]]:

{{Blockquote|The ''file'' is to be regarded as in the earliest times as combining in his person the functions of magician, lawgiver, judge, counsellor to the chief, and poet. Later, but still at a very early time, the offices seem to have been divided, the [[brehon law|brehons]] devoting themselves to the study of law, and the giving of legal decisions, the druids arrogating to themselves the supernatural functions, with the addition, possibly of some priestly offices, and the ''filí'' themselves being henceforth principally as poets and philosophers. The division seems to have already existed in Ireland at the time of St Patrick, whose preaching brought him into constant opposition with the druids, who were evidently, at that time, regarded as the religious leaders of the nation, though there does not seem to be much sign that they were, as they undoubtedly were, even at an earlier age in Britain and Gaul, sacrificing priests.}}

===Oral tradition===

The fili maintained an [[Oral literature|oral tradition]] that predated the [[Celtic Christianity|Christianisation]] of Ireland. In this tradition, poetic and musical forms are important not only for [[aesthetics]], but also for their [[mnemonic]] value. The tradition allowed plenty of room for improvisation and personal expression, especially in regard to creative [[hyperbole]] and clever [[kenning]]. However, the culture placed great importance on the fili's ability to pass stories and information down through the generations without making changes to those elements that were considered factual rather than embellishment.

In this manner, a significant corpus of pre-Christian [[Irish mythology|myth and epic literature]] remained largely intact many centuries into the Christian era. Much of it was first recorded in writing by scholarly Christian [[Hiberno-Scottish mission|monks]]. The synergy between the rich and ancient indigenous oral literary tradition and the classical tradition resulted in an explosion of monastic literature that included epics of war, love stories, nature poetry, [[Hagiography|saint tales]] and so forth, which collectively resulted in the largest corpus of non-Latin literature seen in Europe since [[Ancient Greece]].

===Decline===

The ultimate accommodation of Christianity within Irish Gaelic society resulted in a strain on the resources of the Chiefs, in that they were required to provide land and titles for both fili and bishop alike. Consequently, a decision was made in the 6th century to limit the number of fili to certain families who were respected and believed to be poets as a birthright. The greatest of these families included the [[Ó Dálaigh]] (O'Daly), several of whom were accorded the rank of 'chief [[ollamh]] of poetry of all Ireland,' and [[Ó hUiginn]] (O'Higgins) who were hereditary filí in more than one Gaelic house such as O'Conor Slighit, the MacDermotts, the McDonagh and O'Doherty. The [[Ó Cobhthaigh]] (Coffey's) were known as the fili of Uisneach.

The [[Ó Maolconaire|Ó Maol Chonaire]] were chiefly [[Ollamh Síol Muireadaigh|Ollamh]]s of the [[Síol Muireadaigh|Síol Muireadhaigh]], the [[Ó Conchubhair Donn]] and the [[MacDermot]] of [[Magh Luirg|Moylurg]], although this family was also associated with Ulster and spread from Connacht into the courts of Munster and Leinster. Finally the [[Ó Cléirigh]]s who served the O'Donnel chieftains of Tír Connell.

The hereditary poets that were a fixture of court life in [[History of Ireland|medieval Ireland]], serving as entertainers, advisors and [[genealogists]], maintained the practices of – and enjoyed a similar status to – the pre-Christian fili. However, from the 12th century onwards, [[Norman Ireland|Anglo-Norman]] elements had increasing influence on Irish society. As [[Gaels|Gaelic]] culture waned, these folk became increasingly involved with written literature and such non-native traditions as [[heraldry]]. Nonetheless, in Gaelic society, the chief filí of the province ([[Ollamh]]) was seen as having equal status to the Ard-rí, or High King. This high social status existed into [[Elizabethan era|Elizabethan]] times, when English nobility were horrified to see the Gaelic chieftains not just eating at the same table as their poets, but often from the same dish. Eventually [[classical literature]] and the [[Romance (heroic literature)|Romantic literature]] that grew from the [[troubadour]] tradition of the [[Southern France|langue d'oc]] superseded the material that would have been familiar to the ancient fili.

==Legacy==

Many manuscripts preserving the tales once transmitted by the fili have survived. This literature contributes much to the modern understanding of [[druids]], [[Celtic polytheism|Celtic religion]] and the [[Celt|Celtic world]] in general.

Besides its value to historians, this canon has contributed a great deal to modern literature beginning with retellings by [[William Butler Yeats]] and other authors involved with the [[Celtic Revival]]. Soon after, [[James Joyce]] drew from material less explicitly. [[Fantasy literature]] and [[Fantasy art|art]] now draws heavily from these tales, and characters such as [[Cúchulainn]], [[Fionn mac Cumhaill|Finn McCool]] and the [[Tuatha Dé Danann]] are relatively familiar.

Through such traditional musicians as [[Turlough O'Carolan]] (who died in 1738 and is often lauded as "the last of the bards") and countless of his lesser-known or anonymous colleagues, the musical tradition of the fili has made its way to contemporary ears via artists such as [[Planxty]], [[The Chieftains]] and [[The Dubliners]].

In their subject matter and techniques, the [[seanachie]] are considered the inheritors of the ancient Irish tradition of oral literature.<ref group=Web>{{cite web | url = http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/community/The-Seanachie-keeper-of-Irelands-rich-folklore-heritage.html | title = Seanachies: keepers of Ireland's rich folklore heritage | author = Maureen Donachie | date = 21 October 2014 | access-date = 29 September 2015 }}</ref>

The modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic words for "poet" are derived from ''fili''.

*[[Old Irish]]: '''fili''', plural '''filid''' *Modern Irish: '''file''', plural '''filí'''{{efn|name="fili_old_new"| Compare Old Irish – Modern Irish # Old Irish < [[wikt:fili#Old Irish|fili]] > has no fada. # Modern Irish < [[wikt:filí#Irish|filí]] > with [[acute accent#Stress|''síneadh fada'']].}} *[[Scottish Gaelic]]: '''filidh''', plural '''filidhean''' * [[Manx Gaelic]]: '''feelee'''

Finally, practitioners of [[Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism]] are working to reconstruct trance and visionary techniques that were used by the ''filid'',{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}} such as ''[[imbas forosnai]]'' and aspects of the ''tarbhfeis'' ritual.

==See also== {{Portal|Ireland}} *[[Bard]] *[[Contention of the bards]] *[[Druid]] *[[Early Irish literature]] *[[Gorsedd]] *[[Rhapsode]] *[[Seanachie]] *[[Skald]] *[[Vates]]

==References== ===Citations=== {{Reflist}}

====Web==== {{Reflist|group=Web}}

===Notes=== {{notelist}}

==Sources==

*{{cite book |last1= Coleman |first1= Keith |year= 2022 |title= Áedán of the Gaels: King of the Scots |publisher= [[Pen and Sword Books]] |isbn= 978-1526794901 }}

*{{cite book |last1= Foster |first1= Sally M. |year= 2014 |title= Picts, Gaels and Scots: Early Historic Scotland |publisher= [[Birlinn (publisher)|Birlinn]] |location=Edinburgh |isbn= 978-1780271910 }}

*{{cite book |last1= MacKillop |first1= James |author-link= James MacKillop (author) |year= 2004 |title= Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology |publisher= [[Oxford University Press]] |isbn= 0-19-860967-1 }}

*{{cite book |last1= Moffat |first1= Alistair |author-link= Alistair Moffat |year= 2017 |title= Scotland, A History from Earliest Times |publisher= [[Birlinn (publisher)|Birlinn]] |isbn= 978-1780274386}}

*{{cite book |last1= Noble |first1= Gordon |last2= Evans |first2= Nicholas |year= 2022 |title= The Picts: Scourge of Rome, Rulers of the North |publisher= [[Birlinn (publisher)|Birlinn]] |isbn= 978-1780277783 }}

---- {{CE1913|wstitle= Irish Literature |volume= 8 |year= 1913 |last= Hyde |first= Douglas |author-link= Douglas Hyde |short=1}}

* {{Dwelly}} (Filidh)

{{Authority control}}

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