{{Short description|Traditional Gaelic storyteller/historian}} {{For|the record label|Shanachie Records}} {{distinguish|Saenchai}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{EngvarB|date=July 2022}}

A '''seanchaí''' ({{IPA|ga|ˈʃan̪ˠəxiː|lang}} <small>or</small> {{IPA|ga|ʃan̪ˠəˈxiː|}}; plural: {{langx|ga|seanchaithe}} {{IPA|ga|ˈʃan̪ˠəxəhɪ|}}) is a traditional Gaelic storyteller or historian, serving as an oral repository. In Scottish Gaelic the word is {{langx|gd|'''seanchaidh'''|label=none|italics=no}} ({{IPA|gd|ˈʃɛn̪ˠɛxɪ|pron}}; plural: {{lang|gd|seanchaidhean}}). The word is often anglicised as '''shanachie''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|æ|n|ə|x|iː|,_|ˌ|ʃ|æ|n|ə|ˈ|x|iː}} {{respell|SHAN|ə|khee|,_-|KHEE}}).

The word {{langx|ga|seanchaí|label=none}}, which was spelled {{langx|ga|seanchaidhe|label=none}} (plural {{langx|ga|seanchaidhthe|label=none}}) before the Irish spelling reform of 1948, means a bearer of "old lore" ({{langx|ga|seanchas|label=none}}).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oldmooresalmanac.com/the-seanchai-of-ireland-and-their-stories/|title=The Seanchaí of Ireland and Their Stories|date=July 25, 2019|website=Old Moore's Almanac}}</ref> In the Gaelic culture, long lyric poems which were recited by bards ({{langx|ga|filí; filidhe|label=none}} in the original pre-1948 spelling) in a tradition echoed by the {{langx|ga|seanchaithe|label=none}}.

==Traditional art== {{langx|ga|Seanchaithe|label=none}} were servants to the heads of the lineages and kept track of important information for them: laws, genealogies, annals, literature, etc. After the destruction of Gaelic civilization in the 1600s as a result of the English colonialism, these more formal roles ceased to exist and the term {{langx|ga|seanchaí|label=none}} came to be associated instead with traditional storytellers from the lower classes.<ref name=BBCNI>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/11_16/storyteller/pdf/gen_notes_all.pdf |title=Study Ireland:An Introduction to Storytelling, Myths and Legends |publisher=BBC Northern Ireland |first=Eugene |last=McKendry }}</ref>

The {{langx|ga|seanchaithe|label=none}} made use of a range of storytelling conventions, styles of speech and gestures that were peculiar to the Irish folk tradition and characterized them as practitioners of their art. Although tales from literary sources found their way into the repertoires of the {{langx|ga|seanchaithe|label=none}}, a traditional characteristic of their art was the way in which a large corpus of tales was passed from one practitioner to another without ever being written down. {{langx|ga|Seanchaithe|label=none}} passed information orally through storytelling from one generation to the next about Irish folklore, myth, history and legend, in medieval times.<ref name=BBCNI />

The distinctive role and craft of the {{langx|ga|seanchaí|label=none}} is particularly associated with the Gaeltacht (the Irish-speaking areas of Ireland), although storytellers recognizable as {{langx|ga|seanchaithe|label=none}} were also to be found in rural areas throughout English-speaking Ireland. In their storytelling, some displayed archaic Hiberno-English idioms and vocabulary distinct from the style of ordinary conversation.

==Modern times== [[File:IVRLA 10443 Ó hEinirí.jpg|thumb|243x243px|Seán Ó hEinirí, {{langx|ga|seanchaí|label=none}} from County Mayo]] Members of the Irish Cultural Revival took a great interest in the art of the {{langx|ga|seanchaí|label=none}}, and through them the stories that they told were written down, published, and distributed to a global audience.<ref name=BBCNI />

At events such as mummers' festival in New Inn, County Galway, and the All-Ireland Fleadh Ceoil storytellers who preserve the stories and oratory style of the {{langx|ga|seanchaithe|label=none}} continue to display their art and compete for awards. Eddie Lenihan is one notable modern-day {{langx|ga|seanchaí|label=none}}, based in County Clare.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsandculture/arid-40071116.html|title=A storytelling tradition that endures: 'Irish people have always been in love with words'|first=Mike |last=McGrath Bryan |date=October 27, 2020|newspaper=Irish Examiner }}</ref>

Actor Eamon Kelly was well known for his portrayals of the traditional {{langx|ga|seanachaí|label=none}}, and ran several series of one-man shows in Dublin's Abbey Theatre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/jan/04/guardianobituaries.books|title=Obituary: Éamon Kelly|author=Hayes|work=The Guardian|date=2002-01-04|access-date=2014-10-10|first=Nuala|author-link=Nuala Hayes}}</ref>

==Other uses of the term== The term is also found within Scottish Gaelic and Manx where it is spelt {{langx|gd|seanchaidh|label=none}} ({{IPA|gd|ˈʃɛn̪ˠɛxɪ|}}) and {{langx|gv|shennaghee|label=none}} ({{IPA|gv|ˈʃɛnaxiː|}}) respectively. All uses ultimately have their roots in the traditional poets attached to the households of ancient Gaelic nobility. In Scotland, it is commonly anglicised as {{langx|gd|shen(n)achie|label=none}}.<ref>Robinson, M (1985) ''The Concise Scots Dictionary'' Chambers, Oxford {{ISBN|0-08-028491-4}}</ref>

The Shanachies are a cricket club playing in the Inner West Harbour grade competition in Sydney.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/entitydetails.aspx?entityid=13390|title="CricketNetwork"|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref>

==See also== {{Portal|Ireland}}

* Gaelic Ireland * Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh

==Notes== {{Reflist|2}}

==References== * {{cite book|editor-last=Colum|editor-first=Padraig|year=1954|title=A Treasury of Irish Folklore|location=New York|publisher=Crown Publishers}} * {{cite book|last=DeLaney|first=Frank|author-link=Frank Delaney|year=2004|title=Ireland|location=London|publisher=Time Warner}} * {{cite book|editor-last1=Lynch|editor-first1=Patricia A.|editor-last2=Fischer|editor-first2=Joachim|editor-last3=Coates|editor-first3=Brian|year=2006|title=Back to the Present: Forward to the Past—Irish Writing and History since 1798|location=Amsterdam|publisher=Rodopi}}

==External links== * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzP4FM3WqwY How To Tell A Story -The Seanachaí (Eamon Kelly)]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Seanchai}} Category:Gaelic culture Category:Culture of Ireland Category:Storytelling Category:Irish words and phrases Category:Irish poets Category:Irish storytellers