David Jackson: The Modern Seanchaí

Storytelling has a strong traditional base in Ireland and David Jackson wants to expand that base in three steps.

The wordsmiths of Ireland have influenced and evolved culture and consciousness worldwide for as long as we know. We are known for our famous folklore and charming chatter. It is one of the most potent attributes the people of this country have and my wish is to see it embraced and explored by the wider community that is modern Ireland. Where you are is who you are. Regardless of your background, if you live in Ireland you are of this land, it supports you, holds you and teaches you, whether you are aware of it or not. When we travel to other parts of the world, we are exploring other parts of ourselves. So, if you are here, you represent the soil beneath your feet. This part of the world is the land of the poets, tellers of stories and singers of songs. This happens worldwide but it is exceptionally prominent here.

There are many folklore stories of musicians receiving music from the wind and trickling streams of water. If you are in the craft of the Bard (the keeper of the oral traditions) then have no doubt about it, you too receive what the land wishes to be spoken. The gift of the gab means you have been given a chance to lift up the land by giving it your feet to stand, your speech to reach its people and clans.

This is not a solo act, this involves all of us and all who will come after.

In turn this lifts up the people. You are the listeners who speak what everyone else is too busy to hear. You are a custodian of truth and knowledge. This is a call for us all to come together and step into the power of this role. The position of the Bard or Seanchaí has been fractured and fragmented into boxes of poets, spoken word artists, rappers, writers, singers, musicians and many more derivatives. The borders between these titles are at times, impenetrable.

Step One

We need to take theses borders down. When druid mystery schools were replaced with Catholicism, the first thing they did was cut down the mother trees from which the druids received spiritual guidance. The second was to hunt down the bards and kill them. After learning the negative impact of making them martyrs they would cut out their tongues instead. All this to subdue the power of speech. There are still echoes of this in modern times. There is power in numbers, the boxes keep us divided.

Step Two

We take responsibility for our role, as we have been gifted with the ability to respond to its needs. This whole country is rich with ancient history, mythology, poetry, and songs that have survived and influenced the people of today. As we travel Ireland, we connect with this spectrum, which is layered through time. For example, the old forge bar which was once the forge of a blacksmith, located down the road from a bronze age copper mine. These layers I see as stacked in three tiers. Words from the times of our ancestors from the Past, the stories and experiences that are being created by the people here and now in the Present, and finally the Future that will be told/created by the listeners after they have interacted and been inspired by the past and present. Dig in and connect with what is around you, listen and learn from others living there and weave this timeless tapestry, become the voice for the people and land in which you live. The internet has created a global community, but your life is at your feet not in front of a screen.

Step Three

Create a home for us. There is an ever-evolving range of social pages that we all dip in and out of. Having spoken with those better versed in technology than me, I am told that it is possible to setup a social platform specifically for this purpose. This social platform would be a cattalo of the people of the Word. We could easily find, contact and connect with each other and more importantly the public could find us. By doing this we can represent a living, oral tradition that people can interact with. I am aware there are collectives and groups for storytelling, poetry and spoken word already. This is not about competition, but a symbol that connects them, like the fair-trade stamp with different food brands, we need something that says I am a 100 per cent, locally sourced, organic vanguard of the word.

The position of the Bard or Seanchaí has been fractured and fragmented into boxes of poets, spoken word artists, rappers, writers, singers, musicians and many more derivatives.

There has been much discussion about funding for spoken word and poetry. It is the rightful place of the bard to interact and welcome to visitors to this island. I have met with representatives from Fáilte Ireland to get a perspective on their world. The development of the story of a place is a top priority for them when considering funding of a heritage or tourist business. Currently this story is crafted by Fáilte Ireland's marketing team. If we become a voice for our land the natural current will bring these visitors to interface the country through us.

Tour companies are crying out for people to guide and inform their groups about areas they are visiting. If we can unite under one banner, they can connect easily with us and we can also organise our own gatherings, where we share what we have learned with each other, thus strengthening our individual craft. Not too long ago in Ireland, every village had a rambling house. This was a place where people would gather and the storytellers who roamed the country would visit and share tales from the land they have collected. Today we call these pubs, most of which have lost this magic.

I would love to see this rambling tradition come back to its roots. I often work as a tour guide/storyteller in a heritage farm on the border of west Cork and south Kerry. This farm was originally a sibeen (illegal pub) where a still, brewed poitín and poets and storytellers gathered. This place is an hour’s diversion for coaches off the ring of Kerry route, yet every day they arrive like clockwork. When I ask the tour guides why the visitors are willing to divert so far, they tell me “it's the real thing”. This is a time of truth and transparency, not marketing and manipulation. Let us create a living community who share the poems, stories and songs that paint a picture of the real Ireland and offer people the real experience, while keeping alive the tradition we are a part of. It was never meant to exist in a digital database, the depth and essence can only be experienced fully, live.

This is not a solo act, this involves all of us and all who will come after. I am of the generation who did not have internet until my teenage years, possibly the last children to have a childhood free from ‘smart’ devices. The thought of that fills me with mixed emotions from unease to gratitude. We have lost so much in this country in a relatively short time. Spoken verse is one of the oldest and most powerful links we have to where we have come from, and may even be, more of a guide to where we are going than Google maps. I invite you to share your ideas, thoughts and positive energy, so we can move forward with this project together.

Contact boundlessandbaremedia@gmail.com or comment below to share your ideas on David Jackson’s Call to Action.

Written by David Jackson
Originally published in BND Magazine Vol. 1 Issue 2

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Boundless & BareFebruary 16, 2020Comment