Traidisiún na Scéalaíochta i gCorca Dhuibhne

One must never forget the existence of the audience when studying folk-tradition – these invisible literary critics are there all the time. The storyteller reacted to their presence, to their attentive interest and their occasional plaudits and conventional phrases of approval.

Níl aon dabht ar bhéaloideasóirí na linne seo ach gur tríd an gcur chuige comhthéacsúil seo is fearr a thiocfar ar thuiscint ar an scéalaíocht mar chaitheamh aimsire traidisiúnta:

The text of course, is important, but without the context it remains lifeless. As we have seen, the interest of the story is vastly enhanced and it is given its proper character by the manner in which it is told. The whole nature of the performance, the voice and the mimicry, the stimulus and the response of the audience mean as much to natives as the text…. All these elements are equally relevant; all must be studied as well as the text.

Déanfaidh mé iarracht an cur chuige ilghnéitheach seo a chur chun tairbhe an tsaothair seo. Leis an eolas atá ar fáil ó fhoinsíéagsúla agus ó fhaisnéiseoirí éagsúla tá sé i gceist agam mionscrúdú a dhéanamh ar na hócáidí éagsúla scéalaíochta, ar na scéalaithe, ar na héisteoirí agus ar an suíomh sóisialta as ar eascair an scéalaíocht i gcás cheantar Chorca Dhuibhne. Sa tslíseo, tá súil agam léargas cruinn a thabhairt ar thraidisiún scéalaíochta Chorca Dhuibhne mar a bhí sé ó lár an 19ú aois go dtí an lá atá inniu ann.