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surprise, therefore, that dance enthusiasts also want to be part of
this linkage with the "old country" despite the fact that many of the
traditional qualities of the Cape Breton music, song and dance are no
longer found in Scotland today. (MacMaster Video.)
It is interesting to note, however, that sometimes in researching the
place of culture and traditional art forms in society, one can fall
victim to 'inventing tradition.' Perhaps Cape Bretoners indulge in
this useful avocation from time to time. This is an issue which
requires a series of further reflection and research and cannot be
dealt with adequately in a brief paper. However, let me explore the
matter briefly in the context of traditional Cape Breton step-dance.
Close to the Floor
==================
The work by Colin Quigley, well known researcher of traditional dance,
offers some interesting information. Quigley's research culminates in
his publication "Close to the Floor". Sound familiar? Of course! It is
the title of a traditional tune often played by Cape Breton fiddlers
for dancers. The tune often receives the same response as the lively
strathspey, "Welcome to Your Feet Again" which is a favourite in Cape
Breton. Quigley's publication describes, in detail, the formal
structuring of steps commonly used by step-dancers. He describes the
notion that the steps are presented in intricate detail and move in
rhythm to select music including jigs and reels. He describes the body
posture of the dancer with the emphasis on movement from the knees
down while the upper portion of the body is more relaxed and subtle
and not to be a distraction from the footwork. The dancer's main
objective is to gain equal co- ordination of both legs and feet, a
basic requirement of a good Cape Breton step-dancer.
According to Quigley, the art of good step-dancing requires a great
deal of individual style as well as an inclusion of some regional
variety in styles. Quigley learned that styles may differ in body
stance, arm use or in characteristic ways of using the feet. He
explains how most traditional step- dancers strive to achieve a light
and near-silent dance style. This describes two great Cape Breton
step-dancers rather nicely: Harvey Beaton and Willie Fraser.
Quigley goes on to describe how traditional step-dancers aspire to the
music played. Quigley could be describing step-dancing as it is known
in Cape Breton. But he is not! He is sharing his findings of
traditional step-dance in the province of Newfoundland which is
situated on the extreme East Coast of Atlantic Canada. His description
of the solo step-dance in Newfoundland appears to describe what is now
known as the Cape Breton step-dance. Quigley's research outlines the
similarity between Newfoundland step-dance and Irish step-dance in
terms of technique and the terminology applied to both dance and
music. Quigley makes a direct link between the traditional step-dance
of Newfoundland and Ireland. Cape Breton Island does not enter the
equation in Quigley's research. It is highly likely that Quigley had
never heard of Cape Breton step-dance while he was researching in
Newfoundland. (Quigley, pp. 54 - 83.)
Hugh Trevor Roper
=================
Quigley may not change people's minds about the origins of Cape Breton
step-dance, unless people have spent some time reading the essays of
historian Hugh Trevor Roper. Trevor Roper presents an interesting case
in his essay "Invention of Tradition: The Highland Tradition of
Scotland". He writes out of particular concern for the place of the
tartan image among the Scots, but his work may have some implication
for how people view other aspects of the culture like music and
dancing.
As a result of his efforts, Roper has given cause for Highland
Scottish culture enthusiasts to do some serious reflection on the
origin of Highland Scottish tradition. Trevor Roper in his research
suggests that the Highlands of Scotland were culturally deprived
approaching the 16'th century and that the literature of the Highland
Scot was a crude echo of the Irish literature. Trevor Roper claims
also that the bards of the Scottish chieftains came from Ireland, and
that the Scottish bards were the "rubbish of Ireland" who were
periodically cleared from Ireland and deposited in that convenient
wasteland, Scotland. Also, according to Trevor Roper, while Ireland
remained culturally an historic nation, Scotland developed, at best,
as its poor sister. He further claims that Scotland did not develop an
independent Scottish tradition. (Roper, pp. 271 - 293.) Is it possible
that if Cape Bretoners were to pursue this matter in any serious
manner, that Cape Bretoners might plummet into some kind of identity
crisis?
Barbara LeBlanc
===============
It might well be that this Cape Breton dance, "step-dance," does not
belong to the Scots after all. It might be an extension of the Irish
tradition. Barbara LeBlanc, a native Cape Bretoner is currently
conducting traditional dance research at graduate school. In her 1986
report on "Dance in Inverness County," for the Museum of Man in
Ottawa, she cites examples of conversations with members of the Cape
Breton Irish community who say that step-dance in Cape Breton is an
Irish dance. (LeBlanc, p. 13.) Some day, someone might invite Colin
Quigley and Barbara LeBlanc to do a comparative analysis between Cape
Breton step-dancing and the Newfoundland-Irish traditional
step-dancing.
Clearly, the cultural expressions of Cape Breton Island are well
entrenched in a global sense regardless of their traditional origins.
The traditional music, song and dance, perceived by people as having
evolved on the Island, are part of the unique Cape Breton identity.
Generally speaking, rightly or wrongly, the step-dance activity of
Cape Breton Island is such that it is recognised world-wide as being
unique to Cape Breton. To illustrate the level of interest in
traditional dance locally and to recognise its real and potential
impact, one needs only to visit any number of select communities in
Cape Breton and, in particular, rural communities like lona,
Washabuck, Glendale and, of course, Glencoe Mills.
Cape Breton Dance Activities
============================
When one mentions the word "Glencoe" among the Scots outside of
Scotland, one would envision the notorious exchange between the
Campbells and the MacDonalds of Glencoe. The Scots in the Highlands of
Scotland, however, think of the ship "the Glencoe" that sailed the
waters of Scotland up to 1935 and served as a means of travel,
industry and commerce. (Cooper, p. 126.) In Cape Breton, however,
people know Glencoe to be a tiny rural community in Inverness County,
which boasts, among other things, of beautiful landscape, pastoral
farm settings, a church, a sandy road, and a small parish hall. The
hall, to many people, justifies the pride of Glencoe as it
accommodates one of the more popular dance sites on Cape Breton
Island. The "Glencoe dances" (as they are commonly known) have become
renowned to many people in various parts of the world. In addition to
many local activities promoting the dance tradition, Cape Breton step-
dancers are frequently called upon to demonstrate their unique dance
styles and techniques beyond the physical boundaries of Cape Breton
Island. Through the medium of television, in particular, and personal
appearances at major national and international festivals and
workshops, Cape Breton step-dancers are often seen on regional and
national programs in Canada as well as in the United States and
Britain (Scotland). There is a history of interest in Cape Breton
step-dance among the general public who already have an interest in
Celtic heritage.
Conclusion
==========
Whether the origins of Cape Breton step-dance are within Cape Breton
itself or Scotland or Ireland or all three, the step-dance is a rich
component of the Cape Breton heritage. Furthermore, Cape Breton
step-dancers are perfectionists in their own right. In any initiatives
they engage, they are truly professional and committed to the
promotion and preservation of traditional step-dancing. Their dancing
is as important to them as music is important to the Cape Breton
fiddler. In this sense, they truly complement the efforts of Cape
Breton's greatest fiddlers. Allister MacGillivary's book, "Cape Breton
Ceilidh," highlights in excellent detail the stories, anecdotes and
traditions of many of Cape Breton's outstanding step-dancers.
References
==========
Brown, Richard. "A History of Cape Breton Island."
Belleville, Ontario: Mika Publishing Co., 1979.
Cooper, Derek. "Skye - Great Britain.": Morrison & Gibb
Ltd., 1977.
Dance Nova Scotia, ed. "Just Four on the Floor, A Guide to
Teaching Traditional Cape Breton Square Sets for Public
Schools," 1992.
Dunn, Chades W. "Highland Settler: A Portrait of the
Scottish Gael in Nova Scotia." Toronto: University of
Toronto Press, 1953
Emmerson, George S. "Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String: A
History of Scottish Dance Music." Montreal: McGill Queens
University Press, 1971.
Flett, J.P. and T.M. Flett. "Traditional Dancing in
Scotland." London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1964.
Garrison, Virginia. "Traditional and Non-Traditional
Teaching and Learning Practices in Folk Music: An
Ethnographic Field Study of Cape Breton Fiddling." Ph.D.
Thesis, University of Wisconsin, 1985
Hunter, James. "The Fiddle Music of Scotland Edinburgh."
T.A. Constable Ltd., 1979.
LeBlanc, Barbara and L. Sadousky. "Inverness County Dance
Project." Museum of Man, Ottawa, 1986.
MacDonald, Keith Norman. "The Skye Collection." 1987.
MacGillivray, Allister. "A Cape Breton Ceilidh". Sydney,
Nova Scotia: Sea Cape Music Limited, 1988.
MacInnes, Sheldon, "Folk Society in An Urban Setting." M.A.
Thesis (unpublished). Detroit, Michigan: The Merrill Palmer
Institute (Wayne State University), 1977.
"MacMaster Video," produced by Peter Murphy, Seabright
Productions, Antigonish, 1992.
Quigley, Colin. "Close to the Floor: Folk Dance in
Newfoundland." St. John's, Newfoundland: Memorial
University, 1985.
Rhodes, Frank. Appendix. "Dancing in Cape Breton Island,
Nova Scotia - Traditional Dancing in Scotland." By J. P.
Flett and T. M. Flett. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul,
1964, pp. 267 285.
[3.3] Cape Breton Songs
Nova Scotia -- "Farewell To Nova Scotia"
----------------------------------------
The sun was setting in the west
The birds were singing on every tree
All nature seemed inclined to rest
But still there was no rest for me.
Chorus:
Farewell to Nova Scotia
The seabound coast
Let your mountains, dark and dreary, be
For when I am far away
On the briny ocean, tossed
Will you ever heave a sigh and a wish for me?
I grieve to leave my native land
I grieve to leave my comrades, all
And my parents, whom I've held so dear
And the bonnie, bonnie lass I do adore
Chorus
The drums, they do beat
The wars, they alarm
The captain calls, we must obey
So farewell, farewell to Nova Scotia's charms
For it's early in the morning and I'm far, far away (this should be the final
verse)
I have three brothers
They are at rest
Their arms are folded on their breast
But a poor simple sailor just like me
Must be tossed and driven
on the dark blue sea
Chorus
Cape Breton - "The Island"
--------------------------
Over an ocean and over a sea
Beyond these great waters, oh what do I see?
I see the great mountains rise from the coastline
The hills of Cape Breton, this new home of mine
Oh, we come from the countries all over the world
To hack at the forest, to plow the land down
Fishermen, farmers and sailors all come
To clear for the future this pioneer ground
Chorus:
We are an island, a rock in a stream
We are a people, as proud as there's been
In soft summer breeze or in wild winter wind
The home of my heart - Cape Breton
Over the rooftops and over the trees
Within these new townships, oh what do I see?
I see the black pit-head,
The coal wheels are turning,
The smoke-stacks are belching
And the blast furnace burning
Aw, the sweat on the back is no joy to behold
In the heat of the steelplant or mining the coal
And the foreign-owned companies force us to fight
For our survival and for our rights
Chorus:
Over the highways and over the roads
Over the causeway, stories are told
They tell of the coming and the going away
The cities of Ontario [I've also heard 'America'] draw me away
The companies come and the companies go
And the ways of the world we may never know
But we'll follow the footsteps of those on their way
And ask for the right to leave or to stay
Chorus:
I believe this song was written by a Cape Bretoner, Kenzie MacNeil
Others
------
Other well known Cape Breton songs (Gaelic) are:
Oran do Cheap Breatuinn (song for Cape Breton) and
An Innis Aigh (The Happy Isle - the poetic name for Margaree Island,
Cape Breton)
[3.4] Cape Bretoner newspaper
The Cape Bretoner is a newsmagazine aimed at former Capers who've moved away
(P.O. Box 220, Sydney, NS, B1P 6H1 ).
The Cape Bretoner newsmagazine is a good source for local Canadian
Celtic music.
[3.5] Cape Breton/Nova Scotia History
Trust me, Craig, you'll never read a more wonderful description of the
Highland history of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia than the following from
the Author's Note of Hugh MacLennan's "Each Man's Son" (1951, Little,
Brown and Company. Boston):
"Continents are much alike, and a man can no more love a continent than
he can love a hundred million people. But all the islands of the world
are different. They are small enough to be known, they are vulnerable,
and men come to feel about them as they do about women.
Many men have loved the island of Cape Breton and a few may have hated
her. Ericson was probably the first to see her, Cabot landed on her,
and after Cabot came the French. She seemed harsh and frigid to the
first new-comers, but the moment the French saw her their imaginations
were touched and they called her the Royal Isle. After a while they
built on her eastern rim the master fortress of Louisbourg to dominate
Nova Scotia and guard the St. Lawrence (River).
When the wars began, the English and the New Englanders came up to Cape
Breton and for a time she was as famous as Gibraltar. Louisbourg fell,
the French were driven out, the English and Americans went home and for
a third of a century the island was vacant again.
Then across the ocean in the Highlands of Scotland a desperate and
poetic people there heard of her. They were a race of hunters,
shepherds and warriors who had discovered too late that their own
courage and pride had led them to catastrophe, since it had enabled
them to resist the Saxon civilization so long they had come to the end
of the eighteenth century knowing nothing of the foreman, the boss,
the politician, the policeman, the merchant, or the buyer-seller of
other men's work. When the English set out to destroy the clans of
Scotland, the most independent of the Highlanders left their homes with
the pipes playing laments on the decks of their ships. They crossed
the ocean and the pipes played again when they waded ashore on the
rocky coast of Cape Breton Island.
They rooted themselves, big men from the red-haired parts of the
Scottish main and dark-haired smaller men from the Hebrides, women
from the mainland with strong bones and Hebridean women with delicate
skins, accepting eyes and a musical sadness in their speech. For a
long time nothing but Gaelic was spoken in the island until they
gradually learned English from the handful of New England Loyalists who
came to Nova Scotia after the American Revolution.
To Cape Breton the Highlanders brought more than the quixotic gallantry
and softness of manner belonging to a Homeric people. They also
brought with them an ancient curse, intensified by John Calvin and
branded upon their souls by John Knox and his successors - the belief
that man has inherited from Adam a nature so sinful there is no hope
for him and that, furthermore, he lives and dies under the wrath of an
arbitrary God who will forgive only a handful of his Elect on the Day
of Judgement.
As no normal human being can exist in constant awareness that he is
sinful and doomed through no fault of his own, the Highlanders behaved
outwardly as other men do who have softened the curse or forgotten its
existence. But in Cape Breton they were lonely. They were no part of
the great outer world. So the curse remained alive with them, like a
sombre beast growling behind a locked door. It was felt even when they
were least conscious of it. To escape its cold breath some turned to
drink and others to the pursuit of knowledge. Still others, as the
Puritans of New England had done earlier, left their homes, and in
doing so found wider opportunities in the United States or in the empty
provinces of Western Canada.
But if the curse of God rested on the Highlanders' souls, the beauty of
God cherished the island where they lived. Inland were high hills and
a loch running in from the sea that looked like a sleeve of gold in the
afternoon sun. There were trout and salmon streams lined by
sweet-smelling alder, water meadows and valleys graced by elms as
stately as those in the shires of southern England. The coast was
rugged with grey granite or red sandstone cliffs, splendid with
promontories, fog-bound in the spring when the drift ice came down from
Newfoundland and Labrador, tranquil in summer, and in the autumns
thunderous with evidences of the power of the Lord.
So for several generations the Highlanders remained here untouched,
long enough for them to transfer to Cape Breton the same passionate
loyalty their ancestors had felt for the hills of home. It was long
enough for them to love the island as a man loves a woman,
unreasonably, for her faults no less than for her virtues. But they
were still a fighting race with poetry in their hearts and a curse upon
their souls. Each man's son was driven by the daemon of his own hope
and imagination - by his energy or by his fear - to unknown
destinations. For those who stayed behind, the beast continued to
growl behind the unlocked door...."
And he goes on a little into more specifics about the actual characters
in the novel and their own "daemons". I'm not a religious man, but I
do like his talk of "the curse" and all that, kind of poetic I think.
Anyway, Dr. MacLennan had quite a storied academic career and ended up
teaching English at McGill University in Montreal for many years.
MacLennan taught history (and Latin) at Lower Canada College in
Montreal before accepting a position with the department of English at
McGill which he maintained for thirty years.
He wrote many novels and stories, is Nova Scotia's most renowned writer
and one of the most loved writers in Canadian literary history. He
died in November 1990. One editorial wrote, "MacLennan is one of
those writers whose personal goodness and decency shine through all his
works. His generosity of spirit is such that after a couple of hours
spent with one of his books, the world seems a better place."
FYI, his novels include: Each Man's Son; Barometer Rising; Two
Solitudes; The Watch That Ends The Night; The Return of The Sphinx.
Other books: Seven Rivers of Canada; and The Colour of Canada.
[3.6] Cape Breton what's on
What's on
http://explore.gov.ns.ca/whattodo/festivalsandevents/
To order free travel information
http://explore.gov.ns.ca/publicationsandmore/
Other Cape Breton links:
http://cbmusic.com/bottom.html
http://www.explorenovascotia.com/main.html
http://www.capebretonet.com/
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/samson3/links.htm
A page of links for Nova Scotia:
http://www.newww.com/trip/links.html
See also the newspaper "The Oran", available at most
grocery stores, gas stations, etc in Inverness County.
Published on Wednesdays.
[4] Breizh - Brittany
See here:
Breton FAQ: http://www.irisa.fr/prive/cedelle/breizh/faq/
This is the FAQ for the news:soc.culture.breton usenet newsgroup
[5] Cymru - Wales
The FAQ for the news:soc.culture.welsh newsgroup is at
http://www.fydd.org/zone/scw/
[6] Eire - Ireland
The Irish information in the first version of this FAQ has now been
transferred, considerably expanded and superseded by the
Irish FAQ: http://www.enteract.com/~cpm/irish-faq/
This is the FAQ for the news:soc.culture.irish usenet newsgroup
[7] Kernow - Cornwall
See here:
Cornish FAQ: http://www.clas.demon.co.uk/
This is the FAQ for the news:soc.culture.cornish usenet newgroup
Additional information by Sean Kelley
mailto:kelley@marsha.sanders.lockheed.com
First of all here a couple of addresses for those of you interested in
the Cornish language, Kernewek:
1. Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek (The Cornish Language Fellowship)
Colin Ellis
Chi Ashley (Ashley House)
Stret Deghow (South Street)
Fordh Ponsmeur (Grampound Road)
Truru
Kernow
UK
Tel: 01276 882500
2. Kernewek Dre Lyther (Cornish Correspondence Course)
Ray Edwards
6 Halton Road
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
B73 6NP
UK
Tel: 0121 354 6249
Those of you who are interested in traditional Cornish music and dance
might like to get in touch with
Merv & Alison Davey
Meneghyjy
Withiel
Bodmin
Kernow
UK
They are our leading authority on traditional Cornish dance and are able to
supply various books, videos and cassettes, including the recent
Ilow Hengov ha Koth a Gernow
(The Ancient and Traditional Music of Cornwall)
by the group PYBA. This cassettes features Cornish bagpipes, Cornish
Krowd (a sort of three stringed fiddle), organ, flute, bombarde, harp,
kroeder kroghan and vocals in Kernewek.
Another interesting cassette is
Poll Pri
available from
Graham Sandercock
Trewynn
Bre an Loja (Lodge Hill)
Lyskerrys (Liskeard)
Kernow
UK
This is more up-beat, and features some superb contemporary songs written by
Graham Sandercock in Kernewek.
Additional info be Kev Robinson:
Cornwall is a county in the south-western extremity of England. It is a
peninsula bounded by the English Channel on the south and the Atlantic
Ocean on the north and west, terminating at Land's End. Cornwall's
population is 469,300 (1991 est.), and it covers 3,564 km sq (1,376 mi
sq). Although Bodmin is the county seat, Truro is the administrative
centre. Most of Cornwall consists of rugged moorland that gradually
declines in elevation to the heavily indented coastline. The SCILLY
ISLANDS, located just offshore, are part of Cornwall. Some agriculture
is engaged in; dairy cattle are raised and fruits and vegetables
grown. Tin and clay mining is also important. The port towns of
Falmouth, Fowey, and Penzance are industrial centres. Tourism is
important, and much of the scenic coast is protected from commercial
development. Cornwall was occupied by Romans, Saxons, and Celts before
the Norman Conquest in 1066, after which it became an Earldom. Since
1337 the heir to the British crown has held the title of Duke of
Cornwall.
The Cornish flag - is called a "St Piran", after the Cornish Patron
Saint (also the Patron Saint of Tinners or Tin Miners). His
feast day is March 5th.
The Black and White St Piran's Cross flags are seen everywhere in Cornwall,
and are a potent symbol of Cornwall's distinct identity as a Duchy (and not
a county of England).
[8] Mannin - Isle of Man
-> [8.1] Manx top level links
-> [8.2] Isle of Man name
-> [8.3] Detailed Manx Information
-> [8.4] Manx Links
[8.1] Manx top level links
Manx Information: http://www.mcb.net/manxrem/
Manx Bulletin Board http://www.isle-of-man.com/information/bulletin/index.html
Isle of Man/Manx mailing list at mailto:manx@egroups.com
[8.2] Isle of Man name
Note the country is usually referred to as Mann and the island as Isle
of Man (note alternative spelling of Man) for the anglicised version of
Ellan Vannin. This is obviously not as confusing as the current
discussion regarding Eire/Ireland since Mann/Isle of Man are used
interchangeably.
[8.3] Detailed Manx Information
Mannin / Ellan Vannin / Isle of Man
===================================
This section contributed by
Mark Kermode mailto:mkermode at mcb.net
Name
~~~~
The names are synonymous. "Mannin" was how the country was invariably referred
to by native speakers of the Manx language. "Ellan Vannin" appeared circa 15th
century as a translation of "Isle of Mannin". "Isle of Man" is the English term
and is used in legal documents and by the Manx government. Some people write
"Isle of Mann" or simply "Mann".
Situation and Physical Geography
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Situated in the Irish Sea. The most northerly point is the Point of Ayre
(Lat. 54 25' 00" N, Long. 04 21' 40" W.). The most southerly point is The
Chicken Rock (Lat. 54 02' 20" N, Long. 04 50' 15" W.). Most of the island lies
above 300 ft (100m approx.) with a highest summit of 2036ft. (621m).
The climate is cool temperate, with the summer days rarely exceeding 20C and
the winter days rarely below freezing. The tree-line is around 800ft (250m
approx). Most of the land mass is currently used for agriculture. Rainfall is
high and sunshine moderate.
The majority of the Island is composed of pre-Cambrian slate. The northern
plain (post glacial) is a sand / shingle conglomerate. There are some granite
outcrops. The southern area contains both limestone and lava beds, and the
western area contains some sandstone.
The Island has yielded high quantities of zinc and lead, at one point being the
biggest producer of zinc ore in the British Isles. Copper, iron, silver and a
little gold have also been mined commercially. There is no tin or coal in the
island. No minerals are currently extracted from the island.
(Various sources)
Population
~~~~~~~~~~
The 1992 resident population stood at 69,788. Of these, 34,608 were born on the
island. 26,541 born in England and Cornwall, 2,291 born in Scotland, 3,278 born
in Ireland, 795 born in Wales, 186 born in the Channel Islands, 421 born in
European countries other than U.K. and Eire, 1,668 were born elsewhere in the
world.
There are more males than females in all age groups under 45, and more females
than males in all age groups over 45. Approximately 45,000 were between the
ages of 16 and 65, 12,000 were under 16 and 13,000 were over 65.
(Source - IOM government)
Political
~~~~~~~~~
Mannin has a substantially autonomous government, Tynwald, which has an
unbroken tradition of over 1,000 years. The Tynwald is comprised of two houses,
the popularly elected House of Keys (24 members representing 15 constituencies
and the indirectly elected Legislative Council (8 members elected by the House
of Keys). The U.K. Crown is represented by a Lieutenant Governor.
The island was autonomous until 1266 when power was technically handed over
to Alexander III of Scotland. A period of instability followed before being
granted to William de Montecute in 1333. After several further changes of
king, Mannin was granted to Sir John Stanley in 1405 with a condition of
homage to the English Crown attached.
Mannin retained its autonomy even during the Parliamentarian period of English
history. This is a fascinating piece of history in itself and cost one man,
William Christian (Illiam Dhone to the Manx), his life when accused of treason
after the restoration.
Mannin became the property of the English Crown in 1765 after what was
effectively a compulsory purchase due to the perceived level of smuggling. The
Tynwald was offered the choice of remaining (although with little more power
than a local authority and, in fiscal matters, even less) or Mannin being
represented by a member in the Westminster parliament. Tynwald elected to stay.
In 1866, the House of Keys (part of the two-house government) was persuaded by
the Crown's representative, Governor Loch, to dissolve itself and be returned
by popular suffrage in return for increased fiscal power.
In 1958, Mannin regained full fiscal autonomy but has since rescinded much of
this through various reciprocal agreements with the United Kingdom. Mannin is
not a part of the United Kingdom or Europe, but is allowed to trade with Europe
in the same manner as a European member under the terms of Protocol 3 which
also applies to the Channel Islands.
Mannin is totally self financing and receives no financial support from the UK
or Europe.
(Various sources)
Economic
~~~~~~~~
Mannin's primary source of income is the international finance industry (35% of
GDP) followed by "other services" (those not specifically categorised by
government statisticians) (33%), manufacturing industry (11%), construction
(8%), tourism (7%), public administration (5%) and agriculture / fishing (2%).
(1991 figures)
(Source - IOM government.)
Language
~~~~~~~~
The majority language of Mannin has been English since around 1830. Prior to
this, Manx Gaelic was the majority language. Manx Gaelic had disappeared as a
community language by the end of the 1920s but continued to be spoken in
families for an indeterminate time thereafter. The "last" native speaker, Ned
Maddrell, died in 1974 but by this time, the language had been passed on to
several new generations of enthusiasts. Several children are now being brought
up as a new generation of native speakers.
Although the Vikings were the ruling class in Mannin from the 10th to 13th
centuries, they appear to have had remarkably little influence on the language.
There is evidence to suggest, however, that what some have dismissed as
"anglicisation" of the language in terms of grammar and syntax is, in fact, a
throw-back to the influence of the Vikings.
Laws cannot remain as Statute unless promulgated (broadcast) within eighteen
months of their being passed in both Manx and English. Tynwald has passed
various resolutions calling for the language's promotion and use and the
language is being taught to many children who choose it as part of their school
syllabus.
For more information, contact:
"Manx Language Officer", Rheynn Ynsee, Murray House, Mount Havelock, Doolish,
Isle of Man IM1 2Q
Music
~~~~~
The traditional music of Mannin will be easily recognisable to anyone familiar
with the Irish or Scottish traditions. It does not enjoy wide-spread public
performance but is still healthy with a certain amount of new material being
written and traditional music being adapted to modern styles.
Culture
~~~~~~~
The modern day culture of Mannin may be difficult to distinguish from
north-western English due to the demographic changes over the past century and
particularly the past thirty years. The indigenous culture is, however, quite
typically Celtic and has been since pre-history. The Brythonic Celts and Picts
were supplanted by Goidelic Celts as the majority culture in the years
following the birth of Christ. There is evidence to suggest that at least one
Brythonic tribe survived as a distinct entity as late as the 11th century.
These people were dark and swarthy, short in stature and were noted for their
marksmanship with short, poison tipped arrows.
Compulsory Reading
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Isle of Man (A short social, cultural and political history) - R.H. Kinvig.
Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0 85323 483 3
The Isle of Man - Celebrating A Sense of Place - Vaughan Robinson and Danny
McCarroll - Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0 85323 296 2 (Paperback) /
ISBN 0 85323 036 6 (Hardback)
It is hoped to create a comprehensive list of links as time progresses
also "Manx Language Officer", Rheynn Ynsee, Murray House, Mount Havelock,
Doolish, Isle of Man IM1 2Q
[8.4] Manx Links
Language
~~~~~~~~
http://homepages.enterprise.net/kelly
Phil Kelly's Manx language page.
http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaelg
Sabhal Mor Ostaig's Manx Gaelic section.
http://www.enterprise.net/arts/gaelic/mgs.htm
Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh (Manx Language Society)
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