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Poets have long been revered in Gaelic culture, and historically many Gaelic poets or bàird (which gives us the English word bard) enjoyed a privileged position within clan society and carried out a specific role. They were the entertainers at many gatherings, they might act as ambassadors or diplomats between clan chiefs, they were the principal tradition bearers; their words could mock and praise, or incite men to battle. Indeed, it’s not that long since there was a poet in almost every community in the Gaelic Highlands, whose songs and poems could contain satire and humour in equal measure, and most important of all, news.
Today’s modern Gaelic poets are no less important. They ask questions, they make you laugh, they portray the miraculous and the ridiculous, they express a huge variety of opinions and thoughts in voices which can range from the lyrical and rhythmic to the plain and conversational, they provide sound-bites and ask you to search your soul; and they make you think. They form part of an unbroken chain of Gaelic songs (òrain) and poetry (bàrdachd) which continues to grow.
The 1700s was an incredibly rich era for Gaelic poetry, and the most famous poet of that time was Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair (literally Alasdair the son of Alasdair the Clergyman). Many regard him not only as the best poet of the period, but perhaps as the greatest of all Gaelic poets. He was a MacDonald of Clan Ranald, who worked as a teacher and catechist in various parishes, and who was an officer in the Jacobite army of Bonnie Prince Charlie during the ’45 uprising. His subjects included love, politics, nature, satires and the Gaelic language itself.
If you were asked to name a Gaelic poet that most people might know, even people who don’t have Gaelic, you would probably say Sorley MacLean. His name has travelled far and wide and poems such as ‘Hallaig’ and ‘The Cuillin’ have earned him an international reputation. He was a great ambassador for the language and one of its finest poets. Again he came from a rich crop of poets, but his international stature and his standing among Gaelic speakers was unparalleled.
Aonghas ‘Dubh’ (or ‘Black’ Angus: a name he acquired in his youth due to his striking black hair) is originally from Skye and is one of the foremost modern Gaelic poets. Aonghas is not only a poet but a fulltime professional writer who has written scripts for radio, television, film and opera, as well as many reviews and even songs. His poetry deals with a variety of subjects, and although Gaelic tradition (dualchas, a word which can mean heritage, tradition, inheritance) is important to him, Aonghas is a poet who writes very much in the modern idiom. However, at its height his poetry captures a lyric as old as poetry itself.
Meg Bateman was brought up in Edinburgh and is one of several Gaelic poets who have learnt the language. She is now a lecturer at the Gaelic college Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Skye, and her last collection, ‘Soirbheas’ or ‘Fair Wind’, was shortlisted for the Scottish Book of the Year at the 2007 Saltire awards. Her work is frank and honest, and often touches on very personal subjects. One thing is certain about Meg’s poetry, you cannot remain impartial when you read it.
