“Death Leaves a Heartache No One Can Heal:” Musical Subversion in the Irish Caoineadh Tradition

My thesis details the subversive, inherently feminine nature of Irish caoineadh (keening). This research focuses on how a practice with pagan, druidic roots survived in a culture that was experiencing intense religious and structural upheaval including the arrival of Protestant English settlers, tensions with the Catholic church, and longstanding pagan traditions. I contend that early modern Irish lament (caoineadh/keening) was inherently subversive due to its feminine liminality, its origins from druidic ritual, and its musical, poetic, and lyrical content that was often condemnatory of patriarchal Christian and English power structures. This thesis investigates three main topics occurring from ancient times through the early modern era and into the nineteenth century. Firstly, I examine a brief history of caoineadh. Closely tied to the act and history of keening is the interstitial feminine quality of this art form—the second topic I explore. Keeners were responsible for assisting the community to mourn and come to terms with the intense feelings and emotions associated with a death. Many keeners were also midwives, existing at the doors of life and death itself. Examining the practices of funeral wakes and pagan mythology reveals these important spaces inhabited primarily by women. The third topic I describe is the political and oftentimes accusatory nature of Irish keens. My thesis delves into the rocky relationship between keeners and the Catholic/Protestant churches. To conclude, I discuss the far reaching consequences of retaining this practice in Irish music. The commentary housed in many lament texts influenced popular Irish female protest singers such as Sinéad O’Connor and the Cranberries. The legacy of Irish keening as a female, political subversive practice lives on through the musical and denunciatory art of these creators.