The Irish Curse poem is a popular and much-discussed topic in Irish literature. It refers to a particular theme that is often found in the poetry and folklore of Ireland. The "curse" in the poem typically refers to the troubles and hardships that the Irish people have historically faced, such as poverty, famine, and political oppression. These struggles have deeply shaped the Irish identity and have been a major focus of Irish art and literature. The Irish Curse poem is known for its emotional and somber tone. It often speaks to the pain and suffering endured by the Irish people throughout history.
The Mallacht - Art of the Irish Curse
It often speaks to the pain and suffering endured by the Irish people throughout history. The poem also highlights the resilience and resilience of the Irish spirit, as well as the sense of humor and wit that have helped the Irish people cope with their hardships. The curse itself is often seen as a metaphor for the continuous struggles that the Irish people have faced throughout history.
Irish and Celtic myths and legends, Irish folklore and Irish fairy tales tales of Ireland
Through his occult power, he turned on them a magic breath
Cursing of various sorts has a history as long and rich as Ireland's own, stretching from the very earliest tales of the first settlers in Ireland all the way to the modern day. Whether a quick muttered malediction on someone who had crossed you or an elaborate, lengthy poem intended to satirise and ruin the legacy of a king, the mallacht, or curse, has served many purposes through the ages.
Curses were divided into various types – from the casual curse to the openly occult piseóg, as well as Druidic battle curses called the Anáil Siabhráin, which meant the breath of the demon, or the breath of the underworld. It was used to great effect at the siege of Knocklong:
“Through his occult power, he turned on them a magic breath
and as a result every man in the crowd took on the appearance of the druid himself.
Each man became a grey-haired imposing figure such as the druid himself was.
They had crossed the stream in pursuit of the druid
and now they turned on each other and the massacre began.
There was pulling out of hair, struggling, giving blow for blow
and each one delivering mighty savage strokes on the breast and face of the other
for each one believed that it was the druid himself that he was attacking.”
"After this, Colpa set out for the ford at Ráithín an Iomardaigh and while he was on his way from the camp Mogh Roith dispatched a magic breath northwards against him so that the stones and sand of the earth became furious devastating balls of fire all the way to the ford. Only with difficulty could Colpa put his foot on the ground as the fire singed and scorched him and the sedges of the plain turned into raging dogs barking and screaming at him. And it was as if the bushes of the plain were savage, immense, rough, fat-necked oxen who roared and screamed at his approach. Seeing all this, Colpa was filled with dread."
Géises were a kind of curse or forbidding which was placed on every Irish person at their birth, usually being a list of things they were to avoid or disaster would follow. The sugán was a twist of straw rope with curse words bound into it as it was woven, and there were also intricate bardic curses, or the curses of the file, which meant poets or more often seers.
Before battles began in earnest, heroes would first engage in a duel of curses and formal insults, the bríatharcath, and their wives sometimes got in on it too! The terror of the curse was so widespread and persistent that by the seventeenth century, laws were passed in Ireland by both the Church and the nobility forbidding the “monstrous curse”.
Gaelic was considered far superior to English when it came to cursing, with at least thirteen different words to describe a curse and many others for the act of cursing and identifying the accursed as well!
But most cursing was of a more mundane and workaday sort, such as “that ye may never have a day’s luck! That all belonging to ye may die with the hunger! That your eyes may fall out of your head!”
The solemn curse was a more serious business, and just how serious it was depended on who was casting it – the unpaid blacksmith was notorious for the power of his curses, the curse of a spurned beggar was feared, the curse of a widow cast from her home was to be avoided at all costs, but none came close to the awesome supernatural force of the priest's curse.
Priests in Ireland employed curses for all sorts of purposes, in their conflicts with the protestant English, to shame parishioners who were acting in a scandalous way in public, and even to get votes for Irish candidates during such elections as were held!
But of course it wasn't just the priests using curses for political gain, as one letter sent to a landlord in the late 19th century showed:
“may you wither up by the fire of hell soon and sudden, may the flesh rot off your bones, and fall away putrid before your eyes, and may the consolation of eternal flames come to be your consolation in your last illness, and the hearthstone of hell be your pillow for ever”
Not to beat around the bush or anything! But as lyrical as the Irish solemn curse was, it couldn't hold a candle to the curses of the old people of Ireland. Such an art did they make of it that only certain grades of Druid, Poet and Satirist could use particular forms of cursing, and the curses themselves were carefully divided into three parts.
The satirical curse was known as the Áer, which means cutting or slashing, and the satirist was a terrible enemy indeed, for their curses were meant to take literal immediate effect, like unseen magical weapons. Satirising a person without good cause or without proper authority entitled the victim to the same fee as if they had been murdered! Members of the poetic orders would be hired as mercenaries to lampoon the enemies of powerful Irish lords.
There were three types of satirical curse, and these were declaration, insult, and incantation. Each of these three types were again divided into many parts, for example the satirical curse of the incantation, of which there were ten types.
The ten were called “son of womb” or innuendo, “word in opposition”, the satire of outrage, the outrage of praise, the touch of satire, the touch of praise, full satire, sarcasm and glám dícind, a type of spell which results in the guilty party manifesting three blisters on his face in an endless or permanent bite, and finally the “dark word” spoken in private, which caused various forms of blindness.
To show the power of the glám dícind we need look no further than the tales of Cú Chulainn, whose own foster brother Ferdiad is forced to fight against him to the death, for fear of the shame that could be inflicted by the satirists, the biters of cheeks, who were employed by Queen Medb.
We find in other ancient tales the power of a justified curse, as when the poet Cairpre was received poorly by his host, the noble Bres. He was taken to a narrow, dark and dim little hut for his lodging, and given three little dry cakes for his breakfast, so he decided to cast a satirical curse upon his ungracious benefactor.
“Without food speedily on a platter,
Without a cow’s milk whereon a calf thrives,
Without a man’s habitation after the staying of darkness,
Be that the luck of Bres Mac Eladain”
And so it came to pass!
It would seem that the justification of a curse was important, and the curse would only work on someone who deserved it. A curse cast without good reason would not only fail, it would rebound back on the ill-wisher unless they quickly cancelled their curse with a prayer! “When we do not deserve the curse we would not heed it, the curse of the wicked never availed,” as one farmer in Mayo was heard to say.
Curses could be defeated with a quick riposte, so that if someone said “bad luck to you,” you could negate the malediction by quickly saying “good luck to you, and may neither of them come true!” So the best curses were well prepared in advance, being complicated and difficult to answer.
Here are some example Irish curses:
Loscadh is dó ort
That you may be burned and scorched
Droch chrích ort
Bad ending upon you
Imeacht gan teacht ort
That you may leave without returning
Go dtuitfeadh an tigh ort
That your house will fall upon you
Droch áird chúgat lá gaoithe
That you may be badly positioned on a windy day
Mallacht mo chait ort
My cat’s curse upon you
Mallacht na baintrí ort
A widow’s curse upon you
Mallacht Dé ort
God’s curse upon you
Go mbrise an diabhal do dhá chois
That the Devil may break your legs
Go ndéana an diabhal dréimire do chnámh do dhroma
That the Devil will make a ladder out of your spine
Léan ort
Sorrow betide you
Go dtitfidh an oíche ort
That night will befall you
Briseadh agus brú ort
Strife and stress upon you
Go ndéanfaidh an diabhal cipín dod’ dhá chois
That the Devil makes splinters of your legs
An áit thíos atá ceapaithe duit, a dhiabhal.
It is the place below that is meant for you, you devil
Go ndalladh an diabhal thú
That the Devil may blind you
Lagú cléibh ort
Weariness of heart upon you
Fán fada ort
Long may you be astray
Go stolladh an diabhal thú
That the Devil may lacerate you
Go séideadh an diabhal san aer tú
May the Devil blow you into the air
Nár eirigh an lá leat
That you may not be successful on the day
Go dtachtfadh an diabhal thú
May the Devil choke you
Go bhfaghaine bás gan an sagart
I hope you die without a priest
Imeacht gan do thuairisc ort
That you may never be heard of again
Go marbhaí an diabhal tú
That the Devil may kill you
Náire agus aithir chugat
That you may be shamed and disgraced
Ualach sé chapall de chré na h-úire ort
Six horseloads of graveyard clay upon you
Go n-ullamhuighe an diabhal teinne dhuit
That the Devil may prepare a fire for you
Go n-imi an droch aimsir leat
That the bad weather leaves with you
Dul go h-olc ort
Bad luck to you
Is ceann de’s na h-óinseacha diabhail thú
You are one of the Devil’s fools
Mullach do chinn fút
That you may fall on your head
Go dtachtar le d’anáil thú
That you may choke on your breath
Buineach dhearg go dtigidh ort
That you may have red diarrhoea
The practice of cursing persists in Ireland to the present day, although not to the extent it used to of course, although even fairly recently there are records of sophisticated curses being laid upon evildoers.
In the 19th century people who were being evicted would cast the “fire of stones” curse, building up a pile of stones in every hearth in the house, saying “not until these fires burn shall the newcomers have any good luck”.
In Donegal around 1884 there was a hated landlord who had demolished almost fifty homes so that he could have a better view of the landscape, and of him it was said “on Tory Island, off the Donegal coast, there is a stone which, if it could be turned, and the name of Mr Adair repeated over it, would have been sure to bring about his death within a year.” Tory island was reputed to be the ancient home of the dark sorcerer Balor of the evil eye.
Some twenty years later the curse was repeated, when the HMS Wasp was sent to evict Inishtrahull islanders who were in arrears on their rent. However, as the ship approached the island at about 4am, it ran aground and quickly sank, taking fifty two of the fifty eight crewmen down with it.
As the story went, a man who claimed to be the King of Tory Island, a strange fellow by the name of Heggarty, had unleashed the curse of the stones upon the ship and sank it. When the local priest heard of this pagan carry-on however, he went to the clifftop and took the stones from their bullaun resting place, throwing them into the ocean in rage, and they have never been seen since.
Ballinamallard, which means “the ford of the curses”, is marked on the map below.
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A funny Irish saying to ward off your enemies
The Irish think of everything, which is why in addition to lovely Irish blessings and prayers for health, love, happiness, and luck, there are also some great Irish sayings for when you're in the thick of it.
Haters got you down? This old Irish saying about enemies will bring a smile to your face. It's about hoping that those who feel no love for you will have a change of heart, or at the very least show themselves for who they are.
The full version reads:
May those who love us, love us.
And those that don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if He doesn't turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we'll know them by their limping.
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Irish blessings
Anyone who's attended an Irish wedding or funeral will know that Irish blessings are a staple of Irish celebrations. During a powerful emotional moment, it's so great to have these nuggets, albeit often irreverent to fall back on to sum up feelings in a speech.
For the most part, of course, Irish blessings are closely connected to religion right back to the days of St. Patrick. What better way to channel your faith and share it with others that by sharing a traditional Irish blessing.
Then there's that famous Irish wit! We just can't let things go. Whether it was sharp tongue folks like Oscar Wilde or Brendan Behan the Irish just can't resist a joke and of course loving irreverence along came these less religious "blessings".
An Irish curse
Ancient Irish curses were a form of magic that was commonly used in Ireland in the past. They were a way of seeking revenge or bringing harm upon an enemy and were often performed by the Druids, who were the priests of the ancient Irish people.
Curses were often performed in secret and were meant to bring bad luck, illness, or even death to the intended victim. They were sometimes inscribed on stones, pots, or other objects and were meant to be buried in a place where the victim would walk over them, thus bringing the curse to life.
One of the most famous curses in ancient Ireland was the "curse of the standing stones." This curse was placed upon anyone who disturbed the standing stones, which were sacred monuments that dotted the Irish landscape. The curse was meant to bring misfortune and death to anyone who dared to move the stones.
Another famous curse was the "curse of the bards." The bards were the ancient Irish poets who used their gifts to praise or curse their enemies. They would recite a curse in public, which was meant to bring harm to the person it was directed at. These curses were often very elaborate and contained many rhyming lines and allusions to mythological figures.
Despite their fearsome reputation, curses in ancient Ireland were not always used for evil purposes. They could also be used to bring good luck or to ward off evil spirits. For example, it was common for people to hang charms around their necks or to inscribe blessings on their homes to protect themselves from evil spirits.
*Originally published in April 2022. Updated in April 2023.
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How to be an Instant Irishman
‘Tis not just the lilting, musical tone of Gaelige that charms the ear and wins friends and sweethearts. The Irish have a way of speaking even curses that plays on the soul and begs to be sung.
I’ve gathered some of my own favorite Irish blessings, curses, drinking toasts and folk sayings. I’m sure you have a treasure trove of your own. If so, please add them to the comment section below.
When I could find the Gaelige, I put it next to the English translation. I’ve also added a few common endearments and other everyday expressions.
Cheers and sayings related to drink:
Health! (Cheers!) Sláinte!
Ireland forever! Eireann go Brach!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Beannachtai na Feile Padraig!
Thirst is a shameless disease…so here’s to a shameful cure.
‘Tis the first drop that destroys you. There’s no harm at all in the last.
Good as drink is, it ends in thirst.
Blessings:
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you
In the palm of his hand.
May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live…
May the road rise with you.
Go n-éirí on bóthar leat.
(And my favorite:)
May your feet never sweat.
Curses:
Burning and scorching on you.
Dóite agus loisceadh ort.
May you leave without returning.
Imeacht gan teacht ort.
May you fall without rising.
Titim gan eiri ort.
[And, if it’s a particularly cringe-worthy curse:]
The same to you.
Gurab amhlaidh duit.
Kiss my butt!
Póg mo thoin! pronounced
Folk Sayings:
Say little but say it well.
Beagán agus a rá go maith.
May you be across Heaven’s threshold before the Devil knows you’re dead.
He who gets a name for early rising can stay in bed until midday.
Man is incomplete until he marries. After that, he is finished.
You can’t kiss an Irish girl unexpectedly. You can only kiss her sooner than she thought you would.
Wisdom is the comb given to a man after he has lost his hair.
God is good, but never dance in a small boat.
The man with the boots does not mind where he places his foot.
The only cure for love is marriage.
Nil aon leigheas ar an ngra ach posadh.
Many a time a man’s mouth broke his nose.
Is minic a bhris beal duine a shron.
Other sayings:
I put the following original sayings in the mouth of one if my characters, Ryan Murphy, a character in Storm Maker and The Wakening Fire. Ryan is a kind of home-spun cowboy who always has something to say about the ageless dance of man with woman.
The less said, the longer wed.
A woman’s mouth can be a man’s downfall–or the way to stand him up again.
If ye’d be wealthy, marry a smart woman.
When first ye wed, ye stay in bed.
Quotes about the Irish:
[The Irish] is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever. ~Sigmund Freud
I’m troubled, I’m dissatisfied. I’m Irish. ~Marianne Moore
Terms of endearment and everyday sayings:
The equivalent of “Hello” means “God be with you”:
Dia dhuit < dee-ah dwit>or
My dear/darling/treasure…
A chuisle mo chroí... Literally means “beat of my heart”
I love you.
Is tú mo ghra.
In conclusion, may I say
Goodbye… an’ blessings on ye.
Slán agus beannacht leat.
Those who enjoyed these expressions may also enjoy the characters in my novels–ancient Gaelic warriors, cowboys, brehons, druids, tonsured monks, high kings, St. Paddy himself, and many more. I use Gaelic words often, for I love the cadence and the soft blur around the edges of the language.
Note: In order to update this blog, I’ve put a new date…and a whole new look…to the post you just read.
It acknowledges the many challenges and difficulties that the Irish have endured, while also recognizing their strength and resilience in the face of adversity. Many Irish poets have written about the Irish Curse, including famous names such as W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney. Their works often explore the themes of Irish identity and history, as well as the beauty and tragedy of the Irish experience. In addition to poetry, the Irish Curse is also a common theme in Irish folklore and traditional music. It is often seen as a way for the Irish people to express their collective history and emotions and to remember their roots. Overall, the Irish Curse poem is a significant and meaningful topic in Irish literature. It reflects the struggles and triumphs of the Irish people throughout history and serves as a reminder of their resilience and strength in the face of adversity..
Reviews for "Exploring Gender and Identity in the Irish Curse Poem"
1. Jane - 2/5 stars - I found the "Irish curse poem" to be quite underwhelming. The repetitive use of stereotypical Irish imagery and phrases came across as lazy and unoriginal. Additionally, the poem seemed to lack depth and failed to evoke any strong emotions in me. Overall, I was left disappointed and unimpressed.
2. Tom - 1/5 stars - The "Irish curse poem" was a complete letdown. It relied heavily on outdated Irish stereotypes and clichés, which made it feel outdated and uninspired. The poem lacked any meaningful exploration of Irish culture and instead relied on cheap humor that fell flat. I was hoping for something more engaging and thought-provoking, but unfortunately, this poem missed the mark completely.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars - As an Irish person myself, I had high hopes for the "Irish curse poem." However, I was left feeling quite disappointed. The poem seemed to perpetuate negative stereotypes about Irish people rather than celebrating our rich culture. It missed an opportunity to delve into the complexities of Irish identity and instead resorted to shallow jokes and clichés. Overall, it missed the mark and failed to resonate with me as an Irish individual.
4. Mark - 3/5 stars - While I didn't hate the "Irish curse poem," I wasn't particularly impressed either. The poem felt like a compilation of typical Irish references and lacked originality. It didn't offer any fresh insights or unique perspectives on Irish culture. Although it had a few moments of humor, it ultimately left me wanting more depth and substance. I expected a poem that transcended clichés, but unfortunately, that was not the case with this piece.