Gender, nationality, and Celticism in Gregory and Macleod

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter studies the personal and literary contacts between the Irish and Scottish Revivals, with a particular focus on Augusta Gregory and William Sharp (as well as work published under the name ‘Fiona Macleod’, Sharp’s female authorial persona). The chapter studies Sharp’s visits to Ireland and his meetings with Gregory, before examining their different approaches to a traditional story; the Deirdre tale from the Ulster Cycle. An examination of the different interpretations of this story by Gregory and Sharp/Macleod sheds light on the conceptions of gender, nationality, and Celticism offered by these two writers. Chapter 2 shows that while both writers shared similar interests in the Celtic world, and while they worked with common sources, there are major political differences between the two, and neither can be classed as a ‘Pan-Celticist’. By examining the divergent ways Gregory and Sharp/Macleod treat the character of Deirdre across a range of texts, this chapter shows the ideological and political contrasts between these leading figures of the Celtic Revivals of Ireland and Scotland. Special attention is paid to Gregory’s Cuchulain of Muirthemne (1902), as well as poetry, prose, and drama by Sharp/Macleod.