Keening

So today I showed one of my roommates one of my favorite clips from the Carol Burnett Show. While we both had a good laugh at it, it allowed me an excuse to look up an Irish word that I had no clue as to it's meaning.

Keening. Comes from the Irish/Scots Gaelic term "caoineadh" meaning to cry. From what I can understand it means a type of vocal cry or lament over the dead, accompanied by physical movements such as rocking, kneeling or clapping. Contrary to popular belief, it is not just wailing but a series of high pitched laments by women trained in keening. Keening cannot be practiced until the wake when the spirit is thought to have left the body.

As with all Irish traditions, there is a story behind it. Supposedly the goddess Brigit viewed her son Ruaden mac Bres being speared right in front of her by Goibnu for being a spy. On witnessing this, Brigit let out the first keen heard in Ireland and after her, all fairy women would keen for the dead in a like manner. (source: http://www.maryjones.us/jce/keening.html)

Interestingly enough, the practice of keening has been very much opposed by the Catholic Church over the years.

However, as fun and lighthearted as this blog post has been, there will be no tears of sadness over the following clip.