Episode 54: The Knife against the Wave

“Life under the sea is better than anything they got up there ” – Sebastian

Returning with a splash, this episode I’m telling one of my favourite Irish tales.

We’re on the west coast and knives are out, the waves are rolling in, there’s weird women and weddings, strange things lurk in deep waters, and Freud watches all the proceedings approvingly.

And perhaps by the end of the story we’ll finally answer the age old question: is everything really better down where it’s wetter?

My take on a tale which, as I discuss at the end, has a great many different versions even for a folktale. I hope you enjoy it!

Oidhche Sheanchais

I failed to mention on the podcast episode that this story makes it into “Oidhche Sheanchais (A Night of Storytelling)” which is a very early Irish language film, made by pioneering Irish filmmaker Robert J Flaherty in 1935. Flaherty’s more famous film Man of Aran features heavily life of fisherman on the sea, and this tale is a natural fit.

The film is only 11 minutes on and is on youtube (with English translation). It’s well worth a watch to see a storyteller with a very different style to yours truly! And which features a whole room of beautiful young women, which even I left out for decency! (Though warning: does contain spoilers for the whole episode! So maybe listen to that first if you intend to).

Thanks to: Neil Philip and Hog and Dice

As mentioned on the episode I am indebted to Neil Philip who provided me with a copy of Sean Ó Conaill’s book, which is sadly out of print and contains one of the most well know versions of this story translated into English.

While not many aspects of that particular telling made it in in the end it was good to have yet another version to consult.

It’s worth saying at this point that if you are not familiar with Neil’s work and you are a follower of this podcast – well you are almost certain to enjoy it. He has a long and distinguished career as a storyteller, writer, folklorst and more. you can see some of on his website: http://www.neilphilip.com/ , but his books on English folktales in particular will be of great interest, though unlike me he casts his net rather wider taking in a whole raft of world mythology. There’s a lot to sink your teeth into there.

I would also like to thank hugely knowledgable and entertaining folklorist and storyteller Hog and Dice who helped me with some pronunciations for this episode. Their work on Irish folklore is always entertaining and information and I reckon you might enjoy giving them a follow: https://www.youtube.com/user/HogandDice

Selected Sources

• The Knife against the Wave: A Uniquely Irish Legend of the Supernatural? – Michael Ross – my key source for the discussion section. Requires a Jstor account
• Economic necessity and escapist fantasy in Éamon A Búrc’s Sea-Stories by Angela Bourke – Contains discussion of this tale that I use in the episode
• The Knife in the Wave (I) – a version on Dúchas.ie, collected in Donegal in 1935. Quite different from mine.
• The Knife in the Wave (II) – and another.
• Fairy Forts – and another, what the hell.
• The black handled knife against the wave – one more, this time from Mayo
• Even more versions are availble on Dúchas.ie – search around, it’s worth it.
• Other various versions are available in various Irish folklore collections, such as Sean Ó Conaill’s book mentioned above, and the more available Folktales of Ireland Edited By Sean O’ Sullivan