Rob Donn

Rob Donn

Rob Donn (Brown haired Rob) was a Scottish Gaelic poet from Sutherland. It is generally assumed that his surname was MacKay (MacAoidh), but this has been disputed, so he is sometimes referred to as "Rob Donn MacAoidh".

Biography

Born in Strathmore, Sutherland, he never learnt to speak English, nor to read and write, but his poetical abilities were picked up early on by Iain MacEachainn, a tacksman who would patronise the former cowherd. In return, Rob Donn praised and delineated MacEachainn and his family in his poetry, in a way normally reserved for nobility in Scottish Gaelic poetry.

Two other major figures in his life were the Rev. Murdo MacDonald, the local minister, and Donald MacKay, the fourth Lord Reay. Both were great influences on him, and celebrated in his poetry.

Rob Donn's life coincided with the two major Jacobite campaigns, in 1715 (when he was only one) and in 1745.

Collection of his poems

Although sometimes moralist, Rob Donn's poetry sometimes contained bawdy images, which would be bowdlerised by later collectors; especially as Protestant clergymen were often major figures in controlling written Scottish Gaelic. However, an exception can be found in the Rev. John Thomson, who succeeded Murdo MacDonald in the parish, and allowed his daughter to transcribe Rob Donn's works uncensored.

Later editors and collectors were not always so kind, in other ways. For example, Rob's Strathnaver dialect was sometimes disguised by being rendered into more standard forms of Scottish Gaelic, which destroyed certain of the effects and even rhythms.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Donn (given name) — For other uses, see Donn (disambiguation). Donn Gender Masculine Language(s) Irish Origin Language(s) Irish Word/Name …   Wikipedia

  • Donn Finney — Birth and Schooling Donn Ashley Finney was born October 4, 1948 in Orange Park, Florida to Louis and Hazel Finney. He graduated from Orange Park High school and then attended the University of Florida where he played football in 1964 with the… …   Wikipedia

  • Durness — Coordinates: 58°34′N 4°45′W / 58.57°N 4.75°W / 58.57; 4.75 …   Wikipedia

  • Britische Autor — Alphabetische Liste der Schriftsteller aus dem Vereinigten Königreich Großbritannien und Nordirland: A Dan Abnett Dannie Abse Leo Abse Douglas Adams Edmund Affleck Thomas Aird Alasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair Richard Aldington William Alexander,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Britischer Autor — Alphabetische Liste der Schriftsteller aus dem Vereinigten Königreich Großbritannien und Nordirland: A Dan Abnett Dannie Abse Leo Abse Douglas Adams Edmund Affleck Thomas Aird Alasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair Richard Aldington William Alexander,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Englischer Dichter — Alphabetische Liste der Schriftsteller aus dem Vereinigten Königreich Großbritannien und Nordirland: A Dan Abnett Dannie Abse Leo Abse Douglas Adams Edmund Affleck Thomas Aird Alasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair Richard Aldington William Alexander,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste britischer Autoren — Alphabetische Liste der Schriftsteller aus dem Vereinigten Königreich Großbritannien und Nordirland: A Dan Abnett Dannie Abse Leo Abse Douglas Adams Edmund Affleck Thomas Aird Alasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair Richard Aldington William Alexander,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste britischer Schriftsteller — Alphabetische Liste der Schriftsteller aus dem Vereinigten Königreich Großbritannien und Nordirland: Inhaltsverzeichnis A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Highland Clearances — Ruined croft houses on Fuaigh Mòr in Loch Roag. The island was cleared of its inhabitants in 1841 and is now only used for grazing sheep. The Highland Clearances (Scottish Gaelic: Fuadach nan Gàidheal, the expulsion of the Gael) were forced… …   Wikipedia

  • John Thomson — may refer to: *John Arthur Thomson (1861 ndash;1933), Scottish naturalist *John Charles Thomson (1866 ndash;1934), New Zealand politician *John Edgar Thomson (1808 ndash;1874), American civil engineer, railroad executive and industrialist *John… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”