Staffa, the Island |
Fingal’s Cave |
John Keats (1795–1821) |
|
Mendelssohn: Fingal's Cave Overture (The Hebrides)
Pink Floyd - Oenone
(based on Fingal's Cave)
References
Ossian (/ˈɒʃən, ˈɒsiən/; Irish Gaelic/Scottish Gaelic: Oisean) is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson from 1760. Macpherson claimed to have collected word-of-mouth material in Gaelic, said to be from ancient sources, and that the work was his translation of that material. Ossian is based on Oisín, son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool, a legendary bard who is a character in Irish mythology. Contemporary critics were divided in their view of the work's authenticity, but the consensus since is that Macpherson framed the poems himself, based on old folk tales he had collected.
The work was internationally popular, translated into all the literary languages of Europe and was highly influential both in the development of the Romantic movement and the Gaelic revival. "The contest over the authenticity of Macpherson's pseudo-Gaelic productions," Curley asserts, "became a seismograph of the fragile unity within restive diversity of imperialGreat Britain in the age of Johnson." Macpherson's fame was crowned by his burial among the literary giants in Westminster Abbey. W.P. Ker, in the Cambridge History of English Literature, observes that "all Macpherson's craft as a philological impostor would have been nothing without his literary skill."
The Poems of Ossian, by James Macpherson
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A unique basalt formation known as Fingal’s Cave
gilds the uninhabited volcanic island of Staffa.
gilds the uninhabited volcanic island of Staffa.
Fingal’s Cave:
Scotland’s Eerie & Tuneful Cave
Discovered in 1772
https://m.thevintagenews.com/2017/05/25/fingals-cave-scotlands-eerie-tuneful-cave-discovered-in-1772/
Scotland’s Eerie & Tuneful Cave
Discovered in 1772
https://m.thevintagenews.com/2017/05/25/fingals-cave-scotlands-eerie-tuneful-cave-discovered-in-1772/
by Ian Harvey
May 25, 2017
Owned by the National Trust for Scotland as part of a National Nature Reserve, the cave is known for its eerie melody, caused by natural acoustics.
Discovered in 1772, Fingal’s Cave gained fame when the Scottish poet-historian James Macpherson wrote an epic poem about an eponymous hero in the 18th century. The hero of the poem was known as Fionn mac Cumhaill, meaning “white stranger” in Irish mythology.
According to the legend of the Giant’s Causeway, Fionn built the causeway between Scotland and Ireland, inspiring Macpherson, and the cave was named in Fionn’s honor.
Fingal’s Cave, Island of Staffa, Scotland
A key part of Macpherson’s legacy is the cave’s original name, “An Uamh Bhin,” or the “melodious” cave, changed into “Fingal’s Cave” by Sir Joseph Banks in 1772 when Macpherson’s popularity was still high.
The origin of the cave is a frequent question among the tourists for whom the place is a favorite stopping point. Apparently, the magnificent eerie cave was formed from hexagonal basalt columns within an approximately 60 million-year-old lava flow.
Fingal’s cave entrance
After cooling, the upper and lower structures started fracturing and turned into a block tetragonal pattern, and transitioned to a regular hexagonal fracture pattern. As the cooling continued, the cracks extended toward the center of the flow, forming the long three- to eight-sided columns visible in the wave-eroded cross-section.
When observing the cave from a distance, you can’t miss its oval large entrance occasionally filled with water from the sea.
Although the entrance is big, boats can’t enter into the depths of the cave unless the sea is very calm. However, boats aren’t the only option for sneaking into the cave or just to take a closer look at the formation.
Basalt columns inside Fingal’s Cave. – By Hartmut Josi Bennöhr – CC BY-SA 3.0
Several local cruise and charter companies offer an exploration tour of the cave from April to October.
It’s also possible to land on the island and explore the cave by stepping over some of the fractured columns forming a walkway over the water.
Tourists find this way of exploring the cave exciting since it gives them the freedom to observe its formations closely and ability to hear more clearly the echoes of waves splashing inside.
Entrance to Fingal’s cave. – By Hartmut Josi Bennöhr – CC BY-SA 3.0
View from the depths of the cave, with the island of Iona visible
in the background, 2008. – By N2e CC BY-SA 3.0
Some visitors say that the melody formed by the echoes of waves is similar to ones that can be heard in cathedrals, and to some, the cave is a natural cathedral.
One of the most beautiful sights from the inside of the cave is the entrance, described as a perfect frame to the island Iona across the sea.
Besides being an attraction for tourists, Fingal’s Cave remains a muse to many important artists, such as the romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn, author Jules Verne, Alfred Lord Tennyson, the playwright August Strindberg, Pink Floyd, and the English engraver of portraits and landscapes, James Fittler. And it is described by the revered Scots novelist Sir Walter Scott as one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.
Engraving of Fingal’s Cave by James Fittler in Scotia Depicta, 1804
Staffa top. By Hartmut Josi Bennöhr – CC BY-SA 3.0
Some writers were inspired enough to mention the cave in their poems and books, while others named their songs after the famous cave.
Even the movie adaptation of the novel When Eight Bells Toll was filmed there, with Anthony Hopkins in the leading role.
Those who decide to visit the island will see some spectacular coastal sights, crystal clear sea and, of course, the famous Fingal’s Cave, eclipsing everything with its grandeur.
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Scotland Trip Full Film HD
Published on Feb 25, 2017
The Highlands, Oban. Lochgilphead. Loch Fyne, Inveraray, Largs, Loch Lomond, Great Cumbrae, Staffa, Iona, Iona Abbey, Hebrides, Iona Nunnery, Isle of Mull, Staffa, Iona, Oban, Fingal's Cave, Basking Shark, Birdlife, Puffins, Bird Sanctuary, Seahouses, Guillemots, 6th Century history. St Aidan and St Cuthbert, The herring boat houses, Lindisfarne Castle, Priory, St. Mary's Church.