Keening: Radio Explores Ancient Irish Funeral Tradition

An Irish radio program delved into the historical tradition of keening, a practice characterized by elaborate, mournful singing and intense emotional displays at wakes. Ann Moylan, a wake expert, joined Oliver Callan on RTÉ Radio 1 to discuss the "bean chaointe," or "keening women," whose performances accompanied funeral ceremonies in times past.

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When the keening women got going, they would build themselves up to such a divine intoxication ... they’d pull out clumps of their hair, rip their clothes, revealing their breasts no less, building themselves up to that divine hysteria, if you like. So if you couldn’t punish death, you’d punish yourself.

Moylan traced the origins of keening to the fifth century in Ireland, with earlier evidence found in Greece, Egypt, and Nordic countries. She argued that in an era of sanitized death rituals, remembering the immediacy and power of practices like keening, which persisted into the early 20th century, is important. She recalled childhood experiences of attending wakes where children were expected to kiss and touch the deceased, a practice that was simply accepted.

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You would not dream of having a wake without them.

Historical accounts from the 19th century, often written by disapproving English observers, provide valuable details about keening practices. Moylan described how keeners would work themselves into a state of "divine intoxication," pulling out hair, ripping clothes, and even revealing their breasts. This intense performance was a way to "punish oneself" when death could not be punished.

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So, in life, you were constantly saving for your wake, and you couldn’t just have any old keeners, you had to have the ones with the gift of poetry ... and it was very important that absolutely everyone in that wake house was crying, not just a little tear or a sniffle – we’re talking bellowing, screeching, even.

These were not spontaneous outbursts but professional performances. Skilled keeners were highly sought after, sometimes traveling long distances, appearing wild-haired and barefoot, occasionally covered in ashes and face paint. They were paid for their services, and having them was considered essential for a proper wake. Moylan emphasized that the goal was for everyone present to engage in profound grief, not just shedding a tear, but "bellowing, screeching." The program featured a recording of a rendition of keening arranged by Moylan, offering listeners a haunting glimpse into this ancient cathartic ritual.

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the pearl-clutching English