In Ireland a storyteller is called a seanachaí (shan-ah-key).
Loosely translated it means the bearer of old lore. As with many cultures, stories were passed down through generations, and details changed as each seanachaí told their version. These stories are important, even if the narrative has changed, as it helps us to keep the old lore alive and means we continue traditions and events that would have otherwise been forgotten.
Storytelling was always a feature of my childhood, whether it was my Granddad making up another tale about the Púca (Pooka) to scare me at Halloween, or having a book read to me before I could read and then becoming an avid reader myself. In reading I found myself in stories when I often couldn’t find myself in the real world. I enjoyed the escape. As I got older, I felt the need to tell the stories that were always roaming around in my brain at odd hours of the day and night. Stories that have changed in configuration many times, much like the lore the seanachaí told.
“I have held onto the story I want to tell.”
Cathy Rose
Through it all, I have held onto the story I want to tell, whatever version it might be on now. The characters take shape and the setting around them develops. Writing stories helped me to learn more about myself and in turn, I ended up with more stories to tell. Whether they’ll transcend the generations remains to be seen but I’m happy to know that my stories are out there for people to read, and if they find a little bit of themselves that they couldn’t find anywhere else, then the purpose of my storytelling has been fulfilled.
Watch for Cathy Rose’s story, I Found Myself, in SapphFic Eclectic, Volume 6!
Butterworth Books 