Oxonmoot 2024

When seeking influences that may have inspired the "Lament for Boromir", researchers have turned to a variety of cultures, time periods, ritual practices, and literary styles.  Beowulf, Icelandic sagas, and medieval lays have all been held up for consideration, but few authors have mentioned the distinctive structure of the lament, reminiscent of "the four airts", or the Four Winds, a Celtic ritual concept which made its way into poetry and other writings in the 19th and early 20th centuries.  While Rudyard Kipling's "The English Flag" (1891) (a Saxon paean to empire which makes use of the Celtic concept for its structure) may have been familiar to Tolkien, an Irish lament by a popular young poet and champion of the Celtic Revival and Irish Nationalism seems to be a much closer match.  Come listen to her poem and see what you think!