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As the Clann's Fili, one of my responsibilities is the writing and reciting of poetry. In Celtic society, the poet commanded respect, not least because of his punitive power as a satirist. To be satirized by the poet was something to be feared because losing honor ("face" or credibility) in the society was one of the worst punishments. It is in this spirit that I offer my first poem to the Clann, entitled 'The Lay of the Faithless'.

The lay of the faithless

Gather 'round the fire and listen to me well
as the tale of the faithless I now will tell
It is a sad story and it might make you cry
to learn how these guests our traditions defied

One invited to Samhain, came there with a will
with honorable intention and beer for to swill
but we weren't long a-waiting till his manner was changed
and the person we invited was with another exchanged

At the table of chance, he wanted to join
but he came without beads, without baubles, or coin
a kindhearted player paid his entering fee
but soon from his rudeness we wanted to flee

The change came so quickly we didn't have warning
the ugliness dawned like a storm in the morning
The Clann's hospitality is a noble condition,
but guests should respect our laws and tradition

And as if we weren't burdened with enough of a trial
three more of the faithless entered camp for awhile
Defying tradition, they donned not a scrap
without tunic or leine, nor cloak would en-wrap

The people were gathered and wearing their masks
while the Druid was busy with druidical tasks
but we felt like bad actors put up on a stage
the magic dispelled was enough to enrage

The druid led the people on the path through the wood
to the circle in the clearing where the wickerman stood
he cast the bones as the fire was smoking
but his spell was broken by their insensitive joking

The lay of the faithless is not yet at an end
we must all agree, and these errors amend
In future we'll challenge all those who defame
We should raise up our voice, and our honor reclaim!

Well done!! I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of that.

Nice job. I agree whole heartedly! Our traditions and hospitality should be respected. The FINGER OF SHAME is so pointed at those who offended!!

In service,
~Brogan

I think all who were there know where the "finger" is pointed. Excellent job, Comyn

There once was a Celt named Comyn
Who complained till his mouth was a’foamin’
With suds on his lip,
He delivered his quip:
“Maybe I should have been Roman.”

Alas, not just in complaint
Did his tongue lack in restraint…
For he fretted and worried
with speech so much hurried,
t’was a wonder he didn’t fall faint.

This has been a test of the emergency filidhiocht notification system. Had this poem been delivered by an actual Filidh, blemishes on subject parties would have arisen and further instruction would follow.

But now more to the matter… and to give you all my own finger :-)

Point the first: if you want to raise welts, you need to name names.

Point the second: The fault lies not so much with the guests, but with the member who invited them and did not provide the tools or make arrangements for the guests to comfortably fit in while maintaining the atmosphere. It is in fact, a breach of hospitality of a kind. This not only includes garb, but informing the attendees when to pipe down and take things seriously. The law is already in place and behind you on this, but I must stress, the responsibility lies with the member. If a guest refuses to comply, they should not be re-invited and you need to take that up with the member.. and I suggest doing so diplomatically at first.

As such, with your emphasis on the fault of the guest and not the member as per law, in ancient times, this bit you have composed comes close to what was known as an “illegal satire”, in which case, you would be libel for damages.

Point the Third: request resources for the office of brewie for the creation of some one size fits most all loner tunics and belts… that’s a minimum that will cover most mundane blemish.

But aside from these technical points…. I must say, “Well done” to Comyn for at least capturing the spirit of it and broadcasting it…

You may already know this... but just in case you missed it… the poets and the bards honor price is not fixed but variable… based on the number of presentations they do throughout the year (this is an echo and our interpretation of the different “grades” of ancient poets and bards). I’m sure if you recited this at the next meeting during “presentations” it would count as such, as this is not only a bit of a satire you have written, it is indeed now a piece that records the history of our clan and what happened at Samhain… hence quite appropriate to your new office.

Aonghus (the Incapacitated)

As ever, I am upstaged by the greatest Filidh our Clann has ever known! I must respond however that in the first case I might have tried to make it more clear that I believed that a demonic possession of the alcoholic variety was at the root of the troubles. I have not contacted the sponsoring member on this because I really feel it was an aberration given that previous visits by the guest in question have been no problem. In the second case the responsible member was personally contacted off-list about the matter of his guests. He apologized fully, admitting that the situation was not dealt with properly, (regarding garb, etc.), which I accept as more than good enough.

I want to be clear here that despite the tone of the comments, my intention behind the piece was not to "point fingers of shame" as much as it was to create a sense that we as a Clann recognize that certain behaviors don't have to be tolerated at our events just because we are generally all very polite people. We can (and should) demand that those who would attend our events are informed about and respect our traditions and laws while on site, and that we should ALL feel responsible if we don't act to help make it so. I personally wish that I had acted to solve both problems at the time, and this poem was partial penance for my own failure to act.