Background
to the
Research
- The collection of essays
brought together in this book had its origins in an exhibition called
Symbols put together by Rhonda Paisley in 1994. It covers a wide range
of symbols relating to ethnicity, religion and national identity and
the symbolic costumes of motor cyclists, Hallowe'en customs, the Titanic
and images of womanhood in Irish literature.
Research
Approach
- This book consists of nine essays written
by individual historians, anthropologists and sociologists each focusing
on a particular type of symbolism. Within each chapter, the contributor
uses primary and secondary sources in order to discuss the meaning and
the cultural and political function of particular symbols in Northern
Irish society.
Main Findings
'Ireland's Very Own Jurassic
Park': The Mass Media, Orange Parades and the Discourse on Tradition -
Dominic Bryan
- Part of the symbolic power of Orange Parades
is that the ritual repeating of past events such as the Battle of the
Boyne lend a legitimisation from the past to present economic and political
conditions.
- The Orange Order has managed to ensure
that its own political interests are served through the Twelfth, although
its power has been limited since the 1960s. The power of other interest
groups, such as the bands and young spectators to adopt the event and
impose understanding has grown.
- The media portrays the Twelfth either
as a festival or as sectarianism, both images accept the event as being
rooted in the past and not in the present. In doing this the media has
failed to explore the ways in which the ritual works and changes over
time. This helps to uphold a particular image of the ritual and its
ideology.
The Irish Language as Symbol:
Visual Representations of Irish in Northern Ireland - Camille O'Reilly
- The use of the Irish language in demonstrations,
flyposting, political graffiti and murals in nationalist areas increases
the connection between the Irish language and republican issues in some
peoples minds.
- Within the nationalist community there
is a wide variety of opinion in relation to the meaning and importance
of the Irish language and the proper relationship between the language
and politics. The political domination of the discourse on the language
issue disguises the hard work undertaken and the wide range of political
beliefs of those wishing to promote the Irish language.
- Visual representations of Irish do more
than mark out territory - they are expressions of unity and a sense
of identity among nationalists. Conversely, activities surrounding the
Irish language can expose contested power relations within the nationalist
community.
Light Up The Sky: Hallowe'en Bonfires
and Cultural Hegemony in Northern Ireland - Jack Santino
- A distinctive feature of the Hallowe'en
celebration in NI is the presence of fireworks, they occupy a central
place symbolically and emotionally in the celebration. The relationship
of the British Guy Fawkes Night to NI's Hallowe'en is key to both the
presence and meaning of fireworks in Ulster's Hallowe'en.
- Generally, bonfires are used in highly
politicised contexts in NI, they are lit in loyalist areas on the eve
of the Twelfth of July and in republican areas on 8th August to commemorate
the establishment of Internment in 1971. This renders bonfires a sensitive
issue in any exploration of Hallowe'en celebrations.
- Many people assert that the Hallowe'en
festival is non-sectarian, others make a connection between the celebration
of Hallowe'en and the British celebration of Guy Fawkes Night - stating
that Hallowe'en celebrations in NI are the local equivalent of the British
Guy Fawkes Night.
- Despite the potential for symbolism within
Hallowe'en to be interpreted in sectarian terms, the event allows people
to find common ground with each other.
Painting Landscapes: The Place
of Murals in the Symbolic Construction of Urban Space - Neil Jarman
- Murals are important as images in their
own right but within NI they are more than simple images, they have
become the main symbolic artefact of the late Troubles.
- Murals as objects have been and continue
to be used as part of the political and interpretative process.
- In order to fully understand the practice
of mural-painting, the location of the mural, the mural's meaning and
the resonance of the image and meaning in the local community and in
wider society needs to be considered.
Playing Nationalism - Ciro De
Rosa
- Parades, processions and demonstrations
amongst nationalists in NI represent symbolic spaces within which assertion,
negotiation and delineation of identities within one group heritage
can take place.
- Nationalist symbols are an important cultural
resource through which some working-class Catholic youths can gain symbolic
capital within the community.
Motor-cycle Dress and Undress
- Linda May Ballard
- While the wearing of black leather jackets
among motor-cyclists may be seen and used as an expression of rebellion,
on a practical level it offers protection from the elements. Because
of the symbolic meaning of leather jackets, many cyclists change clothes
when they arrive at and leave work.
- Many motor-cyclists exploit the symbolism
of motor-cycle dress as a means of expressing affiliation to an organisation
or a group and/or a way of life, and a specific range of motifs may
be drawn on to strengthen this affiliation. Others use motor-cycle dress
to declare their separateness from the mainstream of society and to
express their unique individuality.
Titanic: Out of the Depths and
Into the Culture - Michael McCaughan
- The Titanic has become a key icon of twentieth
century popular culture and one of the great metaphors of our time.
The sinking of the Titanic has deep symbolic meaning in contemporary
society.
- Part of the explanation of the powerful
symbolism of the Titanic lies in the juxtaposition between human fallibility
- the Titanic representing man's pride and vanity and it's sinking representing
man's anxieties about the ability of technology to solve problems in
complex societies.
The Phoenix and the Lark: Revolutionary
Mythology and Iconographic Creativity in Belfast's Republican Districts
- Mary Catherine Kenney
- Through events such as the Hunger strike,
Northern Irish Catholics have been able, through cultural creativity,
to produce a set of symbols that have fitted into the folk and oral
culture of NI, and into large-scale developments in the outside world.
- Conflict has contributed to the artistic
and oral performance practised by both traditions in NI. The availability
of these forms of cultural practice to all parties in the conflict means
that whilst republicans can benefit from the symbolic process they cannot
harness it to promote the sectional interests of their movement.
The Symbolism of Womanhood - Roger
Sawyer
- Both the Catholic and Protestant faiths
have symbols which reflect strong commitment to the responsibilities
of womanhood and motherhood. The idea that any role undertaken by a
woman in wider society must be subservient to her obligations to the
family is reinforced by secular imagery.
- Various women have contributed to the history
of Ulster and its relationships with the other provinces of Ireland
and these women were not only individuals, they were products and producers
of symbolism, which continues to affect the condition and attitudes
of those who share their cultural heritage.
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