fili
Sign in to saveThe fili (or filè) (), plural filid, filidh (or filès), was a member of an elite class of poets in Ireland, and later Scotland, up until the Renaissance. The filid were believed to have the power of divination, and therefore able to foresee, foretell and predict important events.
Article
24 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Highest orders
- Ollam
- ''Ollamh Érenn'' (Ireland)
- ''Ollamh rig Alban'' (Scotland)
- ''Do gairm rig'' (Dal Riata)
- Kenneth MacAlpin
- Seanchaí
- Fear of satire
- Classification
- Irish storytelling
- Irish poetry
- ''Bérla na filed''
- History
- Elite scholars
- Oral tradition
- Decline
- Legacy
- See also
- References
- Citations
- Web
- Notes
- Sources
The fili (or filè) (), plural filid, filidh (or filès), was a member of an elite class of poets in Ireland, and later Scotland, up until the Renaissance. The filid were believed to have the power of divination, and therefore able to foresee, foretell and predict important events.
In an early society in which most people were illiterate – including its hierarchy of chieftains, sub-kings and kings – the oral tradition was an important means of communicating current news and historical events. As both a poet and storyteller, the fili would hope to gain a professional reputation for the authenticity and reliability of their information.