- Title
- In the way: Irish fairy lore and young adult fantasy fiction
- Creator
- Todd, Shannon Rebecca Anne
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2022
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- According to Irish fairy lore, the daoine sidhe – Irish fairies – are purveyors of illness and disease, and are intimately associated with death; they are parasitic creatures, who appear at, and in a sense manage, moments of transition in human life. Inspired in part by personal experiences of chronic illness, the creative component of this thesis, a young adult (YA) fantasy novel entitled In The Way, explores those aspects of Irish fairy lore which identify the sidhe as the aetiology of human illness and disease, such as the belief that those who live “in the way” of fairy paths will grow ill and may die, and the idea that those who interfere with fairy property may acquire an illness or physical disability as punishment. These traditions have been transferred to a country which, although unnamed, is consistent with an Australian setting; the narrative explores the ways in which a fairly self-contained community with strong links to their Irish ancestry interact with this aspect of their heritage in a foreign landscape. This creative project engages with the idea that Irish fairy lore often operates as euphemism, as a means of discussing and managing stages of liminality, especially the boundary between life and death. The exegetical component of this thesis provides the contextual and conceptual background of the novel. The first chapter examines Irish fairy lore, focusing in particular on those beliefs which inspired In The Way and discussing their usage within the novel. The second chapter outlines the literary context of the novel, considering the genre of fantasy and the category of YA literature, before discussing how the work has been shaped by and responds to other contemporary YA fairy narratives. The third chapter addresses the process of adapting Irish fairy lore to a foreign landscape and some of the issues taken into consideration in the choice of setting for the novel. The final chapter discusses the omission of themes such as illness from most other folklore-inspired YA fairy fantasy novels and outlines how In The Way, conversely, endeavours to embrace the thematic concerns of the source material with which it is engaging, namely, by maintaining a strong narrative focus on the concepts of illness, disease and death.
- Subject
- young adult fiction; fantasy fiction; Irish fairy lore; disability; illness; disease; death
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1504977
- Identifier
- uon:55607
- Rights
- Copyright 2022 Shannon Rebecca Anne Todd. This thesis is under embargo until 27.09.2024
- Language
- eng
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