Music & Art
Song, chronicle, and carved stone — the ways the island preserved its history before anyone thought to write it down in prose.
Songs & Carvals
The island preserved its history in song before it preserved it in writing. The Traditionary Ballad is an oral history in verse, recording events from the Norse period through centuries of change. The Manannan Metrical History preserves the tribute paid to the old god in verse form.
The carvals — Manx Christmas carols — were original compositions sung in Gaelic in every parish church, performed at the Oie’ll Voirrey, Mary’s Eve vigil on Christmas Eve. The Wren Song accompanied the Hunt the Wren on St Stephen’s Day. The Hop-tu-Naa Song went door to door on the Manx new year’s eve. Culture Vannin employs a dedicated Manx Music Development Officer and supports festivals like Yn Chruinnaght that keep these traditions alive.
Chronicle & Stone
From the monastery at Rushen came the Chronicon Manniae et Insularum — the chronicle of the kings of Mann and the Isles, compiled from the twelfth century onward. It is the written record that underpins everything we know about the island’s medieval history.
The Norse crosses are art as well as archaeology — among the finest examples of Norse carving in the British Isles, combining Scandinavian design with Celtic interlace in ways that speak of a culture confident enough to borrow from both traditions.
Go further
Culture Vannin promotes Manx music, dance, and song, with recordings, guitar tutorials, and support for festivals. The Manx Museum’s National Art Gallery holds work by Archibald Knox, William Hoggatt, and other Manx artists. Google Arts & Culture hosts a Manx National Heritage collection online.
See also: Traditions — the customs these songs accompanied. Archaeology — the Norse crosses as carved art.
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The story of the Isle of Man is told across people, places, trade, law, and culture. Every path leads somewhere new.
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