Jennifer Kewley Draskau

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Jennifer Kewley Draskau
Died21 October 2024
Isle of Man
OccupationHistorian, linguist, teacher and political candidate
Education The Buchan School
Alma mater University of Manchester
University of Copenhagen PhD
Notable worksPractical Manx (2008)
The Sinking of Immaculate O’Shea (2010, play)
Illiam Dhone: Patriot or Traitor? (2012)

Margaret Jennifer Kewley Draskau (died 21 October 2024) was a Manx historian, linguist, teacher, political candidate and prominent figure in Isle of Man culture. [1] She published several books, with her most notable work being the 2008 grammar, spelling and pronunciation reference book on the Manx Gaelic language, Practical Manx.

Contents

Life

Draskau was born on the Isle of Man, where her grandfather was a Police inspector with the Isle of Man constabulary. [2] She attended The Buchan School in Castletown, and spent periods of her youth staying with Welsh speaking cousins in Wales. [3] She was fluent in several languages, including English, Danish, French, German and Manx, and was proficient in many others. She continued her education at the University of Manchester. [3]

Draskau married a Danish man. [3] She lived in Denmark for two decades, where she taught at the University of Copenhagen and University of Aarhus. [4] In 1987, she received a doctoral degree from the University of Copenhagen for the thesis The Quest for Equivalence: On Translating Villon. [5] She was appointed Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Department of English at the University of Liverpool [4] and as a Senior Research Fellow at the University’s Centre for Manx Studies. She briefly worked as a languages tutor to the royal family in Thailand. [1]

After returning to Man, Draskau taught German at Ramsey Grammar School in Ramsey and introduced Manx Studies to the curriculum. [1] In 1996, she stood for election to the island's lower house of parliament, the House of Keys, in the Michael sheading. She gained 33.65% of the vote, but lost to David Cannan. [6] She also sung with Manx choir Cliogaree Twoaie, bungee jumped and was known to swim in the Irish Sea. [3]

In 2004, she spoke at the Harvard University Celtic Colloquium, delivering a talk titled “Language death and resurrection in the Isle of Man: the continuity of Manx Gaelic exemplified by the use of inflected verb tenses”. [7]

In 2006, she published a new translation of the poem An Account of the Isle of Man in Song, the oldest text written in Manx Gaelic (between approximately 1490 and 1530) and which is also known as the Manannan Ballad or Manx Traditionary Ballad. [8]

In 2008, Draskau published the Manx language reference book Practical Manx, [9] which was launched at an event at the Manx Museum, Douglas. [10] Whilst writing Practical Manx, Draskau had studied texts dating back to the 15th-century and the 18th-century Manx version of the Bible, [11] as well as exploring the intonation and accent of the language by listening to conversations between fluent native speakers. [12] After the books publication, she said that: "I hope my book can be a part of this process by providing a grammatical description of the Manx Language, a reference for people who want to learn or teach the language." [12] She also reflected on how UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger declared Manx an extinct language, saying that "Unesco ought to know better than to declare Manx a dead language. There are hundreds of speakers of Manx and while people are able to have productive conversations in the language then it is very much alive and well." [13]

In 2019, she translated the English version of Jon Leirfall’s 1979 Norwegian perspective of the history of the Isle of Man, Tusen år på Man (AThousand Years in Man), for Culture Vannin. [14] She also published articles about the Manx language in numerous academic journals, including the Journal of Terminology Science and Research, [15] the Journal of Celtic Linguistics [16] and in the "Contemporary Issues in Manx Culture" themed special edition of Celtic Cultural Studies. [17]

Draskau was descended from the father of the divisive [18] 17th-century Manx nationalist Illiam Dhone. [19] She published a biography of him titled Illiam Dhone: Patriot or Traitor? in 2012 and said at the book launch that "whatever conclusions readers draw about his standing as a martyr, his story continues to grip generations." [20] A copy of the book was donated to the Tynwald Library, [21] and in 2013 Draskau fundraised for the Isle of Man Agricultural Benevolent Trust after a blizzard by delivering a lecture about her distant relative. [3] [22]

Her other historical research included exploring the World War I internment camps on the Isle of Man. [23] She worked on newspapers from the Douglas Internment Camp [24] [25] and found evidence of black market activity. [26] She put forward the idea that internee female impersonators on the island "played an important role in the social and psychological resilience of heterogeneous all-male societies within the internment camps." [27] [28] Draskau also published Lusitania: Tragedy Or War Crime? featuring new research about the sinking of the liner. The Lusitania had been carrying over 25,000 "enemy alien" internees who had been held in two camps on Man. [29]

As well as non-fiction research, Draskau also wrote award-winning plays and novels. Her research into the Lusitania inspired the play The Sinking of Immaculate O’Shea. [29] It was performed in the Isle of Man and New Zealand. [3] Her 2020 fictional work Transportee aimed to highlight the plight of the Manx men and women who were transported off the island to work in the British colonies during the 17th century. [30]

She died in 2024. [1]

Select publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Isle of Man</span>

The Isle of Man had become physically separated from Great Britain and Ireland by 6500 BC. It appears that colonisation took place by sea sometime during the Mesolithic era. The island has been visited by various raiders and trading peoples over the years. After being settled by people from Ireland in the first millennium AD, the Isle of Man was converted to Christianity and then suffered raids by Vikings from Norway. After becoming subject to Norwegian suzerainty as part of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles, the Isle of Man later became a possession of the Scottish and then the English crowns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx language</span> Goidelic Celtic language of the Isle of Man

Manx, also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Gaelic language of the insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family. Manx is the heritage language of the Manx people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of the Isle of Man</span>

The music of the Isle of Man reflects Celtic, Norse and other influences, including those from its neighbours, Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales. The Isle of Man is a small island nation in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illiam Dhone</span> Manx nationalist and politician (1608–1663)

Illiam Dhone or Illiam Dhône, also known as William Christian, was a Manx politician and depending on viewpoint, patriot, rebel or traitor. He was a son of Ewan Christian, a deemster. In Manx, Illiam Dhone literally translates to Brown William—an epithet he received due to his dark hair—and in English he was called Brown-haired William. Dhone was a significant figure in the Isle of Man during the English Civil War and the Manx Rebellion of 1651. He was executed for high treason in 1663. In the centuries after his death he has become a "martyr and folk-hero, a symbol of the Island's cherished freedoms and traditional rights".

The Buchan School is an independent primary school in the south of the Isle of Man, catering for children aged 3–11. It is the junior school of King William's College.

The Centre for Manx Studies is a department of the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology in the University of Liverpool whose focus is the study of the Isle of Man, the Manx language, and Manx culture and history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx people</span> Ethnic group originating in the Isle of Man

The Manx are an ethnic group originating on the Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea in Northern Europe. They belong to the diaspora of the Gaelic ethnolinguistic group, which now populate the parts of the British Isles which once were the Kingdom of the Isles and Dál Riata. The Manx are governed through the Tynwald, the legislature of the island, which was introduced by Viking settlers over a thousand years ago. The native mythology and folklores of the Manx belong to the overall Celtic Mythology group, with Manannán mac Lir, the Mooinjer veggey, Buggane, Lhiannan-Shee, Ben-Varrey and the Moddey Dhoo being prominent mythological figures on the island. Their language, Manx Gaelic is derived from Middle Irish, which was introduced by settlers that colonised the island from Gaelic Ireland. However, Manx gaelic later developed in isolation and belongs as a separate Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Stowell</span> Manx writer

Thomas Brian Stowell, also known as Brian Mac Stoyll, was a Manx radio personality, Celticist, physicist, and author. He was formerly Yn Lhaihder to the Parliament of the Isle of Man, Tynwald. He is considered one of the primary people behind the revival of the Manx language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Leirfall</span> Norwegian politician

Jon Leirfall was a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party.

John Joseph Kneen was a Manx linguist and scholar renowned for his seminal works on Manx grammar and on the place names and personal names of the Isle of Man. He is also a significant Manx dialect playwright and translator of Manx poetry. He is commonly best known for his translation of the Manx National Anthem into Manx.

Education in the Isle of Man is compulsory for children aged between 5 and 16. As a Crown dependency the Isle of Man parliament and government have competence over all domestic matters, including education; however the structure and curriculum are broadly in line with that of UK schools and particularly the English national curriculum. Education is overseen by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture and regulated by the Isle of Man Education Act 2001. As of September 2017 there were 6,492 pupils in primary schools, and 5,218 pupils in secondary education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manx Museum</span> National Museum in Douglas, Isle of Man

The Manx Museum in Douglas, Isle of Man is the national museum of the Isle of Man. It is run by Manx National Heritage. The museum covers 10,000 years the history of the Isle of Man from the Stone Age to the modern era.

Claare ny Gael is a bilingual radio show presented by Robert Corteen Carswell and broadcast on Sunday evenings each week on Manx Radio.

Lewis Crellin (1901–1990) also known as Louis Crellin or Lewis y Crellin was a Manx language scholar and teacher who was involved with the revival of the Manx language on the Isle of Man in the 20th century and the Manx independence movement in the 1960s.

Doug Fargher (1926–1987) also known as Doolish y Karagher or Yn Breagagh, was a Manx language activist, author, and radio personality who was involved with the revival of the Manx language on the Isle of Man in the 20th century. He is best known for his English-Manx Dictionary (1979), the first modern dictionary for the Manx language. Fargher was involved in the promotion of Manx language, culture and nationalist politics throughout his life.

John William Radcliffe, more commonly known as Bill Radcliffe, or also Illiam y Radlagh, was a Manx language activist, author, and teacher who was involved with the revival of the Manx language on the Isle of Man in the 20th century. His work recording the last native speakers of the language with the Irish Folklore Commission helped to ensure that a spoken record of the Manx language survived.

The Manx Rebellion of 1651 was an uprising against the ruler of the Isle of Man during the English Civil War. It was led by William Christian, better known by the epithet Illiam Dhone, due to his dark hair. The Rebellion was mainly in response to agrarian and land ownership reforms enacted by Lord of Mann James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, and the increased burden on the Manx people during the English Civil War. It was a bloodless coup with English Parliamentary forces taking control of the island. The Rebellion temporarily ended control of the Isle of Man by the Stanley family until the Restoration when King Charles II returned from exile in Europe.

The Manannan Ballad or ManxTraditionary Ballad is a poem in Early Manx dating from about the beginning of the 16th century. It gives an account of the history of the Isle of Man and its rulers, ranging from the Gaelic god Manannán mac Lir up to Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby. The Manannan Ballad is the oldest datable work in the Manx language.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Curphey, Tom (28 October 2024). "Tributes paid to renowned Manx historian and linguist Dr Jennifer Kewley Draskau". Isle of Man Today. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  2. ↑ Forester, Chris, ed. (2010). "Keeping the Peace in WW1". Journal of the Police History Society. 25: 15–19.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jennifer Kewley Draskau - a tribute". Culture Vannin. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 Chiverrell, Richard; Belchem, John; Thomas, Dr Geoff; Duffy, Seán; Mytum, Harold (1 January 2000). A New History of the Isle of Man: The modern period 1830-1999. Liverpool University Press. pp. xii. ISBN   978-0-85323-726-6.
  5. ↑ Hendrup, Svend (1988). "Margaret Jennifer Kewley Draskau: The Quest for Equivalence: On Translating Villon. Atheneum, Copenhague, 1986. III + 370 p." Revue Romane. 23 (1). ISSN   1600-0811.
  6. ↑ "Michael Results (1996)". Manx Radio. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "Kewley Draskau (Jennifer)". CODECS: Online Database and e-Resources for Celtic Studies. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Matthews, Jodie (15 November 2011). Islands and Britishness: A Global Perspective. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 164. ISBN   978-1-4438-3543-5.
  9. ↑ Draskau, Jennifer (1 January 2008). Practical Manx. Liverpool University Press. ISBN   978-1-84631-131-4.
  10. ↑ "Guide book boosts Manx language". BBC News. 15 October 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  11. ↑ "Research Will Help To Revive 'Dead' Manx Language". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  12. 1 2 "The melody of Manx". BBC Isle of Man. 4 February 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "UN declares Manx Gaelic 'extinct'". BBC News. 20 February 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  14. ↑ "Booklaunch: A Thousand Years in Man". Culture Vannin. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  15. ↑ Zarnikhi, Abolfazl (11 May 2016). Towards a Systemic Model for Terminology Planning. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 241. ISBN   978-1-4438-9432-6.
  16. ↑ Draskau, Jennifer Kewley, (2006) “Interlingual contact: some modals with variable morphology in Manx Gaelic”, Journal of Celtic Linguistics 10: 85–120.
  17. ↑ Draskau, Jennifer Kewley; Maddrell, Breesha (2009). "Role of Joshua Fishman's Yians in Xish Revitalization: The Case of Manx Gaelic';". Celtic Cultural Studies. S2CID   199396426.
  18. ↑ "Isle of Man honours Manx nationalist martyr". BBC News. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  19. ↑ "Jennifer Kewley Draskau bio". fable.co. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  20. ↑ "Landmark nationalist tribute to Illiam Dhone". Manx Radio. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  21. ↑ "Biography presented to President of Tynwald". Tynwald. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  22. ↑ Clague, Lynsey (2 August 2013). "Illiam Dhone and the Sheep under the Snow Dr. Jennifer Kewley Draskau". Manx National Heritage. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  23. ↑ Carr, Gillian; Mytum, Harold (2012). Cultural Heritage and Prisoners of War: Creativity Behind Barbed Wire. Routledge. p. 308. ISBN   978-0-415-52215-1.
  24. ↑ Bailkin, Jordanna (2018). Unsettled: Refugee Camps and the Making of Multicultural Britain. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-881421-4.
  25. ↑ "Beyond Collaboration and Resistance: 'Accommodation' at the Weihsien Internment Camp, China, 1943–1945". Cultural Heritage and Prisoners of War. 2012. pp. 164–179. doi:10.4324/9780203120620-16. ISBN   978-0-203-12062-0.
  26. ↑ Myers, Adrian; Moshenska, Gabriel (24 May 2011). Archaeologies of Internment. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 39. ISBN   978-1-4419-9666-4.
  27. ↑ Manz, Stefan; Panayi, Panikos (2020). Enemies in the Empire: Civilian Internment in the British Empire During the First World War. Oxford University Press. p. 246. ISBN   978-0-19-885015-1.
  28. ↑ Reiss, Matthias (26 December 2019). Controlling Sex in Captivity: POWs and Sexual Desire in the United States During the Second World War. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 147, 213. ISBN   978-1-350-14573-3.
  29. 1 2 Morgan, Janis (7 September 2010). "Isle of Man research inspires historical play". University of Liverpool News. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  30. ↑ "Transported away". Isle of Man Today. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  31. ↑ Wade, Mike (21 November 2020). "Jennifer sheds new light on the 'Great Whore of Babylon'". Isle of Man Today. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  32. ↑ Culture Vannin (21 October 2020). Lady Derby: The Great Whore of Babylon - Jennifer Kewley Draskau . Retrieved 19 January 2025– via YouTube.
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