Mannin: Journal of Matters Past and Present relating to Mann was an academic journal for the promotion of Manx culture, published biannually between 1913 and 1917 by the Manx Society, Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh. It was edited by Sophia Morrison, with the assistance of William Cubbon.
Mannin was the society journal of the Manx Language Society, Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh, (which changed its name to "The Manx Society" in 1913, to distance themselves from the apparent concern with language only). [1] The journal took forward the aims of the Society laid out by Arthur William Moore at its establishment in 1899: [2]
"Though called the Manx Language Society, it should, I think, by no means confine its energies to the promotion of an interest in the language, but extend them to the study of Manx history, the collection of Manx music, ballads, carols, folklore, proverbs, place-names, including the old field names which are rapidly dying out. In a word, to the preservation of everything that is distinctively Manx, and, above all, to the cultivation of a national spirit".
The Manx Society was created very much within the Pan-Celtic wave of revivals of Celtic national identities during the 19th and early 20th centuries. "Manx Nationalism" was expressed by Morrison as a key aim of both the society and of Mannin in particular. [3] However, unlike the Celtic developments in Ireland and elsewhere at that time, the society and Mannin displayed the Manx ease with a dual identity, as both Manx and British, which was borne out in the content of the journal, such as in the articles in support of The Great War. [3]
Mannin was published by The Manx Society, by L. G. Meyer in Douglas. Its first issue was released in May 1913. The expenses of the publication were met by Morrison, who had inherited wealth from her parents, her father having been a successful merchant in Peel. [4]
In order that the journal and its cause of Manx Nationalism should be taken seriously, great care was taken with the publication, including printing on good quality yellow paper ("yellow is supposed to be the Celtic colour", commented Morrison), [5] and a leading artist commissioned to do the illustrations. The artist selected eventually was Archibald Knox, although this was only due to the fact that Morrison's first choice, Frank Graves, had turned the commission down. [3] Morrison was unhappy with Knox's illustration of the first issue's front cover as he illustrated it with birds rather than the Viking ship suggested by Morrison. [3]
The journal saw eight issues under Morrison's editorship. The material for a ninth issue was ready upon her death at the age of 58 on 14 January 1917. This ninth and final issue was edited by Mona Douglas and released in May 1917, with extra material being included to commemorate Morrison's life and work, including pieces by her friends and colleagues and protégés (including Cushag). [6] In this edition, Mannin was identified as Morrison's "greatest literary task". [7]
The journal covered a wide variety of Manx cultural concerns. An analysis of the nine issues shows the frequency of topics that appear in Mannin as follows: [3]
Morrison wanted to ensure that the content reflected an active cultural force and that the journal form a rallying point for cultural nation building. The journal notably garnered contributions by well known and respected academics of the day (such as E. C. Quiggin at the University of Cambridge and Sir John Rhys at the University of Oxford) which lent weight to the publication. Morrison also wanted to address political issues with bearing on the island, such as in articles like "Should our National Legislature be Abolished?" in the penultimate edition of Mannin in November 1916. [3] [8]
In contrast to contemporary work on Manx culture (such as through the government-sponsored Manx Heritage Foundation), Mannin was not overly concerned to publish much in Manx Gaelic. This is notable because the language was known to be in danger at that time and Morrison was involved in trying to revitalise it through language lessons [7] and the publishing of books such as Edmund Goodwin's First Lessons in Manx. [3] As Breesha Maddrell notes: [3]
"It is interesting to note that the number of poems, plays and prose in Standard English was double those in Anglo-Manx. These works were typically patriotic, or at least based on themes from Manx history. Manx Gaelic was written about more often than it actually appeared as a written language in the journal".
Also of note is the foreword to the first issue of the journal, wherein Thomas Drury, former Bishop of the island, made explicit the distance of Mannin from the writings of Hall Caine, today considered to be the national novelist of the Isle of Man. [9] In contrast to the literary content of Mannin, Drury wrote of Caine's novels that "my soul revolts from such a travesty of Island life". [10]
There have been very few journals like Mannin on the Isle of Man. Perhaps closest in comparison are The Manx Notebook (1885–1887) edited by A.W. Moore [11] or Manninagh (1972–1973) edited by Mona Douglas, although they were each much shorter lived and had different focuses.
Edward "Ned" Maddrell was a Manx fisherman who, at the time of his death, was the last surviving native speaker of the Manx language.
Yn Chruinnaght is a cultural festival in the Isle of Man which celebrates Manx music, Manx language and culture, and links with other Celtic cultures.
Sophia Morrison was a Manx cultural activist, folklore collector and author. Through her own work and role in encouraging and enthusing others, she is considered to be one of the key figures of the Manx cultural revival. She is best remembered today for writing Manx Fairy Tales, published in 1911, although her greatest influence was as an activist for the revitalisation of Manx culture, particularly through her work with the Manx Language Society and its journal, Mannin, which she edited from 1913 until her death.
Thomas Brian Stowell, also known as Brian Mac Stoyll, was a Manx radio personality, linguist, 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.
Walter Clarke, or Walter y Chleree, was a Manx language speaker, activist, and teacher who was one of the last people to learn Manx from the few remaining native speakers on the Isle of Man. His work recording them with the Irish Folklore Commission helped to ensure that a spoken record of the Manx language survived.
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.
Mona Douglas was a Manx cultural activist, folklorist, poet, novelist and journalist. She is recognised as the main driving force behind the modern revival of Manx culture and is acknowledged as the most influential Manx poet of the 20th century, but she is best known for her often controversial work to preserve and revive traditional Manx folk music and dance. She was involved in a great number of initiatives to revive interest and activity in Manx culture, including societies, classes, publications and youth groups. The most notable and successful of these was Yn Chruinnaght.
Josephine Kermode (1852–1937) was a Manx poet and playwright better known by the pen name "Cushag".
William Walter Gill (1876–1963) was a Manx scholar, folklorist and poet. He is best remembered for his three volumes of A Manx Scrapbook.
Juan-y-Pherick's Journey and Other Poems is a 1916 collection of poems by W. Walter Gill. The book was published by Yn Çheshaght Gailckagh, the Manx Society, and is Gill's only collection. It is a significant contribution to the literature of the Isle of Man, as there are few other individual poetry collections from this period.
Aeglagh Vannin was a youth group in the Isle of Man whose purpose was the engagement with and revitalisation of Manx language, history and culture. It was established by Mona Douglas in 1931, went through a number of mutations, and faded out in the 1970s. It is best remembered for its central role in the revival of Manx folk dancing.
Colin Jerry was a Manx cultural activist best known for his contributions to Manx music through his books, Kiaull yn Theay, published in two volumes. He was awarded the Reih Bleeaney Vanannan in 1991 for his contributions to Manx culture which were 'extensive and staggering.'
The Peel Players were an amateur theatre group from the Isle of Man in operation during the 1910s and specialising in Anglo-Manx dialect productions.
Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh, also known as the Manx Language Society and formerly known as Manx Gaelic Society, was founded in 1899 in the Isle of Man to promote the Manx language. The group's motto is Gyn çhengey, gyn çheer.
John Gell, also known as Jack Gell or Juan y Geill was a Manx speaker, teacher, and author who was involved with the revival of the Manx Language on the Isle of Man in the 20th century. His book Conversational Manx, A Series of Graded Lessons in Manx and English, with Phonetic Pronunciation has been used by learners of the Manx language since it was published in 1953.
Edmund Evans Greaves Goodwin was a Manx language scholar, linguist, and teacher. He is best known for his work First Lessons in Manx that he wrote to accompany the classes he taught in Peel.
Doug Fargher 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.
Charles Craine (1911-1979) also known as Chalse y Craayne, was a Manx language activist and teacher who was involved with the revival of the Manx language on the Isle of Man in the 20th century.
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.
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