Keening is a form of vocal lament associated with mourning that is traditional in Scotland and Ireland.
Etymology
“Keen” as a noun or verb comes from the Irish term “caoineadh” (to cry) and references to it from the seventh, eighth and twelfth centuries are extant. The Scottish Gaelic term comes from the same origin, as the two languages are closely related.
Written sources that refer to the practice in Ireland reappear from the sixteenth century on. It should be noted however that the principle of improvised vocal lament is in no way reserved to Ireland (the term keen is also used with reference to Scottish tradition) and that laments are documented from various cultures around the world.
The Irish tradition of the keen must be considered in the context of the wake (funeral customs surrounding the “waking” of the dead, i.e. the practice of watching over the corpse the night before the burial), which entailed a series of rules to be observed in all that concerned the funeral rites. The “keen” itself is thought to have been constituted of stock poetic elements (the listing of the genealogy of the deceased, praise for the deceased, emphasis on the woeful condition of those left behind etc.) set to vocal lament. While generally carried out by one or several women, a chorus may have been intoned by all present. Physical movements involving rocking, kneeling or clapping accompanied the keening woman (”bean caoinadh”) who was often paid for her services.
After consistent opposition from the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland (Synods opposed the practice in 1631, 1748 and 1800) that went so far as to recommend excommunication for offenders, the practice became extinct; the Church’s position is however unlikely to have been the sole cause. Although some recordings have been made and the practice has been documented up to recent times, it is generally considered to be extinct or to have become extinct in our lifetime.
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