Barbara Hillers

Associate Department of Celtic Languages and Literatures Harvard University B.A., The Queen's University Belfast, 1987. M.Phil., National University of Ireland (University College Dublin), 1990. Ph.D., Harvard University, 1997. Postdoctoral Fellow and Research Fellow in Celtic, University of Edinburgh, 1997-2000. Assistant Professor, Harvard University, 2000-2006. Associate Professor, Harvard University, 2006-2009. Associate, Harvard University, 2009-.

Research Interests

Reception of classical literature in medieval Ireland

Amour courtois in Gaelic Verse and the Book of the Dean of Lismore

Oral/literary and popular/elite interactions in Gaelic tradition

Gender and genre in Gaelic folklore: the articulation of women's space in folk narrative and song

Courses Developed and Taught

• Celtic 222. Early Irish Manuscript Tradition
• Celtic 113. Gaelic Women's Poetry
• The Folklore of Ireland (freshman seminar)
• Celtic 166. The Folklore of Women
• Celtic 192: Modern Irish Poetry and Drama
• Celtic 193: Modern Irish Prose Literature
• Celtic 130. Introduction to Scottish Gaelic
• Celtic 131. Intermediate Scottish Gaelic
• Celtic 132. Introduction to Modern Irish
• Celtic 133r. Intermediate Modern Irish
• Celtic 160r. Advanced Modern Irish
• Celtic 161r. Continuing Advanced Modern Irish

Current Projects (and manuscripts in preparation)

• The Medieval Irish Odyssey (to be published by Celtic Studies Publications, Aberystwyth) [Book in final stages of preparation].
• Merugud Ulixis meic Leirtis `The Wandering of Ulysses' [Edition]
• The Man Who Never Slept: The Irish Merman Legend and the Old French Lai de Tydorel . [Book in preparation.]
• `"The Gifts of the Little People" in Ireland and Japan and the Dissemination of Folktales'. [Article for submission to journal Folklore.]
• '"Sinew to Sinew:" Alexander Carmichael and the Collection and Invention of Gaelic Charms'. [Article for submission to journal Scottish Gaelic Studies .]
• `The Fox of Sliabh an Chairn: A Poem Attributed to Gearóid Iarla in the Book of the Dean of Lismore' (with William Gillies). [Article for submission to journal Eigse .]

Publications

1. `The Middle Irish "Wanderings of Aeneas", in The Virgilian Tradition to 1500, eds. Michael C. J. Putnam and Jan Ziolkowski (Yale University Press: New Haven and London), 608-616, 2008.
2. `Cuckolds and Faithful Wives: The Genesis of the Gaelic Ballad of ``Peigín and Peadair,''' Emily Lyle: The Persistent Scholar, Ballad and Song International Studies, eds. F J. Fischer and Sigrid Rieuwerts (Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier, Trier), 100-113, 2007.
3. `Storytelling and the International Folktale in Scotland', Scottish Life and Society: A Compendium of Scottish Ethnology, Volume 10: Oral Literature and Performance Culture, ed. J. Beech et al. (John Donald: Edinburgh), 153-170, 2007.
4. `Dialogue or Monologue: Lullabies in Scottish Gaelic Tradition', Litreachas & Eachdraidh / Literature & History: Rannsachadh na G�àidhlig 2 (2002), ed. Michel Byrne et al., (Glasgow), 33-55, 2006.
5. Entries on Homer (p.938-9), Vergil (p.1733), and a number of Irish classical translations, including Togail Tro�í (p.1679), Togail na Tebe (p.1679), In cath catharda (p.960), Merugud Uilixis meic Leirtis (p.1292), and Sc�éla Alaxandair (p.1567), Celtic Culture: a historical encyclopedia, ed. John T. Koch (Santa Barbara, California), 2006.
6. `Poet or Magician: Mac Mhuirich M�ór in Oral Tradition,' Poetic Heroes and Heroic Poets, CSANA Yearbook 3-4 (2003-2004), ed. J. Nagy (Dublin), 141-157, 2005.
7. `Early and Medieval Irish Literature', in Encyclopedia of Irish History and Culture (2 vols.), ed. J.S. Donnelly (Macmillan Reference USA), 393-396, 2004.
8. `In fer f�íamach f�írglic: Ulysses in Medieval Irish Literature', Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium 16, 15-38, 2003.
9. `Oidhche Rionnagach Reulagach - A Tale with a Sting’, Northern Lights: Aist�í in Adhn�ó do Bho Almqvist, ed. Seamus �Ó Cath�áin (Dublin) 72-86, 2001.
10. `Ulysses and the Judge of Truth: Sources and Meanings in the Irish Odyssey', Peritia: Journal of the Medieval Academy of Ireland 13, 194-223, 2000.
11. `Sg�él in M�ínaduir: D�ädalus und der Minotaurus in Irland', in E. Poppe and H. Tristram, Hgg., �Übersetzung, Adaptation und Akkulturation im insularen Mittelalter (M�ünster), 131-144, 1999.
12. `The Abbot of Druimenaig: Genderbending in Gaelic Tradition', Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium 15, 175-197, 1998.
13. `Music from the Otherworld: Modern Gaelic Legends about Fairy Music', Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium 14, 58-75, 1997.
14. Editor of the Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium, volumes 12 and 13, 1995.
15. `The Odyssey of a Folktale: Merugud Uilix Meic Leirtis', Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium 12, 63-79, 1995.
16. `Voyages between Heaven and Hell: Navigating the Early Irish Immram Tales', Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium 13, 66-81, 1995.
17. `The Heroes of the Ulster Cycle', Ulidia, J. Mallory and G. Stockman (Belfast), 99-106, 1994.
18. `The Irish Historical Romance: A New Literary Development?' Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium 11, 15-24, 1993.
19. `The Man Who Never Slept: A Survey of the Redactions and their Relation to the Lai de Tydorel', B�éaloideas 59, 91-105, 1991.
20. `Pay Me For My Story: the Etiquette of Storytelling', Sinsear 6, 50-60 (with Cr�íost�óir Mac C�árthaigh), 1990.

Course Materials / Textbook

• Buntús na Gaeilge: Modern Irish for Adult Learners. Textbook for Introductory and Intermediate Modern Irish courses, Harvard University (with Bettina Kimpton). Buntus Part I , Buntus Part II

Contact

Email: hillers@fas.harvard.edu