The annual Kilkenny VEC lecture series has opened with a strong feminist critique of attitudes towards women displayed in Irish literary texts as far back as the 10th century or earlier.
Dr Mairin Nic Eoin, a literary and cultural critic, asserted that misleading generalisations about women's position in society have been spread by a range of academic historians and authors who base their conclusions on literary sources or mythological characters.
This lecture series, held each year since 1990, is now established as one of the principal events in the intellectual life of the south-east. It has often broken new ground or challenged set assumptions, and the opening lecture this year was in that spirit.
Dr Nic Eoin, who lectures in the Irish department of St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin, examined the depiction of women in many old Irish texts, from early lyrics and sagas to early Irish law, medieval and early modern poetry, even in the renowned Tain Bo Cuailnge.
She argues that female nature is presented in the Irish literary tradition in terms of one or other of two stereotypes: the silly, vain, unreliable flatterer, or the demure, decorous, graceful hostess/mother figure.
"There is no place in this scheme of things for women who were intellectually challenging, or independent of mind, who had good judgement, leadership or decision-making qualities, who were imaginative or creative in any manner which was not circumscribed by the functions with which they are represented in the texts," she said.
She suggested that Queen Maeve of Connacht was a classic example of "a literary character who is so often referred to as an example of `primordial Irish womanhood' when in reality her role as military leader and decision-maker in Tain Bo Cuailnge is ridiculed within the text on specifically gendered grounds".
Some authors and historians, she said, had drawn selectively on such literary sources in support of their interpretations and generalisations, leading to a confusion of literary depictions with actual historical experience.
"When the cultural history of Irish women is eventually written, one may well find a significant number of examples of women who questioned the restrictive images offered them," said Dr Nic Eoin.
But the persistent reiteration of male gender perceptions in the old literature had affected the actual social and historical experience of women.
She argued that the main use of the literary works as historical sources was that it demonstrated societal attitudes towards women and defined the social position deemed desirable or acceptable for women in society.
"The praise poetry, for example, while it may tell us little about the particular attributes of an actual historical woman, will give us an insight into the traits deemed admirable/desirable by the literary men of the day, and, presumably, by the social classes which employed them," she said.
Dr Nic Eoin put forward the concept of gender ideology as a useful explanatory concept which could assist in the use of literary works as sources of cultural history in a more fruitful manner.
Her new study of gender ideology in the Irish literary tradition is being published in book form this weekend at the Cumann Merriman Winter School in Westport and should provoke lively debate.
Meanwhile, the Kilkenny lecture series, arranged by the VEC's arts education organiser for the south-east, Mr Proinsias O Drisceoil, continues each Thursday evening for the next five weeks at Butler House, Kilkenny. Call (056) 65103 or (056) 51847 for details.