Kenneth H. Jackson
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson (1 November 1909 – 20 February 1991) was an English linguist
and a translator who specialised in the Celtic languages
. He demonstrated how the text of the Ulster Cycle
of tales, written circa AD 1100, preserves an oral tradition originating some six centuries earlier and reflects Celtic Irish society of the third and fourth century AD. His Celtic Miscellany is a popular standard.
He married Janet Dall Galloway on 12 August 1936. Their two children, Alaster and Stephenie, were born in the United States but brought up in Scotland. In retirement, Jackson continued his work on place-names and Goidelic languages
. However he suffered a stroke in 1984 that restricted his work.
An obituary was published in The Times on 8 March 1991 and in Nomina 15.
, Surrey
, England, Jackson's early education was at Hillcrest School, Wallington
(1916–19), and then at Whitgift Grammar School, Croydon
, from 1920-1928. He won an open scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge
in 1928. He studied under Hector
and Nora Chadwick, becoming fluent in six Celtic languages. At Cambridge he read Classics
and then studied the early cultures of the British Isles. He was then awarded a travelling scholarship during which he undertook study and fieldwork in Wales and Ireland. In the 1950s he spent his vacations recording dialects for the Linguistic Survey of Scotland.
and was appointed an associate professor in 1940, being the first chair of the Department of Celtic Language and Literature. He undertook war service with the Uncommon Languages section of British censorship (where he said he learned Japanese in three weeks). Afterwards he went back to Harvard, and became a full professor in 1948. He accepted the chair of Celtic Languages, History and Antiquities at the University of Edinburgh
, Scotland (1950–1979).
and Middle Ages
, on all six modern Celtic languages, on folklore, placenames and dialects. A bibliography of his publications appears in Studia Celtica 14/14, pp 5–11 (1979–80). His writings are always insightful and stimulating, often the only sources in English for their subject, and even where the reader may wish to disagree with his conclusions, the weight of his erudition and mastery of the early Celtic material must be taken into account. It is scarcely possible to come across a publication or longer article on Celtic studies that does not refer to Professor Jackson's work. There is also the advantage for those not familiar with the Celtic languages that much of his work is in an English-language medium, although this can make an appreciation of Celtica rather unbalanced, as an understanding of sources in at least Welsh can help develop a larger picture, where different opinions are represented. A selection of his publications is given below:
(elected 1957) and a Commissioner for the ancient and historical monuments of Scotland. He held honorary degrees from universities in England, Wales, Ireland and Brittany
. He was awarded a CBE
in 1985 for his work on Celtic studies. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Modern Language Association
. He was a member of the Council of the English Placename Society for over forty years, being both Vice-President and then President.
He gave the John Rhys Lecture at the British Academy in 1953 on "Common Gaelic", and the 1964 Rede Lecture on "The Oldest Irish Tradition".
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and a translator who specialised in the Celtic languages
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
. He demonstrated how the text of the Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...
of tales, written circa AD 1100, preserves an oral tradition originating some six centuries earlier and reflects Celtic Irish society of the third and fourth century AD. His Celtic Miscellany is a popular standard.
He married Janet Dall Galloway on 12 August 1936. Their two children, Alaster and Stephenie, were born in the United States but brought up in Scotland. In retirement, Jackson continued his work on place-names and Goidelic languages
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
. However he suffered a stroke in 1984 that restricted his work.
An obituary was published in The Times on 8 March 1991 and in Nomina 15.
Education
Born at BeddingtonBeddington
Beddington is a settlement between the London Boroughs of Sutton and Croydon. The BedZED low energy housing scheme is located here. In Beddington was a static inverter plant of HVDC Kingsnorth....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England, Jackson's early education was at Hillcrest School, Wallington
Wallington, London
Wallington is a town in the London Borough of Sutton situated south south-west of Charing Cross. Prior to the merger of the Municipal Borough of Beddington and Wallington into the London Borough of Sutton, it was part of the county of Surrey.- History :...
(1916–19), and then at Whitgift Grammar School, Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
, from 1920-1928. He won an open scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
in 1928. He studied under Hector
Hector Munro Chadwick
Hector Munro Chadwick was an English philologist and historian, professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Cambridge . He helped develop an integral approach to Old English studies. With his wife, Nora Kershaw Chadwick, he compiled a multi-volume survey of oral traditions and oral poetry,...
and Nora Chadwick, becoming fluent in six Celtic languages. At Cambridge he read Classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
and then studied the early cultures of the British Isles. He was then awarded a travelling scholarship during which he undertook study and fieldwork in Wales and Ireland. In the 1950s he spent his vacations recording dialects for the Linguistic Survey of Scotland.
Academic appointments
Jackson returned to Cambridge in 1934 as a lecturer in Celtic. In 1939 he went to Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and was appointed an associate professor in 1940, being the first chair of the Department of Celtic Language and Literature. He undertook war service with the Uncommon Languages section of British censorship (where he said he learned Japanese in three weeks). Afterwards he went back to Harvard, and became a full professor in 1948. He accepted the chair of Celtic Languages, History and Antiquities at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, Scotland (1950–1979).
Publications
While at Edinburgh Jackson published articles and books on the ancient Celts, and the Dark AgesEarly Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
and Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, on all six modern Celtic languages, on folklore, placenames and dialects. A bibliography of his publications appears in Studia Celtica 14/14, pp 5–11 (1979–80). His writings are always insightful and stimulating, often the only sources in English for their subject, and even where the reader may wish to disagree with his conclusions, the weight of his erudition and mastery of the early Celtic material must be taken into account. It is scarcely possible to come across a publication or longer article on Celtic studies that does not refer to Professor Jackson's work. There is also the advantage for those not familiar with the Celtic languages that much of his work is in an English-language medium, although this can make an appreciation of Celtica rather unbalanced, as an understanding of sources in at least Welsh can help develop a larger picture, where different opinions are represented. A selection of his publications is given below:
- 1935. Studies in Early Celtic Nature Poetry, Cambridge: University Press.
- 1935. Early Welsh Gnomic Poems, Cardiff, University of Wales Press.
- 1953. Language and history in early Britain: A chronological survey of the Brittonic languages, first to twelfth century A.D., Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh Press.
- 1955. The Pictish Language in F T Wainwright (ed) The Problem of the Picts. Edinburgh.
- 1955. Contributions to the study of Manx phonology, University of Edinburgh Linguistic Survey of Scotland Series.
- 1959. "The Arthur of History" Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages, Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-811588-1.
- 1959. "Arthur in Early Welsh Verse" Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages, Oxford: Clarendon Press.
- 1961. "The international popular tale and early Welsh tradition" The Gregynog Lectures, 1961, Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
- 1964. The oldest Irish tradition: A window on the Iron Age, Cambridge: University Press. Reprinted 1999.
- 1967. A Historical phonology of Breton, Dublin Institute for Advanced StudiesDublin Institute for Advanced StudiesThe Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies Dublin, Ireland was established in 1940 by the Taoiseach of the time, Éamon de Valera under the . The Institute consists of 3 schools: The , the and the . The directors of these schools are currently Professor Werner Nahm, Professor Luke Drury and...
, Dublin, ISBN 978-0901282538 - 1969. The GododdinY GododdinY Gododdin is a medieval Welsh poem consisting of a series of elegies to the men of the Britonnic kingdom of Gododdin and its allies who, according to the conventional interpretation, died fighting the Angles of Deira and Bernicia at a place named Catraeth...
: The Oldest Scottish poem, Edinburgh:University Press. - 1972, etc. A Celtic Miscellany : Translations from the Celtic Literature, Penguin Paperback. ISBN 0-14-044247-2. Poetry and prose from six Celtic languages, Welsh, Irish and Scottish Gaelic, Cornish, Breton and Manx.
- 1990. Aislinge Meic Con Glinne, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin, ISBN 0-901282-94-4
Other activities
Jackson was a Fellow of the British AcademyBritish Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
(elected 1957) and a Commissioner for the ancient and historical monuments of Scotland. He held honorary degrees from universities in England, Wales, Ireland and Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. He was awarded a CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
in 1985 for his work on Celtic studies. He was an Honorary Fellow of the Modern Language Association
Modern Language Association
The Modern Language Association of America is the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature...
. He was a member of the Council of the English Placename Society for over forty years, being both Vice-President and then President.
He gave the John Rhys Lecture at the British Academy in 1953 on "Common Gaelic", and the 1964 Rede Lecture on "The Oldest Irish Tradition".