Friendship, Faith and the Bard MacLean

Abstract

Among Canada’s pioneer poets John MacLean is uniquely Am Bàrd MacGilleathan.His ‘The Gloomy Forest’ gave an eloquent account of tree-felling challenges facingHighland settlers. MacLean’s background in fertile Tiree, where his bardic skillsdeveloped, was very different. This paper focuses on a friendship between the bardand a priest, Colin Grant, who shared his knowledge of clan-based society. Thefriendship flourished in an area of Nova Scotia where faith communities met.Protestants from the northern Highlands put down roots in Pictou while Catholicsfrom further west settled in Antigonish and Cape Breton. The personal friendshipreflected a period of shared Gaelic culture when clergy were in short supply.Scripture in Gaelic helped to establish Calvinist values, while Catholic belief andpractice continued to draw on an imaginative folk-culture. The bard’s praise-poetryfor the priest followed him to death, but MacLean turned to spiritual verse as faithcommunities drew apart.