盖尔式运动与爱尔兰民族身份的建构

Gaelic Games and the Making of Irish National Identity

从中世纪后期开始,英格兰的入侵使得民族意识开始在爱尔兰原住民盖尔人中萌芽,拥有悠久历史的盖尔式运动逐渐成长为爱尔兰民族的文化符号。同时,盖尔式运动潜移默化地将英格兰殖民者“爱尔兰化”,并催生出一种处于萌芽状态的爱尔兰民族身份认同感。从17世纪末开始,歧视性的殖民政策和法规导致爱尔兰传统文化遭受严重破坏。然而,这一时期的宗教和政治风暴并未波及体育领域,盖尔式运动得以延续和发展,并促进了盖尔人、旧英格兰移民和新英格兰殖民者之间的融合。自18世纪末,英国政府进一步加强了对爱尔兰的管控,爱尔兰文化在当局的打压下持续衰落。19世纪末,民族主义者们发起了盖尔复兴运动,阻止体育领域的“英格兰化”,并力图通过发展盖尔式运动复兴爱尔兰文化,增强民族凝聚力,激励民众投身民族独立运动。

The establishment of the relationship between Irish national identity and Gaelic Games came along with the emergence of the notion of“native”and“foreign”after the Norman and English invasion of Ireland in the late Middle Ages.Together with Catholicism,Irish language and Irish customs,Gaelic Games boosted the fusion of native Irish and Old English settlers,and stimulated the emergence of an embryonic Irish national identity.The 17 th century saw the rise of Gaelic Games and the decline of Irish language.Irish culture survived by means of sport In this period,Gaelic Games facilitated the fusion of the Gaels,the Old English and the new English settlers.From the late 18th century,the changing political and economical environment led to the decline of Irish culture.With the rise of Irish nationalism at the turn of the 19th century,sport became the best medium to assemble the Irish people to experience their own traditional culture,to cultivate national consciousness and to increase the cohesion of the nation.Gaelic Games were endowed with a nationalist tradition and thus became part of the struggle against British rule.