ETD

• folklore
• Irish short story
• James Stephens
• Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
• Lord Dunsany
• myth
• oral tradition

This study aims to analyse the ways in which the Irish short story is closely intertwined with the Celtic oral tradition. Its objective is to show how certain narrative and stylistic elements were inherited and reworked, becoming an effective instrument within the Irish Cultural Revival.
The first chapter provides a broader historical, political, and cultural framework by examining the recovery of past traditions – through the antiquarian movement – within the European context, with particular attention to England.
The second chapter focuses on the rediscovery of Irish identity and on the development of the Celtic Revival, distinguishing between an initial antiquarian phase and a subsequent, more specifically cultural and literary phase. This revival took place in a historical period marked by deep fractures, which eventually led to the emergence of the Irish Literary Revival.
The third chapter explores the liminal position of the short story, situated between oral tradition and modernity. Although rooted in myth, folklore, and storytelling, the short story developed as a modern literary form under the conditions created by print culture.
Finally, the fourth chapter analyses three authors: Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Lord Dunsany, and James Stephens. Through selected short stories, the study shows how oral and folkloric heritage was reworked in different ways.