Pangur Bán is the white cat in film who accompanies Brother Aiden from Iona to his journey to Kells. The cat befriends young Brendan and later becomes his cat. In the movie it is portrayed with a blue and a green eye, no doubt to the symbolism of its other-wordly nature and it's gift of 'sight'.
In the film there is a song that the fairy girl Aisling sings. She is faced with the challenge of assisting Brendan from escaping a locked room. We know she is a magical entity, one of the sidhe (fairy) folk, so a deep insight must be reviewed into the lyrics of this 'song'. As she sings over the cat thus transforming its physical nature into a spirit; such as to enter the Abbots personal bedroom to gain the key to unlock Brendan. Let us review the song.
Aisling sings:
You must go where I can not,
Pangur Bán, Pangur Bán,
Pangur Bán, Pangur Bán,
Nil sa saol seo ach ceo,
Is ni bheimid beo,
ach seal beag gearr.
Pangur Bán, Pangur Bán,
Nil sa saol seo ach ceo,
Is ni bheimid beo,
ach seal beag gearr
Here is a link to watch & listen to it:
As with any translation, so much can be lost or misunderstood. Not every word can easily be strung along from a sentence in one language to be understood in another. We also have to take into consideration that a language represents and exemplifies a cultures identity and thought process. For us to simply accept a translated verse as complete misses how one thinks within that culture as they use that language. Here are a few examples of some basic translations from the above.
Translation #1
You must go where I cannot,
Pangur Bán, Pangur Bán
There is nothing in this life/world but mist(fog)
And we will only be alive
For a short time.
Translation #2
You must go where I cannot,
White Fuller, White Fuller,
There is nothing in this world but mist(fog)
We only live in it for a short time.
We only live in it for a short time.
Translation #3
You must go where I can not,
Pangur Bán, Pangur Bán
Not in this world, but as fog.
We do not live,
but for a short while.
Translation #4
You must go where I can not,
Pangur Bán, Pangur Bán
Not in this world, but as fog.
We only live in it
but for a short time.
We can see that there is no easy translation but yet each conveys a common theme of the limits of time and space, of fog, and the relationship to them.
So, what does this possibly suggest?
Somethings to question; Why can't Aisling her self enter the room and get key? She sings to the cat; you must go where I can not. Perhaps because previously in the film Pangur Bán was in the room and he knows where he is going, or that she (Aisling) has to be invited in much like in vampire mythology, or that she is simply unwelcome in such a place. It could be suggested that through Christian theology she can not enter the place as herself. When she sings, visually you can see her song, a magical breath that helps to transform the cat into a spiritual entity. If we know anything from Celtic tradition the Druids, Poets, etc sung many of their spells, and this is no doubt a reference to such practices like: Imbas forosnai, TEINM LAIDA, AND DICHETAL DO CHENNAIB. She is no doubt using Illumination of song - "breaking the marrow" and "Cracking open nuts of wisdom" in her Extempore Incantation.
Here is a break down of the basic translation of lyrics:
Lyric: There is nothing in this life/world but Fog
Could this be a reference to the magical fogs Druids would raise in various legends? Perhaps a more symbolic meaning that nothing in life is ever what it seems. Like fog that is ever changing and cloudy, so too is our perception on what it is we think is real. There is nothing in this life that is 'clear' or certain she may mean. Aisling herself lives in a world of fog, and several times throughout the film she is shown to have the power to lift it, and use it in such a way to her benefit. If we eliminate the word life and only use the word 'world', the lyrics sound much different. There is nothing in this world but fog. What world even? As she sings this spell, it is foggy out & it could be suggested that she is using and working with the natural surroundings to aid her in her magic to help Brendan for a good cause.
Lyric: We will only be alive for a short time. OR We will only be in it for a short time.
The 1st version seems rather to the point. That life is short, and we must help those in need when we can. Though I feel that the 2nd translation offers a deeper insight with the theme of the song-spell. If we will only be 'in it' for a short time speaks volumes if we are talking about this world of fog. Within the behavior of fog, as it is ever shifting, unstable, and considered to be a threshold or a gateway of sorts. This concept that we will only be 'in it' a short time has a multi-layered meaning. It is rather mundane for us to simply assume the words only mean we will only be in this life/world of fog a short time. Everyone knows this, so then why say it? I feel like many good Celtic themes this broad spectrum of a poetic multi-meaning lyric is applied to even this one. If you can say something that has many meanings with each meaning being assigned to fulfill a form of communication all of which being a shared and related theme; why not say it in such a poetic way? Aisling has but a short time to be in and work with the fog, also with this spirit cat to help Brendan. The concepts of reality & fog, life and time, of going into a place where you can not gain entry are all something to meditate on when being moved by such a emotional song.
So what of this name White Fuller?
Pangur Bán means White Fuller; Fulling was the process in making wool cloth. It was how they removed dirt, oils, and other impurities from the beginning stages. We could guess that such a cat as Pangur Bán whom is mentioned in the old monasteries of Irish history was named so for it's white coat and possibly for its behavior in how a cat normally practices hygiene by cleaning it self. I would like to assume that like the lyrics of the song in the movie, that the name Pangur Bán might have had an even deeper meaning. The monks who gave it its name possibly saw something by this cats practice in hygiene and how they were Fulling their wool that a connection was made with the theme of removing spiritual impurities. This is all rather speculative but it does seem likely that the name of the cat was not simply an accident, and the cleansing of impurities may have had a multi-layering of meanings like in so many other Celtic traditions.
It is worth mentioning that the name Pangur Bán must have the fadda (accent) over the (a) in the word Bán. If it was written as Ban with no accent, that would be a completely different word meaning 'female'.
More information on Fulling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulling
~Interesting mention: In Scotland Fulling, aka Waulking in most cases was associated with singing!
See: Waulking Song: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waulking_song
In the closing credits of the movie you hear the song again, this time after the song you hear a mans voice saying something in Irish/Gaeilge. He is reciting the original Poem titled Pangur Bán.
Gaelic
Messe agus Pangur Bán,
cechtar nathar fria shaindán: bíth a menmasam fri seilgg, mu menma céin im shaincheirdd.
Caraimse fos, ferr cach clú
oc mu lebrán, léir ingnu; ní foirmtech frimm Pangur bán caraid cesin a maccdán
Ó ru biam, scél gan scís
innar tegdais, ar n-óendís, táithiunn, díchríchide clius ní fris tarddam ar n-áthius
Gnáth, húaraib, ar gressaib gal
glenaid luch inna línsam; os mé, du-fuit im lín chéin dliged ndoraid cu ndronchéill
Fúachaidsem fri frega fál
a rosc, a nglése comlán; fúachimm chéin fri fégi fis mu rosc réil, cesu imdis.
Fáelidsem cu ndéne dul
hi nglen luch inna gérchrub; hi tucu cheist ndoraid ndil os mé chene am fáelid.
Cia beimmi a-min nach ré
ní derban cách a chéile maith la cechtar nár a dán; subaigthius a óenurán
Hé fesin as choimsid dáu;
in muid du-ngní cach óenláu; du thabairt doraid du glé for mu muid céin am messe.
Aistrithe ag Robin Flower
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English
I and Pangur Bán, my cat
'Tis a like task we are at; Hunting mice is his delight Hunting words I sit all night.
Better far than praise of men
'Tis to sit with book and pen; Pangur bears me no ill will, He too plies his simple skill.
'Tis a merry thing to see
At our tasks how glad are we, When at home we sit and find Entertainment to our mind.
Oftentimes a mouse will stray
In the hero Pangur's way: Oftentimes my keen thought set Takes a meaning in its net.
'Gainst the wall he sets his eye
Full and fierce and sharp and sly; 'Gainst the wall of knowledge I All my little wisdom try.
When a mouse darts from its den,
O how glad is Pangur then! O what gladness do I prove When I solve the doubts I love!
So in peace our tasks we ply,
Pangur Bán, my cat, and I; In our arts we find our bliss, I have mine and he has his.
Practice every day has made
Pangur perfect in his trade; I get wisdom day and night Turning darkness into light.
Translated by Robin Flower
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Written by an unknown Irish Monk, a student of the monastery
of Carinthia, on a copy of St Paul's Epistles
8th Century.
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