Lavengro · Chapter
XI explained
The narrator's regiment moves to Templemore, a wild and desolate region in Ireland.
What happens
The narrator's regiment moves to Templemore, a wild and desolate region in Ireland. His brother is sent on detachment, leaving the narrator alone. He roams the countryside, listens to Irish being spoken, and becomes enamored with the language, which sparks his philological pursuits. He explores a ruined castle, where he encounters an old woman who claims it as her own, calling it the accursed house of Cromwell.
Themes in this chapter
Philology and Learning
The narrator's encounter with the Irish language ignites his passion for philology, leading him to learn other languages and become a philologist.
Adventure and Roving
The narrator roams the desolate fields and bogs, explores a ruined castle, and embarks on a solitary adventure in a wild region.
The Gypsy and the Outsider
The narrator feels isolated and out of place in the desolate region, drawn to the outsider language of Irish spoken in remote places.
Characters to notice
- Lavengro
The narrator explores the Irish countryside, becomes fascinated with the Irish language, and ventures into a ruined castle where he meets an old woman.
- Brother
The narrator's brother, an officer, is sent on detachment to a village with a party of soldiers, leaving the narrator alone.
- Murtagh
Mentioned as a comparison: the narrator fears becoming 'frighted' from having nothing to do, like Murtagh.
Key passages
“Ah, that Irish! How frequently do circumstances, at first sight the most trivial and unimportant, exercise a mighty and permanent influence on our habits and pursuits!”
The narrator reflects on how a seemingly minor encounter with the Irish language profoundly shaped his lifelong interests and studies.
This passage highlights the pivotal role of the Irish language in the narrator's development as a philologist.
“I wonder what has been going on here! I exclaimed. There were echoes along the walls as I walked about the court.”
The narrator wonders about the history of the ruined castle as he explores its courtyard, hearing echoes of his own voice.
This moment captures the narrator's curiosity and the eerie atmosphere of the desolate castle.
“Yes, my house, my own house; the house of the brokenhearted. ... the beggar's house—the accursed house of Cromwell!”
The old woman claims the ruined castle as her own, describing it as a place of sorrow and cursing Cromwell's name.
This encounter reveals the deep historical scars of the Cromwellian era in Ireland.