Life
1855-1905 [pseud. ‘Fiona MacLeod’]; b. Paisley; ed. Glasgow;
lawyer’s office, 1874-76; travelled in Australia, 1876-78; London
clerk, 1878-91; wrote life of Rossetti (1882); Sea-Music: An Anthology
of Poems (1887); Romantic Ballads and Poems of Phantasy (1888);
lives of Shelley (1887), Heine (1888), and Browning (1889); The Children
of Tomorrow (1889); visited Canada and America, 1889, Scotland and
Germany and Rome, 1890; Life of Joseph Severn (1892); began to
write mystical prose as ‘Fiona MacLeod, 1893; Pharais: A Romance
of the Isles (1894); The Sin Eater, Celtic Tales (1895);
wrote introduction to an edition of the poems of Arnold, 1896; heavily
involved with Yeats and others in attempting to set up the Order of Celtic
Mysteries, to be based at Lough Key; Sharp and MacLeod constantly addressed
as different people by Yeats and Maud Gonne during this period; Yeats
also sought his assistance in founding the Irish Literary Theatre; plays
incl. The House of Usna (1900), and The Immortal Hour (1900);
uniform ed. of Fiona’s works, 1910; his pseud. kept a secret till
his death when the Who’s Who entry for Fiona MacLeod mysterious
ceased also. DNB OCEL SUTH OCIL
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Works
Poems of Ossian, notes & introduction by William Sharp (Edinburgh:
John Grant 1926). Also Elizabeth Sutherland, ed., The Gold Key and the
Green Life: Some Fantasies and Celtic Tales [by] George
MacDonald, Fiona Macleod (London: Constable 1987).
Miscellaneous, E. A. Sharp & J. Mattay, eds., Lyra Celtica: An Anthology of Representative Celtic Poetry, edited by E. A. Sharp & J. Matthay, with Introduction & Notes by William Sharp, Ancient Irish, Alban, Gaelic, Breton, Cymric, And Modern Scottish and Irish Celtic Poetry [1st Edn. 1896; 2nd. edn., rev. & enl. 1924] (Edinburgh: John Grant [31 George IV Bridge] 1932), lii, 450pp. [infra].
Articles, William Sharp, Fiona McLeod & Neil Monro, ‘Recent Celtic Experiments in English Literature’, in Blackwood’s Magazine, Vol. 1 No. CLIX (May 1896), pp.716-29 [on poems of W. B. Yeats; see infra].
Lyra Celtica: An Anthology of Representative Celtic Poetry, edited by E. A. Sharp & J. Matthay, With Introduction and Notes by William Sharp, Ancient Irish, Alban, Gaelic, Breton, Cymric, And Modern Scottish and Irish Celtic Poetry [1st Edn. 1896; 2nd. edn., rev. & enl. 1924; rep. 1932] (Edinburgh: John Grant [31 George IV Bridge] 1932) [printed in Great Britain by Oliver and Boyd Ltd., Edinburgh]. Epigraph, “... a troubled Eden , rich / In throb of heart. ...” (George Meredith). Introduction by Wm. Sharp; NOTES by Wm. Sharp. ANCIENT IRISH AND SCOTTISH ANCIENT ERSE: The Mystery of Amergin; The Song of Fionn ; Credhe’s Lament; Cuchullin in his Chariot; Deirdrë’s Lament for the Sons of Usnach; The Lament of Queen Maev; The March of the Faërie Host; Vision of a Fair Woman; The Fian Banners. OLD GAELIC: The Rune of St Patrick. SAINT COLUMBA; Columcille cecenit; Columcille fecit; The Song of Murdoch the Monk. DOMHNULL MAC FHIONNAIADH; “The Aged Bard’s Wish”; Ossian Sang; Fingal and Ros-crana; The Night-Song of the Bards; The Death-Song of Ossian. ANCIENT CORNISH: The Pool of Pilate; Merlin the Diviner; The Vision of Seth. EARLY ARMORICAN: The Dance of the Sword; The Lord Nann and the Fairy; Alain the Fox; Bran. EARLY CYMRIC AND MEDIÆVAL WELSH: The Soul. LLYWARC’H HËN; The Gorwynion; The Tercets of Llywarc’h. TALIESIN, Song to the Wind. ANEURIN, Odes of the Months. DAFYDD AP GWILYM, The Summer; To the Lark. RHYS GOCH (of ERYR), To the Fox. RHYS GOCH AP RHICCART, The Song of the Thrush. IRISH (MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY): “A.E.”, Sacrifice; The Great Breath; Mystery; Bi the-Margin of the Great Deep; The Breath of Light. WILLIAM ALLINGHAM., Aolian Harp; The Fairies. THOMAS BOYD, To the Lianhaun Shee. EMILY BRONTË, Remembrance. STOPFORD A. BROOKE, The Earth and Man; Song. JOHN K. CASEY, Maire, my Girl; Gracie Og Machree. GEORGE DARLEY, Dirge. AUBREY DE VERE, The Little Black Rose; Epitaph. FRANCIS FAHY, Killiney Far Away. SIR SAMUEL FERGUSON, Cean Dubh Deelish; Molly Asthore; The Fair Hills of Ireland . ALFRED PERCIVAL GRAVES, Herring is King; The Rose of Kenmare; The Song of the Pratee; Irish Lullaby. GERALD GRIFFIN , Eileen Aroon. NORA HOPPER, The Dark Man; April in Ireland ; The Wind among the Reeds. DOUGLAS HYDE, My Grief on the Sea; The Cooleen; The Breedyeen; Nelly of the Top-Knots; I shall not Die for Thee. LIONEL JOHNSON, The Red Wind, To Morfydd. DENIS FLORENCE MACCARTHY, A Lament. JAMES CLARENCE MANGAN, The Fair Hills of Eiré, O!; Dark Rosaleen; The One Mystery. ROSA MULHOLLAND, The Wild Geese. RODEN NOEL, Lament for a Little Child; The Swimmer; The Dance; From “The Water-Nymph and the Boy”; A Casual Song; The Pity of it; The Old. CHARLES P. O’CONOR, Maura Du of Ballyshannon. JOHN FRANCIS O’DONNELL, A Spinning Song. JOHN BOYLE O’REILLY, A White Rose. ARTHUR O’SHAUGHNESSY, The Fountain of Tears. FANNY PARNELL, After Death. T. W. ROLLESTON, The Dead at Clonmacnois. DORA SIGIERSON, Unknown Ideal. GEORGE SIGERSON, Mo Cáilin Donn. JOHN TODHUNTER, An Irish Love Song; The Sunburst; Song. KATHERINE TYNAN, Winter Sunset; Shamrock Song; Wild Geese. CHARLES WEEKES, Dreams, Poppies. W. B. YEATS, They went forth to the Battle , but they always fell ; The White Birds; The Lake of Innisfree. SCOTO-CELTIC (MIDDLE PERIOD) / LATER GAELIC: Prologue to “Gaul”; In Hebrid Seas ; Cumha Ghriogair Mhic Griogair; Drowned. ALEXANDER MACDONALD, The Manning of the Birlinn. ANGUS MACKENZIE, The Lament of the Deer. DUNCAN BÀN MACINTYRE, Ben Dorain; The Hill-Water. MARY MACLEOD, Song for Macleod of Macleod. MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY SCOTO-CELTIC: Monaltri; An Coineachan-A Highland Lullaby; A Boat Song. JOHN STUART BLACKIE, The Old Soldier of the Gareloch Head. ROBERT BUCHANAN; Flower of the World; The Strange Country; The Dream of the World without Death; The Faëry Foster-Mother. LORD BYRON, When We Two Parted; Stanzas for Music. CRO’ CHAILLEAN, Colin’s Cattle; MacCrimmon’s Lament. IAN CAMERON, Song. JOHN DAVIDSON, A Loafer; In Romney Marsh. JEAN GLOVER, O’er the Muir amang the Heather. GEORGE MACDONALD, Song. RONALD CAMPBELL MACFIE, Song. WILLIAM MACDONALD, A Spring Trouble. AMICE MACDONELL, Culloden Moor . ALICE C. MACDONELL, The Weaving of the Tartan. WILLIAM MACGILLIVRAY, The Thrush’s Song. FIONA MACLEOD, The Prayer of Women; The Rune of Age; A Milking Song; Lullaby. The Songs of Ethlenn Stuart; The Closing Doors; The Sorrow of Delight. NORMAN MACLEOD, Farewell to Fiunary. SARAH ROBERTSON MATHESON, A Kiss of the King’s Hand; DUGALD MOORE, The First Ship. LADY CAROLINE NAIRNE, The Land o’ the Leal. ALEXANDER NICOLSON, Skye. SIR NOËL PATON, Midnight by the Sea; In Shadowland. WILLIAM RENTON , Mountain Twilight. LADY JOHN SCOTT, Durisdeer. EARL OF SOUTHESK, November’s Cadence. JOHN CAMPBELL SHAIRP, Cailleach Bein-y-Vreich. UNA URQUHART, An Old Tale of Three. ANON., Lost Love. CONTEMPORARY ANGLO-CELTIC POETS ( WALES ): GEORGE MEREDITH, Dirge in Woods; Outer and Inner; Night of Frost in May; Hymn to Colour. SEBASTIAN EVANS, Shadows. EBENEZER JONES, When the World is Burning, The Hand. EMILY DAVIS, A Song of Winter. ERNEST RHYS, The Night Ride; The House of Hendra. CONTEMPORARY ANGLO-CELTIC POETS (MANX): T. E. BROWN, The Childhood of Kitty of the Sherragh Vane. HALL CAINE, Graih my Chree. CONTEMPORARY ANGLO-CELTIC POETS (CORNISH): A. T. QUILLER COUCH, The Splendid Spur; The White Moth. STEPHEN HAWKER, Featherstone’s Doom; Trebarrow. RICCARDO STEPHENS, Witch Margaret; A Ballad; Hell’s Piper. MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY BRETON / MEDÆVAL BRETON: The Poor Clerk; The Cross by the Way. LATER BRETON: The Secrets of the Clerk; Love Song. HERVË-NOËL LE BRETON, Hymn to Sleep; The Burden of Lost Souls. VILLIERS DE L’ISLE-ADAM, Confession; Discouragement. LECONTE DE LISLE, The Black Panther; The Spring. LEO-KERMORVAN, The Return of Taliesen. LOUIS TIERCELIN, By Menec’hi Shore. THE CELTIC FRINGE: BLISS CARMAN, Song; The War-Song of Gmelbar; Golden Rowan; A Sea Child. ELLEN MACKAY HUTCHINSON ; The Quest; Moth Song; June. HUGH M’CULLOCH, Scent o’ Pines. DUNCAN CAMPBELL SCOTT, The Reed-Player. THOMAS D’ARCY M’GEE, The Celtic Cross. MARY C. G. BYRON, The Tryst of the Night. ALICE E. GILLINGTON, The Doom-Bar; The Seven Whistlers. SHANE LESLIE, Requiem. PADRAIC COLUM, An Old Woman of the Roads; A Cradle Song. JAMES STEPHENS, The Coolun; The Clouds. ELEANOR HULL, The Old Woman of Beare. THOMAS MACDONAGH, From a “Litany of Beauty”. SEOSAMH MACCATHMHAOIL, I will go with my Father a-ploughing; A Northern Love Song. PATRICK MACGILL, Fairy Workers. FRANCIS LEDWIDGE, The Shadow People; My Mother. GORDON BOTTOMLEY, Lyric from “The Crier by Night”. JAMES H. COUSINS, The Quest. PADRUIC H. PEARSE, The Fool, LORD DUNSANY, The Return of Song. KENNETH MACLEOD; Dance to your Shadow; Sea Longing; The Reiving Ship. MARJORY KENNEDY-FRASER, Land of Heart ’s Desire; Ossian’s Midsummer Day-Dream; Kishmul’s Galley. AGNES MURE MACKENZIE, Aignish on the Machair. NEIL MUNRO, Fingal’s Weeping. [Digital contents at Sundown Shores website [link].
There is an archive of works and editions by William Sharp/Fiona MacLeod at Sundown Shores website.
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Criticism
Cornelius Weygandt, ‘Fiona MacLeod’, Chap. IX, Irish Plays
and Playwrights [[facs. of 1913 1st edn.] (NY: Greenwood 1979), pp.252-96;
Qry, E. A. Sharp, William Sharp (q.d.) [cited in Richard Ellmann,
Yeats: The Man and the Masks, 1948, p.76, &c.].
Fiona MacLeod, ‘A Group of Celtic Writers’, in Fortnightly
Review, n.s. 65 (Jan 1889), pp.34-53.
Richard Ellmann, Yeats: The Man and the Mask (1948), p.132.
A. N. Jeffares, W B Yeats, A New Biography (1988).
J. M. Synge, review of The Winged Destiny in The Academy of Literature (12 Nov. 1904), reprinted in Synge, Coll. Works, Vol. II, Prose, ed. Alan Price, pp.388-89.
W. B. Yeats, review of From the Hills of Dream, in Bookman (Dec. 1896), and The Dominion of Dreams in Bookman (July 1899), cited in John P. Frayne, ed., Uncoll. Prose, 1970; Pref., p.72.
Anne O’Connor, review of Elizabeth Sutherland, ed., The Gold Key and the Green Life: Some Fantasies and Celtic Tales [by] George MacDonald, Fiona Macleod (1987), in Books Ireland (May 1987).
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Notes
John Sutherland, The Longman Companion to Victorian Fiction
(Harlow: Longmans 1988); Fiona Macleod, created with such thoroughness
by William Sharp that she had a separate Who’s Who entry,
allegedly b. Hebrides, resident Iona and unmarried, and ‘writing’
16 mythic novels or collections, incl. Pharais, A Romance of the Isles
(1894); The Mountain Lovers (1895); The Sin Eater and Other
Tales (1895), in the title-story of which a man takes on the sin’s
of a corpse; The Washer of the Ford (1896); Green Fire (1896);
The Divine Adventure (1900), in which the will and the body go on
pilgrimage to the ‘hills of dream’. Her fiction exalts mystic
consciousness and the Gaelic tongue; published by P. Geddes, a company
which Sharp advised; collected works edited by Sharp’s widow. BL
16. SUTH, William Sharp, ‘Fiona Macleod;, 1855-1905; b. Paisley,
Scotland; succumbed to Celtic romanticism, unhappy Glasgow student; recorded
tensions of early family life in the portrait of father son relationship
of the Ruthvens, in Silence Farm (1899); sent to Australia in 1876
to avoid consumption after father’s death; London bank in 1878; spotted
by Rossetti; ambitious poem ‘Motherhood’, examines maternity
in primitive, civilised and savage settings; commissioned biographies
of romantic poets in Great Writers’ series; belle lettristic journalism;
Italian visits, 1880s; poetry vols., 1884, 1888; world-wide travel; alter
ego invented in 1894; entirely fictional Celtic bard, allegedly a cousin,
took him over; companionate marriage to a cousin in 1884; Macleod gave
play to his racial theory of inspiration, exercised on Celtic and Zionist
themes; As Sharp, his novels include The Sort of Chance (1888);
The Children of Tomorrow (1889); A Fellow[e] and his Wife
(1892), possibly arising from crisis in his own marriage; for Macleod’s
fiction, see above para. Melodramatic late novels from Sharp incl. Wives
in Exile (1896); Silence Farm (1899); verge of nervous breakdown
in 1897-98. Died of cold caught in Italy. BL 5
Margaret Drabble, ed., Oxford Companion of English Literature (OUP: 1985); cites his lives of Rossetti, Shelley, Heine, and Browning; remembered for mystic Celtic Twilight tales and romances of peasant life, as Fiona Macleod; his plays include The House of Usna (1903); concealed the identity of Fiona Macleod with a bogus Who’s Who entry till his death.
Belfast Public Library holds W. Sharp, with A. Thomson, Songs and Tales of St. Columba and his Age (1897); The Conqueror’s Dream (1894); also E. Sharp, Lyra Celtica (1896, 1924).
Ulster Univ. Library, Hewitt Collection, holds Lyra Celtica, anthology, includes Thomas Boyd and others.
Eric Stevens, Catalogue 168 (1992) lists Letter [ALS] to Mr [E.C.] Stedman [American poet], Oct. 1889, 3pp; flowery language, sending flowers and birthday greetings ‘to your poet-soul’ £30].
Hyland Catalogue (q.d.) lists Also, Mrs. William Sharp, Sea-Music: An Anthology of Poems (1887)
On the distaff: Mrs. William Sharp, ed., Women’s Voices,
An Anthology of the Most Characteristic Poems by English, Scotch, and
Irish Women (1887).
W. B. Yeats recorded of Sharp that on one occasion when he had been abroad he ‘saw the sidereal body of Fiona enter the room as a beautiful young man, and became aware that he was a woman to the spiritual sight. She lay with him, he same, as a man with a woman, and for days afterwards his breasts swelled so that he has almost the physical likeness of a woman’ (cited in Frank Tuohy, Yeats, 1976, p.55). Further, annotating in 1924 the ‘proverb a friend has heard in the Highlands of Scotland [that] talks of the loveliness of the Irishman’, cited in his own essay on the ‘Celtic Element in Literature’ (1897), Yeats wrote in a ftn.: ‘William Sharp, who probably invented the proverb, but, invented or not, it remains true.’ [Essays & Introductions, p.181; and see Mark Story, Poetry and Ireland since 1800, A Source Book (1988), p.117.]
Celtic & Irish: The Manifesto of the Irish Literary Theatre in 1897 spoke of the intention to perform ‘certain Celtic and Irish plays’ to build up ‘a Celtic and Irish school of dramatic literature’. Lady Gregory noted in her memoirs that the "Celtic" was thrown in for Fiona MacLeod’. (This and the foregoing quoted in Robin Skelton and & Saddlemyer, The World of W. B. Yeats, 1965, p.19; cited in Chris Corr [PhD Thesis UUC 1995]; also Irish University Review, 28, 1, Spring/Summer 1998, p.22 ftn.).
Misremembered? Personal memoir of Margaret Powell, a Circenchester bookseller, includes James Stephens’s account of William Sharp and the ‘literary vampirism’ (acc. Stephens) of his relation to Fiona MacLeod ‘under whose name Sharp wrote many Celtic stories [and] was in fact a beautiful girl who fell violently in love with Sharp, a strikingly handsome man. She told these stories to him and he, sharing her passion, shared also her literary talent in this instance, and wrote the books in her style and feeling. "They have," James Stephens said to me "a rare Celtic touch, just missing great poetry, while Sharp’s own work on its own is quite mediocre." (Jason MacGeoghegan; Colcentre Archive).
Pied Piper: Sharp notes in his Life of Browning (1890) that it was for Macready’s eldest boy Charles that Browning wrote, one of the most wildly popular of his poems, "The Pied Piper of Hamlin" (Sharp, ftn. 2, p.75). Note that works of Browning appeared in Dublin University Magazine - viz., "Dramatis Personae", (Vol. 64, 1864, pp.573-79); also William John Alexander [Bishop of Derry], Introduction to Poetry of Robert Browning (DUM).
Lady Gregory calls Sharp ‘an absurd object, in velvet coat, curled hair, wonderful ties’ (see James Pethica, ed., Lady Gregory’s Diaries, Colin Smythe 1996, p.154.)
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Princess Grace Irish Library (Monaco)