Keens

Keens is a term used for laments spoken or sung for the dead, and by extension the acts of lamentation themselves. In traditional Gaelic cultures, keening was a ritual vocal performance at funerals or wakes, intended to honor the deceased and express communal grief. The verb form to keen means to lament loudly or mournfully, and keens can be described as the set of laments delivered in these occasions. Keening has historically been associated with Gaelic-speaking communities in Ireland and Scotland, though similar lamenting practices have appeared in other cultures as well.

Etymology and scope: The use of keen as a noun for a funeral lament is most closely tied to Irish and Scottish Gaelic contexts, with references in medieval and early modern texts. The practice often featured a keener or keen-woman, a person who specialized in delivering the lament, sometimes in a call-and-response with other mourners or with musical accompaniment such as harp or pipes.

Practice and form: Keens could be performed solo or by a small group, focusing on themes of the deceased’s virtues, lineage, and the community’s sorrow. The lament lines were typically poetic and may have been improvised or traditional, sometimes interwoven with songs and instrumental music. While keening declined in daily use with modern funeral customs, it remains a notable element in folklore collections and literary descriptions of historical funerary rites.

Modern usage: In contemporary English, keening as a noun for a funeral lament is largely historical or literary; the verb to keen is similarly archaic or poetic. The plural keens appears mainly in discussions of folklore, literature, or historical accounts of funeral practices.