Puirt-a-beul: An ethnographic study of mouth music in Cape Breton

Puirt-a-beul (pronounced poorsht-uh-bee-uhl), or "mouth music" as they are known in English, are generally defined as a Gaelic vocal song genre sung to accompany dance in the absence of instruments. In actual fact, however, puirt-a-beul are used for a variety of reasons within Cape Breton Gaelic culture. Although puirt-a-beul originated in Scottish Gaelic culture, this thesis is primarily an ethnographic study of puirt-a-beul in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. It is based on participant-observation as well as twenty-eight interviews conducted in Toronto and Cape Breton January--August 1998.;Beginning with a review of the literature, I explore the definitions of puirt-a-beul put forth by Gaelic scholars, song collectors, folklorists, and ethnomusicologists; their assertions regarding the origins, history, use, and value of puirt-a-beul are also summarized.;In this thesis, the reality of puirt-a-beul for each of a number of diverse Cape Breton consultants is explored. "Portraits" of consultants familiar with and/or active in Cape Breton Gaelic culture provide the context in which various opinions were expressed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).