Robin Flower facts for kids

Robin Ernest William Flower (born October 16, 1881 – died January 16, 1946) was an English poet, writer, and expert in old languages. He studied the history and languages of the Celtic peoples (like the Irish and Welsh) and the Anglo-Saxons (early English people). He also translated books from the Irish language. In Ireland, many people knew him by his Irish nickname, "Bláithín," which means "Little Flower."

Early Life and Learning

Robin Flower was born in a place called Meanwood in Yorkshire, England. His parents, Marmaduke and Jane, had family roots in Ireland. He went to Leeds Grammar School and later earned a special scholarship to study ancient Greek and Roman history and languages at Pembroke College, Oxford. He did very well, graduating with top honors in 1904.

Working at the British Museum

In 1906, Robin started working at the British Museum in London as an assistant. This was a big step in his career. While working there, he began to learn the Irish language. The museum even supported him to travel to Ireland to study the language more deeply. In 1911, he married Ida Mary Streeter.

Later, in 1929, he became the Deputy Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum. This meant he was in charge of many old handwritten documents. He finished a huge project started by another scholar, Standish Hayes O'Grady, which was a detailed list of all the Irish manuscripts (old books and papers) kept at the museum.

Connection to Ireland

Robin Flower loved Irish culture and language. He wrote many poems and translated works by Irish poets. He also wrote poems about the Blasket Islands, a group of islands off the coast of Ireland.

Visiting the Blasket Islands

His first trip to the Blasket Islands was in 1910. His teacher from the School of Irish Learning in Dublin, Carl Marstrander, suggested he go there. It was on these islands that he got his famous Irish nickname, Bláithín. He even thought that the name "Blasket" might have come from an old Norse (Viking) word.

Robin Flower's love for the Blasket Islands inspired other important scholars, like George Derwent Thomson and Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson, to visit and study the islands too. After Robin Flower passed away, his ashes were scattered on the Blasket Islands, showing how much he loved the place.

His Writings and Studies

Robin Flower was a respected scholar who studied many old texts.

Studying Old English Texts

As an expert in Anglo-Saxon studies, he wrote about an important old English book called the Exeter Book. He also found parts that were added later to an old English version of a book by Bede, and he linked these additions to a scholar named Laurence Nowell. In 1934, Robin Flower even discovered an old poem called Seasons for Fasting in Nowell's notes.

Translating Irish Stories

Robin Flower also translated writings from Tomás Ó Criomhthain, who was his Irish language teacher on the Blasket Islands. In 1944, Robin wrote his own book about the islands called The Western Island; Or, the Great Blasket. His wife, Ida, drew the pictures for this book.

After he died, a collection of his essays was published in 1947 called The Irish Tradition. This book is still often read today and was reprinted in 1994. It includes a famous talk he gave in 1927 called "Ireland and Medieval Europe."