Seamus Heaney: Five Fables

Discover Seamus Heaney’s translation of five classic fables in this enchanting new app from the team behind The Waste Land. Heaney takes the adaptation of Aesop’s Fables by 15th-century Scots poet Robert Henryson, and renders them in fresh, modern language, shedding new light on the ancient stories.

In this app, which will delight all ages, you can explore both the original Scots and the modern English version in parallel texts and watch the stunning animations that were broadcast on the BBC, narrated by actor and comedian Billy Connolly.

Five Fables was one of the last projects that Seamus Heaney worked on before his death in 2013 and he took close interest in the development of the programme, personally choosing Billy Connolly as narrator and working with him on the language throughout the recording.

With insights from leading academics and an engaging interface that allows you to move between Heaney and Henryson’s text, this app is a rich exploration of these classic stories that will help readers of all ages experience them in new and vital ways.

Features:
— Read Seamus Heaney’s translation alongside Henryson’s original and switch seamlessly between the two.
— Listen to either Billy Connolly read the modern narration or Dr Ian Johnson’s rendition of the original Scots synchronised to the text.
— Detailed academic notes, specially written by Dr Chris Jones, to help bring context to the translation.
— Watch the Five Fables animations in English or in Scots.
— Watch Seamus Heaney, Billy Connolly and leading academics discuss and dissect the poetry.

The Fables:
1. The Two Mice
2. The Fox, the Wolf and the Farmer
3. Preaching of the Swallow
4. The Fox, the Wolf and the Carter
5. The Mouse and the Lion

If you enjoy this app, don’t forget to review it in the App Store.