Finnegans Wake Notes

219: Program for the Mime of Mick, Nick and the Maggies 

219-21: Dramatis Personae of the Mime 

221-22: Credits for the Mime 

222-24: The argument of the Mime 

224-25: Glugg asked the first riddle—about jewels—loses

226-27: Seven rainbow girls dance and play, ignoring Glugg 

227-33: Regarding Glugg's career as an exile and writer

233: Glugg asked the second riddle—on insects— loses again 

233-39: Rainbow girls sing their paean of praise to their Sun-God, Chuff

239-40: Glugg feels the tortures of Hell 

240-42: Review of HCE's resurrection 

242-43: ALP offers to forgive HCE 

244: Night falls and the children are called home 

244-45: The Animals enter Noah's ark 

245-46: The Earwicker Tavern 

246-47: Glugg and Chuff fight, Glugg beaten 

247-50: The rainbow girls laud Chuff with erotic praise 

250: Glugg asked the third riddle—loses again 

250-51: Defeated Glugg lusts after the Leap Year Girl 

252-55: Father appears as if resurrected 

255-56: Mother also appears and rounds up her children 

256-57: Children at their lessons but Issy unhappy 

257: Curtain falls—the Mime is over 

257-59: Prayers before bed—then to sleep 

Detailed Analysis of Page 219 of Finnegans Wake

Summary

Page 219 introduces a performance at "Feenichts Playhouse," a fantastical theatre that represents Joyce’s broader metafictional commentary on the act of storytelling and the performative nature of human history and identity. The "Mime of Mick, Nick, and the Maggies" is presented as a theatrical play blending tragedy and comedy, while referencing cultural, historical, and mythical elements. This page is steeped in Hiberno-English phrasing, puns, and allusions to Irish placenames, mythology, and broader philosophical questions about the nature of reality and performance.

Line-by-Line Analysis

219.01-219.02: "Every evening at lighting up o'clock sharp and until further notice in Feenichts Playhouse."

• "Lighting up o'clock" suggests a time for evening performances, blending the mundane with theatrical flair.
• "Feenichts" puns on Phoenix (a symbol of renewal and resurrection), while also hinting at "Féin" (Irish for "self") and nichts (German for "nothing"). This layering aligns with the themes of cyclical renewal and self-reflection.

219.03-219.06: "(Bar and conveniences always open, Diddlem Club douncestears.) Entrancings: gads, a scrab... childream's hours, expercatered."

• The inclusion of a "bar" and "Diddlem Club" adds a humorous, colloquial touch, grounding the mythical setting in everyday life.
• "Childream's hours" reflects Joyce's interest in language's mutability, combining "children's" and "dreams." The word "expercatered" could mean specially catered experiences, adding a surreal sense of childlike wonder or catered illusions.

219.07-219.11: "...nightly redistribution of parts and players by the puppetry producer... Elderships the Oldens from the four coroners of Findrias, Murias, Gorias and Falias."

• The reference to "redistribution of parts" emphasises the fluidity of roles, identity, and storytelling in Finnegans Wake. The characters shift and merge, mirroring Joyce's theme of the instability of meaning.
• The "four coroners" refer to the four legendary cities of Irish mythology: Falias, Gorias, Murias, and Findrias, from which the Tuatha Dé Danann brought magical treasures. These treasures—such as the Sword of Light and the Cauldron of Plenty—symbolise knowledge, power, and abundance, reflecting Anna Livia's mythic attributes.

219.12-219.16: "...the Caesar-in-Chief looks. On. Sennet. As played to the Adelphi by the Brothers Bratislavoff."

• The mention of the "Caesar-in-Chief" adds an imperial, authoritarian figure, perhaps a satirical nod to Joyce’s critique of power structures.
• "Sennet" refers to a ceremonial trumpet call in Shakespearean drama, further underlining the theatricality of this moment.

219.17-219.18: "...wordloosed over seven seas crowdblast in cellelleneteutoslavzendlatinsoundscript."

• This line conveys the polyglot nature of Joyce's text, blending Celtic, Slavic, Latin, and Teutonic influences into a single imaginative language. The phrase "wordloosed over seven seas" echoes the dispersal of languages at the Tower of Babel, a recurring motif in Finnegans Wake.

219.19-219.21: "The Mime of Mick, Nick and the Maggies, adopted from the Ballymooney Bloodriddon Murther by Bluechin Blackdillain."

• "The Mime of Mick, Nick, and the Maggies" introduces a play within the play. The name "Ballymooney" evokes Irish placenames and folk traditions, while "Bloodriddon Murther" suggests violent historical events or folk tales.
• "Bluechin Blackdillain" sounds like a villain’s name, blending comic exaggeration with allusions to criminal archetypes.

219.22-219.24: "GLUGG (Mr Seumas McQuillad... the bold bad bleak boy of the storybooks...)"

• "Glugg" (possibly referring to Shem, one of the recurring figures in Finnegans Wake) is introduced as a central character. The description "bold bad bleak boy" situates him in the tradition of trickster or scapegoat figures in folklore and literature.
• "Mr Seumas McQuillad" plays on Irish naming conventions, grounding the character in Irish culture while maintaining Joyce’s playful tone.

Key Themes and References

Hiberno-English and Irish Culture

• Joyce’s language reflects Hiberno-English idioms, such as "lighting up o'clock" and "childream's hours." These phrases echo the speech rhythms and vocabulary of Irish English, connecting the text to its cultural roots.

Irish Mythology

• The invocation of Falias, Gorias, Murias, and Findrias ties the text to Irish mythological treasures, suggesting that the performance has a deeper connection to Ireland’s mythic and cultural identity.

Theatricality and Performance

• The playhouse motif underscores Joyce’s view of life as performative. The fluid roles and redistribution of parts highlight the text’s focus on identity as a construct, performed and reshaped through narrative.

Humour and Innuendo

• Joyce’s humour surfaces in exaggerated names like "Bluechin Blackdillain" and the ridiculous nature of Glugg’s introduction. The whimsical, almost slapstick tone of the description adds levity to the dense text.

Conclusion

Page 219 of Finnegans Wake exemplifies Joyce’s mastery of layered storytelling, blending Irish mythology, historical critique, and linguistic experimentation. The theatrical setting of "Feenichts Playhouse" becomes a microcosm for the text itself—an elaborate, multilingual performance of identity, history, and myth. Through playful language, Joyce invites readers to participate in the ongoing, fluid performance of meaning.