[ Apologies for the slur, just trying to turn a phrase ;). And me mother’s name is Daly, my daddy’s name is Moran, so I’m as Irish as they come! ]
New research out of Scandinavia adds a piece to the puzzle of Hamlet’s source material – by linking the name “Hamlet”, via Snow Bear’s “Amlothi”, to an Irish story called The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel, featuring a character named “Admlithi”. That extra D, the story is quick to point out, is silent.
From there Dr. Lisa Collinson makes the connection between this name and sea monsters, and then to Hamlet’s “sea of troubles.” Although I think that last one is a bit of a stretch :).
It’s an interesting idea, I suppose, but I’ve never been that interested in the history. Would new research in this area make you change your understanding of Shakespeare’s Hamlet? Is there any possibility at all that if this story is true, that Shakespeare actually would have known and understood the original story?
