An Irish funeral dirge or lamentation; a traditional wailing song sung at Irish wakes or funerals.
From Irish/Gaelic caoin, meaning 'to weep' or 'to cry.' The word preserves an ancient Celtic mourning tradition that dates back centuries in Irish culture.
The caoine was often improvised by professional mourners (keeners) at Irish wakes—it was an emotional art form, and the best keeners could move entire crowds to tears with their improvised laments.
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