I was watching the pbs show Ancient Ireland, and I learned alot about Ireland, mostly how much I don’t know. The celts, druids, the term Irish, etc. were not the first people on the island. In fact, the stone circles that Ireland and Scotland are known for were (as indicated by the show) created by earler peoples. I found this extreamly interesting as everything in popular culture equates Ireland with the Irish, celtic…druids etc…however, the story goes deeper. For example, the people who lived on Ireland were often called “scoties” spelling? So, the word Scotland means the land of the Irish! What does this have to do with whistles? Well, the show had a section on the musical insterments that were used during this time. The show was very limiting, but pbs posted the show’s resourses
Thanks for the link; it looks like a lot of great info! I didn’t know that myself, until I read up on it a bit. Irish history fascinates me, too. In addition to those books listed, I’d also reccommend Thomas Cahill’s “How the Irish Saved Civilization”. This focuses on the work of Irish nuns during the Dark Ages.
Thanks again!
Edit: P.S. Do you know if PBS is selling a tape of that program? I’d like to get ahold of it.
“All things by immortal power, hiddenly,
to eachother linked are;
thou canst not stir a flower
without troubling of a star.” (Madeleine L’Engle)
[ This Message was edited by: Soineanta on 2003-02-02 21:30 ]
On 2003-02-02 21:17, Sage wrote:
I was watching the pbs show Ancient Ireland, and I learned alot about Ireland, mostly how much I don’t know. The celts, druids, the term Irish, etc. were not the first people on the island. In fact, the stone circles that Ireland and Scotland are known for were (as indicated by the show) created by earler peoples.
Good link. It’s interesting how we whistlers and other traditional and folk musicans pick up a facination for history when we pick up a folksy instrument. The Celts were neighbours in Europe to the Germanic tribes. They reached Ireland about 10,000 years ago, i.e., around the same time Asian peoples were moving into the American continent. At the collapse of Roman Britannia most of the garrison troups were also Celts, from Gaul (essentially modern day France). On the other side of Hadrian’s wall you had the Dalraida Scots (from the north of Ireland); the Picts (forced into the highlands and eastwards by the encroaching Scots; northern Britons; and some Angles (the only non-Celtic tribe),who had fought their way north. At the synthesis of modern Scotland out of these groupings the Christian Scots from Scotia (Gaelic Ireland) gave their name to the whole country. Many Celtic Britons who had been pushed to the periphery in Britannia (to modern Wales, for example) ended up in Cork - as recent DNA profile has shown. A lot of the old mix is evident anyway from modern day accents, mode of speech, traditional music, song, poetry, etc. As the melting pot stirred for another 1000 years the ancient roots were either forgotten or reinterpreted to suit the invaders or defenders of the day. The Celts were a people with a common language and culture - they were not a race. The neolithic peoples of Britain and Ireland were no doubt absorbed into this culture and added to it. You too can be a Celt if you want to be.
…Ahhh.the Scythians- great grass riders who conquered, ruled, and left little but gold gewgaws to remember them by.
The Mongols did something similar-conquering on vast expeditions across
the continent,but leaving little enduring civil culture.
-The Scythians were great patrons of craft
arts-employing Greco-style artisans and leaving their wares for future generations to find. I wonder what will be found of our cultures? -Perhaps whistles, La-Z-Boy recliners and TV guides as evidence of our passage.
