This piece ignites (ho, ho…) for me the question of lights out of darkness - as guiding saviour beacons.. or wreckers’ devices… or just incidental features of industry which nevertheless can lure or lend succour inadvertently… Are those masts on the horizon a promise of trade and improvement… or an emblem of savagery and ruthless exploitation… or will they merely pass and have no part in the lives of observers?…..
After that history the builder likley didn't know it was freighted with so much humanity, but was led to find the right place. Mysterious ways. Thank you, Paul.
Holy Ireland, links broken sometimes restored: btw the link to the BBC for the Barbary piracy and slave trades seems boken, but an alternative Wiki article looks pretty informative. Opportunist war bands taking advantage at the weak fringes of Empires and small countries seems familiar - drug trades might be comparable? Gives our beach holidays here a different almost sacred look the while, though this northern east coast in Britain is a litter of fortifications, old and modern, stone and concrete, and hundreds of sea wreckage sites, to be enjoyed alongside busy seabirds. Great pictures as usual, many thanks.
I know it was an aside, but thanks for mentioning the Irish stolen by Africans to be slaves.
Here in the U. S. we have it drummed into us that slavery is something us awful White Americans did to Blacks ... and us Whites should still feel guilty about and do reparations. We are rarely told slavery was something any number of peoples did to any other number of peoples -- and sadly still happens today. I'd wager most in the West and in Africa have in their bloodlines both slaves and enslavers.
Heck, somewhere sometime I surely have a relative who was enslaved. Where are my reparations?
Oh, organized religion- full of old biddies of all sexes! Reading about the church in Ireland can be a sad thing- I was very much appreciative of Sinead O'Connor's memorable act on Saturday Night Live long ago. And it doesn't take away from the true meaning of faith, or worship, only brings out the fact that people are people- give them a title and off they go. Yet you have made a memorial from the unfinished work, with your appreciation, completing it in the minds of your readers. About the slave past, I was trying to discuss this with a dear but opinionated English friend last fall. I was driving her to a hospital appointment, and we were talking about slavery, and suddenly she leapt in front of the train of the conversation and said, "Well, YOU were one of the slaves, not from the ruling classes, for sure! You're MY slave! " And I told her to shut the ... up- and said we Americans left England behind to get away from this sh.t. Can you never stop talking about your f.ing class system? She'd pegged me as slave class even back into other lives- all because I was driving her to the hospital! I reminded her that my act was voluntary. Of course I thought it over, and came to the conclusion a few times that she was wrong. To have the freedom to choose to be kind is part of our humanity, which we have whether slave or free, thus there is no slave class. Only our long sad histories, lives full of suffering, and all that we do to mitigate that from one life to the next not only for ourselves.
Something reassuring about this, despite the often bloody times, there is a spirit that preseveres ..and change is constant.
I remember reading that during the 100yrs war between France and England (Joan of Arc) there were many people who lived very peaceful lives..maybe off in the hinterlands completely unaware?
Even with an unfinished restoration, the well is spectacular, and I learned something important about the slave trade that I had no idea about. I am filing that one away for future reference.
It figures. North Africa has always been a hotbed for the slave trade, I think.
Being sincere students of history is extremely important. As we take the journey, we must be open to examining ourselves first. We’ll realize we are both a slave and a slave trader, a pirate and a plain smith. Solzhenitsyn is right about that line dividing good and evil. History more than shines the light on the truth. God’s story tells the tale of us and we live it. Will we ever learn? I think for many, yes, but thankfully He is patient and merciful.
I have only recently subscribed to this group. So excuse me if I ask about something you've already done: Have you been to Gartan, County Donegal, the birthplace of Saint Columba? Two of my husband's cousins took us (at my request) along what I called the Columban Trail, from Gartan to Glencolmcille and over to Kells. Anyway, the actual birthplace where they took us was far out of town, with a slab-grave, if I remember right. (This was before cell phones made us all photographers.) The church/abbey very near there (the birthplace was down the lane a mile or so) and was a small stone church, 10’ x 8’, no roof, arched stone slit windows, and an altar where people were still leaving offerings and relics. And flowers growing up around it and small shrubbery around the the top of the walls like a crown. And the absolute quiet all around us.
I looked up “star of the sea” and found that it is a reference to Mary the Mother of God based on a scribal error. But can anyone say what A star of the sea would be in reference to the well house? Would it mean a statue of Mary?
By the way, each of these stories is unique and beautiful! Keep it up! Also as someone pointed out, here in America one would think that ALL slavery was perpetrated by whites against blacks, by Christians and never by Muslims, and that all current whites should feel personal shame for it. So the story here is an intriguing one. I conclude that slavery, like murder, is built into the brokenness of us humans generally.
Thank you Paul. It's funny how each of these little essays takes the reader off in an unexpected direction.
This piece ignites (ho, ho…) for me the question of lights out of darkness - as guiding saviour beacons.. or wreckers’ devices… or just incidental features of industry which nevertheless can lure or lend succour inadvertently… Are those masts on the horizon a promise of trade and improvement… or an emblem of savagery and ruthless exploitation… or will they merely pass and have no part in the lives of observers?…..
Now, back to our half-finished house….
After that history the builder likley didn't know it was freighted with so much humanity, but was led to find the right place. Mysterious ways. Thank you, Paul.
Holy Ireland, links broken sometimes restored: btw the link to the BBC for the Barbary piracy and slave trades seems boken, but an alternative Wiki article looks pretty informative. Opportunist war bands taking advantage at the weak fringes of Empires and small countries seems familiar - drug trades might be comparable? Gives our beach holidays here a different almost sacred look the while, though this northern east coast in Britain is a litter of fortifications, old and modern, stone and concrete, and hundreds of sea wreckage sites, to be enjoyed alongside busy seabirds. Great pictures as usual, many thanks.
I feel so much calm and peace each time I read these well stories, thankyou
I know it was an aside, but thanks for mentioning the Irish stolen by Africans to be slaves.
Here in the U. S. we have it drummed into us that slavery is something us awful White Americans did to Blacks ... and us Whites should still feel guilty about and do reparations. We are rarely told slavery was something any number of peoples did to any other number of peoples -- and sadly still happens today. I'd wager most in the West and in Africa have in their bloodlines both slaves and enslavers.
Heck, somewhere sometime I surely have a relative who was enslaved. Where are my reparations?
Oh, organized religion- full of old biddies of all sexes! Reading about the church in Ireland can be a sad thing- I was very much appreciative of Sinead O'Connor's memorable act on Saturday Night Live long ago. And it doesn't take away from the true meaning of faith, or worship, only brings out the fact that people are people- give them a title and off they go. Yet you have made a memorial from the unfinished work, with your appreciation, completing it in the minds of your readers. About the slave past, I was trying to discuss this with a dear but opinionated English friend last fall. I was driving her to a hospital appointment, and we were talking about slavery, and suddenly she leapt in front of the train of the conversation and said, "Well, YOU were one of the slaves, not from the ruling classes, for sure! You're MY slave! " And I told her to shut the ... up- and said we Americans left England behind to get away from this sh.t. Can you never stop talking about your f.ing class system? She'd pegged me as slave class even back into other lives- all because I was driving her to the hospital! I reminded her that my act was voluntary. Of course I thought it over, and came to the conclusion a few times that she was wrong. To have the freedom to choose to be kind is part of our humanity, which we have whether slave or free, thus there is no slave class. Only our long sad histories, lives full of suffering, and all that we do to mitigate that from one life to the next not only for ourselves.
Something reassuring about this, despite the often bloody times, there is a spirit that preseveres ..and change is constant.
I remember reading that during the 100yrs war between France and England (Joan of Arc) there were many people who lived very peaceful lives..maybe off in the hinterlands completely unaware?
Beautiful visit this afternoon, Paul. Thank you.
Even with an unfinished restoration, the well is spectacular, and I learned something important about the slave trade that I had no idea about. I am filing that one away for future reference.
It figures. North Africa has always been a hotbed for the slave trade, I think.
Being sincere students of history is extremely important. As we take the journey, we must be open to examining ourselves first. We’ll realize we are both a slave and a slave trader, a pirate and a plain smith. Solzhenitsyn is right about that line dividing good and evil. History more than shines the light on the truth. God’s story tells the tale of us and we live it. Will we ever learn? I think for many, yes, but thankfully He is patient and merciful.
Makes me wonder what the local priest’s sins were.
".. a coastline of ruins, after all." That is both a fine Saxon finish; and,
would be a good chapter title for several periods of my life. And yet...
Lovely piece, thank you Paul.
I have only recently subscribed to this group. So excuse me if I ask about something you've already done: Have you been to Gartan, County Donegal, the birthplace of Saint Columba? Two of my husband's cousins took us (at my request) along what I called the Columban Trail, from Gartan to Glencolmcille and over to Kells. Anyway, the actual birthplace where they took us was far out of town, with a slab-grave, if I remember right. (This was before cell phones made us all photographers.) The church/abbey very near there (the birthplace was down the lane a mile or so) and was a small stone church, 10’ x 8’, no roof, arched stone slit windows, and an altar where people were still leaving offerings and relics. And flowers growing up around it and small shrubbery around the the top of the walls like a crown. And the absolute quiet all around us.
I looked up “star of the sea” and found that it is a reference to Mary the Mother of God based on a scribal error. But can anyone say what A star of the sea would be in reference to the well house? Would it mean a statue of Mary?
By the way, each of these stories is unique and beautiful! Keep it up! Also as someone pointed out, here in America one would think that ALL slavery was perpetrated by whites against blacks, by Christians and never by Muslims, and that all current whites should feel personal shame for it. So the story here is an intriguing one. I conclude that slavery, like murder, is built into the brokenness of us humans generally.