The Solstice...
Ok.... so, this is the last pic that I'll post from the solstice... But first an explanation:
Growing up in the southern USA I never knew how much the weather really affected people in other parts of the world. Don't get me wrong. We too had weather in the heart of Dixie... it was just hot and hotter. In Ireland the weather changes drastically with every season. Winter is brutal - windy, wet, and dark. The summer, however, is amazing - sunny, dryer, and long. It is easy to stay inside beside the fire on the short winter days and seasonal depression is rampant here. So when summer comes the people celebrate. This ritual of embracing the sun dates back long before recorded history. Ancient Celts worshiped nature and the sun above all else. It isn't hard to see/understand how the longest day of the year would have such importance and be a day of celebration. These celebrations go on today much like they did thousands of years ago. Each solstice is celebrated with a night of bonfires. All over Ireland people gather at huge fires for a night of dancing, singing, drinking, and revelry. I have to wonder how long this tradition has lasted in Ireland... It isn't hard to imagine (and I am certain that)people long before St. Patrick doing the exact same things. To be honest with you the whole thing disturbs me a bit, and it intrigues me a bit.
According to legend:
St. Patrick came back to Ireland in 432. He came to this land full of druids and often confronted the tribal leaders and druids with his Christian teachings. Often these confrontations were dramatic - such as cutting down a sacred tree in order to show that the tree held no power. One such legend tells of a time when Patrick confronted druids worshiping the sun. They had carved a circle to symbolize the sun on a large standing stone. Patrick denounced the worship of the sun and told all there that His God was the creator of the Sun the Earth, and the Heavens, and that they were not to worship the creation, but rather they were to worship the Creator. He then carved a large cross over the symbol of the sun as a reminder the even the sun is subject to Christ. This was the birth of the Celtic cross. A symbol that has endured through the ages.
Given the history, I thought this picture of a twelfth century Celtic cross on the summer solstice was appropriate:
Growing up in the southern USA I never knew how much the weather really affected people in other parts of the world. Don't get me wrong. We too had weather in the heart of Dixie... it was just hot and hotter. In Ireland the weather changes drastically with every season. Winter is brutal - windy, wet, and dark. The summer, however, is amazing - sunny, dryer, and long. It is easy to stay inside beside the fire on the short winter days and seasonal depression is rampant here. So when summer comes the people celebrate. This ritual of embracing the sun dates back long before recorded history. Ancient Celts worshiped nature and the sun above all else. It isn't hard to see/understand how the longest day of the year would have such importance and be a day of celebration. These celebrations go on today much like they did thousands of years ago. Each solstice is celebrated with a night of bonfires. All over Ireland people gather at huge fires for a night of dancing, singing, drinking, and revelry. I have to wonder how long this tradition has lasted in Ireland... It isn't hard to imagine (and I am certain that)people long before St. Patrick doing the exact same things. To be honest with you the whole thing disturbs me a bit, and it intrigues me a bit.
According to legend:
St. Patrick came back to Ireland in 432. He came to this land full of druids and often confronted the tribal leaders and druids with his Christian teachings. Often these confrontations were dramatic - such as cutting down a sacred tree in order to show that the tree held no power. One such legend tells of a time when Patrick confronted druids worshiping the sun. They had carved a circle to symbolize the sun on a large standing stone. Patrick denounced the worship of the sun and told all there that His God was the creator of the Sun the Earth, and the Heavens, and that they were not to worship the creation, but rather they were to worship the Creator. He then carved a large cross over the symbol of the sun as a reminder the even the sun is subject to Christ. This was the birth of the Celtic cross. A symbol that has endured through the ages.
Given the history, I thought this picture of a twelfth century Celtic cross on the summer solstice was appropriate:
Labels: around Ireland, history, patrick, random pic, religion, weather
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