The History Of Ireland: Extinction Of National Cultures - Research Paper Example

The History Of Ireland: Extinction Of National Cultures With globalization at hand, current tendencies dictate the need to explore the variety of cultures that are still comparatively preserved within the boundaries of a certain country. The debate goes on about the possibility of extinction of national cultures with rapid development of global unification, and this implies the growing relevance of such research. This paper concentrates on Ireland as a source of one of the most peculiar and unprecedented countries of the world, with its unique history, culture, politics, traditions and religious customs that have undoubtedly made a wide and rich contribution to a global society today. Researching both primary and secondary documents, this study aims to develop a deep understanding of Irish culture, art and religion in order to outline the timeline of development of its traditions. There are several areas of interest that demand closer look while studying the history of Ireland. Awareness and understanding of Irish culture implies the necessity to look at such areas as the country’s customs and practices, holidays and celebrations, political makeup, religious as well as artistic traditions. Combining these elements in one paper is difficult due to the vast amount of material available and richness of historical and cultural experiences allowed, yet this study aims to provide an overview of the mentioned elements and elaboration of a general understanding of the country. Customs and practices The history of Ireland has deep roots, starting around 6000 BC, which indicates that majority of its customs and practices started developing at this time already. This probably is the most significant chapter in regard to the expressiveness and uniqueness of Irish contribution to the cultural heredity of the global society today. Later, the island was inhabited by western Europeans, and Irish culture experienced influence of mainland traditions. Afterwards, Irish population was converted into Christianity through mentorship of Saint Patrick, who is believed to be the patron of Ireland till today, and whose day is celebrated in many modern countries of the world. Ireland was also exposed to raids from Vikings and invasions by Europeans, which brought a lot of folklore and mythological elements to Irish customs. It is necessary to pay tribute to Irish mythology since it is one of the weirdest and original in the world and takes place of honor near such mythologies as Ancient Greek, Scandinavian, Indian and others. Among the most significant figures of the Irish mythology are such as the leprechaun, even though scholars recognize it as being popularized rather than initially important, other creatures of fairy nature, as well as druids and semi-historical figures like Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna, the world-known tragic legend of Tristan and Iseult, as well as the Teares of Ballawhane. The latter has found its reflection in Irish practices of ethnic medicine (Gill, 1993, p. 14), while other extended traditions of creating charms connected to blood and cures based on herb tradition, organizing funerals, and so on. Holidays and celebrations There is a number of holidays and celebrations that originated in Ireland but today have spread all over the world, enriching the global culture. A lot of holidays reflect both Christian and pagan elements that the country was able to preserve and intermix in its cultural tradition. There are several holidays that not only reflect this tendency but have also spread to other countries and are currently a heredity of the global culture, representing a unique phenomenon of co-existence of different beliefs. For example, Samhain or Samharin, which is more widely known as Halloween, is probably the most well-known for having pagan roots yet being able to combine them with Christian tradition and thus became known and celebrated all over the world. (Banting, 2002, p. 14) All Souls’ Day and its Eve, although at first being an exclusively pagan holiday when all evil spirits roamed the world and thus needed to be scared off by terrible costumes transformed into a holiday that is today loved by children in many countries including the US, where this holiday has gained specific popularity with the mass immigration of Irish population in the nineteenth century. Curiously, in Ireland, there are several other holidays that bear the names of months and have a pre-Christian history, namely Bealtaine and Lunasa. Although these holidays and not as well-known as Samhain, they are still celebrated in Ireland. Another Irish holiday that is commonly famous in other countries is Saint Patrick’s day. It is celebrated on March 17 in memory of the patron of Ireland, whom the legend says has brought Christianity to the island. Moreover, a three-leave clover is associated with this holiday and Saint Patrick. As the legend goes, Saint Patrick was believed to demonstrate the concept of trinity to people by showing them a three-leaved clover, each leaf of which represented one of the identities of God. From that time, clover is often viewed as a symbol of Ireland altogether, as well as green color often is associated with Ireland and Saint Patrick by the global culture. Even Christmas, a general holiday for most countries of the world today and obligatory celebrated by Christian population, has local traditions that developed on its basis. For example, there is a tradition of Wren Boys, where children go from door to door, singing a song about a bird caught in thorny bushes. (Gill, 1993, p. 3) Locally, there are also some celebrations that were preserved despite their pagan roots, such as matchmaking festival, Saint Brigid’s Day, etc. In Northern Ireland, there is also a public holiday with parades known as the Twelfth of July, celebrated in memory of the day when the Battle of Boyne was won by William III, and which is associated with orange color. Political makeup Political affairs in Ireland are tightly connected to the history of Europe, seeing as the island was constantly invaded and captured. Yet not until the beginning of English governance the fifteenth century was marked with in Ireland that the political makeup of the country started to form. Irish population was opposed to English supremacy, and met invaders with fierce resistance. However, English army suppressed the revolts seeing not only its power but also the fact that many Normans settled on the eastern territory of Ireland, and England believed the island to belong to the crown. Since that time and until the beginning of the twentieth century, the political situation in the country was exposed to multiple revolts and attempts to establish their own governance. In 1920, the Government of Ireland Act was created by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This act finally decided the separation of the Irish island upon two major parts, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland that had different Home Rule institutions. (The Parliament of the United Kingdom, 1920) The separation of parliaments for both parts of Ireland did not function in Northern Ireland, though. At the time, both of these parts were still under the governance of the United Kingdom, but later this Act created precedent that contributed to gaining independence for Southern Ireland, creating the state of Eire, and Northern Ireland being incorporated as part of the United Kingdom. As such, this Act can be seen as the basis for the independence of Ireland today and thus is a significant historical document that allows to understand the political makeup of Ireland today. Religion Religious tradition of Ireland is not only rooted deep in the country’s history but also provides an outlook of a unique experience. Since the adoption of Christianity around 400 AD with the help of Saint Patrick, Ireland was subjected to many invasions and settlements of other ethnic populations on its territory, which determines the framework of modern religious situation in the country. Overall, the history of Ireland, either cultural or political was tightly connected to religion and traditions of faith. It is stated by the scholars that the religious practices in Ireland have been ‘exceptional’ for a long time while “high levels of religious practice of Roman Catholics were […] a form of assertion of Irish identity in the face of British Imperialism.” (Phadraig, 2009, p. 1) To date, both Protestantism and Roman Catholicism are practiced in the country, even though the religious situation has become much milder. The autobiography of Elizabeth Bowen is a curious study in several areas, including art and religion while she examines these cultural elements in Rome but also makes clear parallels to Irish traditions and customs. Bowen, growing up as Irish Anglican, saw such issues as social relationship, identity, personality and communication with divine through the formalities of Irish culture, which resulted in her amazement of the ease with which Italians viewed same categories. (Bowen, 2003) Moreover, the author allows to see that religion played a grave role in formation of beliefs of a person even in the twentieth century, with impacting not only emotional and spiritual but also creative and political perspectives of a person. This allows insights in how important religion has been in Ireland since the middle of the last century and the role that it has played for the formation of the country. Art and architecture Similarly to other aspects of Irish culture, the art of Ireland has its background in pre-Christian time, with solid basis on Celtic styles and motives. For example, one of the prominent influences Celtic culture had in Ireland is through the artifact called the Claddagh ring. It was given to a women on the marriage day and symbolized love, friendship and loyalty. (Banting, 2002, p. 18) Later, with Norman settling on the territory of Ireland, its art was mostly enclosed in European tradition. The most significant element of Irish art is architectural constructions varying from castles to cottages and urban buildings. Irish castles of both Norman and Anglo-Irish tradition served as the uniting element that allowed the population to come to grips with the invaders. (Banting, 2002, p. 5) Pre-medieval Ireland is known for its round towers, which are a rare sight outside of the island and that were often part of the monasteries, which emphasizes the importance of religion in contemporary Ireland. During medieval period, a lot of castles were built on the territory of Ireland that are in different states as of today. Also, feeling the impact of European and Gothic styles, a lot of churches were built at this time. Restoration resulted in elaboration of the cottage style of whitewashed walls and thatch roofs whereas Georgian period was marked with construction of cities, which today create the image of the country known to the global culture. Conclusion There is a lot that can be said about Ireland and its contribution to the global culture. Undoubtedly, the history of the country was heavily influenced by Christianity, and its history was marked with continuous rebellions and uprisings against the European invaders. The modern image of Ireland consists of elements of cultural, religious, political nature but is especially related to the combination of pagan and Christian elements its culture managed to preserve. References Banting, E. (2002). Ireland: The Culture. Crabtree Publishing Company. Bowen, E. (2003). A Time in Rome. Vintage Classics. Gill, W. W. (1993). Customs and Traditions, Cures and Charms, Fairies and Phantoms. Manx Folkways, Chiollagh Books. Phádraig, M. N. G. (2009). Religion in Ireland: No longer an exception? Research Update, 64, 1-4. The Parliament of the United Kingdom. (1920). Government of Ireland Act. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. Read More