Ireland Today...
Well Hello again from Dublin!
Yes, still here. Have not been smooshed by any cars coming from strange directions. (Largely, I believe because I have finally convinced these people I am not KIDDING about holding my hand when we cross) My legs still feel like they are going to fall off, but other than that, things are wonderful.
Had a lovely day filled with Dead Things. And Things That Got Dug Up.
(fairly morbid, I know, but that's the way it panned out. Besides, I like Dead Things)
I went to a church today, which was lovely as the churches are, but this one had a vault with Mummies in it. They didn't start out to become Mummies, just regular buried people, but the conditions in the Crypt were right, and there you have it.
It was the sort of crypt that is everything a crypt ought to be, old stones, steep stairs, dark. There were chains which our guide unlocked when we went to go IN, which were not chaining anything. They chain the doors to the Crypt OPEN. How very reassuring. I think.
There's a lot to St Michans Crypt which you can no doubt Google and find out, but the one fact I found that was interesting was that All the little Sub-Crypts, which families would buy, or rather BOUGHT long long ago, get to be theirs forever as long as they want. And most of them were fairly dark because it is not respectful to shine light on an IN USE Crypt.
Except for one. Now, this Crypt has been around a Very Long Time, and there are coffins stacked everywhere, sometimes they break the coffins underneath (which is how they got the famous Mummies) and sometimes they are beautiful, like if you were a Lords Family.
Now it came about that there was one Lord who everyone hated. His tenants, his family EVERYONE. He kind of sucked on all levels. SO they buried him in a plain coffin (After he died) and not in a fancy one like all the other Lords, and said never again would any Lord of this line or family ever be buried here, they were so moving out, no one wanted to ever be buried near him.
You can see this because they hated him so much, they told the church they could LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON. And there he is.
Ok, lovely...Onto the Bog People.
The Museum here is magic. Filled with unbelievably lovely Things That Have Been Found and Dug Up. Jewels, weapons, art, combs. Amazing. I loved it. I love seeing things that people used so very long ago. I love thinking about them and how they lived. No punch line here, really.
There were also Bog People. Bog people, are people who ended up preserved in Bog for 100's of years. I had always thought they were hapless hunters that happened into the bog, or recently dead very OLD people who were buried there, but this does NOT seem to be the case.
They all, it seems, GOT Bogged. On purpose. They are very eerie. Even for me. In fact, the museum helpfully, eh, rests them out of sight, so you need to actually know you are entering the Bog Person Resting Place, you don't just stumble across it.
On the whole tho, I believe it is better to have been so important that a people Bogged you to appease the Gods, than to have been so hated your family won't even be buried by you and lets the church LEAVE THE LIGHT ON.
My how cheery we are in Ireland today! Our friend Marjorie is sitting in my room here with me now, bet she sure is glad she showed up a day early!
Tomorrow tho, much happier: No bodies. Only Graveyards.
And apparently, Alpaca.
Love and Ireland,
Lorraine
60 Comments:
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She is indeed glad she got here a day early :-)
*Waves*
I'm sure you filled the dead people with much happiness.
I had great fun in Dublin museums - glad you are too!
The metalwork--jewelry and tools--in the museum really blew me away. I never would have guessed just how old all that stuff is and how advanced and intricate it is! Naive on my part I guess but wow.
So glad you're seeing all the dead things there are to be seen ;-) I like that stuff too, creepy and cool at the same time.
Marjorie, hug Q for me....Q, hug Marjorie for me. Thanks! :)
Bog ticky box.
Lovely post, but I have to know... those who were bogged in Ireland, were done so in a ritual sacrifice sort of way, as opposed to an alternative burial sort of way?
Inquiring minds want to know :)
"It was the sort of crypt that is everything a crypt ought to be, old stones, steep stairs, dark."
I TOTALLY understand - fans of Halloween and everyday cobwebbyness totally get this.
You are making me so envious - I will get to Ireland myself, someday. Tonight to re-read the Seamus Heaney bogpeople poems at home.
It's so weird hearing from tourists visiting your home town doing things you would never dream of doing.
Glad you're having a nice time and enjoying the greater Dublin area though :)
Dancing Liza! I will tell you the whole story if you will visit me when I come back!
They got Bogged on purpose, they were alive, important and healthy, they, er, kind of got killed as sacrifices. On purpose. I don't know if they just chose someone important and healthy or if they were war prisonors or what, but they can't have been HAPPY either way.
The church was pretty spooky Kate, try it sometime...
Tomorrow will be TAME-ER. Just the Graveyard then off to the country with the Mad Knitters.
Bah. Blogger ate my nice comment about seeing the bog people in Pittsburgh.
Cool beans, though!
Yay, you got to visit the Bog Bodies! My favorite, if it's not too disrespectful to speak of having a favorite Bog Body, was the man with the big blond pompadour full of French pomade. (It wasn't France yet, of course, when they imported the hair-goo from there, but it would be France later on.)
*grin* Being the "chosen one" doen't always mean a happy ending, eh?
Would love to hear the whole story--I shall never forget your version of Henry's wives and who can forget Skye O'Malley--we shall visit upon your return. I even have a vehicle now that can make the trip!
Much love,
~L
Probebly they explained the fine print in Chosen One a little later on in the Festival, I am thinking.
I liked the French Goo Bog Person too.
You have found the coolest museums ever! I hope to go to Ireland again some day just to find them. If you like eerie mysteries set in MN but with a lot of Ireland in them, read Erin Hart. Her first mystery features a bog body. Most recent features a selkie.
Keep reporting back. I'm enjoying the arm chair travel.
I've seen shows and photos of the bog people - must be so special seeing them right there in front of you.
Hi Marjorie!
Wendy - huge congrats!
Now I want to see a Bog person.
I confess Google-image is not the same as meeting a real bog body.
Good times! Am happy that Marjorie found you, and that neither of you got squished by traffic, or eaten by a cobblestone, or kidnapped by a pissed-off Zombie Lord.
I'm vaguely remembering, either from the exhibit or a documentary I saw, that sometimes entire families would Get Bogged together, or Bog Themselves as a sort of group sacrifice-- mother, father, children. And I seem to recall that it was a voluntary thing. I could be remembering all this entirely wrongly, though, so don't quote me on any of that. I don't know why I think I remember it. Anyone else know?
They only brought a couple of bog bodies to Pittsburgh, and one was a teenage girl. Very eerie and sad.
I have a similar memory Jess. I know there were sacrifices, but that was an honour - so we are told.
The idea of seeing one in person! That's cool. I mean, in a really morbid way. Something that would certainly liven up RI.
OHCRAPBADPUN
Its hard not to make bad puns Em! I narrowly missed one before
In fact it was this very girl here. Warning: photo of real actual dead mummy.
A lot of historical information has been gained from studying bog people...they are really quite fascinating!
Enjoying your travels Quiche...keep your trousers on and always look to the right!
Thanks everyone. ^.^ I have textbooks for the class I am definitely teaching and for the class I may also teach. I will find out closer to the beginning of beginning of classes starting how many classes I will actually teach.
Sounds lie somebody is having the time of her life...
My taxi comes in less than 2 hours. I am beyond excited.
And I totally want to see the bog people too. since it looks like I won't be able to go and see Alan Rickman (he's in Dublin too for an Ibsen play!).
Alan Rickman is there too? well now my envy has gone to outright intense jealousy.
*kicks floor*
He is in Dublin but not for Octocon, I believe.
Well, if any of you see him....I'd almost die for an autograph....he is seriously one of my favorite ever actors.
Morning!
Yes. Rather early indeed. We never sleep here. Need to find this graveyard before the Alpaca.
First tho, Beans on Toast and coffee I think , no ttea, this morning.
Nathilie and Hellie come today!
Morning!
Yes. Rather early indeed. We never sleep here. Need to find this graveyard before the Alpaca.
First tho, Beans on Toast and coffee I think , no ttea, this morning.
Nathilie and Hellie come today!
Yeah! Taxi in 15 minutes...
Enjoy Nat!
Oh yes, I was reading about Yde when I started a little bog research, Jess.
Nat and Hellie, have a wonderful time!
"bog people" is beginning to sound like a race of bog-dwelling folk. and whatever honour it might have been to be "bogged", and however fascinating they are now, it sounds like a horrid way to go.
i liked your note about old churches, Fablor (last post). compared to Old World churches, most in No. America seem somewhat insubstantial to me. Sacre-Coeur in Paris is the spookiest of the spooky that i've seen; dark, closed in and utterly ancient, it feels. got to get to Ireland someday, i do!
have a splendid weekend, everyone at Octocon!
This is terribly amusing. I am so glad that you're having fun -- and discovering awesome things. Especially Old Things with a Story behind them. I love that, about the light being left on. That says so much.
Thanks for sharing, Lorraine!
I'm not sure it was that horrid. It was usually it was a triple death: drugged with something psychoactive (makes the rest of it fun, potentially), strangled, then thrown in a bog.
There was also often a ritual meal, and various other features.
It's horrible to contemplate now, but if it were a huge honor, and crucial to the survival of the tribe, AND you got the good drugs first...
This post makes me wish I did more tourist things in Dublin when I lived there. Course I'm only in Mullingar now, so tis easily rectified :)
btw, if you happen to travel near Mullingar, Westmeath you need to visit Belvedere House & Gardens. The house isn't all that great, but it does have a Jealous Wall, an evil lord, and the coolest little gargoyles and sculptures scattered about the gardens.
Hearing all these stories - I see that RI is even MORE boring than I thought. Though we have some neat history.
Thst feeling changes once you've been away for a while, though, Em. When I graduated high school, I wanted nothing more than to get the heck away from Akron, Ohio. I wanted to go to Pittsburgh! Now I'm awfully fond of Akron, and hate it here. :D Unfortunately for me, my house is here. Que sera etc.
LiEm, Rhode Island is not necessarily all that boring. You should read some of the books about local ghosts/hauntings/etc that Caitlin Kiernan talks about (also a local author), and definitely read The Red Tree.
In fact, now would be a wonderfully creepy time to do so!
LiEm,
I grew up on the east coast and always wanted to go, flee, runaway, leave! But now out in Cali, there's so many things I miss about back home...esp. autumn and old graveyards.
Phiala's right. Check out "The Red Tree" Lots of local (RI) lore! You also had Lovecraft (back in the day...)
I know, autumn and old graveyards ROCK! And old cemeteries just jam this place. :D
tick now and catch up later.
I have to say that I don't miss Florida. Although, I'm only 9 months removed...
The alpaca must have eaten Lorraine, and everyone else.
Sad, that.
Just us chickens scratching around here...
bawwwk,bawk, bawk!
La Quiche is blogging even as we speak! Fear not.
Hope you're not feeling too neglected, poor chickens! What have you all been up to?
We ARE neglected!
But you are supposed to be having scintillating conversations while we're out...
New post is UP! A group effort it was!
Do you all want to hear about how Spring has run away in the Eastern States of Australia? Not scintillating unless you're here.
It all my fault, because I did the seasonal change of shelves in the wardrobe this week.
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