CDR: Re: Treatment of subjugated people (and bagpipes)

[Jim Dixon]

On Mon, 4 Sep 2000, Ray Dillinger wrote:

> >And the Irish were similary denied the ability to read, or to play thier 
> >traditional music.  (Bards tended to sing songs counter to the english 
> >policies.)  
> 
> It's a long damn tradition, unfortunately.  In England, it goes back 
> to the Norman invasion and the way the Saxons were treated; but the 
> Normans were just copying the Romans, and the Romans were just copying 
> the Greeks.  

It's easy to look at history in this way, seeing some people as 
villians and other as victims.  But do remember that St Patrick 
wasn't Irish at all.  He was an English boy, stolen by Irish pirates
and sold into slavery in Ireland.  And for centuries English kings
used Irish mercenaries to subdue their unruly subjects.

> When the culture of a conqueror is sufficiently different, and they 
> can get away with it, they always try to take the native language 
> away.  That takes away all the old songs and poetry, and most of the 
> stories, and makes it easier to stamp your own culture on a subjugated 
> people.

But this is mostly just laziness.  When Patrick didn't do what he
was told, I'm sure that his masters made no effort to learn his
language.  They just shouted at him louder in Gaelic.

--
Jim Dixon                  VBCnet GB Ltd           http://www.vbc.net
tel +44 117 929 1316                             fax +44 117 927 2015