Mago a Farmer?

 Ireland and the Irish: Mago, a farmer?                              

        

 

What was the Secret Weapon of the Carthaginian Empire?

                Was Mago their secrete weapon? Remember, my Irish great grandfather's  name was Mago.

                                                                                         rcs

 

 

James Hoban of Kilkenny

  HistoryWith RCS: How was the White House destroyed? 

 

    James Hoban knew the White House well.

    He was born in Ireland in 1758 and died in Washington, DC in 1831.

    He did important architectural work in the Mid Atlantic and Southern states.

    He was the designer and architect of the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

    Mr. Hoban also supervised the reconstruction  of the White House after it was destroyed in the War of 1812. 




                                                                                by Richard Sheehan

 

Responce to Comment to Post 2,660 BC to 2,400 BC

  History With RCS: Gerry Art's Commenet to post 2,660 BC to 2,400 BC in reference to metal work of the period.

Blog URL: https://historyrcs.blogspot.com

                For some reason the comment section of the post is not allowing me to resopond. So, I will tell I can about the metal work of that period. The post centers on 2,500 BC which marks the a high point of the the Bronze Age of most of Europe, much of North Africa, and nearly all of the Near East. That is much of Europe, the Mediterranean and beyond was enjoying the Bronze Age, which to some has seemed a golden age. 
    

                I am pleased to be able to say that during this period Ireland was one of the most productive miners of gold and the producer of of some of the finest gold work. Someof the gold work which marked Ireland of this period were the following: Lunulea, aform of collar; torcs, a kind of neck piece which bent firmly around the neck, they were strickingly handsome; gorgets, they were a sort of chest piece or breast piece and often the most beautiful and intricket of these items. It may have been used to hold articles of dress in place. Rings and a large number of other items were also produced in gold.

                I am speaking of Bronze Age Gold work. But much fine gold work in an early age when much copper was mined and worked well before the Bronze Age. 

                I seem to be forming my remarks here almost entirely around Ireland, but a Bronze Age was occuring around much of the world.

                It has been said that there was a Bronze age in Ireland from 2500 BC to 500 BC. I believe that there is now importnat evidence of important Bronze work being done in Ireland by 2,700 BC. I am also frairly sure that an Iron Age had already begun in Ireland 600 BC.

            Let me include that the Bronze Age in Ireland and Beyond was preceded by the neolithic period, which we might call the New Stone Age. The Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age. I traumatic change in much of the world.

                In the neolithic period gold and were both already mined and worked in Ireland. Fine work was produced in small quantities. Silver and lead were probably also mined and worked in small quantities.

                It seems that I had Ireland on the mind when I began this piece.

                Ireland entered the Bronze Age as a major miner and worker of Gold. In that Bronze Age a variety of bronzes were founded. Nearly all of them were an alloy mostly of copper but always with a portion of tin. I do not recall the usual proportions just now. How- ever there was bronze produced using arsnic in the place of tin. The tin was used to make the copper stronger, more resistant, and harder than copper. It also turned out to be a sort of stainless copper with the look of gold!

                Tin was both mined in Ireland and imported to Ireland. A sort of metal alchemy was begun which employed mercury, lead, arsnic, silver, gold and other elements. The mining, smelting and working of tin and copper to make bronze was a sopnisticated process. 

                The Iron age in Ireland as in Europe, North Africa, the Near East and beyond was begun by a new people who proved to be many. These people knew horses well. They knew the processes of mininng, smelting and workinging iron. They made iron swords which cut through bronze weapons. They dominated Bronze Age people nearly everywhere. They were able to dominate cultures which were in many ways superior to theirs. At times they recognized this. They brought a new language, they brought it to Ireland and it became the mother of all the laguage spoken there for over two thousand years. It is the Gaelic which is still spoken in parts of Ireland. English is the dominate language on the Island today. English too is born of that Iron Age language.

                So, what are the Bronze age metals: gold, silver, copper, lead, arsnic, mercury, tin, and certainly more known by some. Bronze, a metal alloy made by man, and still one of the most beautiful and useful metals made by man and one of the least toxic if not made with arsnic. The alloy named an Age. We have much more to learn of the Bronze Age.

            Thank you for your comment Gerry Art.

                                                                                            rcs.

                

                

Your Vocabulary and the Irish Land Wars

 Irish history and Your Governance

                The Irish Land Wars are the source or the introduction of a powerfully effective word in the English language. In 1850 Irish persons formed the the Tenant Rights League in Ireland to demand reform in the land law of Ireland. A law not of democratic origin. This organization was followed by about 40 years of unrest in Ireland, and to some learning and reform.

                The word in question was derived from the name of a landlord so disliked that he was refused labor to harvest his crops, as well as refusal to to service shops, laundries, and other facilities. This social excommunication of Mr. Boycott, this landlord, led to his name being used to describe these refusals. Boycotts have worked well as a nonviolent protest measure.

                Know you know the meaning of "to boycott," "boycotting," and more. The Word is "boycott"

                We can be more aware that we are responsible for ruling ourselves. We can be more aware of out responsibility for self-governance. In Ireland a name for self rule has been Home Rule. It does seem best to begin governance at home. One's town, county, water district, and country are examples of places for home Rule. You can blame your wife, your father, your mayor, and your president, but that often turns out to be a waste of energy. Where you are concerned you are the authority and the boss, and the doing is yours to do. You will have your results. We all have responsibility and we all have learning to do. That learning is easier when we do it together.

 

                We can learn more effective doing by observing the doings of others. that's history. You can check out the Home Rule League of Ireland for some instructive history. You may find out things just by reading on here. You may learn something of practical civics or social organization. You can also report your understandings in "comments" below. "Comments" can also be a good place to ask questions. You can check out Gandhi on social organizing and the use of resistance. Well reasoned and well presented have been important parts of useful social measures. U. S. citizens have plenty to learn about the use of our Constitution and the use of democracy. There is much of interest to learn of the structure and function of our actual governments.

                We can become more effectual citizens by learning about the uses pf politics and of our history. History is were we can begin to learn of what has worked and what has not. As we learn to observe and to practice taking care of ourselves (self-governance), we may find it useful to learn more of and from our own histories as well as from the histories of others. 

                We can call politics the way we co-operate to get our governance working well.

                Well, what do you know about the verb "to boycott?" You may remember that every verb is an action word. You can learn more about the: when, where, why, and how of boycott online. You may report your interesting and useful findings here in the "comments" section just below.

 

                Thank you very much for reading.

                Your Vocabulary and the Irish Land Wars

 

 

                                                                            rcs

 

           

Baltic Sea Orientation

History With RCS: Many have known the Baltic Sea including: Dane, Swede, Finn, Viking, Russian, Slav, Krivichs, Latvian, Estonian, Prussian, Pole, Jute, Cimbri, Celt, Irish, German, and more.

                The Baltic Sea opens on the Atlantic Ocean and is in the northwestern part of Europe. It has had a complex geographic history. It seems best to begin with some of its most recent geographic history.

                The Baltic has been called a brackish inland sea with a geological history which has prove difficult to clarify. We know that it is a marginal sea of the Atlantic and that it drains into the Atlantic through the Danish straights by way of the little Kattagat sea. Some of its major surface features include thee Gulf of Bothnia and the Bay of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Riga, and the Bay of Gdansk.

                It is brackish because of the following major rivers flowing into it: the Oder, Vistula, Neman, Daugava, and the Neva. Brackishness is aided by the fall of rain and snow and by the flow of smaller rivers and streams.

                Not far from the the Baltic Sea entrance to the Atlantic Ocean, one may encounter the Kattagat, and area of somewhat shallow sea. This small sea is bounded by the Jutland Peninsula in the West, the Danish Straights and the rest of the Baltic Sea, and to the east by the shores of Sweden.

The Gulf of Bothnia:

                The word "bothnia" seems to have referred to lowland shores or to lowlands in general. The Gulf of Bothnia is bordered by lowland shores. The Gulf is not shallow, but the land beneath it continues to rise since its release from its Ice Age burden of ice. The Gulf still freezes over in winter. 

                I hope to research the history of Sweden and Finland to learn more of the people who have lived along the Gulf of Bothnia. Please share with us any info you may have about this Gulf. You can use the "comments" section below to do so. I can say now that it seems that in the 9th century, Ottar, a viking adventurer, referred to the Gulf as the Kven Sea. In the 15th century a Danish navigator may have referred to it as the Mare Gotticus. Bothnia Bay is a northern extension of the Gulf.

 

The Gulf of Finland:

                The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost branch of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland on the north and Estonia on the south; then on to Saint Petersburg, Russia, where the Neva River drains into it. Other major cities on the Gulf are Helsinki and Tallinn. 

                In the early post Ice Age, the Gulf of Finland was preceded by the Littoriana Sea. That sea stood as high as 30 feet above the present sea level. A lot of ice had melted. By some 4,000 years ago the sea had receded to near present levels.

Archaeology:

                Archaeologists have found the lands along the Gulf of Finland began to be settled(again?) about 9,000 BC by people physically very like us. To me Archaeology is a continuance of history. some would call it prehistory. So, we do seem to be moving from geography to history; history is about the doings, learnings and happenings of those who preceded us. So, onward. As early as 1905 AD eleven neolithic settlements had been found along the Gulf of coast. The early cultures found there include the Finnic, Eesti/Chud, Votes. and Korela. Neolithic means new stone age. Don't fee to smug about Stone Age people. We are finding that some of them were able to do things with stone that we are unable to do.

                    Later, into more historic times, about between 700 AD and 900 AD, East Slavs, Ilman Slavs, and Krivichs settled along the Neva River and pars of the Gulf of Finland. They practiced agriculture and animal husbandry. Between about 700 AD and 1,200 AD the river Neva and the Gulf were part of the waterway from Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire!

                Historic information  for this area becomes more abundant from about 850 AD. About that time they may held in Russian hands until 1219 AD when the Danes took control. In this same period the city of Reva was established in the area of the present city of Tallinn. There is a lot to learn about this whole Baltic area and I intend to write more about it in a future post.

The Gulf of Riga:                

                The Gulf of Riga lies between Latvian and Estonia on the Baltic Sea. I will find out more about this area and write of it in a future post after a review of the early histories of Latvia and Estonia. A look at the histories of the the cities: Riga, Parnu, and Jumala will help me to give you fuller details.

The Bay of Gdansk: 

                The Bay of Gdansk has history which may include my Prussian, Polish, and German ancestors. The Vistula River flows into this bay. Some consider the bay as extending to the Russian city of Kaliningrad and to the coast of Lithuania.

There be Kursenieki: 

                There are Kursenieki on the Bay of Gdansk. They have been there long, They call their language Curonian. Some linguists see it as related to Latvian so Latvian could be related to it. Kursenieki have also been called Prussian  Latvians. Who are these people? They live on a well visited sea coast and near to the outlet of a navigable river. So, they are, and have been, subject to much social and cultural exchange.

                Let's travel back to where the Baltic Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Near there is the little Kattagat Sea. The name Kattagat may be of Swedish origin. I have a vague memory of a queen Kattagat who may have been a Swede. This little sea is certainly a Scandinavian area.

Jutlandic Peninsula: 

                The Jutlandic Peninsula juts into the Kattagat Sea and is part of was once Jutland. The peninsula was once called the Cimbric or the Cimbrian Peninsula. It is now part of Denmark. Jutes and Cimbri have lived there.

                Jutes are named among powerful Germanic invaders of England. I might not have called them Germanic, but rather have called them Vikings, Norse. Scandinavian, or even Celtic, but I have a lot to learn. Still, it dose seem that a few others feel some confusion too. There is a reason the peninsula has been called Jute. Maybe we can find out who the Jutes are. That peninsula was an area of a lot of trade and activity before during and after the Roman Empire. Any there it is at the Kattagat Sea.

The Cimbri:

                Let's not pass by the Cimbri too Quickly. I just learned of them recently.  It seems that they were on the Jutland Peninsula before the Jutes. Some authorities have thought the Cimbri were what we have called Gaulish or Celtic. I have seen that the Jutland Peninsula was called the Cimbrian Peninsula earlier. There is something interesting to be discovered/learned here. Perhaps we can learn more about things Cimbrian. So far I have found little documentary evidence of their nature or doings. I have yet to see any archaeological evidence.

                I do find that there is evidence that for a very long time there was a seasonal migration from the Baltic area to the Iberian Peninsula. The migration may have somehow included England and Ireland and may have ext+ended to the Balearic Islands! So, there was probably travel from this Peninsula to that one; Cimbric to Iberian and back. It sounds right, but I am surprised; even pleasantly amazed.

                This is getting good. There was a Cimbrian military expedition against 1st century Rome! Who are these Cimbri? Who were they. Ah, history! If you know anything about the Cimbri or find out anything, please feel free to tell us about it in "comments" below.

                I see it written that there were Belgians of Cimbrian origin. The Romans might have called them Germans, but they called everyone in the area German. I am not really sure who the Celts or Gauls were other than they almost certainly had Indo-European origins. I do have a faint memory of reading of a people who could have been Cimbrians, but who some called Celts, joined Carthaginians to resist Rome.

                Okay, I had best stop here until I get some more information, or until I hear from you. Remember blogs are supposed to have some interactivity.

                Please feel free to correct my spelling or other errors, or to add pertinent information to the content of this essay.

                Thank you for reading.

                                                                                   rcs