Mago and the Phoenicians

 Phoenicians                

                They had certainly heard of Atlantis, but that fabled land had disappeared thousands of years before the Phoenician posted themselves near the Pillars of Hercules. Those same pillars may once have been called the Pillars of Atlas or even the Gates of Atlas. They certainly guarded  the way to the great Atlantic sea and to the isle beyond the western isle. 

Those Phoenicians were a knowledgeable people who we might now begin to call Carthaginians. The knew much of trade and of navigation. They also knew of mining, metallurgy, language writing, warfare on land and sea. They knew that the islands not far beyond the Pillars not only contained gold, silver, and tin, but also contained men experience in mining and metalworking. They may even have known of the little people there who aided in the extraction of those precious metals from beneath the earth.

Carthage and the Carthaginians

                The name and title of Mago was very well known among those Carthaginian Phoenicians. I have found the use of the title among them as early as 750 BC. You my find that it was used much earlier. I do find strong evidence  that they were carrying on regular trade with Western Isles 500 and 400 BC.

The Magonids were a political dynasty of Carthage from about 550 to
340 BC. The dynasty began with Mago I, under whom Carthage became preeminent among the Phoenician colonies  in the western Mediterranean.  Under the Magonids the Carthaginian Empire expanded to include Spain, Sardinia, Libya, and perhaps Sicily. Diodorus and Herodotus tell us Of the Magonids better than do most Romans.

Mago

                There was a Mago II and then a Mago III who led Carthaginians. There also seems to have been a Mago who commanded, or navigated for, the trading fleet which connected the Western Isles to the Mediterranean. You may know, or have guessed, that the isle beyond the western isle is now called Ireland. 

                It might have been Mago, that knowledgeable shipmaster, who impressed an early Sheehan and led him, or her, to adopt the name Mago for their son.  My Irish great grandfather had the name Mago William Sheehan. That is the source of the name Mago Bill for this blog.

                So, Mago Bill has a history.

                You can find more about Mago Bill, Mago, Ireland, and a bit of Irish history at the Mago Bill blog website.

                Thank you for the visit. Come back and explore these sites.







                                                                                by Richard sheehan

Mago Bill

History With RCS: Mago Bill, a Munster Man?

 

                I have posted a lot about Mago Bill and have even had a couple of Mago Bill blogs. One of the Mago Bills I have written was probably born in County Munster, but may have arrived in America before he could toddle. He was my great grandfather M. William Sheehan.

 

                 Sheehan is a fine and interesting surname, but Mago often attracts me more.Spanish speaking friends tell me that in Spanish mago means magician and the like. Some also tell me that "the three kings'' or "three wise men" of Christmas are called magos and that each of them is a mago. This seems interesting to me but may have been of no interest at all to my great grandfather.

 

                However, I have been told that before Rome came of age and in the early days of Carthage, that Mago was an important family name among the Carthaginian Phoenicians. I see that Magos where friends and family of a famous guy by the name of Hannibal.

 

                Magos were well known traders, navigators, and military leaders of Carthage. Carthaginian traders and navigators came to Ireland for a variety of reasons. The main reason was probably tin. In the Bronze age and beyond tin was important because without it there was little bronze. The Irish of the day were metal workers, craftsmen, and artists. They were also miners, alchemists, poets, lovers, and impressionable for hearing the name Mago so often from the visiting Carthaginians that they began to name their male child, Mago. From that time and centuries on the name Mago was from time to time quite popular on the Island. 

 

                The name Mago and Mago Bill have, from time to time, has influenced and inspired my research and writing of history.

 

                On this Mago Bill site you may expect essays dealing with Ireland, the Irish, Mago Bill and much more as you may have already discovered.

 

                Thanks for your visit and thank you for reading this essay which I have written for you.

 

                More to come,

     

 

                                                        bye for now

                                                        RCS

 

 

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

 

 

Mago Bill Inspired History

History With RCS: Inspired by Mago Bill               

              Mago Bill is a nickname which I choose to give my paternal great grand father. I have used the name Mago Bill on several blogs because it names a source of inspiration for me. It has inspired me to write a variety of history posts for you; most recently here, and my Ireland and the Irish Blog. Nearly all of these inspired post are of history, prehistory, and a bit more.

                This blog is new and does not have a Mago Bill title. However, because Mago inspires: this history blog, a number history and prehistory timelines, because my vision of him inspires many of my thoughts on history, and much of my historic and prehistoric research, it seems appropriate to mention him here.

                My sister, the family genealogist, discovered ample documentation of his existence and that the name he most often used in the United States was M.William Sheehan. Soon we discovered evidence that the "M" was for Mago; a name even more unusually in the US then than it is now.

                In Ireland Mago, as a given name, has had several periods of some popularity. For me, William became Bill. Thus the name Mago Bill came to personify my inspiration for several blogs and much research.

                Spanish speaking friends of mine told me that the Spanish word "mago" means magician in English. Some of the same friends tell me that the Three Kings or Three Wise Men, we are told brought gifts to the baby Jesus, were called magos and that each one may be called mago.

                I have learned that the name Mago was an important family name among Carthaginian Phoenicians while Rome was young. Later some of the family Mago were close to Hannibal, a name you may recognize. 

                Carthaginian traders and navigators came to Ireland to trade for tin and other goods. They they brought so much knowledge and talk of the name Mago with them that it so impressed some individuals, that they named their male offspring Mago.

                "Mago" has more history to be told and I may very well tell some of it here on this history blog. You may have already found that this blog contains prehistory, archaeology, geological history, and a bit more, in addition to my idea of normal history.

                 Thank you for your visit and for reading this Page. For your pleasure, make some time to review the Posts on this blog.

                For now, bye.

 

 

                                            RCS