Toward an Exploration of Baltic History

 The Baltic Sea and People Too

                        Balts were anciently influenced by cultures call Scythian, Slav, and Celt. I am no longer sure of the nature of a Celt. It is probably say that a celt is Indo-European. You may not be very sure of the nature of a Scythian. We seem to have some learning to do. For now, let's put it off until later. Balts were also influenced by amber and the amber trade.They were probably influenced by everything else in their time and place. That certainly includes their geography.

Their Geography

                    The Baltic Sea is and has been an important feature on the face of Earth and on the course of our history; how could it not influence the people around it and on it. I am just getting oriented to it; let me pass on the little I am learning. A map can help. I believe that I have included one somewhere on this blog.

                    The Baltic Sea opens on the Atlantic Ocean and is in the northwestern part of Europe, It has a complex geography, history, and present. Here I hope to begin a look at its early history and prehistory. However, it seems best to begin with a bit of geography. It has been called a brackish inland sea the geological history of which is difficult to clarify.

                    At the risk of muddying the waters I will say that the Baltic Sea could be called the Baltic Lake. Its opening to the Atlantic is not large and it has several rivers flowing into it, including the Oder, Vistula, Neman, Daugava and the Neva. Snow melt, rain, smaller rivers and streams add to the fresh water of great lake Balt. So, it is much like a great sweet water lake made brackish by an opening to the Atlantic.

                    Still, it has been called a sea marginal to the Atlantic ocean. That Sea drains into the Atlantic through the Danish Straights by way of the little Kattagat sea. This Baltic Sea includes the Gulf of Bothnia, the Bay of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Riga, and the bay of Gdansk.

                    In the Baltic Sea is the little Kattagat sea. Kattagat refers to an area of rather shallow sea bounded by the Jutland peninsula in the west, the Danish Straights and the Baltic Sea to the south, and the shores of Sweden to the east.

                    More names and places then one can easily remember. Expect to see them more here and to hear them in your future.

The Gulf of Bothnia

                    The word "bothnia" seems to have once referred to lowland shores. The Gulf of Bothnia still has some lowland shores. However, that land has continued to rise since its release from its Ice Age burden of ice. We are looking a lands and waters in what is considered the far north. So, the waters of the Gulf still freeze over in winter.

                    I could benefit from more research in the histories of Sweden and Finland to find much of the history of this Gulf. Here is a tiny taste of that history. Ottar an early Viking adventurer may have referred to the Gulf as the Kven Sea. A Danish navigator may have referred to it as as the Mare gotticus in the 15th century. Bothnia Bay may be called a northern landward extension of the gulf of Bothnia.

The Gulf of Finland 

                    This gulf is the eastern branch of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland on north and Estonia on the south, and on to Saint Petersburg, Russia, Where the River Neva flows into it. Other major cities on the Gulf are Helsinki and Tallinn. Wikipedia reminded me of this.

                    In the early post Ice Age the Gulf of Finland was preceded by the Littoriana  Sea. hat sea stood as 30 feet above present sea level. By some 4,000 years ago that sea receded to near present levels.

    

Archaeology:

                    Archaeologist have found that the lands along the Gulf of Finland began to be settled in about 9,000 BC. To me writing about archaeology is much like writing a history. So, we do seem to be moving in the right direction. That is we are moving a bit beyond geography and more toward history. Onward. As early as 1905 AD eleven neolithic settlements had been found along the Gulf. Early culture of about that time include: Finnic, Esti/Chud, Votes, Izhorians,, and Korela. There is much to learn about each of them.

                    Later. from about 700 AD: through 900 AD East Slavs, Ilman Slavas, and Krivichs had settled along the Neva river and the Gulf of Finland. They practiced agriculture and animal husbandry and so, marked a change in culture.

Between about 700 AD and 1,200 AD, the River Neva and the Gulf were part of the waterway from, say, Scandinavia to the Byzantine Empire. I consider that last sentence to be a historic fact until I find strong evidence to the contrary. This was much the development of and the final flourishing of the "Viking Age." That is a leadership position in what became Russia and lead to attacks on the Byzantine Empire. Of course Norsemen were viking elsewhere as well.

                    After about 850 AD historic information from this arena becomes more abundant.  About that time The Gulf was controlled by Russians(Russian-Vikings) we might say. They maintained this control until 1219 when the Danes took control. Around this time the city of Reval was established on what has been called the area of Tallinn. There is plenty to learn about this are with plenty of interesting details. The historical record is increasingly complete from about 750 AD.

Gulf of Riga:

                    The Gulf of Riga lies between modern Latvia and Estonia on, of course, the Baltic sea. I hope to learn more of this gulf area through the histories and archaeology of the histories of Latvia and Estonia. You can help me with this by using the "comments" just below this essay. An investigation of the early days of the cities of Riga, Parnu, Jumala, and Kuressaare could help.

Bay of Gdansk:

                    The Bay of Gdansk has a lot of history which may include my Prussian, Polish, and German ancestors. The Vistula river flows into theBay. Some consider the Bay as extending to Russian Kaliningrad and the coast of Lithuania. I hope to learn of the happenings and doings in this area from the earliest times until Rome moved its first amber.

Kursenieski:

                        There be Kursenieski on the Bay! They have been their long. They call their language Curonian. Some linguists have seen it as related to Latvian. They have been called Prussian Latvians. Who are these people? Who were they? They lived on a well visited sea coast near the outlet of a well navigated river; so have been subjected to much social and cultural activity and change. I suspect that they were an important prehistoric people. Can you tell us more about them. I hope to live long enough to post more about them here.

    

Kattagat Sea:     

                    Let me Travel back toward where the Baltic Sea meets the Atlantic ocean. That is near to the "little" Kattagat sea. The name Kattagat may be of Swedish origin. I seem to remember having head of an ancient queen Kattagat who may have been a Swede. This Sea certainly is a Scandinavian area. 

Jutland:     

                    The Jutlandic peninsula juts into the Kattagat and is part of Jutland. The Peninsula and perhaps all of Jutland Called Cimbric or the Cimbric Peninsula and is now part of Denmark. Jutes and Cimbri have lived there.

        

                    Jutes have been named among powerful Germanic invaders of England. Was this naming a Roman idea? It seems that there may be some confusion over this naming. But there seems to be good reason the peninsula is called Jute. It was an area of Jute movement and trade before, during, and after the Roman Empire. If you believe me wrong, please tell me about it. Anyway there the Jutland Peninsula is at the Kattaga Sea.

Cimbrian:

                     Wait a minute! We have a varied lot of people to learn about and the Cimbri are one of them and they seem to have been on the Jutland Peninsula before the the Jutes. Many have thought that the Cimbri were what we have called Gauls Celts. Anyway I believe that this peninsula was once called the Cimbrian peninsula. We have more to learn. We need more archaeological and historical evidence.

                    We humans do seem to get around a lot and it seems that includes the Cimbri. I am finding that for a very long time there was a mostly seasonal migration from part of the Baltic Sea area and from part of Britain as least as far as the Iberian peninsula. So, there was probably movement from peninsula to peninsula, Cimbric to Iberian and back. It sounds right, but I a feeling some amazement. 

                    I also find that there was even a Cimbrian military expedition against 1st century Rome! Who are these Cimbri? Who were they. Could they have been visitors to Ireland as early as the early Bronze Age? 

                    Some say that there were Belgians of Cimbrian origin. Romans may have called them Germans, but then they called nearly everyone of the area German. We are not very clear about who Celts were other than that they were almost certainly what we have called Indo-Europeans. However that may be, a people who seemed much like Cimbri, but whom some called Celts joined Carthaginians to resist Rome. I wish you could help me to learn more.

                    OK it seems about time to publish this. I intend to gather more information. Might I get some from you. Remember this blog and its associated blogs were designed to have some interactivity. 

                    Please do try to help to correct the errors or misapprehensions I make. Try using the "comments" app below.

                    Thank you for reading.

                                                                                Richard  S

 

A Very Short Little Old Back-story.

History With RCS: Mago Bill animates my connection to history, and more.

                Mago Bill connects me to to the history of Ireland, and from there to history far and wide. "He" helps me to get far back into ancient history and prehistory. And, it seems that, there is a very far back.
* He seems to help me to explore time and space.
* He helps me to see aspects of the ageless wisdom teaching anew.
* He helps me to fresh views of governance, politics, and philosophy.

                Mago Bill was my paternal great grandfather.

                Mago is a very old Irish name, probably picked up from the Phoenicians or the Carthaginians. In the US the name seems to have given Mago some trouble. For there he began to sign his name M. William Sheehan.

 

Mago in Ireland

                The name Mago has been found in county Clair and all over Ireland for hundreds of years. A historian writing in Ireland in 1691 writes of a count Mago. Another historian writes of a Mago county in the Ireland of of 1829. There seems to have been a barony of Mago in Kerry. There have been Irishmen who have claimed to be sons of Magog. Could that have anything to do with the price of beans?              

 

 

                Take some time to search this site. There are several apps available to help you with your explorations here.

                                                                                                                                                                                 Richard Carroll Sheehan

Mago Bill: One

 Mago Bill is a nickname I have given my paternal great grandfather

                                

                I have used the name Mago Bill in recent blogs because I believe that it inspires me to give you some unusual and interesting backstories and histories in a variety of posts.

                My sister, the genealogist of our family, introduced me to existence of documentation of the life pf M. William Sheehan. His existence had not been known to us. We had not known his name nor that he had been our paternal great grandfather. As I remember, my sister showed me that he had probably been born in the far south of Ireland and that his parents had brought to the United States when he was very young. We soon discovered that the M in his name probably stood for Mago. to me he promptly became Mago Bill, my inspiration.

                Spanish speaking friend tell me that "mago" means magician. Some of the same friends tell me that the three kings or three wise men of Christmas who brought gifts to the infant Christ were call "magos." I have found that  Mago was an important name among the Carthaginian Phoenicians before Rome came of age. Some of that name knew Hannibal well.

                Carthaginian traders and traders and navigators came to Ireland to trade for tin an other commodities. They brought so much knowledge of the name Mago with them that it impressed some of the people there. So much that they used it. For hundreds of years the name Mago has experienced some on an off popularity in Ireland.

                You may have read before that my paternal great grandfather was named and called Mago William Sheehan and that I have called him Mago Bill. You have even read that he, as many and Irish lad from time to time, was named after a famous Carthaginian. However, have you remembered me writing of Mago Barca?

    

                Barca could have been that famous Carthaginian Phoenician of the late third century BC, or not. Mago Barca was Hannibal's (yes, that Hannibal) brother. He may well have been a navigator and also have fought Roman legions in Iberia accompanied by Irish and Dan. He was the youngest son of Hamilcar of the Barcids.

                The above has prompted my to think of the Balearic Islands and food. The   Balearics seem to have an Irish connection of a sort. On Menorca, Mago Barca lent his name to the port city there which is still called Port Mahon. Mago and Mahon much alike to us today, but the history of language is one of change.

                Does not Mahon seem to have a bit of an Irish ring. I remember seeing  photos of Balearic ladies long ago. They looked very much like my aunt Eleanor and sister Geraldine. My sister would probably agree that she was and is better looking than was my aunt. The Balearic ladies of the photos were all attractive and I was struck by their similarity to Eleanor and Gerry.

                Ah, yes, food! Mahon, the typical Mahon egg sauce of the island, that has conquered the world, is Mayonnaise! On a visit to Ireland, I found mayonnaise still moderately appreciated. Still isn't there another mayo something or other on the old sod. Do not think me capable of a nasty thought. You may have heard of Mayo County, Ireland.

                I seem to be on a bit of a roll. I thought of another couple of miscellaneous bits to add here. Gilli, gilly, ghilli, and ghilly is only one of them. I've searched for each online with no luck. I had a friend who's Irish mother spoke of having a gilli in the family. This was many years ago and I had heard of ghilly long before that. A ghilly is an Irishman, across centuries he has been one of particular talents. He can be one especially familiar with the Irish countryside. He might act as a guide. He might help one to catch a trout or salmon by hand. In amore distant time he may have been the right hand man of noble warrior. He might have been a sort of Irish Ninja and expert in the use of camouflage. He might have been expert in a martial art. He would have the skills and talents of a huntsman. If  you have heard more of ghilly tell us a bit. This is supposed to be an interactive site.

                There are still those in Ireland who know the term and there were those who used it hundreds of years ago. The gilli I speak of is unlikely t have been a Norwegian dancer. I have heard that there may have been a similar word with a similar pronunciation and, perhaps, meaning.

                I may have heard more than I know.

                The Irish whistle comes to mind and reminds me that  there is also an Irish bagpipe. Could the bagpipe have also been a Fir Bolg instrument? I have been told that when it comes to men before a battle, that an Irish whistle can get them on their feet as little else can.. But to keep them moving forward to battle, victory, death, or hell, it takes a good pipe and a good piper, even if it be a Scot.

                I am pleased that you did not miss this addition to this piece. Thanks for reading.

                

                                                                                RCS 

Mago Bill History Notes

 Mago Bill Inspired History Notes

                You may remember Mago Bill as the name of some of my earlier blogs. You may remember that I believed that the given name of my paternal great grandfather was Mago William. While that Mago may have been called Will, he may never been called Bill, but it makes me smile to do so.

                My, somewhat imaginary, Mago Bill has inspired my interest in history and supported my political vision.

                Thoughts of Bill, Mago Bill, lead me to the following. An earlier Mago and the Carthaginians had certainly heard of Atlantis, but that fabled land had been lost for thousands of years before these Phoenicians posted themselves near the Pillars of Hercules. Those pillars may 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.

                The paragraph above leads me to thoughts of many stories, but I will stick to my notes on those who knew the name “Mago” well.

                They were a knowledgeable people whom we might now begin to call Carthaginians. They knew much of trade and navigation. They also knew of mining, metallurgy, the writing of languages, and of defense and attack on land and sea. They were seamen. They that the islands not too far beyond the Pillars not only contained gold, silver, lead, and tin, but also contained men who knew about mining and metal working. They may have known about the little people who could follow the veins of metal deep into the earth. Those Carthaginians knew that men all around their smaller sea valued tin for making their bronze.

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

                The Magonids were a political dynasty of Carthage room about 550 BC to 340 BC. The dynasty began with Mago I, under whom Carthage became prominent among the Phoenician colonies in the western Mediterranean. Under the Magonids the Carthaginian Empire expanded to include Spain, Sardinia, Libya, and Sicily. Diodorus and Herodotus often better tell us of the doings and happenings of the Magonids more honestly than do the Romans.

                There was a Mago II and then a Mago III who led the 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 the island nation we call Ireland.

                It might have been Mago, that knowledgeable ship-master, who so impressed a Sheehan as to name his or her son Mago. My great, great grandfather called his son Mago William. That is a source of my inspiration to call a blog of mine “Mago Bill.”

                Thank you for reading.

 

                                                                                        RCS

• Mago
• Carthaginians