lá fhéile pádraig sona daoibh, a chairde 💚🤍🧡

claiming that christianity isn't a "real and true" part of irish culture or whatever feels.... wrong. ireland has been largely christian since the 5th century, and so christianity has been a part of the culture for well over a thousand years. i'm not sure how to word it but to me that feels like if something has been part of a culture for that long then it definitely is woven into it and a "proper and real" part of it by this point..?? the idea that pagan beliefs are more "valid" or are like the "more authentic religious beliefs" for irish people (and tbh other celtic peoples) is.. annoying to say the least, since christianity has been a part of every celtic nation for hundreds of years. if i recall correctly, the early irish took so well to christianity that they didn't even have any martyrs??

it's been a while since i did my class on christianity in early irish literature. but the things i've seen some people say today (st patrick's day) about christianity in ireland are annoying to me. i don't think the introduction of christianity was a tool of colonisation in ireland in the same way it was in the americas, which seems to be a comparison that some people have made - either consciously or subconsciously. and even elements of a culture that have arisen due to its colonisation are still real and valid psrts of it anyway, i would argue. and that taking away such elements would only do even more damage. and tbh a lot of people trying to "connect with their true and real cultures from 1000 years ago" can very easily veer into fascist territory. not always, but it is easy for them to get into white supremacist ideas, which are a plague upon this field.

not sure if there are many other celticists on here, or any medieval academics, but feel free to correct my vaguely-remembered information. but as a celtic studies student from wales with family connections to 3 other different celtic nations, a lot of things i see online about christianity and paganism in regards to the celtic nations do irk me somewhat.

being a bassoonist (and a violist) is all about complaining about unnecessary clef changes. particularly annoying here bc it's only for 2 bars, and earlier on in the mvt there's the exact same 2 bars but written on the bass clef. why did we change here then. just to make me suffer.

my jellycat sun bag arrived this morning :)