Few Understand Reification Quickly

Reification is an important and useful concept which you can begin to understand today. Some may think that there is no such thing. Others may think that there is no thing. You can probably agree that "change'' is a useful concept, and perhaps believe that it exists. Most of this seems to depend on the circumstances and our purpose at the moment.

Irish History Related

Ghilly:

                Gilli, gilli, Ghilly, ghilli: I have searched for each online and gave up without finding any info. I have heard the word used to indicate a person of special talents. Such a person may be 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 a more distant time he could have been the right hand man of a fighting nobleman. He might have been a sort of Irish ninja and expert in the use of camouflage. He might be expert in a martial art. He would have the skills and talents of a huntsman.

                    There are those in Ireland who know the term and there were those who used it hundreds of years ago. The gilli I speak of would not be a Norwegian dancer. I have heard that their may be a similar word in Farsi with a similar pronunciation. Don't let that distract you.

                    It seems that I heard a lot than I know. If you know any more about ghilly please tell us about it. If the comments app here is still missing use the app of one of the associated blogs such as RCS Posts.

Irish Whistle:

                    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 bagpipe and a good piper, even if be a Scot.

Organized Irish:

                    I have lived long enough to a grown man to nearly fall down from laughter at the mention of  "organized Irish." You may be convinced of their skill and effectiveness by looking at the Ireland of today. They are doing very well, thank you. By looking with some care at the history of not so long ago and  find out about the Clan na nGael, the Skibereen Phoenix Society, and Fenians in dear the worst of days you could learn about organization. In the US they organized grassroots politics, they helped develop good neighborhood policing, and they were in the front of the union movement. By looking a bit more one begins to see that their organizing goes back, back, and back. Hedge schools took co-operation which may be the first step in organization. Longer ago they were organized enough to bring Christianity back to and the greek Philosophers back to Europe when the truly need it. And stuff like that.

Scythians and Sakas:

                    I am finding some bits and pieces of the past difficult to put together or even to write a complete sentence about. Now I find it difficult to communicate with you. The comments app for this site is gone, taken, and no way has been found to replace it! What we can do is  to use our associated sites which retain the app for our communication. Use the app at any one of those sites, just tell us that you are doing so. If you are communicating about content on this site, just say that you communication deals with "Irish History Related" on the Mago Bill blog site.

                    Have you ever heard of ancient Iranians in Ireland. Some early Scot and Irish not only claim to have known them, but to be related to them! It has been said that some Irish gold work may be related to those Iranians. They may not have been called Iranians in those days of yore. They may have been called Scythian, Saka, Iranic, or something else.

Ogham Alphabet:

                    Others have said that in earlier times certain Irish sent a delegation of scholars from Ireland to the Eastern Mediterranean shores. Their purpose was to get help in developing  a phonetic alphabet from spoken Irish. It has been said to have been reported by some of these same scholars, that a noble Scythian helped them create an Ogham Alphabet. His name was said to be Fenius Farsaid. Now, who would make u a story like that. I was over 50 before I ever heard of a Scythian.

Danann:

                    Is there anyway the Judaic tribe of Dan could be related to the Irish Danann? How about tot the Danes of  Denmark or the blue Danube? I am beginning to believe that the Irish and the Dan fought on the side of the Phoenicians against the advance of the Roman legions. It's almost impossible not to believe that the Danann were real live people and that many Bronze Age Irish were related to them.

                    I could use some help in understanding some of these relationships. It seems certain that Phoenician and Irish became well known to each other. I am now beginning to believe that Scythians were known to Scot and Irish  and that Scot and Irish may have been pre-Celtic relatives who retained a conscious relationship from before and throughout the Iron Age.

                    I have many questions and could use a lot of teaching or just a few helpful suggestions. Here is a questions which arises at this moment. How did the Iberian peninsula, now of Spain and Portugal come to be called the Iberian peninsula? Your comments are read and enjoyed a much without answers as with.

                    My paternal great grandfather, Mago William Sheehan, was the namesake of a Phoenician Mago. 

Mago Barca: 

                That earlier Mago could have been Mago Barca of the late third century BC, or not. That Mago was Hannibal's brother and a Carthaginian general. He may have been a navigator and may have fought Rome with Irish and Dan. He was also the youngest son of Hamilcar of the Barcids.

Balearic Islands:

                    These Islands seem have an Irish connection of a sort. On Menorca, Mago Barca lent his name to the port city still called Port Mahon. Mago and Mahon do not sound much alike now, 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 in an ancient National Geographic magazine. They looked very much like my aunt Eleanor and my sister Geraldine. I was struck by their similarities.  Ah, yes, Mahon! The typical Mahon egg sauce, which has conquered the world, is Mayonnaise! In a visit to Ireland I found mayonnaise, but it seemed little popular. 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.

                    This is one of my less typical posts. Even so I would very much like to receive your comment.

                    There is more to come about Ireland and more is already available at History With RCS and ontheTimelines.

                                                                                        rcs

        

Shee Han

 Ages in Ireland:

                    In Ireland, as in much of our word, an Iron Age culture overwhelmed a Bronze Age culture. Good iron may cut the best bronze and the many with good weapons overwhel the few. However, with some investigation, we find that in many ways Bronze cultures were superior to Iron age cultures. 

                    I suggest to you that the people of the Bronze Age culture in Ireland had knowledge so advanced in some ways that it seemed to newcomers nearly magical. Although the Iron Age people as they continued to come to the Emerald Isle, drove many of the Bronze Age from their lands. Were able to keep much land that held historic or spiritual for them. Also they were long able to keep their dealings with the people iron honorable and respectful. The people of iron began to refer to some of those of bronze as, shee. " Shee" meant something like magically powerful. Many of the Bronze Age culture were seen as spiritually potent and in many was unusually skillful and wise and being so were "shee." They also,an ancient sense, seemed fay and faerie-like so, they began to be called Shee. "Shee" began to be the Iron Age name for some of those Bronze Age people. That is the way I lost one name and gained another.

Shee Then and Now:

                    My family name is Sheehan. "Han'' forms a sort of plural. It has meant family and people. So we, the overwhelmed, became the shee people. 

                    There are many words in old Irish and quite a few in modern Irish containing she. You may have heard the word "banshee" used in English. "Ban'

in Irish meant woman or female. So, a banshee is a shee woman. That's not the whole shebang, but it seems enough for now.I am far from having a Bronze Age, Iron Age, or Irish culture. My father, who was half Irish, told me that his father told him to remember that all Irishmen are wits. Where does that leave me? Still, I do hold the name.

                    I have written elsewhere of a considerable number of Irish words containing  shee so I will repeat them here. But I am reminded now of other uses of shee in Irish.

More shee:

                    There are other interesting happenings, doings, and beings associated with "shee." The Dan or Danann, the pre Milesian people of Ireland have been called shee. Of  the prehistoric people of Ireland the Danann seem most well known and may have been a Bronze Age culture. A usage related to shee which I have forgotten is written something like this, "Tir na nOg." That is my attempt at Old Irish and I have no idea of how it translates. If you have knowledge of it, tell us what you can or will in the ''comments'' app below. I thought I was reminded of more. Perhaps I wrong or perhaps they just slipped my mind.

                    It does come to me that there are now more Sheehan in Ireland and the U. S. than I can remember there being. We may have been overwhelmed more than once, but we are still here.

                        There also remain certain stone carvings, sometimes call idols. They have been found in Western Europe, England, and Ireland. The show a female figure displaying an exaggerated vulva. These images seem neither young nor beautiful and are often without breasts. some date to about 9,000 BC, so they certainly are not young by current measurements. They would be over 11,000 years old. Perhaps old enough to have been flood survivors. Being so, their makers would have been interested in maintaining the then present population and, perhaps in increasing it.Those idols have been called ''Sheela na gig."  An exact translation has not been agreed on. I think that "Sacred spirit of the vulva" may do. Have I said that shee has been used to indicate sacred and holy?   

                    In Wikipedia it says that one of the best examples of these "sheela" was found in the round tower of Rotton in county Kerry, Ireland. 

                    I remember passing through England some years ago a hearing some young men in the street referring to their girlfriend as their sheela. At times, the figures in these sculpted idls have been called witches and hags and less complimentary terms. I also remember that in the distant past a hag was a wise and respected older woman. 

                     Many of these same carvings have been removed from their original sites and some of them then incorporated into the building of early churches, Shee has gotten around.

                    There is an old Irish dance called the "sheela na gig."  According to good old Wikipedia, the oldest record of that name of the dance goes back only to about 1650. What do you think of that?

                     there is an old story in Ireland and beyond of a goddess who grants kingship. She might appear as a lustful hag and most men would avoid her and reject her advances. Theonenman who did bed with her, found her transformed into a beautiful maiden who conferred royalty upon him and blessed his reign. She has been called shee.

                    I've been told that many an Irish lad is taken by a good tale and also that there are some tricky old ladies on the island.

                    I have found that "shee""  can be found in much of the older Irish language and in significant number in more modern Irish. Tell us what you know of "shee" via our "comments" app. Us this app as you will to comment on our content to improve it.

                    Much of the shee and she of Sheehan I find in the Bronze Age Irish of Ireland.

            At a time in Ireland, as in much of our world, an Iron Age culture overwhelmed a Bronze Age culture. Iron cuts bronze. Many overwhelm the few. However, with some investigation we find that in many ways Bronze cultures often seem superior to Iron Age cultures in a variety of ways. That superiority has been acknowledged by Iron Age people. You may notice that I am not putting much of what I note of what I believe to be historic Irish happenings in History my blog, but rather put it hear with my Mago Bill writings. I do not do so because my belief is weak, but rather because my ability to produce convincing evidence that historians would accept is weak.

            I suspect, and suggest to you, that Iron Age people who came to Ireland found the Bronze Age culture wondrous, a bit fearsome, and worthy of respect. Some of the Bronze Age people seemed magical and so, shee. Some of the Bronze Age people were seen as spiritually potent, as unusually skillful, and wise and so, shee. They seemed fay and faerie like; so they began to be called, shee. Shee began to be an Iron Age name for some of those Bronze Age people. And, just like that, our name was changed. 

            I am interested in this because my family name is Sheehan. The final syllable of Sheehan is -han and once meant "people" or "family" and formed the plural. So, we became the shee people, those who were overwhelmed by iron and greater numbers. It comes to me that there are more Sheehan than ever in Ireland, the US, and elsewhere. We may have been overwhelmed, but we are still here.

            One of us was a "shee" and a number of us were "han." She was the name of a people and han was the plural. There are many words in Irish containing "shee." You may have heard the word "banshee" used in English. "Ban" in Old Irish meant female or woman. So, a banshee is a shee woman. I will add more examples of  shee and sometimes she usage in Old Irish.

            My father's father told him to remember that all Irishmen are wits and you are half Irish. My father's mother was Norwegen. My mother was not Irish. That seems to leave me a quarter-wit. I am far from having an Iron Age or Bronze Age culture and am American. Even so, I do have the name and so do have some personal  connection with this essay.

            I have written elsewhere, some on this very blog, about Irish, English, and Old Irish words containing the syllable, shee, and so won't repeat them here. However, I have recently been reminded of some other uses of shee; so, I will share some here.

            Among other interesting happenings, doings, and beings is that the Dananns were likely to have been called "shee" by the Milesians. The Dananns represented the ending of the Bronze Age culture and the Milesians represented a strong Iron Age culture. 

            A usages of  of Old Irish relating to the term shee which I have forgotten may be written much like this "Tir na nOg" to denote the Old Irish. If you have any knowledge of  the phrase tell us about it in "comments" below.

            Their remain certain stone carvings, sometimes called idols that have been found in Western Europe, England, and Ireland. They show a female figure displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are not beautiful and are often without breasts. Some date to about 9,000 BC, so they certainly are not young. They would be be about 11,000 years old. They have been called shee. They may be old enough to have been Flood survivors. Those idols have long been call "Sheela na gig." An exact translation seems not to be agreed on. I think that "Sacred spirit of the vulva" may do. I believe that I have said elsewhere that "shee" has been used to indicate sacred or holy.

            In Wikipedia it says that one of the best examples of these ''sheela'' was found in the round tower of Rotton in county Kerry, Ireland. 

             At times the figures in these sculpted stone idols have been called witches hags and less complimentary terms. I remember passing through England years ago and hearing and hearing some young men in the streets referring to their girl friend as their sheela. I also remember that in the distant past a hag was a wise and respected older woman.

            Some of these same old stone sculptings have been removed from their original sites to then incorporated into older church buildings. Shee has gotten around.

            There is an old Irish dance called the "Sheela na gig." According to good old Wikipedia, the oldest written record of that dance goes back to only about 1650. 

            There is a ''myth," in Ireland and beyond, of a goddess who grants kingship. She might appear as a lustful old hag and most men would avoid her and reject her advances. The one man would sleep with her, found her transformed into a beautiful maiden who conferred royalty upon him and blessed his reign. She has been said to be shee.

            I've been told that many an Irish lad has been taken by a good tail and also that there are some tricky old ladies on the island.

            ''Shee" is found in much of the older Irish language a significantly in more modern Irish. I have written of examples elsewhere and, if you so wish, will write more of such examples in a future post.When you have anything to add to the content of this post (or any post of  mine) or corrections to make or comment to offer, use the comment app below.

            Shenandoah

            Sailors knew words and music to a song called Shenandoah very early and carried it far and wide.. The music was older than the lyrics. The words varied, but often had an ongoing similarity. We learned of that song from the English who mostly learned of it  from French voyageurs on rivers which became part of the land Americans call America. Those French voyageurs sang that song with their Indian friends and families. Those Voyageurs sang their versions of that song before the English had colonies in the land. Knowing this I believe the song is Irish. I believe that the title is Irish, in the Old Irish language.

            I believe that I am not the only one to believe the song has Irish roots. I suspect that the title meant something very like "wise people of long ago" or perhaps "wisdom of old."

And who would question this old man's beliefs. Anyway, a song which still has some popularity today was sung long before there was a U.S.

            Thank you for the visit and for reading.

                                                                                                      rcs

"

                    Thank you for the visit and for reading!

                                                                               Richard Carroll Sheehan

   

The Whitewater Canyon Near Palm Springs, California

A new Peplow imaging of some of the land of my youth,