Co. Kerry: First Words About What Became County Kerry

The focus here is mostly on the Dingle Peninsula of Kerry 

            Focus may be too strong a word, but I will stick with it. Not so very long ago I walked down that peninsula on a warmish winter day and back up the peninsula in the same day, so it was pretty long ago. It rained a bit, on and of, but I dried as I walked. The sun kept coming out and tried to stay for a while the air was clear and bright and often and had a lovely feel to it. I walked along the main road but there was little traffic. The idea here is that I have experienced the land a bit. So I got rained on some walking the length of the peninsula and was dry again before I got to the tip. I believe that it was an early December, it was a fine day often with a great sort of light, rare and lovely.

            The Peninsula rightly has some famous history and as I learned later rightly has some fame for its rainfall. For me it ought to be famous for the light of its air.

            By the look of things, people of Kerry liked to participate in the happenings of Ireland. By the 1920s Kerry men were being shot by Black and Tans. A crying shame. But then again they got in some proud licks. I recent centuries the Irish have been know to have been troubled more than than average. But then again they seem to have been troubled less than average for most of the time from the Mesolithic to through the Bronze Age. Things were a bit iffy during the Iron Age, but by the end of that age they were more Irish than ever. And now it is said, with some breath holding, they are doing pretty good, some would say darn good.

              About the time I walked the Peninsula people in the south were doing well, but there was still a pretty brisk business in short lengths of metal pipe. When would that have been?               

             Kerry, somehow managed to a part in much Irish rebellion. Ross Castle, near, Killarney, held long. I don't remember the story. When would that have been? I have a lot to learn and these days I seem to be forgetting more than I am learning.

              Kerry got hit hard by the Irish Famine  of 1845 to 49. Irish like many great people, got everywhere. Seems like I have heard someone say "From Killarney to Kansas." The Irish part of my family was already settled in American heartland by this time, but not in Kansas. There was another nasty famine in Ireland not very long before this one, but not so well remembered. What famine is well. All English are not always sweethearts.

                By say about 1610, most of Kerry nobility had lost their land to the English. By 1776 a great percent of the nobility had left the Island, I believe.

They were bettering the race in other lands. Good for the Irish. And no matter, they plenty of the good and better blood in the Island still alive. 

                By 1588 ships of the Spanish Armada were wrecked on islands near the tip of the Dingle Peninsula. I have heard it said that the Black Irish came to Ireland that way. I say that they may have arrived closer to 1588 BC than to 1588 

AD. Still I admit that I tend to exaggerate at times to help another to get the point. I even say that they from father off than Spain.

                I had meant to say earlier that the Hiberno-Norman Kerry Fitzgerald dynasty were called Geraldines. I meant to tell mi sister, Geraldine, that, but lost my chance.

            Stone oratories in in the county seem to date back to 500 AD. I guess that by then Ireland was Christian enough to send missionaries to England, France, and Rome by then. I saw the oritorise in photos in a book rather than on my walk. I remember that I wondered about the quality of their acoustics.

                I am not sure why, but I would like to learn more of a people called Ciar. They lived on the Peninsula and elsewhere in Kerry. I suspect that they were there when Bronze was popular. I do not remember where I got the information, but it seemed certain that they were a pre-Celtic people. They were "Black Irish." They were around long enough to have had two Irish apostoles among them. I had the fantasy that they had been around long enough to know Sheehan when we had another name or names.

            I also read somewhere that a son of Fergus mac Roich was a Ciar. I would like to find out if Fergus himself was a Ciar. Maybe tomorrow I'll check to see could have anything about that.

                Well, Ireland, Kerry, Munster and all are doing pretty well this days and these days it is not easy for everyone to do well.

                I am pleased to have anyone correct my errors, pass on more info, ask a question, or anything that won't hurt my feelings much. 

                Thank you for reading.

                                                                        Richard Carroll Sheehan

                                                                        One would never know that I am Polish, German, Prussian, Norwegian, and who knows what.

            This was to have been a draft, but I better start posting while I am able.

       

Genetic Information Informs the Population of Ireland

Genomic History of Ireland

        Genetic information supports significant migration to Ireland from the Middle East and from farther east and north east. Migration from the Middle East probably relates to the Bronze Age and migration from the far north east probably relates to the Iron Age. So we can probably agree that ideas were brought by migration and that Irish population is in significant numbers are from what we could call Syria and perhaps  a bit east of Ukrainian. Perhaps before these definitive migration, there was significant inbreeding among cultural elites on the Island.

            We are learning a lot and have a lot to learn.

                                                                                Richard C. Sheehan

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

   

Ireland in Very Early Times

                     I have a feeling that I could be moving into a greater coherence of  my dealings with Irish prehistory.

                   I'm not Irish, but my name is. I am Richard Carroll Sheehan. "Carroll" and "Sheehan" are each an Irish surname. Some early Sheehan immigrants to the US had a certain respect for the Carrolls already in America. Sheehan's in Ireland had a certain respect their because of certain happings and doings in a distant prehistory. 

                  In preCeltic time Sheehan had different names. They were probably renamed with the coming of the Milestian. I have heard that -han meant something like people so we became the shee people. Some of the why of that probable fact is becoming clearer to more than just me. "Shee" is a later day interptation of  andearly celtic word.

                "Aos Si" or something similar is an early celtic name for a real people of Ireland. They also been called Aes sidhe and the like. They have been named things that meant "people of the mounds" and that seems more useful than other names they have been given. There are remenants of mounds in Ireland today. Those mounds have been called sidhe. They have also been called shee. Shee may have been and be used as an ajective. People of the mounds have been called daoine sidhe. It has also been said that the mounds are shee. So the mound people ancestors of the Shee people, Sheehan. 

                Some say the Si or Sidhe are the Danann and that may be so. I belive it more likely that the Danann were called si, sidhe, or shee. They were more truly called "people of the goddess Danu." The Danann may have reated inland as more and more Celts arrived. They were few in the face of many newcommers. Still they  remained protective of their physical and mental culture. They tried to protect their "mounds" from the newcombers and came to be thought of  by them as the "mound people." Those newcomers were probably mostly Iron Age celts. Those Celts came to be called Milesians after their homeland Miletus. In time, perhaps by their very numbers, the Milesians so dominated the earlier people that the caused the language and culture to virtually disappear. 

                The Aos Si remained respected ancesters for a long time after the extended arrival of Iron Age Mikesians. A faint remenent of that respect seems to remain to this day. Those "shee people" may have seemed a bit fearsome to a few, but they were called ''good neighbors,'' "Fair Folk," and "people of peace." Aos si," "aes sidhe," and "daoine sidhe" all seem to mean people of peace.

                These shee, si, and sidhe were also known as defenders of the old Bronze Age culture which it seems they felt was well worth the effort. The festivals known to this day seem to have been theirs. Those festivals are Samhain, Beltane, and Midsummer. You may now know that the mounds were also theirs.

                The Sheehan of today are a tiny remenent of a part of the culture of pre-Cetic occupants of Ireland. I myself might be 1/4 of one infantismal remenant of  a largely forgotten preCetic culture of Ireland. How very much of that once dominent Celtic culture survives. Among some Highland Scots and others with fewer ties to the Irish Island, there remains some tiny memory of what I have just written. 

                The Bronze Age people I have just written of may be the Danann. I suspect that some Danann and Skithian may have been arriving on the Island an nearly the same time. What have been Skithians were probably Scythians, Scythians may be what who we have called Persians. As we know Iranians were Persians. I hope to be alive enought to write of this later.

                However, the Anatolian island of Miletus is an early home of the Milesians of Ireland. Miletus island and city have been called a famous font of Hellenic philosophy. Miletus was occupied by settlers from Create around 1,600 BC. Creare was the seat of a high prehellenic civilization. By about 600 BC Miletus had become a maritime empire. 

                It is said that the first Milasians, to appear on the shores of  the  western isle beyond the pillars of Hercules, were defeated by the powerful Tuatha De Danann nobility. Names of the Milesian leaders were Mac Cuil, Mac Cecht, and Mac Grein. Not much later other Milesias came and staye.d

                Conflict between the Danann and the Milesians is probably a source of the name Ere for the land which came tombe known as Ireland, 

            There is some evidence that Ireland was  well occupied by 7,500 BC.

                Scythia orobably once included an area around the Caspian sea and may have included what is now Kazakstan, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Caspians of the area may be called Iranian, preIranians, or non-Indoeuropean people.

                Magos is said to have been a grandson of Noah and, perhaps, the father of Agnoman of Scythia.

                More probably there was Scythian/Irish contact during about 2350 BC  and 1730 BC.

                In Ireland an ancient king of Scythia known as Fenius Farsaidh, Fenius Farsa, and Farsi had something to dowith the intoduction of the Ogham alphabet to Ireland.

                It has been said that Japheth, one of the three sons of Noah, and an ancester of the peoples of the Agean Sea, Anatolia and more. A son of Japheth is Magog. Why would a christian have said such things?

                By about 1,300 BC  many were experiencing a Bronze Age. Ireland had been heard of around the Baltic Sea and the mediterranian and further abroad. At the same time Egypt had come under Egyptian control again. Also about this time the people of a small Greek island near the coast of present Turkey came to know of Ireland. That Island was Miletus know to peoples of the Mediterranian world and to quite a few in Ireland. 

                

  

Inspired By Mago

 Mago Bill: Mago and Magos

 

                I have posted a lot about Mago Bill and have even had a couple of Mago Bill blogs. He is probably a Munsterman even though his parents brought him to the States as a toddler.

 

                Mago Bill is a name I have given to my great grandfather, M. William Sheehan. Sheehan is a fine and interesting surname, but Mago 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, and lovers.

    

                Some Irish seem also to have been impressionable, for they heard the name Mago so often from the visiting Carthaginians that a few infants were called Mago. From that time and centuries on, the name Mago was from time to time quite popular Ireland. I have heard that two early bishops each had the name Mago.

 

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

 

                On this blog you can find out more about him. You can also find a bit about him on the blog History With RCS.

 

                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 Bill

Mago Bill as my great grandfather and Mago as a name in history and prehistory

 

 

 

                 My great grandfather was probably a Munsterman even though his parents brought him to the States as a toddler. Munster has long been the name of an area in the far south of Ireland.

     

                More exactly,Mago Bill is a name I have given to my great grandfather, M. William Sheehan. Sheehan is a fine and interesting surname, but Mago 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, and lovers.They seem also to have been impressionable for they heard the name Mago often from the visiting Carthaginians that a few infants were called 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, influenced and inspired my research and writing of history. On this blog you may expect essays and post were so influence of Mago may be detected. You will see his influence to on my history blog and on my timeline blogs. d

 

                Thanks for your visit and thank you for reading this post so you have an idea of the source of the name for this blog which was a sort of flagship for these blogs.

                                                                        RCS

About 3220 Years Ago

Around 1200 BC,  according to my best guess, there were some wide spread happenings on our planet.

Some names that have been given these happenings are: The Great Cultural Collapse, Bronze Age Collapse, The Late Bronze Age, and The Little Ice Age.

Could this big happening have had anything to do with the doings of humanity? Where there major changes in our agricultural doings not long before this time?

It may be rewarding to find out more about our past. It might pay us to share such info.