europe

Thomas Cahill describes Ireland as a cold, drab Island on the fringes of the Roman Empire. It was so small and pathetic that it wasn't worth conquering. Yet, because of these facts, Ireland would eventually play a key role in preserving most of Latin history. Sometimes it seems, it is good to be ignored.

One of the first consequences of Ireland's obscurity was that its past and its history were better preserved then most other places. Outside of Jewish History, Mr. Cahill claims that Ireland has the oldest history in the West. After a detour in Roman culture, Mr. Cahill begins the heart of this book discussing a poem he calls the Irish Iliad, a story of courage, love, romance and ancient Irish virtues, called the "Tain Bo Cuailnge"

This poem is interesting, if it reveals the ancient Irish mind. In the Iliad, for example, almost everything that happened, happened because a god was involved. For example, when Paris was asked to judge a beauty contest he chose one Goddess more than two others, he was awarded and cursed for his decision, with Helen of Troy. The Trojan War had begun.

In Ireland, the Tain Bo Cuailnge" begins with a domestic dispute between a husband and wife who are also a king and queen. He says she is "much better off" today "then the day I married you. (p.71) She disagrees, and the poem and this war are off. From the parts of "Tain Bo Cuailnge" that Mr. Cahill reveals, we get a glimpse into ancient Irish life.

What a life it was! For example, The Irish "stripped before battle and rushed their enemy naked" except for their weapons and shoes. (p.82) In battle their heroes would go into a "warp-spasm," an almost total loss of control of their bodies, which would be jerking and contorting so violently that it would be painful to watch. Even their gods were unstable. They were shape-shifting creatures which could transform from hawk to boar to bird. (p.129) Other Irish customs both strange and strangely modern included "trial marriage" of one year, mating with a horse when one became King or a wide tolerance of homosexuality between warriors. (p.135)

Most of all, to the author Tain Bo Cuailnge reveals the Irish respect for women. Earlier then most, Mr. Cahill believes the Irish women were given more rights then most. Since I have read books claiming that the Babylonian and Romans could make this same claim it is hard for me to judge Mr. Cahill's assertions accurately.

From these origins, Mr. Cahill goes on to discuss how St. Patrick, a pathetic slave stolen from the shores of England would become a Shepard in Ireland, a refugee, a discontent person returned to his home land, a priest, a missionary to Ireland, and a saint. The Irish, apparently, took to Christianity because of St. Patrick.

But, they became different sorts of Christians then their Roman or Byzantium counterparts. They were happy evangelists. While Rome was falling, Irish priests were reading, writing, and preserving, preserved much of the Roman works which were being destroyed. Some priests, hearing of Ireland, took a few books and fled there. By this time, however, the Irish were already spreading their religion to Scotland, England, and eventually Continental Europe. Thus they were able to reintroduce much of the work and some of the religion that had been lost a hundred years prior.

Eventually, however, the Irish again became an outpost on the edge of Civilization. The English came in and colonized their land, but were unable to change the Irish people. The spirit of the Tain Bo Cuailnge still lived. Mr. Cahill has a poem written in by a bereaved widow which he compare to the Tain Bo Cuailnge. The comparisons are striking. I will give you the end, only.

My rider of the bright eyes, What happened to you yesterday? I thought you in my heart, When I bought you your fine clothes, A man the world could not slay.

Isn't that nice? Perhaps, when the world falls again, Mr. Cahill states that this tiny Island may be able to save some of its best parts again.

It is hard to rate this book fairly. As a history of Ireland, it was interesting. It is filled with poems and philosophy so, if you like that, you will really enjoy this book. I really enjoyed some of the poems so I was willing to overlook some of this book's blemishes. I also greatly appreciated a dip into Irish history and the stories of St. Patrick. I would imagine that, if you are a more serious history reader, you may be disappointed. If you aren't, this book is a fun read.

Don't let the overly long title frighten you. This is a mustread! For anyone who cares about the wellspring of our culture, namelythe Greco-Roman tradition, from Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" to Virgil's "Aeneid", from classical mythology to the early versions of the Bible, you need to know the story of how the Irish monks carefully and lovingly preserved these masterpieces after the sack and fall of Rome.<P> Author Thomas Cahill blends his genuine enthusiasm for the Irish with many interesting nuggets of historical scholarship to unravel this obscure period of history. He somehow manages to tie together Ireland's epic "The Tain," the "Confessions" of St. Augustine and the life of St.Patrick himself into a cohesive narrative about how Irish scribes preserved and protected many of our most cherished literary heirlooms. No small feat this, as the monks had to labor by candlelight in such inauspicious places as a stone church on a rocky crag (Skellag Michael) , all the while avoiding piratic raids and marauding Visigoth hordes. fter I read this book, the "Dark Ages" lightened up quite a bit! Now you go read the book and we can join in celebrating the Irish, who saved the seeds of Western thought. Erin go Bragh!

I'm 18 years old and many people wouldn't expect someone my age to read something like this. But this is one of the best and even entertaining books that i have ever read. This book offers historial facts with out making it seem boring and long winded as some others can potray history. I read it from cover to cover, when i usually look for only parts that interest me. The author Thomas Cahill bring his personality into the passages so it seems more of a discussion rather than a one sided lecture. Cahill also brings hummor into it and makes the concepts understandable while bringing the big picture along for support. It seem that Cahill has done an amazing about of research for this book and personally i think that's amazing while considering its an enjoyable book. The suject of this book is so interesting and its a new way to this about the Irish culture. I can't begin to tell you how much i live this book! Its worth the money a thousand times over!!!!!