The Irish Are a Microcosm of Historic Mixing. Moving Populations Are at Each Other's Borders, but Romance Will Out.
"Them Are Visiting"
The red haired clerk with porcelain skin, south of Moab, A group of Indians came in and purchased items, and then left. Without looking up she said: "Them are them Utes".
The new Irish Catholic family moving into town in the 1800's in New York. "Them are them Sullivans".
The same thing was said by the Tuatha De Danaan about those ancient wood people's "Them are them Firbolgs".
The same thing could be said about Joseph when he came into Egypt. "That's that cute guy from the desert".
A Mythological Female With Horns, You Are Only Likely To Meet At A Circus
We Are Born to Bare
Time.com has reported proof that Neanderthals and early modern humans interbred. As they observed: "The fact that Neanderthal DNA was not present in the genomes of the two present-day Africans indicates that interbreeding occurred after some root population of early modern humans had left Africa, but before the species evolved into distinct groups in Europe and Asia."
Neanderthal Married Into Cro Magnon Relationships
Why not? The Neanderthals had been around for over 100,000 years. That's a long time. This Cro Magnon group looked different. Had more tools. Better living conditions.
They Succeeded Sexually and Romantically. But They Are Still Extinct.
It's still a mystery as to why the Neanderthals faded from the scene, but most assuredly it was not a lack of sexual or romantic interest. Genetic differences may actually create interest, but be that as it may, the basic drive for love, companionship, children, family and grandchildren is physiologically and psychologically inherent.
Sex and Love Become Interesting
The Neanderthals failed, not because the Cro Magnons excluded them from any contact - obviously. The story always gets more interesting when it involves sex and love.
The Irish - A Micro Story of the World
This one little island is a fascinating example of these concepts about assimilation, conflict, love and romance.
First, when the original original Irish were there, they were shorter darker haired and very "at home" in the deep dark woods. They migrated to Ireland after the last ice age (circa 10,000 BC). When the Iberian (Spanish) Irish made their big move, probably from Mediterranean homes, about 2000 BC - The Tuatha De Danann sailed from Spain to Ireland. The Tuatha De Danann classified the original people in tales (leprechauns and the like) as time went on. But in reality, they were known as the Firbolgs. They were just very different from these "sophisticated" Irish.
Fast Forward 50 Years On St. Patrick's Day
The Irish ability to become American is probably one of the more impressive stories in history. And it is really the specific purpose of this article. Sex and romance are inevitable, joyous and wonderfully and terribly human. Assimilation is what takes the effort. Take a snapshot of the Present. You would swear the Irish were the original settling peoples who everyone aspires to be related to. Actually, it's really more of a truly American statement. "Hey they drink and have a Saint who skedaddled the serpents out of Ireland. It gives us an excuse to party and wear green and be completely assimilated. Who's gonna say I don't have Irish blood anyway?"
"Who Is Gonna Say I don't Have Irish Blood Anyway?"
Let's be honest. America is a miscegenistic country. Just as soon as someone wants to call themselves pure Puritan stock, someone ups and marries someone of a different hue. The Irish are known for being, let us say, "culturally tolerant" in their marital choices. (Forgive me, if you differ). But then that is the whole history of Ireland.
Neanderthals, Pariahs and The Irish
Forgive for the covering of umpteen thousands of years. Since now we know that the Neanderthals and the Cro Magnons did intermarry, we can come to a new observation.
The point is that our problems are not whether people can grow to love one another. Our problems have to do with culture and assimilation.
Whatever happens, it gets down to being able to work with each other after we have loved each other. It is just an axiom of history that romance finds it way (Romeo and Juliet and other such tales), and then they get married, instead of committing suicide. Their kids get new names and new last names and different in-laws. Next generation, the process keeps going and children get better educations and choose different occupations.
We had an African American President -- Barak Obama. It is historic, but also a natural event. Stories of breakthroughs are amazing and inspiring, but still there will always be differences.
There Will Always Be Differences
The same thing could be said about Lot when he came into Sodom and Gommorah. "Them are them hill people". The same thing could be said by the Italians around 1300 BC, when poor immigrants who would eventually become the Romans, landed in their boats: "Them are them immigrants from the destroyed City of Troy". And when the English settlers from Roanoke joined a local Indian tribe, the other Indians said of them: "Them are them blonde-haired, blue-eyed, bearded Indians from Roanoke."
The same thing could be said about the Neanderthals when they camped next to the Cro Magnons for the first time. "Them are them Neanderthals, funny lookin' aint they?" A pause and a giggle: "No, I think they are kind of cute."
Love and Relationships
Lion Tamer
Isaac van Amburgh, an American lion tamer of Iroquois extraction, took London by storm in 1838-9 with his daring performances at venues such as the Drury Lane Theatre and Astley's Amphitheatre.
Queen Victoria was a great admirer of the show, remarking that 'you can never see it too often, for it is different each time.' (Journal, 29 January, 1839). Indeed she attended seven times over a period of six weeks, and on one occasion stayed behind to watch the animals being fed.
© 2010 Christofer French
