Plumfairy's Celtic Moments

Failte romhaibh go leir go dti mo leathanach

The Celtic people, and their ways & contributions to society, even now, are an important part of my life. I have studied everything that I could get my hands on, from their beginnings BC, to date. And, it's a thrilling history, indeed.

I found a structured society that was before it's time. A cauldron of inventors, and a brave, yet sensitive people. I found deep intelligence, and artistic tendencies, an extreme sense of fairness and duty, a love of nature and science mixed tantalizingly with superstition and faith; and, above all, my roots, back to the beginning of this millenium!

For now, I would like to leave you with a poem that has an unusual story behind it; but I won't tell what it is until after you've read it!

I and Pangur Ban my cat
'Tis a like task we are at;
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night.

Tis a merry thing to see
At our tasks how glad are we,
When at home we sit and find
Entertainment to our mind.

'Gainst the wall he sets his eye,
Full and fierce and sharp and sly;
'Gainst the wall of knowledge I,
All my little wisdom try.

So in peace our task we ply,
Pangur Ban my cat and I;
In our arts we find our bliss,
I have mine and he has his.

That poem could apply to, or have been written by, any one of us. Especially someone, such as myself, who is both a lover of my pets, and a writer. It wasn't, however. It was tucked into a manuscript that was written by an Irish scribe. That was at a time when so many there devoted their lives to copying books of importance that had been destroyed almost completely, and were being lost to the world. Somewhere, amidst the laborious task of replicating the Greek and Latin works, the author found time to write a sentiment about his cat!

The century was 800 ~ 1200 years ago!!!!