Erin is Ireland

  A couple of ideas for this entry are swirling around in my head- Ireland, women's legal rights, the law, and a dog. According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn , the"first judgment" of Brehon Law indicated the " high position women held in Ireland from the earliest times.”  Especially in contrast to some other early societies in regards to women's legal rights, property rights, and sometimes being viewed as property by their husbands.  Not so with Delgnat, wife of Parthalon.   According to the myth, Parthalon was one of the first settlers in Ireland and set up residence on a tiny island on the present-day river Erne.   While Parthalon was away surveying Ireland, his wife, Delgnat was home alone on her little island and ended up having an affair with a servant.  When Parthalon returned he found out and killed the lover and his wife's dog.  It was decided by Brehon Law that the husband's offense of murder and taking the law into his own hands was g...

Though I will not be doing the typical sightseeing in Ireland, I pretty much know what I will see once I get to this northwestern region in Ireland.  It's easy to imagine with the internet. Lots of green, spectacular scenery, ancient stone structures, rugged Atlantic coastline, cold, wet, windy, early spring weather, quaint villages...and the Irish people of course!  I do not expect to run into any of the "little people" or catch a fabled leprechaun to grant me three wishes.  Nor do I expect to be magically transported if I accidentally step into a fairy ring or stone circle.  Call me faithless for not clapping my hands and shouting, "I do believe in fairies!  I do!"   I know I am not alone in my modern-day perception. Yet anciently, when people relied on oral traditions and storytellers for their information, it was common practice to believe that one's health and well-being were tied to the will of unseen beings.  All sorts of superstitions and ...