Milk That Cow In Comfort

There seems to have been a certain continuity of Bronze Age culture between about 2000 BC and 1000 BC in what we now call Scandinavia and north western Europe.

During that period people and animals were housed together in what we may call Longhouses. The milk cow was very important. Milk with it's by-products was an important dietary item. Cheese was made. During or just prior to this period a gene against lactose intolerance my have emerged amongst these people. Cows may have been kept inside to encourage continuation of milk production through cold winters.

These people may have been raiders and subject to raids by others.

The above mentioned practices were found among Saxons and Frisians of a later date.

Ethlinn

Ethlinn is an important feminine name in the early hist of the people of Ireland. Three example of the many variations of the name are Ena, Ethniu, Eithne. At the moment Ethlinnn seems the most congenial to me.



I'll call my notions of the story of Ethlinn, history. Others have called it myth or of a religious nature. Others still have called it just a story.



Stories are great, but Here I intend to only briefly outline my understanding of Ethlinn's place in history.



Her place is just between two important peoples of early Ireland, the Fomorian are one and the Tuatha De Danann the other. I believe that they were both on the island before the steel carrying Celts. I think it well to call both of these early peoples carriers of bronze Age cultures. The Danann may be important to the origins of people called Sheehan.



Our Ethlinn is the daughter of a Fomorian leader called Balor. She came to know a man called Cian and was the son of Dian Cecht of the Tuatha De Danann. Cian and Ethlinn married and produced a son who was called Lugh. I've written of the bog Lug in earlier posts.



That's it, Cian and Ethlinn through their marriage join two important peoples of earlier Ireland.

It would not be correct to say that they lived happily ever after. Still, their joining has been important to to the formation of the Irish people.


Ethlinn and here story may be associated with Tory Island, leanan sidhe, Birog, Gavida, Manannan mac Lir, the Dagda, strife, Ogma, Fir Bolg, Teltown and much more. Sidhe means something like 'the magic person of the fairy mounds' and is some times pronounced shee, which is the sigular of Sheehan.

Early Prussian Stuff

The Bronze Age Prussian culture, like other Bronze Age cultures, cam to be be strongly affected by the Iron Age technology of the La Tene Celtic culture as later as 400 BC.
The strength of the goddess Neringa wasn't protection enough in the face of the numbers in the Celtic migrations.

Scandinavian Viking began controlling trade in and through Prussian territory in about 890 AD. The Hill of Kaup near Wiskiauten may have been their first trading stronghold on the Prussian mainland. The wealth that this Scandinavian trade brought to the eastern isles of Scandinavia probably funded the beginning of the Swedish state.

Truso was an important trading center in Pomeranian Prussia long before the arrival of Scandinavians Viking. I suspect that amber trade with Rome moved through Truso.

Before 98 AD Romans found the Prussians to be more like Britains of that time then like the peoples of what the called Greater Germania. The Romans called the people they found on that Baltic coast Acstii. They noted that they still had very few iron weapons and tools, but still used mostly bronze and even stone.

Linguists believe that the evidence shows that Prussians are more closely related to Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians than to almost all other peoples.

My aim here as on all by blogs, is to start a conversation.
I'm interested in your questions, answers, comments, feelings, beliefs, thoughts,,,,,
You might ask, "What's Prussian?"
You might answer, "My aunt Millie."
You might comment, "Who cares about Balts."

You're really into this if you look for answers to:
Who knows a lot about the Nehugs-Kurisch language? or
How did the Sambians affect the Old Prussians in what became the Duchy of East Prussia.

One Fourth Irish

My mother was likely Scott and Prussian; my father Norwegian and Irish. My father once told me that his father said to him, "Remember son, all Irishmen are wits, and you are half Irish."


Given my background you may have the kindness to forgive how I begin this bit of history. I begin with a pure heart and a tear in my eye.

Holy places and powers be.

We are descended from a race of bards and heroes and there was once an age of gold.
Remember.
Let your memory be deep and fine.
No need to remember too sharply the giants, fire, and advancing sea. Better to remember some proper names older than the Dagda. Remember the times before the Tuatha De Danann and let your memories be stirred.
Trust your memories enough for there are finer things there.
Be ready to embrace the truth.

Remember a short time ago to a time just before the viking Norsemen came to North America. Remember the men who came from places we now call Wales, Scotland, Ireland came with pre-Celtic memories moving down the hills of Kentucky.

Now, back again to times before the bright gods of Asgard. Yes, even then your ass was guarded.

Study of pre-Christian North and Western Europe has often been based in the medieval literature of Iceland and Ireland. Still, there are things to be learned from the earlier Romans and Greeks, and earlier yet. From the Greeks come hints of iron bearing Celt coming west as early as a golden age. They were clearer about iron bearing Celt moving west at the end of the bronze age. Some called those later Celt Galatians.

More is prepared.