Staring into the end
It seems that the more I read the more I weep. I cannot express on how much it pains me to read the condition of a civilization that has faced a slow and grinding death. The Gaels that have made up the whole of Europe over 2 millenia ago are now pushed to the fringes of the European continent. These fringes are Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Basque, and Cornwall. Out of all these, only one has achieved self-governing independence. That is Ireland, and even the whole of the isle is not free of the grip of the crown of England. The Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, and Wales; are under controll of the English. Basque is most often overlooked, and has been fighting for independence from the Spanish for centuries. As for the Bretons, they are under crushing sovereign of France.
I for one believe that language is a piece of character and of a persons identity. I believe that it is something deeper than words can even express, and speaking the language is the only way to express that cultural identity of self and a whole. Gaelic is a language that has been decimated by the rule and laws of the foreign powers. I feel that language is a part of my heritage and one that is worth saving. I am a mutt; being French Canadian, Irish, English, and German. I do not fear for the French language. I do not fear for the German language. I do not fear for the English language. What I do fear is the loss of a language that has evolved only in the area's they inhabit, for other than this factor has been relatively unchanged for well over 3 millenia. Maybe even more.
It just pains me to see a culture that has persevered for so long to just be wiped off the face of the earth (in no thanks to great advances in technology and growth of media that only utilizes the dominant nations language) into the great abyss of un-recorded history. I just wish there was something that I can do about it. It's like watching a car crash or reading a Greek tragedy. You see and know what's going to happen but all you can do is watch.
I for one believe that language is a piece of character and of a persons identity. I believe that it is something deeper than words can even express, and speaking the language is the only way to express that cultural identity of self and a whole. Gaelic is a language that has been decimated by the rule and laws of the foreign powers. I feel that language is a part of my heritage and one that is worth saving. I am a mutt; being French Canadian, Irish, English, and German. I do not fear for the French language. I do not fear for the German language. I do not fear for the English language. What I do fear is the loss of a language that has evolved only in the area's they inhabit, for other than this factor has been relatively unchanged for well over 3 millenia. Maybe even more.
It just pains me to see a culture that has persevered for so long to just be wiped off the face of the earth (in no thanks to great advances in technology and growth of media that only utilizes the dominant nations language) into the great abyss of un-recorded history. I just wish there was something that I can do about it. It's like watching a car crash or reading a Greek tragedy. You see and know what's going to happen but all you can do is watch.