Clearly I've Lost Me Lucky Charms

I wanted to start off the blog by plugging a fabulous book series I have been reading which is a fictionalized account of Ireland’s history from its Pagan roots to the turmoil of the late 1900’s. But before I go any further, you should know that these “books” really fall more into the “giant tome” category…just so you know. (See below image.) Anyway, I was beginning to compare and contrast the foundations of early Ireland and those of America to assess how the different nations turned out as a result. (Note: No Venn diagrams were harmed during the making of this comparison.)
What intrigued me first and foremost were the almost polar differences in Puritan America and Pagan Ireland. Paganism promotes open sexuality while Puritanism forbids in outside of marriage relationships. Pagan traditions spawned Halloween, which is intrinsically based in the mysterious and supernatural, while Puritan traditions gave us Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in tradition and family. In many circles, Paganism was seen as a type of savagery, practiced by heathens. Puritanism is in most ways the expression of civility and conservatism. When these two avenues are explored, it becomes quite fascinating to see the histories of the two nations play out.
Following the Catholicism of Ireland and its partitioning off to the Vikings, Normans and English, the land faced a period of many hundreds of years torn by violence and poverty. America too faced long periods of violence and strife during the years after its birth. Interestingly, part of the violence faced by both nations stemmed from battles for independence from British rule. It interesting to speculate whether or not the countries’ roots contributed to this.
Oh no. Looks like I am going to have to go give my little brother some desperately needed attention (bad babysitter!). This will have to wait until the next blog. (Besides, I am quickly overrunning the 200 word max!)