Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Brian O'Sullivan, 5th century



Dear diary,

Business is running good, the Roman army has a great need of cattle and also the slave market is flourishing. After all British men have gone to war for the Roman Empire, which has been attacked by barbarians, their poor women were left alone with all their kids and goods, and well, after we're a nation of gentlemen,we went to look after them. My emigrated landsmen have set up the first kingdoms in Britannica, and we’re extending our power constantly. So long everything fine. But just a few days ago something really strange happened...

It was years ago we carried out a normal routine raid on the coast of Britannica and captured some Welsh men. Among them there was a 16 year old boy, inconspicuous, nobody really paid attention to. We sold him in Dubbhlin, and now, 6 years later we get a complaint, that he has escaped. They say that he somehow managed to get on a boat to Britannica and is already happily united with his family again. Admittedly, we didn't pay too much attention to that incident; it happens all the time, there are so many slaves you easily loose track. 

That happened a few months ago, and as yet nobody had thought about it anymore. Anyway, a few days ago an Welsh man landed on our island, dressed in the long robes, calling himself the great missionary. He was talking some strange stuff about that one, great god and some Jesus guy and the Holy Trinity, goodness knows. Initially we took him as a target of ridicule, but eventually people started listening to his glorious speeches; he was promising us paradise and brotherhood and love and wealth and whatever. I was a little suspicious, I had heard of those guys, children of the Roman Empire, and I tried to find out more about this Patrick. Turned out he was the prisoner, who had escaped a few months ago. Back home he had turned into a bishop of the catholic church and now had returned as a missionary to convert us! Strange though it may seem, he's really gaining followers...! I'm all agog to see how far he'll come...







Dear diary,

It has passed some time since my last entry, but here some short update: This Welshman, Patrick, really succeeded turning our whole island catholic, witches and pagans vanished, and soon monasteries started popping up everywhere. Kings soon realized, that it was a sign of reputation to have some monks around, and on account of that started supporting the faithful and offering them physical protection, whereupon it has come to a real cultural and intellectual revolution round here.

So over the years this religion has really united our country, why we declared Patrick a saint and our patron. Even though I think that's only because he's the only catholic person with much influence, who's left written documents- as well as a matching saint you need a manifest to define a countries religion and identity.

Anyway, the monks have brought us wealth and prosperity, arts are flourishing and our educational standard has reached a level above average. Monks have invented a script for our gaelic language in order to translate the bible and other important texts, and they have even started writing the book of invasion, which is supposed to tell our story, the irish history (Even though what I've heard so far, it doesn't really follow the truth; seems more like a legendary epic). Be that as it may, for the first time we Irish are feeling like a real nation, with roots and an uniting religion, and if we go on in this way, I'm telling you that we're looking into a bright future!


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