Irish eyes
I grew up a first generation immigrant. My father’s were brown. He came to the US from Italy. My mother’s eyes were blue. Her family was from the US. I remember my paternal grandfather commenting on the color of my eyes. They were sometimes blue and sometime green depending on the color shirt I wore. Only recently did I learn from DNA testing that I’m 52.3% Northwestern European and only 47.6% Southern European. My Northwestern European ancestry is composed of 46.3% French & German and only 6% British & Irish. Yet when my mother introduced me to Loreena McKennitt’s celtic music, I was hooked. My eyes shone green that day, I’m sure of it. After leaving home as a young man I continued to hear Loreena on Fiona Riche’s Thistle & Shamrock radio program. I’ve yet to make the trip to Ireland, but I know when I do, I will head straight for a pub to listen to the sessions.
To prepare for my visit I’m learning some tunes. In “Ratlin’ Bog” and “Britches Full of Stitches” I cover two Irish folk tunes. They are both technically polkas. The featured image for the video in “Ratlin’ Bog” is from a farm house in my neighborhood. It’s a spot that reminds me of photos I’ve seen of the Irish countryside. The lush green flora and rustic buildings are really captivating. There is a beautiful sycamore tree nearby I like to park myself at while I meditate on the scene. Music has always been a form of meditation for me. I can imagine the same is true for painters who set up their tripod at a scene like this. It doesn’t take long to become immersed in such a rich sensory experience. Before I know it, I’m traveling through time and space.
At times like these, my brain tends to settle on thoughts about relationships. The “default mode” its called in neuroscience. Like any good soundtrack, music helps me feel more in my body when I add it to contemplation. In “Britches Full of Stitches” the featured image for that video is a pair of jeans re-fashioned by my sister. It just so happened that she was finishing a pair of britches when I was searching for imagery to go with the tune. Now I am sure to think of her when I watch it. I like to wonder what and who is the inspiration for a piece that inspires me. I don’t have to know, but sometimes it move me more to be aware of the history behind the tune. What was it like to make a pair of pants centuries ago in Ireland? What a great way to connect with our ancestors by continuing traditions like sewing and making music!
For sure, both sewing and music making is something shared across cultures. I was hopeful to find some Irish ancestry in my DNA analysis. Perhaps to explain my fascination with Ireland. As it turns out a wee percentage of my ancestors were settled in Britain and Scotland, so close! Nonetheless, I discovered a bit of history that changed how I think about it all. Take a look at the map below:
Ancient migration patterns in Northwestern Europe
I also recently discovered a contemporary celtic harpist, Anna Eggersberger, who is originally from Bavaria just south of Germany where ancient celts settled. She followed her passion for traditional Irish music to Limerick, Ireland where she completed her music studies. Celtic migration to what is now France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, and Germany was interfaced with the expanse of the Roman Empire. The other half of my ancestors, the Italians. The Romans under Augustus, extended their empire to south of the Danube River, including a portion of Bavaria. In time, I’ll build my set list of tarantellas! Look out for me in the corner of an Italian restaurant in the future.
Until then, I’ll keep adding Irish tunes to my set list. Whether Loreena and I turn out to be distant cousins or not, I feel a little closer to her ancestors when thumbing through O’Neills book of Irish music . It really does run deep. I’ll think of where my hazel eyes came from when I smile as I play. Being Irish may have more to do with being moved by the music than DNA anyway. With all the mixing and back and forth of cultural assimilation, it makes me wonder about what function national identity really plays anymore? Maybe, we’d all feel more like we belong if we realized how common migration has been throughout history. A recent SNL skit captures how I feel sometimes yearning to belong in Ireland. The title is “What Americans Think Will Happen When They Visit Ireland.” I’ll close with that. Check it out!
