A Grave Topic
From our very first day of sightseeing when we visited
Monasterboise, I have been curious about Irish cemeteries. As someone who
enjoys learning the deeper meaning and significance of things, I wondered why
their graves were different than those found in America. Instead of a simple
gravestone, most, if not all, of the graves we have come across have not only a
gravestone, but also an area filled with rocks and often other things like
flowers or personal items. As I was getting ready to ask Dave (our bus driver) to explain the purpose of this “garden,” we drove past get another gravesite.
To my excitement, Dave began telling us the significance behind this area.
As with many of their traditions, this custom is rooted in
Irish folklore. People held a strong belief that when someone died their soul
was stuck in a sort of limbo, searching for something familiar to latch onto.
As such, great measures were taken to change the appearance of the deceased’s
home so that they wouldn’t recognize it and try to come back. To keep them from
wandering around for eternity, however, familiar items were put at the site of
the grave.
Even though most people no longer believe this folklore, it
has become a tradition. It offers a sort of closure to the deceased’s family
and friends, a symbolic way of indicating that their loved one has moved on.
Music In The Streets
Just as in many other countries, music plays a large part in
traditions and heritage. The same can be said for Ireland. As a musician, I
have had a wonderful time learning about the various types of music and musical
instruments that this country has become known for.
There have been so many times I have been able to experience
music (besides my iPod and our choir rehearsals) on this trip. All of us had the opportunity on Sunday night
to enjoy traditional Irish music and dancing, making use of a large variety of
instruments, including the bagpipes and tin whistle. Dave has been doing his best to educate us in
all types of Irish music – traditional, modern, folk, and so on – on our long
bus rides.
My favorite, though, was wandering the streets of Galway Bay.
Rather than find a pub or coffee shop to eat lunch, my roommate and I meandered
through the stalls of street vendors. Along the way, we encountered a man
playing a strange instrument. Initially enjoying it as we passed, we found
ourselves returning to hear more. When Laura asked about his CD’s, he started
explaining how the instrument worked. We discovered that it was a sort of
combination of a stringed instrument with a piano and called a Celtic Drone.
This instrument is operated by turning a crank that runs across the strings to
create a low, consistent droning noise. The middle strings are then played by
keys that are somewhat controlled by gravity. (We also learned that the Celtic
Drone is the first instrument to use keys). Typically, this instrument is accompanied
by the bagpipes as both are Drone instruments.
Overall, I have enjoyed the numerous experiences I’ve had in
Ireland, but I particularly love the music. Not only the variety in genres, but
the various instruments I have encountered. I look forward to discovering more
music in the streets of Ireland.
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Photo Credit: myself
