“The only true wisdom lives far from mankind, out in the great loneliness, and it can be reached only through suffering. Privation and suffering alone can open the mind of a man to all that is hidden to others.”
Igiugarjuk
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During the Fifth Danish Thule Expedition (1921-1924), Dr. Knud Rasmussen interviewed a number of Native American shaman in the region we call Alaska. His interview with Igiugarjuk would be of great interest to Joseph Campbell, the American writer and lecturer, who studied comparative mythology. In his 1959 book, “Primitive Mythology: The Masks of God,” Campbell noted that the above quote “concerning the relationship of man to the mystery of his being” is as profound as any found in what are considered “the higher religions.”
This is a topic that is of special interest to me today, for a couple of reasons. The first, which I had planned to write about, has to do with “St. Patrick's Day.” The second, which came unexpectedly, was the death of a relative with whom I was particularly close, over the past weekend. And because I will be traveling to a funeral tomorrow, I thought that I'd attempt to combine a few areas of thought today. Best of luck.
Relatively little is known of the historic figure we know as Patrick, the saint of Ireland. The stories of “saints” are said to be the revised and edited versions of a dead sinner's life. Add a bit of mythology, and one finds the story of a semi-mad bishop chasing snakes off the island becoming better known than much of the real story.
It may be that ancient people combined the stories of two, or even three, historic characters into “St. Patrick.” The most significant of these was a man who, in his youth, had been kidnapped and taken to Ireland. He was a slave for a period of years, working in solitude, before escaping and returning to his native Britain. There, he became a Catholic priest of sorts, and opted to serve as a missionary in Ireland.
Patrick's efforts were never embraced by the leaders of the Roman Catholic hierarchy. He was viewed as being as crude as the “wild” Irish. More, while the Roman Catholic church sought to absorb the pagan rites of tribal peoples surrounding the empire, Patrick attempted a blending. Hence, Patrick became the first known “Roman” Catholic leader to speak out (in his letters) against slavery and the oppression of women. Perhaps more offensive, Patrick noted that all human beings “sinned” on a regular, even daily basis, and could be forgiven, even without payment to the church. These were positions that were entirely unwelcome by the Roman Catholic hierarchy.
Attempts to exploit the human and natural resources of Ireland were causing an increase in violence and suffering in the land. Patrick's letters tend to focus on his attempts to help the poor, and relieve their suffering. As Thomas Cahill writes in his 1995 book, “How the Irish Saved Civilization,” Patrick saw the Irish character traits of loyalty, courage, and generosity to be the same as the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
Not surprisingly, Patrick's stated goal of having the church serve as a counter-balance to the power of kings was not shared by the Roman Catholic hierarchy. While he broke bread with the poor, church leaders in Europe were dining with “royalty.” At a time when the empire sought to conquer nature, these “leaders” resented Patrick's identifying the Natural World as the true Eucharist.
This is why those familiar with Patrick do not participate in the mindless “partying” that so many Americans take part in on March 17th. It reminds me of when, in the 1990s, a brewery began producing “Crazy Horse Malt Liquor” in 40-ounce bottles. For every tyrant/dictator knows that it is easier to control a drunken mob of merry fools, than a single sober wise man.
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“I'm not sure everything can be explained. Some things you either understand, or you just don't. Maybe the goal should be to teach respect for other people, even if you don't fully understand them.”
Onondaga Chief Paul Waterman
I remember one morning, in the early 1990s, when Chief Waterman's daughter Denise called me. She said, “Dad had a serious stroke in the night. You'd better get up here. You might be saying good-bye to him.” I am a slow and cautious driver, but I think I did break the speed limit driving to the hospital in Syracuse.
I was pleased when the nurses told me that Paul was pulling through okay. I went into his room, and set down an ancient stone pipe that I had recovered with me. Paul and I started discussing that pipe, and this led to a series of interviews that I would do with him over the years for an Indian newspaper.
During those years, although his health would fail him, and he suffered a great deal, Chief Waterman would remain focused upon the needs of other people – Indian and non-Indian alike. In the last of our interviews, he spoke about the need to help those who are suffering. That interview was done a few months after the tragic events of 9/11.
“I'm not pointing fingers, or saying one government is right, or one religion is wrong. … What I am concerned with is the innocent human beings who have suffered and died,” he told me.
“See, people suffer every day, from floods and hurricanes. If we want to do the work of the Creator, we share with them. That's doing the Creator's will.”
“Be a good neighbor. If my garden is ready before yours, we should share mine now,and yours later. You have to remember, all of the Earth is the Creator's garden, and he shares it with us. That's why I say sharing is divine intervention.”
“It's (stocking up on food and water) the opposite of sharing. …. Do you want to tell the Creator that you prepared to meet him by storing food, or sharing it?”
I think these concepts are a necessary counter-balance to the power of “government” today, when I look at events in Japan, in the Middle East, and in the United States. They are the ideas that I will talk about when I go to a funeral on St. Patrick's Day.
Peace,
H2O Man
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