The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #159888   Message #3790125
Posted By: Joe Offer
13-May-16 - 02:51 PM
Thread Name: Folklore: Well Dressing
Subject: RE: Folklore: Well Dressing
Oh, Les, I don't believe the Website I linked to at all. It's rife with spelling, grammatical, and historical errors.

Peter Laban says the "Holy Wells in (rural) Ireland have been co-opted by the Catholic church." I know that Catholic-bashing is the fashion in Europe nowadays, but such statements do make me wonder. What were the Catholics supposed to do with the wells once they became the majority religion? If a people embraces a new religion, are they required to abandon all ancient customs and family traditions and leave them unscathed for someone more worthy to assume them?

I don't believe in all this cultural and ethnic purity that some people seem to be demanding nowadays. People should be able to celebrate their customs as they damn well please.

-Joe-