Play recording: Priests and Superstitions
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- Teideal (Title): Priests and Superstitions.
- Uimhir Chatalóige Ollscoil Washington (University of Washington Catalogue Number): 781505.
- Uimhir Chnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann (National Folklore of Ireland Number): none.
- Uimhir Roud (Roud Number): none.
- Uimhir Laws (Laws Number): none.
- Uimhir Child (Child Number): none.
- Cnuasach (Collection): Joe Heaney Collection, University of Washington, Seattle.
- Teanga na Croímhíre (Core-Item Language): English.
- Catagóir (Category): lore.
- Ainm an té a thug (Name of Informant): Joe Heaney.
- Ainm an té a thóg (Name of Collector): Esther Warkov.
- Dáta an taifeadta (Recording Date): 07/03/1978.
- Suíomh an taifeadta (Recording Location): University of Washington, United States of America.
- Ocáid an taifeadta (Recording Occasion): interview.
- Daoine eile a bhí i láthair (Others present): unavailable.
- Stádas chóipcheart an taifeadta (Recording copyright status): unavailable.
People today don’t believe in much of anything. In the older times, people believed that the priest was sent by God and could do everything right, and people were willing to suffer because he told them that God suffered more, were willing to put up with anything, even if the priest hit you you weren’t allowed to hit back. Joe’s sorry he didn’t hit many of them back. The priest told the people they were stupid to believe in fairies and superstitions – but then the priest would tell people, ‘I’ll put horns on you!’ Joe says he once told a priest, ‘You tell the people you’ll put horns on them, but you couldn’t put five pounds in their pockets.’
Joe felt that priests had destroyed the place, brainwashing the poor people.
Notes
This was recorded while Joe was Artist in Residence at University of Washington.