2 ms·
Well, I have realized there’s more evidence than I thought. Oral traditions are not that easy to stamp out. It is all underground now though. And certainly not
by erikpukinskis 8y ago
Well, I have realized there’s more evidence than I thought. Oral traditions are not that easy to stamp out. It is all underground now though. And certainly not readily accessible to the Academy, given that it is a fundamentally colonial institution.
- marcus_holmes 8y agoYeah, but "oral history" is only evidence that the history exists now. Not that it existed 10,000, 1,000 or even 10 years ago. The poster child for this is the druids in the UK. The Romans went on a deliberate campaign to destroy the druids. They documented it in their written histories, culminating in the invasion of the holy island of Anglesea. They stamped the whole religion out thoroughly. They had ~400 years to do that. Then there was ~1000 years of Christianity, not at all tolerant of other faiths. Then there was the Victorians, who were really, really keen on the occult and ancient knowledge. And suddenly an ancient oral tradition of druidism pops up. Convenient. I know there are oral histories that are sacred to Australian indigenous peoples, and I don't doubt for a second that they are true, but I'm always wary of trusting them.