The People of the Gift

The People of the Gift

"Give humble respect to each of the wise people of the gift,
for honor is due to them."
    ___"The Book of the O'Connor Don," Irish text (trans CM)


   In Celtic society, the people of the gift - the aos dana (EES DAH'ma), or artists - were given the kind of respect that we now accord to great religious leaders, political leaders, actors, and singers. They were honored because they had the power to go beyond this world, to commune with otherworldly powers and to meditate their inspiration to the community. Respect was given because they represented the unseen reality to our world in a process of meditation.
    In our society, the ability to convey sacred reality to living forms has become the preserve of the religious painter, poet, or performer, and only in the highest forms of aesthetic appreciation do we see a comparable attempt to convey the beautiful and simple truths of the sacred. Only when performers and artists come close to the heart of the mystery of their craft do they feel the impinging power of the sacred . Those whom we universally regard as especially gifted, because of their ability to convey something beyond the music, the script, or whatever art form corresponds to their skill, have humility and regard for their sacred art. But today the respect that is due to the gift is often accorded solely to the artist and appropriated by her as a personal honor.
   People of gifted vision are generally unable to live by their art because so few people are able to apprehend and receive the gift. It is not a question of money but of our interest in and involvement with the gift, with the art itself. This alone creates a climate wherein the gift of the otherworld can be received and welcomed, and true respect for the people of the gift can flourish once again.

"Meditate upon your personal relationship with sacred gifts of art, music, performance. Your respect changes everything."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]