Bog buddies, just more tourist tat?

Archaeologists are used to the ethical questions involved with bog bodies.....but what about tourist tat?

An industrious company has set up to sell "Bog Buddies", little characters and motifs (men, women, sheep, hearts, shamrocks) carved from bog materials. Not a terrible idea considering the lack of enterprise following the recession, and the fact that tourists will buy anything. They look nice enough when framed, but really, there doesn't seem to be a great deal of skill in the carving, and certainly not enough to justify the €14 price tag for the smallest piece in the cheapest box, or €40 for a small framed heart. 

I also wonder if they really thought through the name "bog buddies" - did they actively seek association with millenia-old corpses?

Ireland: Bagged up Bog Body

A bog body was found part-buried in a leather bag in Portloaise by Bórd na Móna diggers yesterday - saved in the nick of time from the machine cutters by a keen-eyed employee. Now removed for study at the National Museum, the remains are believed to be 3000 years old. Chemicals in the surrounding peat preserved the exposed legs and leather bag, but the torso, head and arms that were covered in the leather bag did not survive. The area surrounding the remains has provided a number of exciting archaeological finds in recent years, including an axe heads, shoes and bog butter.

Read RTÉ's story here, including more pics.

How to make me grind my teeth

Using the "Mother Goddess" name in vain...!

So, my posts have not been of a very personal nature, but, if you want to know how to get my blood boiling, then feast your eyes on the last paragraph taken from The Archaeological Institute of America Vol.63, No.3 May/June 2010 "Clonycavan and Old Croghan Men" by Lobell and Patel.

It's not all bad - an interesting subject, lots of fun archaeological facts, funky hair, trade routes, and an Irish focus.

BUT... then they have to go and RUIN it by talking about the "Mother Goddess". Honestly, there just simply is not much in the way of evidence, just wild speculation.

For your reading pleasure, get the full article here.

The section that really pushed my buttons is:

"The bodies served as offerings to the goddess of the land to whom the king was wed in his inauguration ceremony. According to Kelly, both men’s multiple injuries may reflect the belief that the goddess was not only one of the land and fertility, but also of sovereignty, war, and death. “By using a range of methods to kill the victim, the ancient Irish sacrificed to the goddess in all her forms,” he says."

This seems like a bit of a leap to me - stating that the bodies were an offering to the Mother Goddess....hmmmm...

I just can't bring myself to believe this absolute link with the Mother Goddess - prove it to me! Send me some evidence I can sink my teeth into! Convert me! I am sure Mr. Kelly of the National Museum of Ireland knows a billion times more than me, so I am very confused by all of this.