OPINION (AN COLÚN): A melting pot of paganism, the supernatural and Christianity

DURING the recent Offaly Heritage Seminar a number of us were very fortunate to get a tour of elegant and fascinating Emmel Castle near Cloughjordan.

During the tour we fell into conversation with the Hollywood actor and owner of the castle Patrick Bergin. Patrick told us about his film company 'Amergin' and a DVD it had produced which was three short films based on adaptations of three Yeats plays. He very kindly gave us a copy of it as a present.

I rate Yeats plays very highly indeed so this was a big treat for me. The first one on the DVD is a masterpiece and it should be as well known as Waiting for Godot. It's called 'The Cat and the Moon' and was first produced in the Abbey in 1931. In typical Yeatsian fashion the story is a melting pot of the supernatural, paganism and Christianity. The combination of these three things creates a fantastic atmosphere which is magical and poetic.

It begins grimly but ends with a delightful, positive flourish.

The beginning is this: A blind man is carrying a lame man across the rocky terrain of the Burren. Dressed in rags and severely disabled, life has been very hard on them.

As we that are ablebodied watch the scene we feel a big sense of gratitude, gratitude that we can walk and can see. As we watch, we no longer take these actions for granted.

And there's the unsettling thought that these abilities could be taken from us during our lives. The play is saying, Life can be hard and uncompromising, brutal and unforgiving.

Nevertheless, they have each other. The blind man provides a means of locomotion for the lame man, and the latter acts as a guide. Similarly in life we can find friendship and love which significantly ease the burden of existence.

These two men are on a quest. For a very long time they have been seeking a Holy Well and a Saint who presides at the Well, with the understanding that their physical afflictions can be cured there.

Finally, after a long, arduous trek, they find it. Their relief and excitement is enormous. They implore the spirit of the place to cure them of their afflictions. Eventually the saint answers. He says he wants to ask each of them a question. The question is a choice, 'Will you be cured or will you be blessed?'

'I'll be cured of my blindness,' says the blind man.

Saint: 'If you become blessed and stay blind then we can be together always.'

Blind man: 'No your reverence. If I have to choose, I will have the sight of my two eyes. For those that have their sight are always stealing my things and telling me lies.'

Saint: 'Lame man, will you be cured or will you be blessed?'

Lame Man: 'What would it be like to be blessed?'

Saint: 'You would be of the kin of the blessed saints and martyrs.'

Lame Man: 'Is it true that they have a book and they write the names of the blessed in that book?'

Saint: 'Many times I have seen it and your name will be in it.'

Lame Man: 'It will be a grand thing to have my two legs under me but I have it in my mind that it will be a grander thing to have my name in that book. Then I will remain lame holy man and I will be blessed.'

Saint: 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit I give this blind man sight and I make this lame man blessed.'

The blind man's sight is restored but the lame man remains crippled. However, the blind man can't see the Saint, whereas the lame man can. The blind man starts accusing the lame man of being a thief and of habitually lying. His anger overtakes him and he starts beating the lame man with his stick. He walks off, discarding the stick and leaving the lame man alone. The cripple picks up the stick and struggles to his feet. The saint asks the cripple to carry him on his back. 'But I will never be able to bear you,' says the lame man. Saint: 'I weigh no more than a grasshopper.' The lame man says he better be going. Saint: 'But you must bless the road. Bow to what is before you. Bow to what is behind you. Bow to what is to the left of you. Bow to what is to the right of you.' The lame man obeys.

Saint: 'Now you must dance.'

Lame Man: 'How can I dance? I am a lame man.'

Saint: 'Aren't you blessed?'

Lame Man: 'I am.'

Saint: 'Then dance... dance... dance... dance... dance...'

The lame man starts dancing; his crippled state has been cured. He laughs for joy.