Bermuda Series: Heritage, Ancestry, History!!!

Sometimes heritage, ancestry, and history are discussed as if the concepts are all one and the same thing. However, I, and Merriam Webster, disagree. Each word has a different meaning and is not the same no matter the context.

In the context of this writing, heritage is something passed on or acquired based on where one is born, or how one is raised, or one's overall environment. Heritage is more like culture.

Ancestry is who – not necessarily where – you come from. Your lineage. Who are those that came before you with the same bloodline? Your ancestors.

History – this is the big one. To discuss history is to tell the past details of a place, an event, a people, or a person. Why is this the big one? Because this one is subjective – history can be influenced by the narrator. The narrative can be biased. One person's memory or perspective of the story can be completely different from another person's who was right there at the exact time and place. In addition, one person's history can impact and change the trajectory of another's life.

Never mind, the equality of the three ideas… equality is a matter for each individual to evaluate. Why are these three so important? And why is it so important to understand and keep these three concepts separate - Heritage – Ancestry – History?

Why, because it is important to know (a) the reason that we keep the celebrations and follow traditions in a certain way, (b) who were the first of our ancestors to begin those traditions, and (3) what some of the past events are that impacted or influenced our physical and spiritual being that makes us who we are.

Although many people today, young and old alike, quickly dismiss the idea of traditions and keeping the "old way" of doing things intact, the lyrics of the song "Traditions" from "A Fiddler on the Roof" (written by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick back in 1964) give a reasonable explanation for why keeping traditions is so valuable to a culture and society in general.

"A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But in our little village of Anatevka,
you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof,
trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy.
You may ask, why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?
We stay because Anatevka is our home... And how do we keep our balance?
That I can tell you in one word... Tradition."

"Because of our traditions, we've kept our balance for many, many years.
Here in Anatevka we have traditions for everything...
how to eat, how to sleep, even, how to wear clothes.

"Tradition. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as... as a fiddler on the roof!"

So many traditions have been lost, continue to be lost, and then so many new traditions are created and sustained for the next generations. Traditions keep us grounded in who we are.

Is it really so out of the realm of probability that the state that Bermuda finds itself, even the world itself, is not at least a little bit impacted by the loss of so many basic traditions – civility, kindness, sharing.

In this post Covid19 era, our traditions, the older the better, keep us sane, keep us hopeful, keep us together. During C-19, Cup Match was celebrated despite no cricket game. St. George would have won anyway, I am sure. However, the tradition remained – family, friends, and food. Remembrances of the past – Emancipation Day – and memories for the future. Next year – normalcy. It took 3 years for some semblance of normalcy to return.

We do not have to be fiddlers teeter tottering on the limestone roof. We can be survivors of the Tempest and shipwrecks and proud sons and daughters, offspring of all the Mary Princes before us.

It appears that, post Covid19, some of the old traditions may be revived – like being neighborly, knowing who the neighbors are and interacting with them; while the new traditions of gangs and shooting of one's own family – cousins several distances removed – but family nonetheless – are denied so that balance and stability are reestablished, as these standards will be much needed for Bermuda to move forward.

Understanding and keeping these three concepts of Heritage, Ancestry, and History separate are important for the overall well-being, self-confidence, strength, hope, the very survival of the people and country of Bermuda.

Heritage will be the focal point for the next few posts in this HAH series. Then ancestry and the ancestors will be discussed. What and who is Bermudian, really! What makes a true Bermudian when the only living creature running the island in the 1600s appear to be wild hogs? The history of the island with its accidental beginning and the calculated development of its economy, i.e., life as it is now, has impacted the people in a multiplicity of ways.

At the end of all of this, perhaps we can share events, stories, and Bermudian folklore – and its impact on families, individuals, and the country as a whole – realizing that we are more alike than we are different.

Let's live, laugh, and love together as we share Bermudian AHAH moments!