A Prayer for Mad Sweeney – Culture decides about morality

American Gods is a series that, like no other, represents the cultural development of North America. As I mentioned in my last blog, gods are a construction of man. If this is socialized, then one speaks of a religion. In the last 10,000 years of human history, religions have shaped every culture. In “A Prayer for Mad Sweeney” the topic of culture is now dealt with explicitly. A little girl named Essie McGowan, from Ireland, sits with her grandmother on the beach waiting for her father’s ship. During these endless waiting times the Granny tells old stories of fairies and goblins. These stories impress the girl so much that she firmly believes in the existence of goblins. Essie then manages her entire life. Although destiny is not only good for her – she lands in jail and is deported to America – she is convinced that the goblins have always brought her luck. All in all, this should be true. In the end, she is a plantation owner with three children, to whom she relates the stories of the old Irish goblins. In the following, the twenty important theses about cultures, its emergence, dissemination and effectiveness. I will highlight them with examples from the series.

1. Culture is a shared and shared appreciation.
   Ireland in the 18th century was a deeply Christian country. The Catholic Church was absolute and decisive for culture. The social pressure from it was enormous. But the Church could not explain everything, but there was still “what”. For this goblins and fairies from the pagan period were fetched. The grandmother: “These leprechauns are so busy golding and hoarding that they can´t find time for anything else.”
2. Behavior from these common values ​​is derived.
   Leprechauns had to be kept in a good mood. Essie to the children: “One day they help you and they’ll bite your eyes next.” They must therefore be fed daily. “Give them the milk of the cream and of the bread the best”.
3. These behaviors become “normal” over time – the norm.
   That is why Essie, like all her ancestors, daily served a small bowl of cream and a piece of bread on the window. When she went out, she always had salt in her pocket and for special wishes the goblins also took gold. So you always needed a little reserve.
4. People, who correspond to such behavior belong to this culture.
   Probably the belief in the spirit world (angels, fairies, goblins, devils, etc.) was widespread in Europe at the time. Many related activities had to remain secret. It is only when a value proposition is a plurality that the related behavior can be shown publicly. Currently the worldwide struggle for the recognition of same-sex relationships.
5. The non-compliance of behavior is sanctioned by the group.
   To connect here, homosexuality in a country can lead to the death penalty. In another not even noticed (Salim with the jinn in America) or treated like heterosis – perfect legal equality. Essie landed in a prison for a crime she did not commit at all. However, the court judgment was mild. She was not hanged for a gift and then declared a stolen necklace, but was deported to America. Here you can already feel the power of the Leprechauns. Misfortune in the blame and happiness in the crossing. She approached the captain, who immediately took her home with him.
6. Morals and values ​​as well as good and evil are thus dependent on culture.
   Sexuality is a behavior that is to be shown to all people over a thousand years. It is therefore also clear why religions have adopted this as a control instrument. In secular countries, it is also easier to achieve equality. Often these behaviors are called good in a culture and evil in another.
7. The evaluation shall be carried out by an external observer.
   Salim, Mad Sweeney and Laura are on their way to Kentucky. There are three cultures in a car. The Irish, the Islamic and the American. Salim keeps coming back to his daily prayers. While Salim hangs up the carpet, Sweeney says to him, “I’m going to piss.” This is probably the worst thing you can say to a praying Muslim. The value, e.g. Praised, depends on the observer. For Sweeney it is a waste of time. For Laura, who asks, “Do you love your God or are you in love with him,” is about the intellectual understanding of it.
8. The judgment depends on its own standardization and value retention.
   As an outsider, you always come from a cultural circle. Even anthropologists are part of a religious community, that of scientists. Shadowmoon was the man from the outside. This, however, only so long until he volunteered, forced Wednesday joined and became acquainted with the gods’ world.
9. People are voluntary members – consciously or unconsciously.
   This is where free will comes into play. Can people make anything voluntary at all? Essie is something in there. She became a trickster because the life of the Leprechauns was also just trickery. Probably she took this behavior partly even unconsciously (by Granny). A conscious decision to join a group is always influenced by the socializing environment. Parents, teachers and friends leave imprints – the stamp for the culture. Laura’s way to the casino and the criminals has begun in Ireland, although she is not related to Essie (probably).
10. People are forced into a culture – directly or indirectly.
    The origin determines the future. As a child one is born into the culture of his parents. There everything is right and right for now. If we are grown then we could decide differently. Very few do this. America’s immigrants were such forced. On the one hand, the slaves quite directly and on the other the deportees indirectly, which also included Essie. Like all the others, she had her culture with her. American culture is now what has become of these many forces. Essie: “Everyone can do everything in America – there you can be happy”.
11. Cultural boundaries (contexts) can be territorial or substantive.
    A thousand years were cultures bound to territories. It was only with the colonialization and the associated mission that this changed. In North America, almost nothing was left of the natural gods. Content boundaries require an extended form of communication, e.g. Books. Neil Gaiman followers can be scattered all over the world and have never talked to each other.
12. Globalization leads to virtual cultures and affiliations.
    To be scattered all over the world and still talk to each other, leads to cultural networks. You are connected via FB or WhatsApp groups. Identical values ​​and the same behavior are also a prerequisite for virtual cultures. Because the territorial reference is missing and the behavior is often subtle, a real assignment is difficult.
13. Cultures spread through relationship and communication.
    In a very early history of evolution, people have learned from one another through imitation. Do toddlers today. Relationship is absolutely essential. The more intense this, the more effective the behavior mediated by it. So if language is missing, then behavior is communication. In contexts in the multilingual cultures meet, something happens.
14. Migratory movements lead initially to uncultivated and divided cultures.
    Usually the language separates two cultures and from this also creates a spatial separation. There are hardly any interactions between cultures, and cultures do not mix very much at first contact. If there is nothing else, two divided cultures remain side by side, as now the Arab migrants and the Europeans. In America of the 18th century. The various gods / cultures had already arrived. Everything had something in common. “Building a new home”. Do we have something in common with the African / Mexican immigrants?
15. In the course of time, assimilation, integration or isolation arise.
    Essie McGowan gets as old Granny visit by an Irish. She immediately recognized that it was a leprechaun that brought her. Shortly before dying, he says to her, “In this country no one has more time for magic.” The Irish / Celtic culture was thus assimilated – there is no more in America. The African culture, which is isolated but still existent, is different. As a well integrated one may see the weapon god Vulcano. The gun for the little one in the household and the Pentagon for the coarse in the world.
16. Subcultures often persist for centuries.
    In America there is a very extraordinary little religious subculture – the Amish. They are a religious community based on the Christian tradition, but with the rejection of any technical development. Since Czernobog had no chance with tractors and quite not the Technical Boy with the robots. In the meantime, this subculture is of great importance. Could spread!
17. The closer the relationship, the more social control – fear.
    Culture is a set of behaviors that must be compulsorily complied with by members. Members pay attention to each other and are all the more efficient the closer the relationship is. Good to recognize in preserving the chastity of Islamic girls by their brethren. Control can also be used as a means of expressing pressure and anxiety. Mad Sweeney comes so close to Laura Schadow that he does not take exactly the gold coin he is so intense after, although it would be easy. Relationship is the one way to power; the other.
18. The allocation or withholding of resources or today’s “Accessrights” brings advantages to the members.
    People are always members of a group. Maybe they do not know. Usually, the benefits of being “there” are obvious. By birth, inauguration or membership fee is one. Eternal life was the offer of the Catholic Churches and their members. For unbelievers only the hell remained. Many people have lost this faith and therefore the value of it. The new goddess “Media” gives comfort in all situations. You only need to provide your personal data and you already belong to community (FB, WhatsApp, etc …)
19. Power arises through the possibility of enforcing one’s will, with or without its consent, in others.
    It is the two ways to power; The relationship and the allocation of resources. Best of all, as the “digital trinity” makes. An account with a social media provider is by far not as deep and emotional as human relationship, but changing from one vendor to another is also difficult. We always get exactly what we need. Products, services and friends are exactly to our taste. The “1-click” purchase button is quickly pressed. The GAFAs, for example, are pushing their will with us and with billions of others and are thus becoming a world power.
20. If people are convinced of the correctness of their own actions, they take the resulting disadvantages for others in buying – “walking over corpses”.
    In summary, a culture is created by the faith of several people in common values. This, on the other hand, is expressed by behavior, which is then referred to as culture. Believing beliefs can become so strong that even the self and the lives of fellow human beings are no longer safe. Terror attacks are a current manifestation of them. Another is the immigration of the “old gods” to America and this was much worse for the natives.

So Laura and Mad Sweeney are driving in the ice-car (better for the dead) to a God who has experience in resurrection from the dead.