{"id":984,"date":"2023-03-12T22:53:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-13T03:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/?p=984"},"modified":"2023-03-12T23:15:13","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T04:15:13","slug":"of-snakes-shamrocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/of-snakes-shamrocks\/","title":{"rendered":"Of Snakes &#038; Shamrocks"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"984\" class=\"elementor elementor-984\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b439567 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b439567\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c008b08\" data-id=\"c008b08\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0aa2dba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0aa2dba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.18.0 - 08-12-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>St. Patrick\u2019s Day is almost upon us. If you wish to refer to it by its nickname, please be sure you spell it properly: It\u2019s St. Paddy\u2019s Day (for the Irish P\u00e1draig ), not St. Patty\u2019s Day (\u201cpatty\u201d is a hamburger or sausage). Now that we\u2019ve got that sorted, let\u2019s take a look at the man himself.<\/p>\n<p>First of all, contrary to what many may believe, St. Patrick wasn\u2019t Irish. He was a late 4th- or early 5th-century Romano-British or Welsh Christian missionary and bishop, perhaps born in the still-then Welsh-speaking Northern Kingdom of Strathclyde, at Bannavem Taberniae; or in the south of Wales, around the Severn estuary; or at St. Davids in Pembrokeshire, the tiny city of St. Davids sitting directly on the seagoing missionary and trade routes to and from Ireland.[1]<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-73ea183 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"73ea183\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6695a3d\" data-id=\"6695a3d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71acebd elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"71acebd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.18.0 - 08-12-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"319\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/stpatrick.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-987\" alt=\"St. Patrick.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/stpatrick.jpg 319w, https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/stpatrick-239x300.jpg 239w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 319px) 100vw, 319px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9889f90 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9889f90\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f94392a\" data-id=\"f94392a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-57eab6b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"57eab6b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>He was born Maewyn Succat (Magonus Succetus), from the British <i>*Magunos-<\/i> (servant lad) and <i>*Succiatus<\/i> (swineherd).[2] We don\u2019t know much about his early life, but according to his autobiographical <i>Confessio<\/i> (Declaration), when St. Patrick was around sixteen years old, he was taken captive by Irish pirates, who raided his family\u2019s estate and carried him away as a slave to Ireland. There, he looked after animals and resided for approximately six years before finally making good his escape and returning home. Shortly afterward, he journeyed to Gaul, where he studied religious instruction under Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre. St. Patrick\u2019s course of study lasted for more than fifteen years and culminated with his ordination as a priest.[3]<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Eventually, he returned to Ireland. However, contrary to popular belief, St. Patrick wasn\u2019t the first Christian missionary to take up residence there. \u201cIn addition to Palladius, there are traditions of Christian saints and their communities in Ireland, particularly in the south and east, before St. Patrick\u2019s arrival. These pre-Patrician Christians may have developed the earliest Irish writing system, known as ogham.\u201d[4]<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Still, St. Patrick had some advantages over the others, which helped him prove \u201cvery successful at winning converts. Familiar with the Irish language and culture, he adapted traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity rather than attempting to eradicate native beliefs. He used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honouring their gods with fire; he also superimposed a sun, a powerful native symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross.\u201d[5]<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne legend (written 700 A.D.) described Patrick\u2019s contest with native religious leaders, the druids. The druids insulted Patrick, tried to poison him and engaged him in magical duels \u2014 much like students of Harry Potter\u2019s Hogwarts \u2014 in which they competed to manipulate the weather, destroy each other\u2019s sacred books and survive raging fires. \u00b6 When one druid dared to blaspheme the Christian God, however, Patrick sent the druid flying into air \u2014 the man dropped to the ground and broke his skull.\u201d[6]<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8433b3a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8433b3a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9ee4dac\" data-id=\"9ee4dac\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-eaa1148 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"eaa1148\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"367\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/stpatricksnakes.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-988\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/stpatricksnakes.jpg 367w, https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/stpatricksnakes-245x300.jpg 245w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 367px) 100vw, 367px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-791aa36 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"791aa36\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-11a8581\" data-id=\"11a8581\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-429e6f7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"429e6f7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Perhaps the most famous legend about St. Patrick is that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland, \u201cchasing them into the sea after they attacked him during a 40-day fast he was undertaking on top of a hill.\u201d[7] But we know that simply isn\u2019t true. \u201cAs keeper of natural history at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, Nigel Monaghan has trawled through vast collections of fossil and other records of Irish animals. \u2018At no time has there ever been any suggestion of snakes in Ireland, so [there was] nothing for St. Patrick to banish,\u2019 Monaghan said. \u00b6 So what did happen? \u00b6 Most scientists point to the most recent ice age, which kept the island too cold for reptiles until it ended 10,000 years ago. After the ice age, surrounding seas may have kept snakes from colonizing the Emerald Isle.\u201d[8]<\/p><p>Because, in reality, there weren\u2019t any snakes in Ireland, many people have insisted that the word \u201csnakes\u201d actually refers to the Druids, who, in Great Britain at least, were associated with adders (<i>nadroedd<\/i> \u201csnakes\u201d) and \u201cadder\u201d or \u201csnake\u201d stones. But that it was the Druids that St. Patrick drove away might not be true, either. \u201cYes, Christianity slowly became the dominant religion in Ireland, but that was a matter of slow conversion, not conquest and driving druids away. But pagan myths, beliefs, and customs didn\u2019t go away, they were simply absorbed into the Christian structure and local lore. Gods became fairies like the Tuath De Danaan, or heroes like Fionn Mac Cumhaill, or even saints like Brigid. Paganism in Ireland still exists.\u201d[9]<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bb2dfdd elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bb2dfdd\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1fd232e\" data-id=\"1fd232e\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8823202 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8823202\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"309\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/irishamericanmonth.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-986\" alt=\"Irish-American Heritage Month.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/irishamericanmonth.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/irishamericanmonth-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-05a65ca elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"05a65ca\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-59869f2\" data-id=\"59869f2\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f9e9f8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2f9e9f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Today, primarily because of Irish-Americans, we celebrate St. Patrick\u2019s Day, March 17, with a great many not-so-spiritual traditions that run the gamut, including silly hats, leprechauns, pots of faux gold coins and shamrocks, and green beer. Most Americans, at least, probably couldn\u2019t tell you much about St. Patrick at all. Instead, for many of us, it is a day to honor our Celtic (particularly Irish) heritage and ancestors. In fact, March as a whole is Irish-American Heritage Month. So to all of you whose bloodlines run back in time to the Celtic Nations, and especially this month to Ireland, have fun celebrating St. Paddy\u2019s Day and Irish-American Heritage Month \u2014 oh, and don\u2019t forget to sow some clover in your yard for good luck!<\/p>\n<p>Blessings!<br>APs Rhianwen Bendigaid<\/p><br\/>\n\n<p><b><u>Footnotes<\/u>:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>[1] Johnson, Ben, \u201cSt Patrick \u2013 The most celebrated Welshman in America?\u201d Historic UK. Web. 12 March 2023.<\/p>\n<p>[2] Byrne, F.J. &amp; Francis, P\u00e1draig, \u201cTwo Lives of Saint Patrick: \u2018Vita Secunda\u2019 and \u2018Vita Quarta.\u2019 <i>The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland<\/i>, Vol. 124 (1994), p. 80.<\/p>\n<p>[3] Johnson, Ben, \u201cSt Patrick \u2013 The most celebrated Welshman in America?\u201d Historic UK. Web. 12 March 2023.<\/p>\n<p>[4] Ireland, Colin A., \u201cEarly Medieval Ireland and Christianity.\u201d Encyclopedia.com. Web. 12 March 2023.<\/p>\n<p>[5] Johnson, Ben, \u201cSt Patrick \u2013 The most celebrated Welshman in America?\u201d Historic UK. Web. 12 March 2023.<\/p>\n<p>[6] Bitel, Lisa, \u201cSt. Patrick: Not Irish, Dueled With Druids, Refused to \u2018Suck a Man\u2019s Breast:\u2019 Ten things that might surprise you about the March 17 miracle-maker.\u201d The Daily Beast. Web. 12 March 2023.<\/p>\n<p>[7] Owen, James (13 March 2008). \u201cSnakeless in Ireland: Blame Ice Age, Not St. Patrick.\u201d National Geographic News. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2023.<\/p>\n<p>[8] Ibid.<\/p>\n<p>[9] Mason, Jessica, \u201cThe Truth About Saint Patrick, Snakes, Pagans, and More.\u201d The Mary Sue. Web. 12 March 2023.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-616238c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"616238c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>St. Patrick\u2019s Day is almost upon us. If you wish to refer to it by its nickname, please be sure you spell it properly: It\u2019s St. Paddy\u2019s Day (for the Irish P\u00e1draig ), not St. Patty\u2019s Day (\u201cpatty\u201d is a hamburger or sausage). Now that we\u2019ve got that sorted, let\u2019s take a look at the man himself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,51,46,8],"tags":[84,86,85,83,82],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/984"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=984"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1011,"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/984\/revisions\/1011"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fethfiada.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}