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Back to the top ^^... General Info about Irish Tradition Saint Patrick was not actually Irish. Historical sources report that he was born around 373 A.D. in either Scotland near the town of Dumbarton or in Roman Britain (the Romans left Britain in 410 A.D.). Patrick's father was Calpurnius, a local official. His real name is believed to be Maewyn Succat (he took on Patrick, or Patricus, after he became a priest). Succat, means "warlike". Patrick's family then moved to Britain. Since Britain was part of the Roman Empire and had become Christian, the child was baptized and called Patricius, meaning "noble". For 16 years, Patrick lived a normal life as the son of a prosperous landowner and magistrate. He was kidnapped at the age of 16 by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. During his 6-year captivity he worked as a shepherd, he began to have religious visions, and found strength in his faith. He finally escaped, after voices in one of his visions told him where he could find a getaway ship. It said that he reunited with his family, and then went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity. In the Confessio, his spiritual autobiography, Patrick tells of a dream, after his return to Britain. Victoricus delivered Patrick a letter titled "The Voice of the Irish." This Dream prompted Patrick to go to Ireland as a missionary to convert the Irish. Patrick was a missionary who worked for 40 years in Ireland, preaching, baptizing, and establishing churches, schools, and colleges. History reports that he used shamrock leaves to explain the meaning of the Trinity (father, son, holy spirit). It is also stated that he drove snakes from Ireland, banishing the venomous serpents by beating his drum. The snake was a revered pagan symbol, and perhaps this was a figurative tale alluding to the fact that he drove paganism out of Ireland. It is sometimes reported that St. Patrick died on March 17, 493 after bringing the Christian faith to Ireland. This date is not confirmed. The first American celebration of Saint Patrick's Day was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737. As the saying goes, on this day "everybody is Irish!"
May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. They look like a small, old man standing a mere 2 feet ll and usually dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes...they also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure
hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's
hammer. If caught, he can be forced, with a threat of bodily violence,
to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their
eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and
he often tricks them into looking away), he Three
is Ireland's magic number. A Shamrock has three leaves and became a logical
choice. Much symbolism surrounds the number three in both Ireland and
Christianity. 1.Love, Valor and Wit 2. Faith, Hope and Charity
3. Father, Son and Holy Spirit Numbers
played an important role in Celtic symbolism. Three was the most sacred
and magical number. It multiplies to nine, which is sacred to Brigit.
It seems as though the number three would imply totality in the sense
that many cycles are completed in threes. Past, Present and Future Heaven, Earth and Hell Life, Death and Resurrection
Earth, Sky and Sea Everything good in Ireland comes in threes. The rhythm of story telling in the Irish tradition is based on threefold repetition. The Shamrock was used as an emblem by the Irish Volunteers in the era of Grattan's Parliament in the 1770's, before '98 and The Act of Union. So rebellious did the wearing of the Shamrock eventually appear, that in Queen Victoria's time Irish regiments were forbidden to display it. At that time it became the custom for civilians to wear a little paper cross colored red and green. As a symbol of Ireland it has long been integrated into the symbol of the United Kingdom. So today, on St. Patrick's Day, a member of the British Royal Family presents shamrocks to the Irish Guards regiment of the British Army. The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of blarney. The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy, Lord of Muskerry -- its walls are 18 feet thick. Blarney Castle was a fortification set up to defend against attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops. Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. It's tough to reach the stone -- it's between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to lie on their back and bend backward (and downward), holding iron bars for support. Can you imagine kissing something that has had people's lips all over it for 500 years?
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March
17th 2006
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