This article was posted by CrystalWind.ca.
St. Patrick: The Legend Behind Ireland's Patron Saint!
- Details
- Written by And-El
- Views: 6357
St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most widely known figures.
But for all his celebrity, his life remains somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.
Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders
It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)
Guided By Visions
After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice which he believed to be Gods spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.
To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation-an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland.)
Bonfires and Crosses
Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed the sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. (Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life became exaggerated over the centuries-spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.)
Go Here For More Information About St. Patrick!!
Here Are More Articles About Irish Folklore, Recipes and History:
- IRELAND’S CASTLES & THEIR FASCINATING FACTS
- ST. PATRICK
- THE LEPRECHAUN
- WHAT IS AN IRISHMAN?
- HISTORY OF ST. PATRICK
- THE BLARNEY STONE
- FACTS ABOUT THE BLARNEY STONE
- IRISH RECIPES
- MORE IRISH RECIPES
- IRISH SYMBOLS - MYSTIC CHARMS, SPELLS, AND INCANTATIONS
- IRISH PROVERBS
- IRISH BLESSINGS
- IRISH BLESSINGS 2
- ST PATRICK - IRELAND'S PATRON SAINT
© 2010-2023 crystalwind.ca. All rights reserved. DO NOT COPY. Hidden tracking code is embedded for monitoring purposes. We employ sniffer technology to track all IP addresses. Please note that using a Proxy/VPN/Tor will not conceal your IP address. The title for this article was created by CrystalWind.ca. If this article is duplicated from our website and/or our title is utilized, we will be alerted and will take necessary action.
© CrystalWind.ca 2024. All content (articles, imagery, fair use) & design protected. Written permission required for copying. All rights reserved.
Join the Conversation Now! Comment Below!
Spirit Animal Totem Of The Day!
Crystal Of The Day!
Latest Articles
CrystalWind.ca is free to use because of
donations from people like you.
Donate Now »
Unlock Your Light: Join Lightworkers Worldwide on CrystalWind.ca!
Articles: Celtic Path
Follow Us!
Who is Online Now
We have 18428 guests and no members online
Featured This Month
Samhain by The Hedgewitch
Blessed Samhain Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the year, fo... Read more
Samhain Lore
The symbolism of this Sabbat is that of The Third (and final) Harvest, it ma... Read more
Original Irish Jack-O-Lanterns Were Truly Te…
A far cry from the grinning pumpkins of Halloween today, the origi... Read more
Halloween Origins - Commemorates the Fall of…
Halloween is often considered the world's oldest human celebration as it has... Read more
The Jack-O-Lantern
When we think of Jack-o-Lanterns today we think of the carved pumpkins with ... Read more
Bats - Myths, Folklore and Facts
Bats “Suspicions amongst thoughts are like bats amongst birds, they ever ... Read more
Freeze Up Moon
Snake – Copper and Malachite – Thistle – Orange October 24 to November 21 ... Read more