The history of St. Patrick is hard to separate from the myths and legends. St. Patrick was the child of a well-to-do family from England from the fifth century. He was captured and taken prisoner from his mansion when he was sixteen years old. While in captivity he believed he was visited by an angel and had a vision of converting people to Christianity.
After six years in captivity Patrick managed to escape. During his escape, he was visited by an angel, who told him he should leave Ireland and return to England, over 200 miles away. Upon arriving in England Patrick had another vision, this time he was to return to Ireland as a missionary. He entered a seminary and after fifteen years of study, was ordained. He then returned to Ireland and began serving God as both a Priest and Missionary.
It is this role that made him famous. According to legend he banished all of the snakes from Ireland. At the time snakes were popular symbols in many pagan rites and ceremonies. When he encountered the druids he is said to have converted them and baptized them in ‘holy wells’. It is the abolition of the snakes in religious ceremonies that historians believe are the origins of the modern myth about them being driven out.
Due to the length of time he spent in captivity he was acquainted with the customs and traditions of the Irish people. To aid in transition from pagan rituals to Christianity, Patrick incorporated many Celtic traditions into Christian celebrations, like bringing bonfires into Easter mass. He also to the Christian cross and combined it with sun, which was a holy symbol, and created the Celtic cross.
Patrick is purported to have died on March 17th in 460 AD. One legend has that his jawbone was enclosed in a silver shrine and was a holy relic used in blessings. Another legend says he passed away in England and was buried in Glastonbury England.
Related posts:
Comments on this entry are closed.