Okay, happy Saint Patrick's Day! Now let's talk a little bit about it. I've honestly never really thought about it that much, and I don't think many others have either. When I think of St. Patrick's Day, I think of green, leprechauns, Guinness, Danny Boy, shamrocks, gold, and pinching people. Somewhere along the line, we started missing the point.
Saint Patrick lived from about 387 to 460. We know he died on 17 March, which is why we celebrate him on this day. But we're actually not certain if Patrick was one guy or two. Scholars often argue that some stories associated with Patrick are actually about a guy named Palladius, sent to minister to Ireland by Pope Celestine I in 431. Whatever the reality, Patrick was not the only Christian missionary in Ireland at the time.
Interestingly, two letters that were almost certainly written by Patrick himself still survive. They give us the only concrete details about the saint. He was born in Roman Britain, in a place called Banna Venta Berniae. No one knows where exactly that is, but it was possibly located in Cumbria. His father was a deacon named Calpornius. His grandfather, Potitus, was a priest. When he was 16, he was captured and brought to Ireland as a slave. He worked as a shepherd, which, as far as slave jobs go, "shepherd in Ireland" would have to be near the top of the list. He continued to grow in his faith, and after six years in captivity, God spoke to him and told him that he would soon return home. Sure enough, Patrick fled his master and hopped a ship back to England.
Then, after a couple of years back home, he had a vision. He saw a man named Victoricus (which is an awesome name) walking toward him. The man handed him a letter, a summons back to Ireland to minister to pagans there.
His position in Ireland was a tenuous one. At one point, he was tried by fellow Christians for some unknown impropriety, probably financial. One of his letters is partially a refutation of charges, saying that he accepted no financial gifts. His refusal of traditional gifts would have alienated those to whom he was ministering, especially since many of his followers were wealthy, and even royal. It left him without political protection, and at one point he was robbed, beaten, and imprisoned.
All this information comes from his letter "The Confessio," or "Declaration." The second of his letters is an open "Letter to Coroticus." Coroticus was a king whom Patrick excommunicated for selling converts into slavery. Some people argue it was this excommunication that led to Patrick's trial.
The general consensus is that Patrick died on 17 March 461. However, before the 1940s most people believed he died in 420. But when the "two Patricks" theory was proposed in '42, it gave rise to the belief that he may have died as late as 493, a belief in line with medieval tradition that gave the same year. Patrick didn't date his letters, but there are some clues to be gleaned nonetheless. When he quoted from the Book of Acts, he quoted from the Vulgate. St. Jerome completed the Vulgate in 405, Patrick was probably born not too long before then, since the Vulgate is the translation with which he was most familiar. Another clue is the fact that Patrick referred to the Franks as pagans. This means the letters were written before the Franks' conversion began in 496.
Supposedly, Patrick is buried at Down Cathedral, in Downpatrick. Shortly after his death, there was even a battle fought over his body. Fortunately, the two parties made peace, and he was interred in Downpatrick, where he remains to this day.
In the seventh century, people began writing what I can only describe as "fanfiction" about the life of Patrick. Actually, the real word for a work of this type is hagiography, but that's not as amusing for me. In these works, his mother's name was Concessa, and his family name was Cothirtiacus. Patrick is described as a Romano-British Bruce Lee. He trashes pagan shrines, fights with druids, and puts curses on kingdoms. These accounts also emphasize his focus on the conversion of women, which is certainly rooted in fact, as we know many of his early churches were attached to nunneries. The money for these churches came from his wealthy converts, especially the women. But he also worked with slaves and peasants.
There's a legend that St. Patrick drove out all the snakes from Ireland. That's awesome, and to this day there are no snakes on the Emerald Isle. Only problem is, there never were any snakes in Ireland. Ever. In fact, all they have scaly-wise is the common lizard. One theory is that this refers not to actual snakes, but to the druids, who used snakes as symbols.
And, of course, the most famous symbol associated with Patrick is the shamrock. According to legend (dating at least to 1726), he used the iconic three-leafed plant to explain the doctrine of the Trinity. This wasn't revolutionary, however, as the shamrock was used in pre-Christian Ireland to represent the similar concept of the "triple goddess."
Another tale worth mentioning is about his ash walking stick. When he came upon some people, he would stab his walking stick into the earth while he talked with them. In one place, the people were resistant to the Gospel, but Patrick was persistent. Eventually, his efforts paid off and the people became Christians. But Patrick had been there for so long that his staff had taken root and was growing into a tree.
He's the patron saint of Ireland, Nigeria, Montserrat, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Loiza (in Puerto Rico), Murcia (in Spain), engineers, paralegals, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. He is invoked for protection against snakes, witchcraft, and sin.
Now go on out and visit the pub. Have a pint, sing Danny Boy, and go pinch somebody. I doubt Saint Patrick would mind.
Eirinn go Brach,
Callie R.
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