At the end of the last ice age—when all the ice disappeared and rising sea levels cut Ireland off from the rest of Europe—thus, the Emerald Isle was snake-less since pre-historic times! Yes, according to the fossil record, snakes have never lived in Ireland. Ireland has no native snakes.
Since then, cold weather and a climate that’s not conducive to snake life. Forget the Irish lore that Saint Patrick chased them all into the ocean hundreds of years ago. Are There Snakes In Ireland? According to the fossil record, snakes have never made Ireland their home.
Yet, Saint Patrick, known as the “Apostle of Ireland”, is not actually Irish. He was born in Britain at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in the year 387ce . Indeed, he seems to have actually been of Scottish descent and was born to a well-to-do family around 390 ce. At age 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in Northern Ireland. He died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, March 17, 461 ce.
Now I can discuss another interpretation: Allegedly, Saint Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland REALLY meant he drove out the druids, and with the druids, Patrick banished the religious practices of pre-Christian Celtic Ireland. Well, the Celtic pagans.
I suppose I ought to add that word “druid” may have come the Old Irish form “drui”, and in Modern Irish and Gaelic the word is “draoi” or “druadh” (magician, sorcerer). Others say the word "Druid" derives from the Latin “druidae” and from Gaulish “druides”. Yet there is also speculation that “druid” originated from a Celtic compound of “dru-wid” - "dru" (tree) and "wid" (to know). The druids were “those who knew the trees”. As such, it could reflect the importance of trees in Celtic symbols and spirituality. The Old Irish form was “drui”.
In Modern Irish and Gaelic the word is "draoi" or "druadh" which now means “magician/sorcerer”.
In any case, the Irish pagan Celts reportedly did believe in full equality for women, in trial marriages, and other such radical stuff.
In the 21 century USA, since I do have a wee bit of the Irish in me, I do indulge in baked potatoes and corned beef—and maybe a beer. I’ll be “wearing the green” as well. Indeed, as a child, I got the funny notion that the real reason to wear the green had more to do with the Vernal Equinox which annually falls upon March 19th, 20th, or 21st than an Irish Saint. I thought we were “wearing the green” to help “Green Up the Earth for Spring” and that most people simply forgot the “real seasonal purpose” for the day. My mother always claimed: “Everyone wears the GREEN for Saint Pat’s Day!” Oddly, my mother fully denied that there was any Irish heritage in our family—even though she dressed me head to toe in green each and every March 17th. My Uncle W. (her brother) who had done some geneaology research informed me that she had flat out lied about that.
So when March 17 - 22 rolls around, feel free to wear the green to “Green Up the Earth”—or if you do have a wee bit of the Irish in you, embrace/celebrate your own biological and/or cultural heritage! Sláinte!
March 17, 2023
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