Irish Mythbusters #2: Saint Patrick Chased the Snakes Out of Ireland

"Saint Patrick's Day
HAS to be about more than leprechauns
and green beer."

With that thought in mind,
Sue applied for an intracultural studies grant
and in 2011
we had the opportunity
to travel to Ireland.
We visited many Saint Patrick sites:
Slemish, the mountain where he was a slave-shepherd,
Saul, site of his first convert and first church,

It is now a tiny Methodist church.
I felt an inner tremor and realized
Something Earthshaking Happened Here.
Spiritual.
Cultural. 
Historical.
Centuries later, 
the Irish monks would "save civilization" 
by keeping literary culture alive 
in monasteries 
while the Dark Ages churned.
Tara and Slane, the hills where he confronted the king,
Armaugh, his headquarters,
Downpatrick, his gravesite.
We learned that the rounded Celtic cross
combined the sun
with the traditional cross
as sun-worshippers came to faith in Jesus,
and that crosses were carved
to teach Bible stories
as people couldn't read.

I asked at the museum in Downpatrick
about the origin of the snake story.
"Due to its isloation,
Ireland never had any snakes.
But Satan took the form of a snake in Genesis
and Patrick fought the powers of Satan in Ireland.
By the end of his life,
Ireland was mostly Christian
so Patrick had gotten rid of the "snake."

This is not a snake.

I imagine snakes have sometimes been brought to Ireland
perhaps as a joke
or perhaps to "help" the environment
but so far Ireland still considers itself snakeless.
Too bad Australia's bunny imports
and America's yellow ladybug
and Great Lakes gobi fish stories
didn't end the same way.

Happy Saint Patrick's Week!







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