So, you wanna know about Saint Patrick, don’t ya? Well, you’ve come to the right place. I, like so many other Americans, have some connection to Ireland. As a country of immigrants, it was bound to happen. Saint Patrick’s Day is a very beloved holiday, not only because it involves drinking and chocolate but also because it highlights many people’s religion and culture. I want to dive in and explore who Saint Patrick was, and why he is so important.
Saint Patrick was a British man who lived during the 5th century and is accredited to many things, but I personally know him for driving the snakes out of Ireland and bringing Christianity in one fell swoop. But did you also know that he was sold into slavery? For six years he was kept as a herdsman and in that time, he found religion. Eventually, he escaped, then was sold back into slavery before he was brought back to his family.
After his captivity, he wrote the Confessio, which in short is a spiritual autobiography. In this, there is a passage that depicts him as “The Voice of the Irish”. He, of course, went to Ireland and began baptizing and confirming everyone who would allow him to. Occasionally he would be found in chains again, but he wasn’t sold into slavery for a third time.
He could have easily become a martyr during this time thanks to the very vocal Celtic tribes. His sponsors back in Britain endorsed his claim for office, despite his alleged humble disposition.
Now that I’ve relayed a brief history of our favorite “Irish” Saint, let’s get into his legends. The most famous was that he drove the snakes out of Ireland into the sea. Another is that he raised 33 people from the dead. He also popularized the shamrock, which represents the Holy Trinity in his eyes. The shamrock became so popular in fact, that it’s tradition in Ireland to wear the shamrock on their lapels on March 17th.
“What do I do with this knowledge now that I’ve read to the bottom of this blog post?” Fantastic question, reader, let me tell you. Enlighten your family, your friends, your dog, maybe even your cat. I hope you have all the Luck o’ the Irish this March, and please remember to hydrate if you do plan on drinking!
Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Patrick
Image of St Patrick courtesy of Brittanica.
Hi everyone! I'm CJ and I am a visual communications major with a creative writing minor. I am currently a part of the blog team so I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the blog or just WUSC in general!