Saint Patrick
A thoroughly studied account of the life of Saint Patrick, as well as some of the legends associated with the man, and where they may have come from.
In Munster, Patrick was baptizing the son of the king when he accidently stabbed the boy in the foot with his crozier. The boy didn’t cry out, or protest in any way. After the ceremony, Patrick asked him why he had remained silent, and the prince replied he thought the piercing was part of the ceremony. Patrick was impressed by the young prince’s dedication to becoming a Catholic and inscribed a cross upon his shield.
Another favorite story; God told Patrick He would admit as many men into Heaven as would cover the land and sea within Patrick’s vision. This was not good enough for Patrick, who vowed to fast until God gave in to his wishes. God came back ready to negotiate, and Patrick would have none of it and sent Him away, refusing to eat until God agreed to accept all men through the pearly gates.
One of the ways the ancient druids divined was to interpret the flight pattern of birds in flight. There is a story that a huge group of hideous birds came to harass Patrick during his 40 days and 40 nights on Eagle Mountain. They covered everything, and Patrick prayed over and over again for relief, but still they remained. Finally, he rang his pilgrim’s bell and the birds scattered and committed suicide by flying headfirst into the ocean. Legend holds that no evil thing was found in Ireland for seven years, and the mountain was forever more known as Croagh Patrick.
It is recorded Patrick died on March 17, 493, and wrapped in a burial shroud woven by Saint Brigit. The truth is, no one really knows where or when Patrick died, or even where he lived out the last years of his life.
He was accused of misusing the church’s funds; though it seems unlikely he used the money on himself-if he misused any funds at all. A lot of people believe the church was just looking for a reason to nag Patrick because they wanted him to run things according to strict Roman Catholic rules. The people of Ireland were not the type to change so easily, though, and Patrick did not insist they abandon every tradition and festival. Samhain,(still celebrated as Halloween) one of the biggest festivals of the year, was a celebration of the harvest as well as a spiritual day when the veil between this world and the otherworld was lifted so people and spirits could pass between the two. It is thought the Roman Catholic Church bullied Patrick when he would not teach according to its specifications. He lived the last years of his life in relative obscurity and was sainted long after his death. Many stories and biographies about Saint Patrick generated by the church or other religious organizations make no mention of the rift.
Works Cited
Foster, R.F. The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
Hutton, Ronald. The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles. Oxford: Blackwell, 1991.
Sader, Marion. “The Readers Advisor.” The Best in Philosophy and Religion 14th Edition. New Providence, NJ: R.R. Bowker, 1994. Volume 4. Page436.
“Saint Patrick.” Encyclopedia of World Biographies 2nd Edition. Detroit, Book 12.
Time-Life Books. What Life Was Like Among Druids and High Kings. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life, 1998.
www.newadvent.org Saint Patrick.
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