St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity's most
widely known figures. But for all his celebrity, his life remains
somewhat of a mystery. Many of the stories traditionally associated with
St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the
snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of
exaggerated storytelling.
Taken Prisoner By Irish Raiders: It is
known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the
end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17,
around 460 A.D. Although his father was a Christian deacon, it has been
suggested that he probably took on the role because of tax incentives
and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious
family. At the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of
Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. They transported
him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. (There is some
dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he
was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely
that he was held in County Mayo near Killala.) During this time, he
worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid,
he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. (It
is also believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the
Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.)
Guided By Visions: After more than six
years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a
voice—which he believed to be God's—spoke to him in a dream, telling him
it was time to leave Ireland.
To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it
is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain,
Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation—an angel in a
dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after,
Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more
than 15 years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland
with a dual mission: to minister to Christians already living in Ireland
and to begin to convert the Irish. (Interestingly, this mission
contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity
to Ireland.)
Bonfires and Crosses: Familiar with
the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional
ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to
eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to
celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with
fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the
Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that
veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. Although
there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick
arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish
culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When
this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick's life
became exaggerated over the centuries—spinning exciting tales to
remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.
(Source: The History Channel. Retrieved March 16, 2012.)
