History of St. Patrick (#588-#589)
Fun Fact #588
The Formorian Fight
When it comes to Mythology most people’s minds drift to Egyptian, Greek or even Norse myth. Yet there are others from all over the world including the Celtic myths which originate in Ireland. This is in part due to how the information was recorded as it was still an oral History much later than the ones previously mentioned. This means that no “True” 1st sources remain and what has come to use are transcriptions of the Myth as it existed in the late 3rd-mid4th centuries.
A couple of things set Celtic Myth apart from the crowd however as instead of a creation story, their mythos begins with the story of Settlement (Book of Invasions) where the first settlers arrived in Ireland. Here they ran afoul of the locals and went to war with The Fomorians (Ancient race of elemental monsters who are masters of shape and changers of Hue) To drive them back a number of The Settler’s descendants travel “To The Great North” (part of The Spirit world) and eventually return as The Tuath Dé powered up and wield Magic Knowledge, putting them on par with the Fomorians. In their Victory the Tuath were declared ‘gods’ and most of the Mythology follows Irish people’s interactions with them or the Fomorian survivors.
As time went on the Tuath steadily became more corrupt with each generation. Before long the Tuath are almost indistinguishable from Fomorians and the Irish have to topple their ‘gods’ with the help of outsiders who do not worship The Tuath named: The Finna (Their leader was Finn MaCool). They battled against the Tuath and the remaining spiritual monsters in Ireland, and won. Only The Foemorians manage to escape going to “The Great North” where they will watch and plan to conquer the island. In the meantime it is said they manipulate The island’s inhabitants from afar sowing discord and death whenever they can. Additionally magic faded until it was only a memory, but it is said that when the monsters return to the island so will their magic.
Thus it is the only Mythology which ends with a call to action for its people to seek their true God as their defender. They believed that their God would be Heralded by another outsider like Finn Macool. This “New Finn” would then inform them of a man who died being raised on the Tree of the Skull (also translated as “dead tree”) only to conquer The Spirit realm (Known as “Otherworld”) and return 3 days later to lead the people to “The Upsidedown” to live forever.
All in all quite an interesting Mythology.
As always thanks for reading and please have a wonderful day!
Illustration of a Fomorian by "The Tale Foundry"
Fun Fact #589
Maun The Servant-Lad
Born in the Port City of RavenGlass, Magonus (Meaning Servant Lad) was present to watch the decline of his home as The Roman rule of England fell apart. Ravenglass held the westernmost Fort of Hadrian’s wall which held back the Reavers. At 16 and going by the name Maun, he often disregarded his fathers wishes, straying away from town. Eventually he found trouble, and was abducted by Reaver-Pirates known as “The Dál Riata” who then sold Maun into slavery in Northern Ireland.
He would remain a slave for 6 years working as a Swineherd named Sochet. During this time he made regular 2 week circuits of Northern Ireland shepherding the Herds among far off pastures, and he began to seek his father’s God in prayer. Then Maun made his escape making the journey to one of the only English friendly ports in southern Ireland –over 200 miles south. There he made his way back to England but shipwrecked in Wales, and saved the crew of the ship by using his herding skills to find and catch a wild herd of boars to feed them 28 days into their march east. He credited God with this miracle and after leading the crew through various other adventures along the way (they tried to settle but were mistaken for reavers) The English Clergy accepted him into their order as both of Maun’s homes were in ruins (Reaver Raids).
Fun Fact #590
Maun’s Return To Ireland
Later in life Maun was now a Priest and –hearing of Missionary Pallidus’ Death in Ireland– decided to return to the Land which once enslaved him, determined to save their souls. There his familiarity with the land and local religion helped him greatly with converting many of whom believed he was The long sought “New Finn” who would come bearing News of Their real God. Even his God Jesus Christ seemed to fit their bill with him having been raised up on a wooden cross (interpreted as their “Dead Tree”) on the Hill “Golgotha (Place of The Skull)” so named because from an angle the hill looked like a giant skull. Following the faith was known as “The Way”, and even their “Upsidedown” seemed to exist in Christianity. Jesus' kingdom was known at that time as “The Upsidedown Kingdom” since it put slaves, women and Children ahead of Kings and Warriors. All of which resulted in it spreading like wildfire across Ireland with the Celtic Faith almost entirely dying out. It only survived because in the late 19th and early 20th century Atheist scholars cut out any parts which were seen as “Christian” resulting in major holes in The Celtic Mythology, but then managed to successfully revive the old Faith using it.
By his death on March 17th, Maun was known by a new name given to him by The Irish: “Patricius” meaning “Father of The Citizens” although today you may recognize him today better as “St. Patrick”.
Fun Fact #591
Shaken by Shamrocks
Shamrocks or “Young Clover”are a type of clover found all over the world, and yet today are seen as a symbol of Ireland. While there are many tales of how this came to be, the best known and documented is St. Patrick’s use of them. The story goes that as he preached about the Christian Trinity (Jesus, God, and The Holy Spirit) many of the pagans mistook them as three separate deities in a similar fashion to The Irish Triplet Deity “The Three Morriga” which was three separate Tuath goddesses: The Badb (Crow), Macha (The Sovereign), and Morrigan (The Phantom Queen).
To shake up and reduce the mixup with These “Phantom Queens”, St. Patrick used a young Cloverleaf (Trifolium dubium) to explain and show how unlike The Three Morrigan, The Christian Trinity was still one person but with 3 parts which make the world “bloom” by creating and acting on it in different but still unified efforts.
It was a resounding success and this method of teaching was passed on by those converts to their children and down the generations becoming a large part of The Irish identity which is why its used frequently as a Symbol of the Irish today –more than 1,500 years later. As for the Plant itself? Today Trifolium dubium can be found all over the world from new Zealand to America thanks in part to the Irish Diaspora.
Fun Fact #592
The Drochshoal and Diaspora
While The Irish have been emigrating (leaving) Ireland since the late Middle ages. What accelerated this however was the arrival of “The Drochschoal” (The Bad Times) better known today as The Irish Potato Famine. It began in 1845 bringing with it Starvation, disease, poverty, and Blight. Worse yet The British Government at the time refused to help with the most useful help they got being –of all things– Corned Beef (Story for another day). The worst year was 1847 (“Black ‘47”) when nearly all crops caught the blight.
Thus began the flight of The Irish, with the poorest going to Liverpool, and many heading to The Newworld (Particularly America whose large scale markets largely bought Corned Beef by paying for the farmers to accompany their goods into The US). The most industrious Irishmen walked to local Constables and confessed their “crimes” (often just lying) with friends who confirmed their stories so they'd be sent to The British Penal Colony of Australia and given land/livestock for a farm. Yet no matter where they went they took their language, and culture with them. In these new places their Holidays became more important as a time to celebrate and remember where they came from. Such was the Cheer that The Catholic Church even made a permanent exception for St. Patrick's day making it the only day of Lent people could drink (alcohol) –somthing the Irish took full advantage of.
Today there are more people of Irish descent living abroad (more than 100 million) than in Ireland itself (6.4 Million in 2011) having become known as “The Diaspora”. By 2000 more than 36 Million of This Diaspora live in The United States. So great are these Numbers that in 2014 Ireland set up a foreign Aide office just for members of The Diaspora. It should be noted that in 2018 only 3.5 million of This Diaspora were actually born in Ireland. Interestingly if you are of Recent Irish Decent (At least Great Grandparents were Irish Citizens) you can message this office and Receive an Irish Citizenship.
Image of The Bridge of Tears in western Ireland where Irish Families were required to stop following their family members at the border of Derry port so they could emigrate.
