A joint effort between Milkshaker and A Piece of the Continent
The Man, the Myth, the Legend
The maxim that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day seems counter-intuitive for a holiday celebrating a Brythonic Briton from what is present-day England. The inconsistencies regarding both the man and the myths surrounding him only start there. He’s been credited with driving the snakes out of Ireland among other miracles most of which either never actually happened (Ireland never had snakes to begin with) or were not necessarily performed by him. There probably was someone who did use a shamrock as a symbol of the Trinity at some point in Ireland’s history but there’s no evidence to indicate it was specifically Patrick. Some scholars have theorized that Patrick’s overriding goal in converting the Irish to Catholicism may have been to expedite the second coming of Christ by bringing about the apocalypse
(no, seriously). If that was indeed his ultimate goal then despite a valiant effort he was thankfully unsuccessful. So what exactly did he do?
We believe he was born sometime around 385 A. D. The actual location of Banna Venta Berniae – his birthplace – is unknown. Educated guesses from modern archaeologists place it somewhere near the border of Scotland and England – even near Hadrian’s Wall. Patrick or Maewyn Succat. (his actual birth name) lived the usual life of wealthy Christian subjects of Roman Britain. He was literate and probably spoke more than one language – unusual in a period when education was for the privilege of few. However, the fringes of the Empire were often lawless. He was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave at roughly the age of sixteen.
Patrick eventually escaped slavery and went to study religion in France before having a vision that prompted him to return to Ireland as a missionary. After years of extremely successful missionary work, the man who now called himself Patrick (Patricius in Latin meaning “nobleman”) -a name allegedly given by Pope- became Abbot of Armagh, in modern day Northern Ireland. This is why most images show him dressed as an Archbishop. You can read his personal account of these events in his Confession and Letter to Coroticus. The two letters provide a rare (particularly for the period) and fascinating first-hand account of a stranger in a strange land coming to terms with his views on religion.
Sources are unsure where or when Patrick died but are fairly certain he did die somewhere at some point during the mid-to-late 5th century A.D. After his death, the Irish people themselves granted him sainthood as this was before the Church had established a formal process for canonization. Later, around the 7th century A.D., Ireland was looking for a Patron Saint. Patrick had been in the right place at the right time and the church had stronger information on him than other Irish-born candidates such as St Finian of Clonard , St Columba (or Colum Cille), and St Brigit of Kildare (although the latter two are also Patron Saints of Ireland today). They omitted a few things, credited him with a few things he hadn’t done, and pulled a few things out of thin air. A figurehead was born.
The Wearing of the Green
Recognition of St. Patrick’s feast day began after his death but the occasion was a far cry from what goes on today. Significantly less green was worn as St. Patrick was more closely associated with the color blue. Families went to mass and then enjoyed a quiet meal at home. Some wore shamrock corsages and sent Mass cards to relatives. There would not have been a single obnoxious drunk person singing Danny Boy to be found.
Politically, Ireland was often in turmoil often over the course of its history. What began as fighting amongst various Irish clans turned into fighting with outside forces. After centuries of violent conflict, the British proved victorious in gaining control over Ireland with the support of the Loyalist Protestants (descended from Scottish and other settlers from a century earlier). A Protestant minority with help from the Crown established the Penal Laws in 1695 in an effort to maintain that dominance. The nature of the legislature has caused scholars to debate whether its purpose was specifically religious oppression or if it was solely politically motivated. Regardless of the intention, the effect was that Irish Catholics were dissociated from the land, prevented from obtaining an education, and deprived of the freedom to practice their religion under penalty of death. Some made the difficult decision to denounce Catholicism under the pressure of these laws. Those who were unwilling to do so faced a hard road that often led to America.
Most Irish Catholic immigrants who came to America during the period of the Penal Laws (1695-1825) were experiencing religious freedom for the first time. Discriminated against in the new world, homesick for their native land, and wanting to show support for their still oppressed brethren these immigrants turned what had been a small religious holiday celebrating an enigmatic saint into a demonstrative statement of ethnic pride and political protest. A tradition was established. As that tradition drifted further away from its roots over time, Hallmark and the local bar got a hold of it and transformed it into what most people know of the holiday today.
The Long and Short of It
You may be thinking to yourself at this point “So… is it still O.K. for me to drink green beer on St. Patrick’s Day?” The answer, of course, is absolutely not. The authors of this post could never in good conscience advocate for the dilution of alcoholic beverages with artificial additives. Now, if your inclination is to imbibe more worthwhile spirits such as Jameson or Guinness that’s another matter entirely. St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration and, like any good celebration, the more the merrier. Hopefully this year you’ll be joining in on the fun with a better understanding of what is being celebrated and why. This St. Patrick’s Day, have a pint to protest religious discrimination and celebrate survival, liberty, and what in Ireland is called ‘the craic’ (look it up!).
Sláinte!
