I want to talk about St. Patrick. Why? Well since this blog has gone up on 20th March, and given that St. Patrick’s Day was on 17th March, many people around the world, will still be nursing hangovers or trying to find their way home. St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland and his day, 17th March, go together like alcohol, green wigs and vomitting.
It’s a day where millions of people from different ethnicities and nationalities, all put on a green hat and pronounce that for the next 24 hours, they’re Irish. Or until the money or alcohol stops, whatever comes first.
But what about St. Patrick himself? Patrick would have been a green loving, snake driving Irishman, that helped convert the pagans to Christianity, right? Well, yes and no.
The problem is there are a lot of misconceptions about St. Patrick and 17th March, that to a student of history and geek like myself, I think are quite…fascinating. Below are eight myths and misconceptions about St. Patrick and his day, that you may or may not know.
So, let’s get the craic started!
1.) St. Patrick’s name was Patrick.
Quite possibly of all the information on this list, this is the most outrageous. We all know that St. Patrick’s real name would have been…well, Patrick, right? In a reality with no Flat Earthers, this would be correct. Sadly however, we do have Flat Earthers in this reality, and St. Patrick’s real name was not Patrick. In fact it was Maewyn Succat. This can be explained with the second myth.
2.) St. Patrick was Irish.
Maewyn Succat was not born in Ireland or even Northern Ireland, for that matter; though Northern Ireland didn’t exist until 1921.1 Maewyn was born sometime during the late 4th century (maybe 385 CE or 386 CE); though different sources offer different dates. As for the location, it was Roman Britain, either in Wales or Scotland; though quite possibly, Wales.
3.) St. Patrick’s colour was green.
This fact is just bizarre. The Irish and Emerald Isle seem to have always been associated with the colour green. The flag, shamrocks, leprechauns and St. Patrick’s Day have added to this association. But the truth is stranger than fiction, because St. Patrick’s colour was blue.
The colour known as St. Patrick’s Blue, has been used in artworks depicting St. Patrick, where he is wearing blue robes. It can also still be observed on old Irish flags, sports uniforms, coat-of-arms, ribbons and armbands.
4.) St. Patrick drove all of the snakes out of Ireland.
You should never let the truth get in the way of a good story. That old saying is perfectly reflected in this fact, because according to the story of St. Patrick, he drove all of the snakes out of Ireland. This is a metaphor, since St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland and converted the pagans, the snakes represent evil or the sinners.
The punch line is that Ireland; and just like New Zealand, has never been home to native snakes. Ever.
5.) The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Ireland.
Since St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish event, you would think that the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held somewhere in Ireland. If you were a betting person, you would have lost.
The first recorded parade honouring St. Patrick’s Day was held in what is now St. Augustine, Florida, USA. Records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on 17th March, 1601.
6.) St. Patrick was a saint.
Vulcans embrace them, but what we are talking about is a technicality. St. Patrick is known as a saint, but he’s actually not. Well, not yet anyway. He’s a not a saint, because he was never canonised by the Catholic Church.
7.) St. Patrick’s shamrock.
St. Patrick is said to have brought Christianity to Ireland through preaching and explaining how the religion works. Legend says that one way he did this, was to use the famous shamrock leaf. He demonstrated that the shamrock was like the Holy Trinity; with each leaf representing the Holy Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, to show that the three different religious entities could be separate, but still be part of the same whole.
8.) The reason why St. Patrick’s Day is 17th March.
We all know that St. Patrick’s Day is 17th March, but why is it? Even though St. Patrick was not technically a saint, he was still revered as one. In Catholicism, the day when a saint dies is considered a holy day, and is treated as such. According to legend, St. Patrick died on 17th March, hence the celebrations.
Basically, millions of people around the world, wear green and get hammered on 17th March, because it’s the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death. It’s a roughly 1,500 year old never ending wake.
Was there anything on the list that you didn’t know? Do you know anything else unique or a misconception about St. Patrick? Please let me know.
Alright, that’s it for me. It’s raining at the moment and the house smells of wet dog, because Indy thought he would be brave and go outside; and let’s just say that he regretted that life choice. Next week, I will continue with our Tour of the Solar System, with the third chapter featuring the rivalry of planets vs dwarf planets. Can’t wait!! Anyway, thanks once again for reading, following and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me; walk your dog; read a banned book; stay away from Sour Cream and Chives; and I’ll see you next week.
1 That is a story for another day.
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