MOST OF US GET GIDDY WHEN MARCH ROLLS AROUND.. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WARMER WEATHER, A RENEWAL OF THE SEASONS, RIVERS OF GREEN.. AND OF COURSE, AN ACCEPTABLE EXCUSE TO OVERINDULGE OUR THIRST FOR BEER ON THIS "HOLY???" DAY.
AH YES, WHEN SAINT PATRICKS DAY ROLLS AROUND WE SCRAMBLE TO WEAR GREEN TO AVOID BEING PINCHED, SHAMROCKS BECAUSE THEY ARE SOOOOO COOL, AND RUSH TO OUR NEAREST PUB TO POUR GALLONS OF GUINNESS DOWN OUR GULLETS ALL IN HONOR OF SAINT PATRICK. BUT JUST WHO WAS HE?
LEGEND HAS IT THAT GOOD OLE SAINT PATRICK WAS ACCREDITED WITH DRIVING THE SNAKES OUT OF IRELAND, WHICH IS WHY SNAKES ARE NOT FOUND ON THE ISLAND TODAY. THOUGH SOME INDICATE HIS CONERVSION OF THE IRISH PEOPLE TO CHRISTIANITY AS THE REASON FOR HIM BEING THE PATRON SAINT OF IRELAND... AND THUS HAVING A WHOLE DAY DESIGNATED TO HIS GLORIFICATION.
CURIOS FIND... FOSSIL RECORDS THAT SINCE THE LAST ICE AGE, SNAKES NEVER INHABITED THIS ISLAND AT ALL. SO WHERE ARE PEOPLE GETTING THE IDEA THAT HE DROVE SNAKES OUT OF IRELAND FROM. PERHAPS IT IS A BIT MORE SINISTER THAN THE PIED PIPER IMAGE OF SAINT PATRICK SKIPPING MERRILY ALONG AS HE LURES THE SNAKES OFF OF THE ISLAND..
IT IS NO SECRET THAT CHRISTIANITY OFTEN ASSOCIATES THE IMAGE OF THE SERPENT(SNAKE) WITH EVIL. SO ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THIS IS THAT SAINT PATRICK WENT ON A CAMPAIGN TO RID IRELAND OF THE "SNAKES". DURING HIS TIME WHO POSSIBLY COULD BE SEEN AS A "SNAKE". WELL JUST ABOUT ANYONE WHO STOOD IN OPPOSITION TO THE FAST EXPANDING CHRISTIAN RELIGION. THIS INCLUDES THE DRUIDS, PAGANS IN GENERAL, AND PELAGIAN FOLLOWERS. SO RATHER THAN PIPING SNAKES OF THE ISLAND, IT WAS MORE LIKE A BRUTAL CAMPAIGN FILLED WITH DEATH OF OPPOSING LEADERSHIP AND DESTRUCTION OF IMPORTANT RELIGOUS SITES. ITS EASY TO CONVERT THE MASSES WHEN THE ALTERNATIVE LEADS TO DEATH.
WHEN YOU ARE TRYIN TO ESTABLISH DOMINANCE USING THE "AIRE" OF ALL THINGS VIRTUOUS, IT IS A CAMPAIGN KILLER TO HAVE THE BLOODY BEHIND THE SCENES ACTION EXPOSED. SO BEST TO COVER IT UP THE BEST YOU CAN WITH FLIGHTS OF FANCY IN HOPES THE GENERAL PUBLIC WILL BUY IT. NEARLY 1500 YEARS LATER, THE DOMINANT IMAGE OF SAINT PATRICK IS THAT OF HIM LURING LITERAL SNAKES OFF THE ISLAND ...SO IT WORKED
IT SEEMS THAT THE U.S GOVERNMENT ISNT THE ONLY ESTABLISHMENT CAPABLE OF HUGE COVERUPS.