In his twenty-nine years as a missionary in Ireland, Patrick is said to have baptized 120,000 people and founded three hundred churches. Popular myths tell of st. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, but, in fact, Ireland had no snakes. The legends about Patrick removing snakes are probably symbolic references to his efforts to end the pagan practices of the irish people, since certain Christians equated paganism with devilry and Satan is associated with snakes in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The connection between st. Patrick and the shamrock probably has a more historical basis. Three-sectioned shamrock leaves may have been particularly important to the pagan Celts before patrick’s coming since the druids considered three to be a magical number. Patrick used this symbol with which the ancient irish were likely already familiar to explain the Christian concept of the Trinity and to represent the cross of Jesus
In his twenty-nine years as a missionary in Ireland, Patrick is said to have baptized 120,000 people and founded three hundred churches. Popular myths tell of st. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, but, in fact, Ireland had no snakes. The legends about Patrick removing snakes are probably symbolic references to his efforts to end the pagan practices of the irish people, since certain Christians equated paganism with devilry and Satan is associated with snakes in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The connection between st. Patrick and the shamrock probably has a more historical basis. Three-sectioned shamrock leaves may have been particularly important to the pagan Celts before patrick’s coming since the druids considered three to be a magical number. Patrick used this symbol with which the ancient irish were likely already familiar to explain the Christian concept of the Trinity and to represent the cross of Jesus
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