Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He
also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland.
Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor
for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day
has evolved into more of a secular holiday. One traditional icon of the day is the
shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the
three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same
entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.
St. Patrick...
He
was not Irish. He was a British Celt.
He was not necessarily the first missionary to Ireland.
The only documents about Patrick are his Confession and a letter he wrote
to Coroticus.
There were never snakes---or other reptiles---in Ireland for Patrick to chase
out.
