Something Squirrelly this Way Comes

As many of you know, today is St. Patrick's Day. It's a religious and national holiday in Ireland but mostly a drinking holiday in the States. How many people actually know the truth behind the holiday?

Oh, Saint Patrick. Sure, sure. He drove the snakes out of Ireland!

Not so much. Snakes haven't been on Ireland for millenia as the ground stays frozen year round. Snakes are cold blooded and cannot survive in such climes. Don't believe me? Read Dr. George Johnson's explanation. It's not as scientific an article as I'd like, as there is much of his opinion and feelings in it, but I figure it would help sway any doubters out there.

So who or what did Saint Patrick drive out of Ireland? Pagans of course. What people he couldn't convert to christianity he drove into hiding, some might have fled the country, others were killed and fewer still remained openly pagan.

Good!! Pagans are bad! Evil! Satan worshippers! Go SP!

Oh get over yourself already! Pagans are just people who find the divinity in nature, the earth, the seasons, the animals, cycles of life, and within themselves. They don't worship satan. Shoot in most pagan belief systems there is NO satan, no hell to worship. The majority of christian holidays are based on pagan ones. Yet another example of religious persecution, taking popular pagan holidays, denouncing them, yet founding a christian holiday within a couple days to help with conversion. But I digress, today's entry is about Saint Patrick, snake shooer awayer.

Why is it said that SP rid Ireland of snakes? Other than the obvious there are no snakes there (except for any kept in homes as pets, that is). The serpent is an oft used symbol in many pagan beliefs. The Basecamp web site hypothisizes that SP put an end to pagans openly displaying serpent symbols, thereby driving the snakes out of Ireland. Snakes have also been compared to the people themselves. The pagans left, were converted, went into hiding. Poof! No more snakes!

Is it any wonder that J.K. Rowling chose serpents to be the symbol of the "bad" house in her best selling series? That the evil characters are from that house? That the constant ..bully (for lack of better word) has the name Snape? It sounds like you're hissing when you say it and it's easily mistook for the word snake.

This just amuses me as so many christians are in an uproar about the books because of the use of magic. Whatever. We can all take any story an interpret it to suit our needs. Our beliefs. Then badger others when they don't see things our way. Claim they don't see the light, aren't divine, are evil, what-have-you. We just all need to stop, listen and think.

As for the shamrock, well that's another thing that was considered sacred to many pagans. Saint Patrick was crafty and preached that the three leaves represented the christian holy trinity, not the pagan holy trinity. In christianity it's the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. In pagan beliefs it is the Maiden, Mother and Crone. Interesting, isn't it, that in the christian beliefs it's all about the male and in pagan beliefs it's all about the female?

Anyway, on this not so cheery holiday, I figure I'll do my work, read a little, have some Thai food and drink my diet mountain dew. I don't have any green on, not by design really, I was just in a hurry this morning and just put on the first things I grabbed. Thankfully t-shirt and jeans rarely clash.