St. Patrick's Day - Laughing with Snakes

St.Patrick driving the snakes out of ireland has become a legend on the par of Paul Bunyan and his giant blue ox, Babe.

The Irish Catholic legend is that Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland and into the sea. This is similar to scripture about Christ sending demon spirits into a herd of pigs that ran off into the sea, freeing a madman from the demons to make him well again. Snakes seem to be a consistent symbol of evil in the Bible and pigs an unsafe food in the Old Testament.

Patrick was said to have mounted a hill and given a sermon, some versions adding that he beat upon a drum as he spoke in order to drive out the snakes.

Some people become quite upset with the story, since no indigenous snakes have been found today or in fossil records of Ireland. The Giant’s Causeway in Ireland's geology is particularly controversial in Northern Ireland -- many have thought it cut off from the rest of the world, without dinosaurs, mammoths, giant sabre tooth tigers, giant dogs, and other large mammals which could not make it over the causeway. In truth, much of the fossil evidence may simply be buried under the nearby sea. Fossils of large mammals have indeed been found. But so far, no snakes have emerged.

The Giant's Causeway is related to the Irish legend of the giant Finn McCool and fossils of two distinct dinosaurs have been discovered, but no snake bones.

McCool was not the only giant to roam around Northern Ireland in the past. The Great Woolly Mammoth was evident in the area. Another giant animal that few people know about is the largest deer that ever lived -- Herds of Giant Irish Deer roamed the lands with the Mammoth (deer pictured to the lower right).

Some think that the snakes of St. Patrick represented the demons driven out of Ireland in order to convert non-Christians to Catholicism. Be that as it may, the legend of the Irish snakes has gotten carried away over time, humorusly, as shown below.

The Last Snake in Ireland: A Story About St. Patrick

Sheila Macgill-Callahan (Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)

For ages 4-8 and kind of goofy, but a lot of fun with a surprise ending. Patrick loses his patience when a gang of snakes laugh and hiss at him, teasing him to no end. They tease his sick dog Finbar as well.

Patrick drives all of the nasty snakes out of Ireland except for the largest one. The big snake stalks Patrick. Patrick has a sharp idea and sends the stalker snake over to Loch Ness.

Later in life, Patrick visits Loch Ness to check on the snake, only to find that he has become a legend in Scotland.

Shawn O'Hisser: The Last Snake in Ireland

Peter J. Welling, for ages 4-8. Lots of irish terms to learn and enjoy.

There were apparently two last snakes.

This is a new twist. Ireland's leprechauns are sure that the Irish snakes stole all of their gold, so they drive the snakes on shipboard and sail them away. But they missed one - Shawn O'Hisser.

O'Hisser had been away on vacation when the exodus and banishment occured. When he returned, all his friends and relatives were gone.With the help of a mouse and a toad, Shawn makes a life for himself. It's a fractured fairy tale with St. Patrick off in a corner somewhere. 

Irish writer Deirdre Madden composed her first children's book and called it Snakes' Elbows.

The story is set in a tumultuous small town named Woodford.

Barney Barrington is the town's shy millionaire pianist. Meanwhile, tyhe evil Jasper Jellit, military mercenary materiel supplier, kicks his dogs and mistreats his employees.

Jasper is also a millionaire, is too greedy. The kinder, introverted Barney makes friends and helps others, but the extroverted Jasper drives people away..

The story has a moral: Jasper makes more money, while Barney is rewarded for his kindness with real friends.

The story reminds me of Roald Dahl tales (i.e., Charile and the Chocolate Factory) and maintains that evil is a snake.

Dateline Calcutta, February 17, 2009

Unfair to Snakes!

1,000 professsional snake charmers protested unfair treatment in eastern India, playing traditional flutes as they marched together through the streets in song as a protest to demand their right to use live snakes in their traditional performances.

It would seem that snake charmers are organizing just as the Molly Maguires did so long ago in America's first Labor Movement. The Snake Charmers Federation reports 800,000 active snake chamers in the country.

Professional snake charmers are upset that live snakes have been unavallable for performance work, since the government banned them in 1991 by the Wildlife Protection Act.

No snakes were available for comment.

Patrick's of Pratt Street, billed as America's Oldest Irish Pub since 1847 often sponsors a Tour of Ireland with Sister Anne. Friends of mine skipped the tour last year, but had a bit of difficulty finding lodgings along their route (all usually full, even in the off season). However, they had a delightful time.

The tour includes the cities of Dublin, Donegal, Westport, and Galway and shopping at woollen mills and pottery factories. Other sites to see iclude the Cliffs of Mohr, the Holy Shrine of Knock, Donegal Castle, The Giant's Causeway, Newgrange, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Old Bushmills Distillery, among others. I've seen pictures of most of these places now, and they are all beautiful settings.

In 2009, there will be a 2009 Pub Crawl of Ireland. Visit Patrick's of Pratt at the music filled link and learn about their locations in Balimore MD and Frederick MD. Lots of cartoons and music at both restaurant links as well. You'll laugh until you cry.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!