That's what I love about the Irish...always thinking up toasts! :-)
In deciding what to put on a St. Patrick's Day page, for my Holiday web site, I did quite a bit of reading about St. Paddy himself. I was a bit un-nerved to find out that he started out as a Pagan, and then decided to convert the Pagans to Christianity!!! Like there is something wrong with being Pagan???
Well, you have to know me to fully understand the dilemna I faced...though I believe in God, my Celtic roots show all over the place. So, I thought, what else can I put on a St. Patrick's Day page, besides the Saint, himself....Hmmmmmmm...let's see....
Ah, I know!!!
How about some Irish dancers??
Ok, that took about a second to look at, but at least you are still here. So, while I have your rapt attention, how about reading...
The Legend of the Blarney Stone.
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence
(blarney). The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops).
Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly.
It's tough to reach the stone -- it's between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to lie on their back and bend backward (and downward), holding iron bars for support.
You still with me? Great! You know, when I was a kid, myself and my sisters would sit for hours in the grass in our yard, looking for a four leaf clover... a symbol of Good Luck. Now that I know the story behind the ordinary shamrock (three leafs), I think I would consider it lucky, as well:
Legend of The Shamrock
"You tell us that there are three gods and yet one," the puzzled Irish said when St. Patrick was preaching the gospel to them in the 5th century AD. "How can that be?" The saint bent down and plucked a shamrock. "Do you not see," he said, "how in this wildflower three leaves are united on one stalk, and will you not then believe that there are indeed three persons and yet one God?" Thus, according to Irish legend, Ireland's patron saint chose the shamrock as a symbol of the Trinity of the Christian church.
To this day the shamrock remains the national emblem of Ireland and is worn proudly by Irish people the world over on St. Patrick's Day (March 17). The word shamrock is derived from the Irish "seamrog," meaning "summer plant." The symbol of the shamrock is found on Irish medieval tombs and on old copper coins, knowN as St. Patrick's money. The plant was reputed to have mystic powers --- the leaves standing upright to warn
of an approaching storm.
Congratulations! You've made it thus far...now comes the "fun" stuff!!! So, what's up with the little squirt in the green hat, who hoards all the pots of gold at the end of the rainbow, anyhow?
Legend of the Leprechaun
The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. it looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes...they also possess a hidden pot of gold.
Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal the whereabouts of his
treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.
A story is told of the man who compelled a leprechaun to take him to the very bush where the gold was buried. The
man tied a red handkerchief to the bush in order to recognize the spot again and ran home for a spade. He was
gone only three minutes, but when he returned to dig, there was a red handkerchief on every bush in the field!
As long as there are Irishmen to believe in the "little folk," there will be leprechauns to reflect the wonderful Irish
sense of fun. Many a new story of leprechaun shenanigans will be added to Irish folklore each year. Will you be the
lucky person to catch a leprechaun and find the pot of gold? Perhaps it's at the end of everyone's rainbow!
Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter
Well, I am sure you are getting sleepy now, after toating all these legends, but before you go, I want to recite an old Irish Blessing to you, from St. Paddy, himself. Faith and begorrah, the old guy wasn't so bad after all...still, I'll have to talk to him one day about the Paganism thing. What's that? Oh, yes...go ahead, toast it, as well. The pagans won't mind at all!!! :-)
A Blessing from Saint Patrick
May the road rise to meet you,
AND MAY YE BE HALF AN HOUR IN HEAVEN,
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD!
Lullabies, dreams and love ever after.
Poems and songs with pipes and drums
A thousand welcomes when anyone comes...
That's the Irish for you!
(Irish Blessing)
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand
Unfortunately, Peelee's Graphics Website no longer exists. :-(