St. Patrick and the Druids

A few facts about St. Patrick

• He was born Roman-British, not Irish

• Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders as a teenager and enslaved for several years

• Patrick most likely was forced to be a shepherd in the West of Ireland

• He escaped and returned to Britain.

• Later, he studies with the Catholic Church, most likely in France.

• He has a calling to return to Ireland and convert the native Irish to Christianity.

• Patrick did not drive out snakes. He drove out the native Druids.

• Snakes are a druidic symbol.

Sources:

Condren, Mary. The Serpent and the Goddess: Women, Religion and Power in Celtic Ireland. New York: Harper Collins, 1989.

de Paor, Liam. Saint Patrick’s World. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1993.

de Paor, Maire. Patrick: The Pilgrim Apostle of Ireland. New York: Harper Collins, 1998.

Ellis, Peter B. Druids. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994.

Freeman, Philip. St. Patrick of Ireland. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2004.

Freeman, Philip. War, Women and Druids. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2002.