Home | Arts & Entertainment | Ufo & Mysticism
The legends and lore of Ireland form its rich cultural history. They are full of stories and faeries, leprechauns and historical tales including that of Saint Patrick ridding the famous Emerald Isle of snakes. These tales about the religious and the ancient pagan reflect the culture of this tiny island nation. People often relate the symbol of shamrock with Ireland. It is believed that Saint Patrick used this commonly found plant to espouse on the theory of the Christian trinity of father, son and the holy ghost. Shamrock plant is made of three leaves and is believed to have supernatural power of healing and protection. This is why it is commonly found engraved on graves. The color green represents Emerald Isle, the famous nickname of Ireland, because of its lush green plants, thanks to the wet weather. It also stands for the color of life and spring, and is used to display the national pride of the Irish people. The leprechauns are the tiny enchanted people who are a source of many a famous legends of Ireland. They are often associated with rainbows and pots of gold, because they guard the treasures from the lucky people who find the end of the rainbow. These leprechauns are little pranksters who amuse kids and grown ups alike, though some think they are troublemakers and rogues. Anyway, when you see a rainbow next time, see if you can catch the leprechaun! The Blarney stone is a legendary rock that rests in the famous Blarney Castle. During the reign of England’s Queen Elizabeth I, the reagent tried to influence the Lord of Blarney to English rule. The poor Lord did not have the gift of eloquence, and was worried about going before the ruler. A wise woman instructed the Lord to kiss the Blarney stone for the gift of gab. He kissed the stone, traveled to London, and successfully made his plea before the Queen. The ancient Irish commemorated a holiday on 31'st of October(Hallow's eve) called Samhain. They marked it with a big feast and ritualistic bonfires. Because of their deep rooted faith in spirits, they dressed in different costumes to mislead them while returning home. Finn McCool is famous as the friendly Goliath who guarded the Emerald Isle against any attack. Folklore are full of accounts of Finn's battle against a monstrous Scottish giant in which he took out a big chunk of earth and threw it at the Scottish giant. This created a big hole which was soon filled with water and is now known as Lough Neagh, Ireland's biggest water body. The most popular legend hailing from Ireland is that of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Born in the 5th Century, Saint Patrick worked with the Roman Catholic Church to convert pagans to Christianity. Upsetting the Droids, Saint Patrick was often on the run and escaping from various prisons and jails. The saint is credited with ridding Ireland of snakes, as he set a curse upon the serpents, causing them to flee into the sea and drown.
Article Source: http://www.ApprovedArticles.com
Glenda Jao is the owner of F ireland, a fantastic resource for information about ireland. For more articles on ireland why not visit: www.folkireland.com/articles Get a unique version of this article from our ireland article directory
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
# of Ratings = 2 | Rating = 5/5
