"Saint" Patrick
A thought occurred to me yesterday (St. Patty's Day). We have this holiday that's ostensibly to celebrate the man who brought Christianity to Ireland. Even though it's evolved into more than that, that IS the "reason for the season" where St. Patrick's Day is concerned.
Now, ok, Jesus I can understand. I mean, Christmas and all that. Yeah, if I thought some dude got his ass beat down and murdered to save me, I'd wanna celebrate him too! But this so-called "Saint" Patrick, I just don't get.
The man basically invaded Ireland, found that Druidry was the dominant religion there, and proceeded to lead to fucking holy war against them! The great "saint" Patrick slaughtered thousands and thousands of Druids! In fact, he mostly wiped them out and even what little survived of the Druids didn't last. Even though Patrick didn't completely annihilate them, he *almost* did and managed to deal the killing blow just the same.
"Saint" Patrick was the Irish Hitler. Here on these interwebs, people all too frequently use Hitler as a synonym for any type of evil they see, but in this case I think it's appropriate. He was to the Druids what Adolf was to the Jews. And, in fact, was more successful with his genocide (theocide?) than Hitler ever dreamed!
Let's stop for a minute and examine what he attacked. Who were the Druids? During that time in Ireland, they were a very spiritual people who, yes, were pagans and thus theists, however they were also the teachers, scholars, and scientists of their day! The smartest men around. NO WONDER A CHRISTIAN WANTED THEM DEAD!
Druidry did make a come back, sometime in the mid 19th century and is still around today, but modern Druidry is pieced together from what little is known of the ancient Druids. And even then, modern Druidry is quite a good deal different! For one thing, in today's world Druidry is not a religion, unless you chose to make it so. There are Christian Druids, but there are also atheist Druids (and I happen to be one of those, which is perhaps why Patrick pisses me off!). Modern Druidry is a "take it or leave it" situation when it comes to the religious side. Druidry, in modern times, is a state of mind and a "path you walk" not a religion. If not for Patrick, ancient Druidry may well have evolved into this anyway, and likely centuries before most other wise men had figured it out.
So I have to ask: Why the fuck do we celebrate this asshole? Even though the celebration is more about Irish culture/heritage nowadays, it still bears his name! Would we as a people tolerate the celebration of German culture in the form of "St. Adolf Day" where you get pinched if you don't wear your swastika?!
Now, ok, Jesus I can understand. I mean, Christmas and all that. Yeah, if I thought some dude got his ass beat down and murdered to save me, I'd wanna celebrate him too! But this so-called "Saint" Patrick, I just don't get.
The man basically invaded Ireland, found that Druidry was the dominant religion there, and proceeded to lead to fucking holy war against them! The great "saint" Patrick slaughtered thousands and thousands of Druids! In fact, he mostly wiped them out and even what little survived of the Druids didn't last. Even though Patrick didn't completely annihilate them, he *almost* did and managed to deal the killing blow just the same.
"Saint" Patrick was the Irish Hitler. Here on these interwebs, people all too frequently use Hitler as a synonym for any type of evil they see, but in this case I think it's appropriate. He was to the Druids what Adolf was to the Jews. And, in fact, was more successful with his genocide (theocide?) than Hitler ever dreamed!
Let's stop for a minute and examine what he attacked. Who were the Druids? During that time in Ireland, they were a very spiritual people who, yes, were pagans and thus theists, however they were also the teachers, scholars, and scientists of their day! The smartest men around. NO WONDER A CHRISTIAN WANTED THEM DEAD!
Druidry did make a come back, sometime in the mid 19th century and is still around today, but modern Druidry is pieced together from what little is known of the ancient Druids. And even then, modern Druidry is quite a good deal different! For one thing, in today's world Druidry is not a religion, unless you chose to make it so. There are Christian Druids, but there are also atheist Druids (and I happen to be one of those, which is perhaps why Patrick pisses me off!). Modern Druidry is a "take it or leave it" situation when it comes to the religious side. Druidry, in modern times, is a state of mind and a "path you walk" not a religion. If not for Patrick, ancient Druidry may well have evolved into this anyway, and likely centuries before most other wise men had figured it out.
So I have to ask: Why the fuck do we celebrate this asshole? Even though the celebration is more about Irish culture/heritage nowadays, it still bears his name! Would we as a people tolerate the celebration of German culture in the form of "St. Adolf Day" where you get pinched if you don't wear your swastika?!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Silenus on -
People celebrate "Patricks day", just like they celebrate all the other mainstream holidays, without giving a reason or asking themselves why they celebrate it. They just celebrate it "just cause" and don't seem to care what the true meaning is or was, all that matters is that's its just another excuse to get drunk or any other thing they feel holidays give them a reason to do.
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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on -
Aye and begorrah, don't you go be speaking poorly about Saint Paddy now, you heathen druid!
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Permalink Reply by Shawna on -
When I was a child, I was taught (and I believe this was some time in grade school, but I could be very wrong) that "Saint" Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland.
It was only years later that I found out the TRUTH.
"Snakes" was a euphemism for "Druids". In many ancient societies the snake was a symbol of wisdom and intelligence, so it makes sense -- in a sick, twisted kind of way -- that "Saint" Patty "drove the 'snakes' out of Ireland," and thus destroyed much wisdom and knowledge... just like the Inquisition, just like EVERY OTHER PLACE the Christians got a foothold and destroyed the indigenous culture and religions, then forcibly converted the remaining natives to Christianity. (Just look at US history, and the treatment of our Natives -- the ones that weren't murdered via war and disease were herded onto reservations, their children taken away, denied their traditions, denied their languages, often horribly abused, and all in the name of "God"!)
What is so damn "threatening" about knowledge and wisdom, that they feel that they have to destroy or otherwise make it unavailable? Are their beliefs so shallow, so WEAK, that any challenge is intolerable?
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Permalink Reply by Mustafah Zeigenbein on -
Intriguing premise, but it doesn't seem to be based at all on fact. The druids weren't slaughtered, and certainly not by St. Patrick. It was still going strong decades after his death, in fact.
Druidry died out as a culture because of the growing influence of Christianity, not as a result of violence against druids.
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