St Patrick

WALT: Explain the legends of St Patrick

Did you know that Patrick is British? He was born in 387 AD in Wales. His real name is Maewyn Succat. His parents are Calphurnius and Conchessa they come from a Roman family. St Patrick didn't like the attitude of British towards the Irish.

At the age of sixteen he was kidnapped by pagan Irish raiders and sold to a chief. He spend his teen years alone as a shepherd. In this time he became religious. Then he escaped to follow his dream. His dream was to find a ship and get freedom. When he escaped he went back home to his family in Britain but he consider himself as Irish..

There are many legends linked to St Patrick. He had miracle magical fights. He was fighting with Dich. Dich drew his sword at Patrick but could not do as so because his arm became stiff. There is also a legend of him driving the snakes out of Ireland. There are two tales about Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland. Some tales tell that he stood on a hill and used a wooden staff to drive the snakes into the sea and banished forever from Ireland. Some tales tell that he tricked the snakes into a small box and cast them into the sea.

Patrick had a vision. He wanted to preach Christianity. He visited St Germain and he went on tours to Sanctuary Lains. In 432 AD he became a bishop by Pope Celestine. He got baptised and his name was then changed to Patricius but Patrick for short.

There is a three leafed clover which is called a shamrock. It is green and people in Ireland wear shamrock on St Patricks day. They say that if you don’t wear green in Ireland when they celebrate St Patricks day they get a pinch. The shamrock is now used as emblem in Ireland.

He spend twentyeight years going across the world to spread the word of God. He died on the seventeenth of March 461 AD at the age of seventy six.