When a person thinks about March 17th in Ireland, what things immediately pop to mind? A shamrock? Of course! What else? A Leprechaun and his pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? Corned beef and cabbage? Green beer? The list goes on and on.
Most people will automatically conjure up the vision of a green shamrock (“Seamrog” in Irish, meaning “little clover”). Legend says Saint Patrick used the shamrock’s three-leaf pattern growing out of one stem to explain the doctrine of the Holy Trinity to a group of pagan Druids. He showed them that there is one God (the stem) but three persons (the three leaves) in the one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Druids of pre-Christian Ireland revered the shamrock because the leaves were arranged in a triad.
Throughout recorded history, the number three has always been thought of as being magical. Even in the present day, a person finding a four-leaf clover in a field of three-leaf clovers (quite a rare occurrence) is believed to be the recipient of double good luck. One leaf stands for hope, the second for faith, the third for love, and the fourth for luck.
The magical (or special) quality of the number three can be found all over the world. It is a fundamental part of so many cultures. Some academics believe the significance of the number three can be traced back to the Garden of Eden: Adam (one person) plus Eve (one woman) brought forth a miraculous third life, the first person to be born in the Garden of Eden; the pagan Druids of Ireland revered the three leaves; the ancient Romans had the three gods, Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto who represented the heavens, the seas, and the earth; ancient Greek mythology praised the three Fates (or Moiree), goddesses who determined the destiny of everyone from birth to death and the Three Muses, Melete (practice), Mneme (memory), and Aeoda (song); Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician and philosopher, believed the number three was a number of completeness, involving the beginning, the middle, and the end.
The Sign of the Cross represents the Holy Trilogy of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to the Catholic Church, the pattern which Saint Patrick taught to the Druids. It was an important part of the early days of Christianity and is, therefore, centuries old.
We cannot forget fairy tales and other works of fiction that incorporate the number three in either the title or in the cast of characters. A genie will grant three wishes; Goldilocks and the Three Bears include the concept of family; the Three Little Pigs is about being industrious; in the nursery rhyme Three Little Kittens lose their mittens (responsibility); Shakespeare had his Three Witches in MacBeth; and Alexandre Dumas had his Three Musketeers. In politics and world history was, unfortunately, Hitler’s Third Reich (it is said Hitler believed in the occult) and in the late 20th century, the media has brought us the film Three Coins in the Fountain and television’s wildly popular situation comedy Three’s Company. As one can see, the number three has been important in virtually every aspect of existence. Of course, the shamrock with its three leaves brings the bearer good luck. It seems Saint Patrick was very astute in choosing the shamrock as the symbol of three-in-one. The shamrock became a source of empowerment and national pride.
Another familiar symbol of Ireland and Saint Patrick’s Day is the Irish harp, also known as the heraldic harp, the Gaelic harp, or Celtic harp. One of the world’s oldest instruments, it has been a vital part of Irish mythology. The oldest extant harp in the world, found in Sumeria, can be dated back to circa 2600 BCE; it was already a sophisticated instrument. What is now known as an Irish harp (made from a single piece of wood, with 30 to 36 metal strings) was played in 10th-century Ireland. There is an extant single-rank European harp from 14th-century Ireland. The Irish harp became a national symbol but the playing tradition petered out the beginning of the 19th century.
Most harpists during the time of the Gaelic chieftains were men. Most were blind. They would provide musical accompaniment as bards declaimed poetry for their lords. The harpists were also responsible for giving a musical send-off as men went into battle.
The Irish harp, as a symbol of Ireland, may be found on the presidential flag, coins, state seals, uniforms, and on bottles of Guinness!
When one thinks about a shillelagh, it is easy to conjure up a picture of a very strong man wielding a huge chunk of wood in the shape of a walking stick. In actuality, it is meant to be used as just that, or as a cudgel, but in more proper proportion to the average man. It was originally made of oak or blackthorn from the Shillelagh Forest, County Wicklow. Unfortunately, most of the forests which were populated with oak were desecrated by the English and now the shillelagh is made from blackthorn hedges.
The shillelagh is seen as a symbol of the unbending spirit of the people of Ireland and their determination. Besides its use as a walking stick, the shillelagh makes a formidable weapon. Competitions are conducted at county fairs where the shillelagh is held in each hand, one with which to strike and the other for self defense. The shillelagh was also an object with which a youth could prove his manhood when he was old (and presumably strong) enough to carry the cudgel everywhere.
DID YOU KNOW?
Saint Patrick was not even Irish; he was born in either Scotland or Roman Britain.
Aer Lingus, the official airline of Ireland, flies just-cut shamrocks to Irish embassies worldwide so that embassy officials and employees can be part of the traditional “Wearing of the Green.”
Ireland is known as the “Emerald Isle” because of its lush green pastures.