Saint Patrick, original missionary to the Emerald Isle, ministered to a land run by many different cults. The Druids were the most powerful of the Celtic pagan cults;the Druidic priests led the people in polytheistic worship, including reverence for the Mother Goddess Danu.
Their highest god was the sun; a fertility figure called Lug, who demanded the sacrifice of one-third of a tribe’s healthy children each year. This ensured good crops, plentiful rain and sunlight, and it was believed that the sacrifice served as a way to guarantee the people’s survival. Celtic religious holidays thus coincided with the solstices and equinoxes.
How St. Patrick converted Ireland to Christianity is a fascinating tale; involving his own particular genius at teaching complicated concepts in simple ways, using types of prayers that the average Celt had little trouble understanding.
The New Idea of Christianity in St. Patrick’s Breastplate
The Celtic gods and goddesses dwelled on Irish soil, not in heaven. However, the Druidic priests' magical ceremonies had to specifically summon them; the deities did not interact with the people during their daily lives.
The magical Druidic prayers commanded or requested assistance in specific, short-lived circumstances. Patrick turned this idea on its head by teaching that God was constantly with the people; no magical ceremonies were needed to summon him.
This is evident in the fervent prayer known as the Lorica, Deer's Cry or “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate,” versions of which have survived to this day. It expresses the idea that Christ is beside, before, beneath, above, and to the right and left of each individual. Many cult members, inspired by this comforting thought, converted to Christianity.
Patrick Turned Magical Spells Into Christian Prayers
Patrick was ashamed of the gap in his formal education, especially his self-confessed lack of expertise in Latin, which was due to his capture by slave traders in his youth. Yet he was absolutely brilliant at using the Druids' own terminology to express Christian concepts.
The Celts believed in using binding spells to protect themselves from harm, or even to wreak revenge upon an enemy. Cleverly, Patrick used part of the Lorica and other prayers to transform the binding spell into a Christian message of hope. “I bind to myself today,” he wrote; and went on to list God’s power, might, wisdom, word, shield, host, and other attributes that symbolized a new type of faith.
The prayer even used the same type of rhythm as a binding spell, so that it would seem familiar to the newly converted and those whom Patrick still wished to convince.
After Patrick’s death, the Druidic power over Ireland continued to weaken. Some pagan priests hid in the hills, eking out a meager living selling love potions and reciting ancient epic poems about mythical Irish history. In these poems, the Túatha Dé Damann heroes represented the Celtic deities, whose hold upon the Irish had been destroyed by Patrick forever.
Readers may also enjoy reading about St. Patrick of Ireland in Suite101's Catholicism section.
Sources:
Cunningham, Scott, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, Llewellyn Publications, 1994.
Freeman, Philip, St. Patrick of Ireland, Simon & Schuster, 2004.
Rack, Paul F. " Celtic Connections: Tapping into a Rich Heritage of Prayer," Reformed Worship Magazine, Issue #66.
Rosenberg, Donna, World Mythology, second and third editions, NTC Publishing Group, 1994.
Williams, Yona, “What is a binding spell?” August 27, 2007.
Amy Sillup - I have a B.S. in Chemistry from Delaware Valley College and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. I have worked as a ...
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