If Ireland never had snakes (it is an island; too cold; etc) how did Patrick rid Ireland of them? Some say the snakes were symbolic of evil; others say it was tatoos on the Druids. So, if the Druids had snake tatoos, where did they get that idea if there were no snakes?

Somewhere I read where the story goes that Patrick drove the Driuds into the sea, thus murdering the opposing clergy.

One side effect from leaving mo'ism for me, is to question everything.

And why is LD$,inc. so obsessed with tatoos?

But, there aren't any in Ireland any more.

You may however, be onto something with the symbolism/druid thingie. I'll ask around.

Briggy

+1- I've read that it's more symbolic. St. Patrick brought Xtianity to Ireland and subsequently ran out the druids and the Old Religion. Marion Zimmer Bradley uses that legend in her version of the King Arthur tales.

National Geographic had an article about this.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080313-snakes-ireland.html

Thank you for the comments & the link, which were all interesting.

Here's something else that I thought was interesting. In an article about the scattering of the 10 tribes, the author said he felt the scandinavian countries were settled by the tribe of Dan. He said you could follow their movement north by the names: Danube, Danmark, etc.

http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/israelsexile.html
(I hope this is the correct link)

So....guess what the biblical symbol was for the tribe of Dan? a serpent.

transliterations from Hebrew, a non-Indo-European language, to Indo-European roots for words beginning with Dan. Danube most likelu came from a root meaning river, and Denmark,from a root meaning "flatland."

When Europeans converted to Christianity, they needed a story that would connect them with Israel's history. They locked on to the Lost Tribes. But to even buy into this you have to decide there really were 12 tribes who had an exodus from Egypt. Not too widely accepted. So you have speculation about what happened the 12 tribes when the 12 tribes story we have is not quite right or even never happened.

I can't say much about other European Countries but there are those out there who teach British Israel. That the monarchy decends from Mary. Well, why shouldn't she, the nationl myth has to connect British insitutions and population some how with completely foriegn people. But the British Empire had to believe that they were gods chosen just like the Isreal. So how are you going to do this? Taking this agriculuralist God from the hills Canaan and have him become the God of Britian.

So, some people from Isael lost the idenity during a war, and the British Christians need a way to relate to the God of the Canaanite hill people. Well, how simple, the British are lost Israel and that is why god bless us with properity and empire.

This get exported to the US, and not only shows up in Mormonism but in white supremists groups. (And prior to 1978, you could include Mormonism as a white supremists group). We're British Israel and you not. So you gotta be our slaves at least until we can make the Laminite white and delightsome.

A recent program talked about snakes in Ireland.... (IIRC it was one of the 'history of ancient britain' series with neil oliver) and suggested they could still have been around until about 5,000 BC... well after the last great ice age.

Climate change probably played a part, but remember Ireland and the British mainland have a similar climate and - in England - we have one species of venomous snake... the Adder.

as for St patrick.... like most of the stories of the saints, that's just a load of made up %^&*