ireland

The Legends And Lore Of Ireland
By Glenda Jao
The legends and lore of form its rich cultural history. They are full of stories and faeries, leprechauns and historical tales including that of Saint Patrick ridding the famous Emerald Isle of snakes. These tales about the religious and the ancient pagan reflect the culture of this tiny island nation.

People often relate the symbol of shamrock with Ireland. It is believed that Saint Patrick used this commonly found plant to espouse on the theory of the Christian trinity of father, son and the holy ghost. Shamrock plant is made of three leaves and is believed to have supernatural power of healing and protection. This is why it is commonly found engraved on graves.

The color green represents Emerald Isle, the famous nickname of Ireland, because of its lush green plants, thanks to the wet weather. It also stands for the color of life and spring, and is used to display the national pride of the Irish people.

The most famous folklore associated with is of leprechaun. These small and charming leprechuan's are related to rainbows and pots of gold, zealously protecting the wealth from those who are fortunate enough to find the end of the rainbow. Normally, leprechuans are pranksters and rascals who do not harm anybody but commit mischiefs to entertain both children and the old alike. Be a part of this prank and catch leprechauns the next time you see a rainbow!

The Blarney stone in the famous Blarney Castle has a legend attached to it. It is said to have bestowed the gift of eloquence to Lord of Blarney when the reagent of England's’sQueen Elizabeth I tried to influence him to English rule. The poor Lord did not know what to say to the ruler. A wise woman told him to kiss the Blarney stone and he succeeded in making his plea before the Queen.

Ancient Irish celebrated the holiday known as Samhain on the 31st of October—All Hallow’s Eve. On this date, a great feast was thrown, along with a ceremonial extinguishing and lighting of bonfires.

Since the Celts believed in spirits, every man, woman, and child dressed in a disguise to fool evil spirits on their way home.

Finn McCool is the friendly giant of who is said to protect them against attack. It is believed he fought against an evil giant from Scotland by throwing a large clod of earth at the big Scot. This is how Lough Neagh, the largest body of water, was formed.

The most popular legend hailing from is that of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Born in the 5th Century, Saint Patrick worked with the Roman Catholic Church to convert pagans to Christianity. Upsetting the Droids, Saint Patrick was often on the run and escaping from various prisons and jails. The saint is credited with ridding of snakes, as he set a curse upon the serpents, causing them to flee into the sea and drown.

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Glenda Jao is the owner and operator of F ireland, a fantastic resource for information about ireland, For more articles on why not visit: www.folkireland.com/articles
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