The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-18
IRELAND'S PATRON SAINT.
Some of the Many Quaint Legends
Told Concerning st. Patrick's Life.
How Local Irish Societies Celebrated His
Anniyersary-Exercises at Masonic Hall
aud the 0pera-House.
LEGENDS OF ST. PATRICK.
Some of the Ancient Tales Told Of the Patro
Saint of Ireland.

i
thority lived in this vale of tears one hundred
and twenty ope years. No other saint in as
small portion of the earths surface has been
favored with so many remembrances. The foot
steps of st. Patrick in connection with geograph-
zeal appellations be traced from his cradle to
his grave by the names of places called after
him. These places are in Scotland, England,
Wales and particularly in Ireland. So far as
Ireland is concerned there are not only numer-
Gus places named after the Saint, but each place
so named rejoices in at least one or more
legends.
One of the prettiest of them, but which GER
tainly bears no marks of Irish origin, is that
connected with his wonderful staff, the Bacal
Iosa (staf Of Jesus) The legend goes that
when the Saint was returning from Rome to
France on his way to Erin he stopped at re-
ligious house in an island in the Tuscan sea,
and was entertained for night by tho inmates
whose self imposed duty was to care for wrecked
sailors. The Saint revealed his name and mis-
sion. He observed that about half the community
were young and fresh looking and the rest very
aged and infrm. One of the younger brothers
surprised him not a little by mentioning that the
very old members were their children He said
that about a century before that they had enter
tanned a stranger of serene and majestic counte-
nance, and when he left he spoke these words,
handing the staff to the superior: SIN
requital for your loving hospitality, | leave you
this staff retain it until my servant Patrick
rests here on his way to Erin for the CONVEX
sion of its people, and give into his hands when
he quits you. Then the majestic form disap-
peared. The children were not at hand and un-
fortunately were not included in the blessing
that accompanied the staff. So they grew Old
When st. Patrick departed carrying the sacred
staff with him, the islanders were released from
their feshly bonds, as they desired to be- This
staff TOR some other) attended the Saint in his
many weary journeys through the length and
breadth of Ireland. A staff credited with having
been borne by St Patrick was long preserved in
his cathedral at Armagh 1t was at a1eter day
preserved in Christ Church Cathedral, at Dublin,
until some clerical vandals broke it and burned
the pieces in High street, to testify their zeal
against image worship"
The Saint landed on the eastern coast. A tall
savage, named Dichu. attended by no less saw
age dog, attacked the Saint in the presence of
great crowd In moment both master and dog
became stiff in joint and limb, as if they had
been made of stone. At the Saints intercession
they were restored but their savage nature had
Quilted them. and Dichu became convert
In a contest with the Druids where thousands
were assembled, the chief pagan described lines
in the air with wand, and'a thick fall of snow
shut out the light and the heat Of the sun and
covered the ground several feet in depth. The
intense cold was felt by the assembage. The
Saint asked the Druid to Danish the snow and
cold The pagan said he could not do so until that
hour tomorrow. ''Ah!' said the Saint, s'you are
sign of the cross. he invoked the aid of the Holy
Trinity. The snow sank into the ground, the
grass emerged green aud dry, and the blue air
again appeared filled with bright sunbeams.
In another contest with the Druids, st. Benin,
who attended on St Patrick, vanquished the pa
gan magcians The Saint was dared to go into
hut of dry twigs a Druid to go
into another, and have them simntane-
ously ignited The Saint proposed an
exchange of cloaks which was done, and allowed
the Druid green twigs while he (St BENNY took
dry. In an instant both huts were ablaze and
consumed All that remained in the Druid's hut
was the cloak st. Benin had loaned him. ST.
Benin, on his part was unscorched, but the
cloak of the Druid had been consumed.
St. Patrick had converted Aongus, King of
Cashel. and he had presented himself for bap
tism. The saint had the Bacal Iosa, that won
derful staff, with him. AS he was administer
raised in his left hand the staff, the lower end of
which was pointed with bronze, and seeing in
spirit the arch enemy of mankind PROSTATE at
his feet he forcibly struck it into the ground
He did not stir that arm during the ceremony
and at the end found the spike driven
into the floor through the instep of the King.
ST. Patrick, naturally was much mortified.
The King had borne the pain throughout think
ing 1t q necessary part OF the ceremony The
Saint, however made the sign of the cross on
the wound OF the sufferer, who was Immediately
healed.
Another of the Saints miracles is referred to
in the lines
''St. Patrick as In legends told,
The morning being very cold,
In order to assuage the weather
Collected bits of ice together,
Then gently blew upon the pyre
When every fragment burst on fire.
Poteen, a favorite beverage in Ireland is said
to have derived its name from St Patrick, who,
according to the legend, was first to instruct the
Irish in the art of distilling. More authentic
historians, however, represent the Saint as
very strict promoter of temperance, If not an
actual prohibitionist
st. Patrick had no easy time of it with the
Druids. They were shrewd, vigilant and un-
scrupulous foes and the good Saint in spite of
his benevolent disposition, was compelled to re-
sort to extreme measures. So he cursed their
fertile lands and they became dreary boys; he
cursed their rivers that they produced no
fish, he cursed their pots and kettles so that with
no amount of fire and patience could they ever
be made to boil; and lastly he cursed the Druids
themselves, so that the earth opened and swat
lowed them up.
The greatest Of ST. Patrick's miracles was that
of driving the venomous reptiles out of Ireland,
and rendering the Irish soil for ever after OBJ
noxious to the serpent race that they instanta-
neousy die on touching it. Colgan, noted irish
writer. seriously relates that st. Patrick octom
pished this feat by beating drum which he
struck with such fervor that he knocked a hole in
it. thereby endangering the success OF the mira
Gle. But an angel, appearing, mended the drum,
and the instrument was long afterward exhibited
as holy relic.
In the Gaultie mountains, situated between |
the counties Of Cork and Tipperary, there are
seven lakes in one of which, called Tough Dill |
snakes and toads from the Green Isle, chained |
monster serpent, telling him to remain there un-
til Monday. The serpent every Monday morn
ing it is said, calls out in Irish Its long
Monday, Patrick"
In connection with the snake legend, which
sticks to an Irshman as the legend of George
Washington and the cherry tree does to an
American. the following NAV be told: In 1881