The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-18
THE SHAMROCK OF IRELAND
Clouds Of Myth Hide the Adoption
Of Erin's Emblem.

st. Patrick and the TrefOiI-PIant
Badges in Scotland and Their Use
bF the Various CIans-The Mystic
Significance of the Common Clover
The loyalty with which the natives of
Erin and their descendants cling TO the
badge of their race, In whatever part OF
the world their fortunes or misfortunes
may have placed them is one of the most
remarkable national characteristics re
corded in history. TattOo:ng and totems
rapidly disappear before the wave Of civ
ilizatiOn, the Chinaman gives up his pig
tail when he accepts the dress and man
ners OF the West, the Parsee exchanges
his spotless white turban for the silk hat
of Paris, and the Turk discards his fez.
but the true Irishman never misses
wearing the green on St PatrIck's Day
and bestowing affection on the shamrock
all the year through
Shamrock is simply "seamaroge."
diminutiye Of seaman which means ire
foil "Oge." meaning young" or little"
is the same as the Gaelic dig" Readers
of SCOTS novels VIII remember that the
younger sor Of Bob Roy is called Robert
dig and the same appellation occurs in
The Two Drovers." Shamrock, there
fore. means little, or young, trefoi- 1t
was spelled '-Shamrug" in the seventeenth
century. That IS all that is certain about
it
When we come TO the reason why it
was adopted as the national emblem. we
are told that St. Patrick used the tri-
form leaf to Illustrate the doctrine of the
Trinity. Nothing is more likely. for the
saint was a wise and able man, and
wonderful missionary But here the skep-
tics step in and declare that the incident
is not mentioned in any life Of St. Patrick
and that it would surely have been Ie-
corded if such a momentous result Of the
illustration as the adoption of national
badge had taken place There are ever
these same skeptics cropping up to dis
turb the ancient faith They doubt every
thing that they do not hold In their
hands. and are even inclined to call in
question the evidence of their own senses
Notwithstanding the fact that Shamrock
means little trefOu'' some wiseacres
have tried TO prove that wOod-sUrrel, and
even speedWelI is the true emblem of
Ireland. Nay, some have gone so far as
TO cre,..e watercress with the honor
There can be no doubt that one Of the
cIOyers is shamrock, but which, Again
We get into maze Of uncertainty. Sey-
eral cIovers are Indigenous to Ireland
Edward Lhwyd, who IS called the father
Of Celtic philology." said in 1893: Their
shanrug IS our common clover" Again.
which common cIover2 ThTekeld, COM
petent authority on the fora Of Ireland,
says that it is the white variety Of the
common red clover cultivated by cur
farmers.
Another equally competent authority
says that shamrock is that which Is
known as Dutch clover, but that the plant
known in America as black mediCk. or
! nOnesUch, also q clover Is regularly SOLD
in Dublin IS the emblem In Cork TFiio-
Iium nIifOrme is sold and worn, and the
other day an Irish maiden displayed q
valentine she had received from the old
country" which consisted OF q Sprlg OF
shamrock sprlnging out of little bunch
OF moss and the plant was undoubtedly
TrifOlium minus. These last two are not
/ found in this country.
Still, no lriShman I ced feel that ne IS
wearing a wrong plant if he secures eth
/ er the common clover Of the neldS here,
! or the Dutch clover to be found IN every
/ taDltShed itself in nearly every past
| Nature has been very gracious 10 Ireland
1 in scattering the emblem or her race IL
every land to which they may wander as
-'exiles." either vol Ip-e-y or compulsory.
! The adoption OF plants as badges and
/ emblems IS one o. the most interesting
! phases OF plant folklore. In no country
] tic land. Scotland. There the multitude
/ Of clans have appropriated nearly every
! available plant for 4 badge must not be
| either fragile or fieeting. There is but
! one species OF oak in Scotland, the ped
unculate, and a single species each OF