Of course the history of Ireland is long, complicated, and difficult. A wreath of snakes is not a celebration of a Christian missionary who according to legend drove out of the island all the snakes. And the snake is, of course, in its Christian mythos a symbol of the devil and in this context it is also a symbol of the druidic religion of the Ireland, which according to legend Patrick destroyed. The reality, needless to say, is not the legend. The Christianization of Ireland took very much longer than Saint P's life time, and the Roman Catholicizing of Irish Christianity took even longer, and then add to that ugly and often brutal occupation of Ireland by the English . . . . Fortunately, the recent exposures of wide spread and long term Catholic Church abuses in Ireland has done much to undermine the grip that church has on the Irish culture and politics.Reductor wrote:Now I'm curious: why not? I could read wiki and see if I can figure out the answer, but that article's too long.tiltbillings wrote:Oh, yeah. But St P himself, probably not so welcome.Reductor wrote:Can teetotallers party, too?
Be that as it may, a wreath of snakes is not a celebration of either Patrick or his religion. It is, rather, a nod to the pagan Irish forefathers and foremothers whose influences still add some color to a very rich palette.
Gaeilge (Irish)
Bábóg na Bealtaine, maighdean an tSamhraidh,
Suas gach cnoc is síos gach gleann,
Cailíní maiseacha bán-gheala gléasta,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh, samhradh, bainne na ngamhna,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí na nóinín glégeal,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Thugamar linn é ón gcoill chraobhaigh,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí ó luí na gréine,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh, samhradh, bainne na ngamhna,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí na nóinín glégeal,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Tá an fhuiseog ag seinm ‘sag luascadh sna spéartha,
Áthas do lá is bláth ar chrann.
Tá an chuach is an fhuiseog ag seinm le pléisiúr,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh, samhradh, bainne na ngamhna,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí na nóinín glégeal,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Béarla (English)
Mayday doll, maiden of Summer
Up every hill and down every glen,
Beautiful girls, radiant and shining,
We have brought the Summer in.
Summer, Summer, milk of the calves,
We have brought the Summer in.
Yellow summer of clear bright daisies,
We have brought the Summer in.
We brought it in from the leafy woods,
We have brought the Summer in.
Yellow Summer from the time of the sunset,
We have brought the Summer in.
Summer, Summer, milk of the calves,
We have brought the Summer in.
Yellow summer of clear bright daisies,
We have brought the Summer in.
The lark is singing and swinging around in the skies,
Joy for the dat and the flower on the trees.
The cuckoo and the lark are singing with pleasure,
We have brought the Summer in.
Summer, Summer, milk of the calves,
We have brought the Summer in.
Yellow summer of clear bright daisies,
We have brought the Summer in.