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Jim S. Thorpe

Professor Brittany Stephenson

English 2710

25 April 2017

The Effect of Christianity on Traditional Gaelic Tales

The Gaelic folk of Ireland possess one of the richest oral traditions in Europe, which as

survived in a surprisingly intact form to the modern day. While many of the components of early

Gaelic myth arent unique to their island, they possessed a unique relationship to these

supernatural beings. While the presence of fairies and magic is crucial to many European folk

tales, Irish storytelling tradition is especially rooted in the fairy belief, and the varieties of fairy

that are presented attest to this (Waldron). All was well and good, until the early 5th century

when the first Christian missionaries reached Ireland and began to challenge the established

culture. The belief of a single omnipotent and jealous deity seemed completely at odds with the

belief in faeries, however the Gaelic culture was resistant enough to change that they managed to

find a solution where both beliefs would still be honored. That compromise is the topic of my

paper, and I will explore the changes that were made to the fairy beliefs and Gaelic society that

came with the addition of Christianity.

This paper follows a sort of chronological development of Irish Folklore. Im starting

with a brief overview of what the Gaels believed before the advent of Christianity. Following

this I will move into the first groups of missionaries who tried and failed to ultimately establish

the Catholic church inside of Ireland, then contrast that against the successful missionary journey

of Patricius (Whom we know today as Saint Patrick). After exploring Patriciuss ministry, I will
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move to exploring the folklore that sprang up concerning Irelands patron saint, and I will finish

the paper by exploring the modern Irish Catholic church, and how it has formed an interesting

union between the high and folk cultures that compose its beliefs.

BEFORE CHRISTIAN INTERVENTION

The Gaelic were a superstitious folk. To the average person, the faeries were everywhere;

though almost never in forms that you can see them. These creatures were tricksters, sometimes

playing pranks on an individual, or other times directing the weather to cause either a boon or a

harm to humanity. Faeries didnt represent any one groups interest, rather they were forces of

nature, unconquerable and inscrutable. There were tales, of course, to win the faeries favor or at

least to deflect their anger; but at the end of the day there wasnt much say you had when a faerie

decided that it was time to have a freeze that killed all of your crops.

In addition to the Faeries, the Gaels had a truly staggering number of gods that helped

maintain the order (or general disorder) of the world. From what we have been able to find from

Archaeological records, the Gods seem to have been similar in design to the Norse Pantheon.

The gods were mostly arranged into a family, with every member of the divine family having

patronage over another aspect of reality of culture. There were gods of the various patterns of

weather, a God of War, a God of Smithing, and so on. Many gods also were specifically stated to

force humans into the shapes of various animals. With all the different divine roles, there was

almost entirely one constant; the Gaels didnt worship out of love or appreciation, they

worshiped largely because they feared the retribution of their Gods. Unfortunately, we do not

know a lot about these ancient deities beyond these basics and a couple of legends. Much

information was lost over the millennia and a half of Christian Ireland, which was clearly one of

the successes of the Christians that came to preach to the Gaels.

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ARRIVAL OF THE MISSIONARIES

The advent of Christianity on Ireland sparked a sort of cultural war. There were no large battles

or glorious generals; but there was the struggle of the natives with their long-held beliefs and the

new ones being boldly proclaimed by the newcomers. The missionaries arrived with the

unifying message of Christianity; that there is one God who presides over all, whom is directly

responsible for all supernatural occurrences. While this message had worked several times

throughout the rest of the Roman Empire; it was quickly apparent that the Gaels wanted nothing

to do with this new doctrine. Their Fairies, Gods, and Druidism were already enough

explanation for the world around them, and they did not need any more. The initial group of

preachers returned home to their churches dejected, though their efforts were not in vain. The

initial onset of Christianity had some roots, and it helped to nourish a slave boy who would

change the future of the Gaelic people.

SAINT PATRICK COMES TO TOWN

Several years later, another group would try to convert the Gael pagans, led by a man named

Patricius; we know him today as Saint Patrick of Ireland. Patricius shared the same zeal and love

of God that his brethren held, but he had a distinct advantage. Patricius had spent six years as a

slave to the Irish after his home village was attacked by raiders. Even though he lived in horrific

conditions, being poorly nourished and spending long bouts separated from other humans,

Patricius gained an understanding of the Gaelic culture and the natural imagery they used to

explain their ideals. Long story short, Patricius knew the folklore of the Gaels, and was creative

enough to be able to repurpose it to teach Christianity to the people.

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Patricius was immediately more popular than his predecessors when he began his

ministry, largely in part due to these new lessons not requiring the Gaels to give up their

traditional superstitious worldview. He instead used these superstitions to suit his own purposes.

The fear of the old deities was transformed into hatred of demons. If Christianity had come to

Ireland with only theological doctrines, the hope of immortal life, and ethical ideaswithout

miracles, mysteries, and ritesit could have never wooed the Celtic heart (Cagney). In

addition to transferring the fear of the old pagan divine into the fear of Hell, Patricius was also

able to transfer the love and respect of nature to a love and respect for Christian Divinity.

Patricius famously took a shamrock and used it to explain the Christian doctrine of the trinity,

using the three leaves to explain how god was three yet one; which is honestly one of the easiest

ways to explain that belief even when not teaching it to a nature-focused society. Faeries were

also used in Patriciuss teachings, with the tricksters and cruel fairies being equivalated to lesser

demons and servants of hell; while the beneficial fairies were taught as angels, who were sent by

God to assist the faithful in their endeavors.

Not all accepted this new method of teaching however. Many of the Druids and Wise

men among the Gaels vehemently protested, and went out of their way to prevent future

preaching from the saints. Despite threats of death and dismemberment, Patricius and his saints

preached anyway. Whenever an attack would come, loyal converts would help protect their

teachers. Patricius reportedly wasnt happy about any loss of life, but was known to have been a

bit of a daredevil. He had no fear of what men could do to him, because his belief in god was so

firm. In time these resistances failed, and most traces of the old faith were absorbed into the new

version of Christianity; or were stamped out once Catholicism had a firm grasp.
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Patricius had effectively used his knowledge of the Gaels to take what was originally folk

culture, and transitioned it into his high Catholic culture. Lingering influences of the original

beliefs remained (until modern times, most Irish would still actively profess to believe in fairies

as a distinctly different being from angels and demons), but ultimately his missionary journey to

Ireland was considered a success by the individuals and the church.

FOLK CULTURE STRIKES BACK

Despite the success in Ireland and the miraculous occurrences of his ministry, Patricius was

never canonized by the Pope back in Rome. However, we know him as Saint Patrick largely

because of the high regard the Irish Catholic Church held for their patron saint. He was given

official sainthood far further in the future, though some of his more fantastical deeds are notably

absent from official Catholic sources; possibly for how impossible such feats would be. The

Saint had transformed the original Gaelic folklore into official lore, but in doing so he had

become an object of folklore himself.

Many of these tales take place during Patriciuss ministry; mostly detailing his bouts with

the Druids who vehemently opposed his ministry. Many times, the druids would attempt to take

his life; however, the folklore that sprang up around these struggles becomes far more interesting

than the actual history. In one incident, Patricius was invited to the kings table, and preached

while they shared a meal. The kings personal druid was offended by these proceedings, and

organized an attack in secret with the hopes of taking Patriciuss life. Hundreds of men barged in

to kill the missionary, but Patricius invoked the name of god and every single one of his

assailants fell. Other tales detail contests between Patricius and the druids, alluding back to the

biblical tales of Elijah and the heretical Priests of Baal. Chariots would race, balls of fire would
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be formed, demonic fogs would be summoned and dispelled; though every single one of these

tales ended with the triumphant victory of Saint Patrick and the God that he proclaimed.

Patrick and other saints were also used to describe natural phenomenon on Ireland. The

total absence of snakes on the island is attributed to Patrick for example. Legend has it that he

had secluded himself on a hill-top, engaged in a forty day fast to better commune with God.

During the fast, many snakes were possessed by the devil and were sent after the resting saint;

hoping to extinguish his life and prevent the spread of Gods message among the devils

kingdom. Patrick resisted the demonic snakes, and fashioned a bell to protect himself. When he

rang the bell, all the of the snakes recoiled with horror and fled. Several rings later and every

snake had fled into the sea, and Patrick was responsible for an island without snakes.

IRISH CATHOLICISM

While not strictly folklore, the seeds planted by Saint Patricks acceptance yet twisting of the

original superstitions has transformed the Catholic church in Ireland into something very

different than the original Roman Catholic. One only need look at the symbolism and imagery to

see a distinct difference. While a Roman Catholic church possesses the stained-glass windows

with events of the life of Christ or his apostles, an Irish Catholic church will have similar scenes

dressed in green natural patterns. You will just as often find depiction of the various legends of

Saint Patrick and his ministry. Another common icon is the Celtic cross, a pattern of interlocking

circles that form into a cross; synthesizing the idea of a crucifix and the original druidic patterns

that were used so commonly by the druids who originally opposed Christianitys spread.

Despite the official and spiritual nature of the church, many pieces of folklore persisted

and were spread among the faithful. One of the most common were the tales of Fairies
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kidnapping children and leaving a changeling as a replacement; a manifestation of the fears of an

otherwise healthy child suddenly falling ill or dying. While there are many folk versions of the

tale to convince the fairies to return the child, there is also an officially sanctioned solution by

the church; continuing the cycle of folk and high culture being tightly intertwined. If a child was

christened, then he or she was protected from being kidnapped by the fairies. Overall, its a

much simpler solution than trying to trick the changeling into revealing its intelligence with

eggshells or by throwing it into the fire.

CONCLUSION

Ireland remains a very interesting place where high and folk culture share a unique parity not

enjoyed in many other parts of the world. Fairies exist in the same sphere as saints, angels,

demons, and the bible. People go to mass while fearing the potential kidnapping brought on by

the supernatural. Saint Patrick was truly a successful missionary, probably more successful than

any other non-biblical character; as he is venerated both by the common folk with their lore and

stories, and by the official Catholic church that praise his successes in bringing God to a godless

country.
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Works Cited

Cagney, Mary. "Patrick the Saint." Christian History. Chrstianity Today, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017.

"Christianity Comes to Ireland." Irish Identity. Hoganstand.com, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2017.

Holdridge, Jefferson. "The One Loved Form: Art, Nature, Myth, and Instinct in Irish Literature." South

Carolina Review 43.1 (n.d.): 238-52. SLCC Library. Web. 26 Apr. 2017.

Kidd, Colin. Gaelic Antiquity and National Identity in Enlightenment Ireland and Scotland. N.p.: n.p.,

1994. N. pag. Gaelic Antiquity and National Identity in Enlightenment Ireland and Scotland.

Oxford University Press. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Ojibwa. "Ancient Ireland: The Pre-Christian Deities." Daily Kos. N.p., 20 May 2012. Web. 26 Apr.

2017.

Waldron, Bridget. "Changelings, Fairies, Deities, and Saints: The Integration of Irish Christianity and

Fairy Tale Belief." Changelings, Fairies, Deities, and Saints: The Integration of Irish

Christianity and Fairy Tale Belief | Transceltic - Home of the Celtic Nations. N.p., 14 May 2013.

Web. 24 Apr. 2017.