2.10 Celtic mythology

2.10.1 Meadow

In mythology of the Irish Celts Meadow is one of the most significant gods.

Meadow is the solar deity, the inventor of crafts whose nickname is Long-armed.

Its epithet of Samildanah (Samildánach) means "owning many crafts". Meadow is identified with both Gallic Lugusom and Welsh Hludom.

In the saga of children of Turin "Meadow appears from the West and directs thereby a panic among people as his face eclipses the sun and people think that the star has ascended not from that party.

On one of versions Meadow becomes governor Plemen of Goddess Danu (Túatha Dé Danann) after Nuada Srebrorukogo.

And as king Túatha Dé Danann conducts them in their legendary fight against the Phomores where he shows his divine fighting force.

The main contender of Meadow is Luga, the leader Balor the Deadly Sight, whose grandson he also is.

In a duel Meadow kills Balora with a spear or a stone (under different versions).

Set of geographical places in Europe have been named in honor of some sunny deities:

Лугдунум - Leon,

Lugano - lake in Switzerland,

Лувен - a city in France,

Лугнанила - mountain in Ireland.

In Ireland some proper names are made from the name Luga, for example, Lugar, Lugad.

2.10.2 Patrick

On March, 17th the Irish worldwide celebrate Saint Patrick`s Day, the heavenly patron of Ireland.

It is known a little about the life of this saint as well as about the life of the three other patrons of the British Isles, though it the unique of the four saints who left after himself the literary heritage from which his life fragments reached our ears.

That fact what exactly he left after himself outweighs other Christian missionaries educating Ireland.

The image of Saint Patrick has not left indifferent millions of people almost for more than 1500 years. That is due to the fact that for some of them he is the one who brought Christian belief in Ireland, for others it is only the occasion to arrange a parade and to drink a beer pint mug.

Saint Patrick's "confession" is written in Latin. This book written in his declining years is about his moral and religious searches, however the concrete information on where he had been, what churches had been constructed, what people he had met is missed.

Saint Patrick was born in a city of the Roman Britain under the name of Bannavem Taberniae. The exact site of this ancient settlement has still been challenged to our time by Carlisle, Devon and Wales. Saint Patrick grew up in a Christian family and at the age of 16 years was stolen by the Irish robbers. In Ireland, being a slave, it grazed livestock: sheep or pigs. Six years later he managed to escape and return to his native town.

Why did Patrick later make a decision to return to Ireland? As he said, being a child he lost his faith and found it only in slavery. After liberation he became a monk and, probably, spent some time in France. Then, a few years later he returned to Ireland, having seen a dream in which "the Irish voices" asked him to bring God`s word home to them.

Apparently, his returning took place in 432 AD. This date is connected with the events occurred a year before. In 431 Pope Tselestin sent bishop Palladiusa to educate Ireland. The Irish chronicles (the middle of VII century) inform nothing on a role of Palladiusa, therefore the scientists assume that on the way he died and Saint Patrick replaced him. Other scientists believe that the authors of chronicles intentionally put Patrick on the place of Palladiusa as by that moment in the middle of VII century for the majority of people he had already become the apostle of Ireland. However, scientists believe in possible coexistence of two Patricks . The problem is that in "the Ulster annals" (those chronicles) it is said that Patrick had died in 461 and then his death is mentioned again in 491. Could it be 461 the year of Palladius` death? Probably, Palladius accepted his new name of Patrick after the arrival in the ancestral lands. In that case Saint Patrick died 9 years prior to the beginning of VI century.

There is a natural question: who brought Christianity to Ireland Patrick or Palladius? Neither of them. By that moment on Emerald Island there had already been Christians, probably, as well as Patrick, caught in slavery in Roman empire. The argument in favour of it is simple: the Roman high priest wouldn't have sent the bishop if there had been no flock in Ireland. It is considered that the first Christians arrived in Ireland in IV century.