From roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Wed Mar 8 15:18:04 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k28MI4jb008889; Wed, 8 Mar 2006 15:18:04 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l.rootsweb.com [66.43.16.22]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k28MI06W009398 for ; Wed, 8 Mar 2006 15:18:00 -0700 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l [127.0.0.1]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k28JlpFI002905 for ; Wed, 8 Mar 2006 14:47:51 -0500 Received: (from roots-in@localhost) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.8/Submit) id k28JlpXO002904 for roots-approved@rootsweb.com; Wed, 8 Mar 2006 14:47:51 -0500 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [66.43.27.41]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with SMTP id k28JSkFI002830 for ; Wed, 8 Mar 2006 14:28:46 -0500 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) id k28Lwjiw019840 for roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com; Wed, 8 Mar 2006 14:58:45 -0700 X-Envelope-From: hornbeck@s-hornbeck.com Wed Mar 8 14:58:45 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k28Lwjjb019831 for ; Wed, 8 Mar 2006 14:58:45 -0700 Received: from smtp103.mail.sc5.yahoo.com (smtp103.mail.sc5.yahoo.com [66.163.169.222]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with SMTP id k28Lwfo2000879 for ; Wed, 8 Mar 2006 14:58:42 -0700 Received: (qmail 80775 invoked from network); 8 Mar 2006 21:58:42 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO shirley-.s-hornbeck.com) (shirleyhornbeck@sbcglobal.net@69.110.195.184 with login) by smtp103.mail.sc5.yahoo.com with SMTP; 8 Mar 2006 21:58:41 -0000 Message-Id: <6.2.3.4.2.20060308135556.0421b8d0@pop.mail.yahoo.com> X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 6.2.3.4 Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2006 13:57:01 -0800 To: ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com From: Shirley Hornbeck Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 Sender: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Subject: [ROOTS-L] This and That St. Patrick's Day THE LEPRECHAUN The Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. He looks like a small, old man (about 2 feet tall), often dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes. They also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced (with the threat of bodily violence) to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun (and he often tricks them into looking away), he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost. Near a misty stream in Ireland in the hollow of a tree Live mystical, magical leprechauns who are clever as can be With their pointed ears, and turned up toes and little coats of green The leprechauns busily make their shoes and try hard not to be seen. Only those who really believe have seen these little elves And if we are all believers We can surely see for ourselves. (Irish Blessing) There's a dear little plant that grows in our isle, 'Twas St. Patrick himself, sure, that sets it; And the sun of his labor with pleasure did smile, And with dew from his eye often wet it. It grows through the bog, through the brake, through the mireland, And they call it the dear little Shamrock of Ireland. For each petal on the shamrock This brings a wish your way- Good health, good luck, and happiness For today and every day. A Wee Bit O' Fun Saint Patrick's Day (March 17th), is an Irish holiday honoring Saint Patrick, the missionary credited with converting the Irish to Christianity (in the A.D. 400's). Saint Patrick was not actually Irish. Historical sources report that he was born around 373 A.D. in either Scotland (near the town of Dumbarton) or in Roman Britain (the Romans left Britain in 410 A.D.). His real name is believed to be Maewyn Succat (he took on Patrick, or Patricus, after he became a priest). He was kidnapped at the age of 16 by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland (I am not making this up). During his 6-year captivity (he worked as a shepherd), he began to have religious visions, and found strength in his faith. He finally escaped (after voices in one of his visions told him where he could find a getaway ship) and went to France, where he became a priest (and later a bishop). When he was about 60 years old, St. Patrick travelled to Ireland to spread the Christian word. It's said that Patrick had an unusually winning personality, and that helped him win converts. He used the shamrock, which resembles a three-leafed clover, as a metaphor to explain the concept of the Trinity (father, son, holy spirit). Legend has it that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland -- that they all went into the sea and drowned. Poor snakes. I don't know why he would want to do this, except that the snake was a revered pagan symbol, and perhaps this was a figurative tale alluding to the fact that he drove paganism out of Ireland. Shirley Hornbeck THIS & THAT GENEALOGY TIPS: