tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583674511519808833.post4981370477145081036..comments2024-03-29T01:45:45.002+00:00Comments on Rosa Rubicondior: Saint PatrickRosa Rubicondiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06063268216781988588noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583674511519808833.post-65864784024513560012012-03-19T20:32:53.376+00:002012-03-19T20:32:53.376+00:00I don't think there is much doubt that the St....I don't think there is much doubt that the St. Patrick myths are based on a real person.<br /><br />You're right about snakes in Ireland, which was cut off from Britain before snakes came back after the Ice Age, but not before the legless lizard, the Slow-worm (a type of skink) and the Common Lizard had entered Ireland. Both good examples of how geology and climate can affect the distribution of land animals.Rosa Rubicondiorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06063268216781988588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583674511519808833.post-67424784879614353992012-03-18T20:55:14.209+00:002012-03-18T20:55:14.209+00:00Interesting info on Patrick, because I had always ...Interesting info on Patrick, because I had always assumed he was mostly a myth. I'm not absolutely convinced he's more than a myth, but there certainly seems to be more contemporary (to him) documentation than say for Jesus.<br /><br />His knowledge of Latin would be presumed since he was supposed to be the son of a priest, or some other official in the Roman Britain. Even if he were fluent in Old Welsh, which by then was using the Latin alphabet and was greatly influenced by Latin grammar and many loanwords (that last until today).<br /><br />Oh, as for snakes, I can't imagine that there were any after the last glacial maximum. I believe that Ireland became separated from the remainder of the British Isles around 7-9 thousand years ago, so again, hard to imagine that any snakes got into Ireland before then. I think there are two species of reptiles on the island: one legless lizard (which looks kind of like a snake) and one common lizard. More myths I guess.Michael Simpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03217061520576852824noreply@blogger.com