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C h r i s v a n a g e n i n g e n - N H L G S 1 D

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G r o n i n g e n - N L 2 0 1 4

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n artwork that proves the astounding mastery of craftsmanship and skill of the masonry artist that carved this monolith. A Celtic symbol stone wi th almost totem like imagery and complex patterns. Absolutely impossible to miss is the Christian cross that is the main part of this composition of an ancient heritage and a devotion to an alien religion. The transition of a land, once said to be an inhospitable barbarian waste, to one that played a very i mportant role in the Christianisation of western Europe, is one that is certainly a very interesting process. Questions as to how the Celtic culture changed with the coming of Christian missiona ries like the fabled

“Saint Patrick” arise…

The written word

Saint Patrick, the famed missionary sent from Rome around the start of the fifth century is a figure subject to legends and speculations.

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Yet we can assume that he was one of the most important contributors to the Christianisation of the Celtic world. Even if it would appear that details about the patron saint of Ireland where not completely correct, an observation of the effect the arrival and works of the Saint on t he Celtic way of life and religion can be made. The

‘

confessio

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, a literary work made by himself and by chroniclers of his life, is a book of religious and theological teachings. The usage of different media to do the work of god is an exemplary subject. It clashes with the Pagan religions of the Celts, literally and figuratively speaking. There are recordings of a trial of faith and truthfulness of scriptures that went on between Saint Patrick

’s

, and that of a pagan druid. One going as far describing how Saint Patrick called upon the christian god to literally smash his opponent

’

s head in and gruesomely succeeding, inspiring awe in pagan believers. The pagan beliefs of the native population were mainly spread through oral teachings, while the new catholic religion was one that was primarily based on literary works and scriptures, like the epistles and gospels send by Saint Paul to the Corinthians or other Christian churches.

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Transformation of the old

Although there have been recordings o f understandable conflict between the old Celtic culture and the coming of the new religion, like the clash between Saint Patrick and the Pagan Druid. The reaction to Christianisation was not just a confrontation and conflict of different ways of life. A great example of this transformation of t he old to the new is the suggestion that the Saint Brigit of Kildare is a Christianised version of t he pagan Goddess Brighid, whose character resembles Brigit.

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We can consider the possibility that Irish Christians fitted Brigit of Kildare the traits and characteristics of the old goddess, whom they were used to pray to.

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1

Dumville,

Saint Patrick. AD 493-1993

(Suffolk-UK,1993) 1-5

2

Nagy,

Conversing with angels and ancients. Literary myths of m edieval Ireland

(Dublin-IR, 1997) 1- 88

3

Herren, Brown,

Christ in Celtic Christianit y.

(Suffolk-UK 2002) 168. &

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