The color associated with St. Patrick’s Day is green – wearing green, green rivers, green beer, etc. However, some claim that the original color associated with St. Patrick was blue. So where did the green tradition come from, and what evidence is there that Patrick’s iconic color was actually blue? Let’s take a look at the history and myths around St. Patrick and the color blue.
The Legend of St. Patrick
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, known for spreading Christianity throughout the country in the 5th century AD. According to legend, he used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish. He was also said to have driven the snakes out of Ireland, though many scholars believe there were no snakes in Ireland at that time.
Patrick was born in Britain in the late 4th century. At age 16 he was captured by Irish raiders and spent 6 years in slavery in Ireland. He eventually escaped back to Britain, but returned to Ireland as a missionary. He became a bishop and established churches all over Ireland for around 30 years before retiring. He died on March 17th, which became the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
So where does the color blue come in? Let’s look at some of the evidence.
Blue in Patrick’s Writings
In Patrick’s writings, he uses the color blue in metaphors referring to druidic pagan practices and ignorance. For example:
“I must spread everywhere the name of God so that after my decease I may leave a bequest to my brethren and sons whom I have baptised in the Lord – so many thousands of people. Even if I should have baptised or confirmed one person at the extremity of Ulster, with consent, I shall have sown in them the Church of God. Though I should be outside life, that is for God, that He might call them, so that there might be clergy all over the island – even though pagans are opposed to me… Truly I ought to spread the truth among pagans, not to plant but to confirm; not my grace but the grace of God – not denial, not my purity, but that of God all-pure. He has given me strength for this; against me He has no defence.”
Here blue represents paganism and ignorance, while Patrick spreads the “truth” of God represented by white.
Blue Dye from Woad
One of the main industries in ancient Ireland was the production of a blue dye called woad. The dye was extracted from the Isatis tinctoria plant and used to color wool and linen.
Woad dye production declined after Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland. Some think this is because the woad dye was associated with druidic pagan rituals, which Patrick wanted to stamp out.
So the prevalence of blue woad dye in ancient Ireland, later replaced by Christian practices, may be another connection between blue and pre-Patrick paganism.
St. Patrick’s Blue
In the 1790s, a new shade of blue called “St. Patrick’s blue” became popular. It was lighter and brighter than the traditional woad blue.
The craze was sparked by Lord Edward Fitzgerald, a leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1798. To show his Irish pride, he wore St. Patrick’s blue clothing and decorated his Dublin home in the shade.
The popularity spread throughout Ireland and Britain, with all things blue dubbed “St. Patrick’s blue” for a time. This shows an early association between the saint and the color blue.
Blue in Irish Folklore
Blue shows up in a couple Irish legends that may represent Christian influence supplanting earlier pagan beliefs:
– The Blue Men of the Minch – The blue men were mythical sea creatures who lured sailors to their deaths. Some believe they originated from an earlier pagan myth that was co-opted by Patrick into something more sinister.
– The Children of Lir – This Irish legend tells of four children turned into blue swans for 900 years by their wicked stepmother. They are eventually baptized by a saint, turning them back into humans. The blue swans are seen as representing paganism.
So blue in ancient Irish folklore and mythology often symbolized danger, evil, or pagan practices.
Where Did the Green Come From?
While blue has its origins in ancient Irish history and St. Patrick lore, green is a more recent addition as the iconic color. A few theories on the rise of green:
– Wearing Green to Avoid Pinching – In the 17th century, Irish children started wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day to avoid getting pinched for not wearing the national color. This evolved into the tradition of pinching those not wearing green.
– The Irish Rebellion – During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the Irish wore green as their nationalist color. Green became firmly linked to Irish identity and independence.
– Green Shamrocks – The three-leaf shamrock is another symbol associated with St. Patrick and Ireland. Wearing a green shamrock eventually became a St. Patrick’s Day tradition.
– Green Vegetation – Forty shades of green are said to exist in Ireland. The lush green landscape made the color synonymous with the country.
So green likely overtook blue due to political and cultural associations starting in the 17th-19th centuries.
Was Blue Replaced by Green for Political Reasons?
Some have speculated that the shift from blue to green was deliberately political – an effort by the British to quash Irish nationalism in the 18th century.
As blue became a symbol of Irish rebellion, British authorities began to push green as a “safer” color representing the shamrock and the Emerald Isle. This served to tamp down nationalist sentiments.
However, this theory is controversial and difficult to prove. More likely, green simply gained prominence through natural cultural shifts for the reasons discussed above.
Evidence for Blue as St. Patrick’s Original Color
Despite the popularity of green, there are a few remnants suggesting blue was the original color of St. Patrick:
– Blue Clover – An early symbol for St. Patrick was the blue clover, or three-leaf clover colored blue. This suggests his clover was blue before becoming green.
– St. Patrick’s Well – A holy well attributed to St. Patrick spews blue-colored water. The blue tinge comes from minerals in the ground.
– Blue in Patrick’s Iconography – Some early depictions and icons of St. Patrick contain blue garments or backgrounds. Blue was a common color in Christian iconography.
While intriguing, these clues aren’t definitive proof of Patrick’s original color. The shift from blue to green was likely gradual and organic.
Conclusion
So was St. Patrick really blue instead of green? The earliest traditions point to blue having significance in Patrick’s story and Irish culture. But green appears to have become dominant in a natural way by the 17th-19th centuries.
Blue dyed the pre-Christian pagan rituals Patrick aimed to overcome. But as Christianity triumphed in Ireland, green came to represent the shamrock, the Irish landscape, and eventually Irish nationalism.
St. Patrick’s true color remains elusive, buried somewhere beneath legends and history. But both colors continue to hold meaning for the saint and for Irish identity. Perhaps the solution is to wear both green and blue on March 17th in honor of Ireland’s complex history and symbols.
| Evidence for Blue | Evidence for Green |
|---|---|
| – Mentions in Patrick’s writings | – Avoiding pinches by wearing green |
| – Blue woad dye production | – Green worn during Irish Rebellion |
| – “St. Patrick’s Blue” craze in 1700s | – Green shamrocks |
| – Blue in Irish folklore | – Green representing Irish landscape |
| – Blue clover symbol | – Green possibly pushed by British authorities |
| – Blue water from St. Patrick’s Well | |
| – Blue in some Patrick iconography |
