Irish Shamrock, a three-leaf clover identified in 1893 by the Irish naturalist Nathaniel Colgan as a species of Trifolium repens (creeping clover or white clover or Dutch clover).

The shamrock was generally thought to be a clover, from the Gaelic word "seamrog" (small clover, from seamair clover) and English word"shamrock" is the most phonetically close rendering of the Irish equivalent. However, the botanical world is not so sure that this is the case, and the debate has been on the options where some candidates for the shamrock symbol are not even classified as clover. To be sure, the confusion is partly due to the different artistic depictions of the Celts over the centuries.

According to the Survey of the Irish (1988) by botanist Charles Nelson:

• 46 percent think the shamrock is trifolium dubium(dubious clover - lesser shamrock)
• 35 percent- trifolium repens(be blue clover)
• seven percent - medicap lupulina(black alfalfa)
• five percent - oxalis acetosella(Oxygen common in the people hare cabbage or cuckoo clover)
• four percent - trifolium pratense(Red clover)

It goes without saying that the rumor that the Irish shamrock can only grow on Irish soil is a myth. The three-leaf clover grows all over the world, from Tasmania to South Africa, from North America to England. Just in different places it has a different name.

But oddly enough, Charles Nelson argues that the shamrock "exists" only on St. Patrick's Day, and a day later it is already known as a young clover.

The symbol of Ireland, recognized throughout the world, in most cases is aimed specifically at tourists, since the shamrock is the emblem of the Irish Tourism Board, Failte Ireland (Failte - Welcome). However, without a doubt, the shamrock symbol in Ireland can be seen on almost everything, from the tails of Aer Lingus aircraft to lampposts in Dublin.

Many tourists in Ireland believe that the leaf of a humble plant is official symbol Ireland and has a higher status than the Gaelic harp (Ireland's coat of arms).

But in any case, the shamrock has some legal protection. According to the 1996 law on trademarks, use of the shamrock symbol is limited to goods and services of Irish origin. Only the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor can consider requests for the use of the symbol.

A live clover leaf is traditionally worn on the lapel of a garment on St. Patrick's Day. In times past, the Irish were overwhelmed with pride when they pinned the plant to their clothes. And before going to bed, it was customary to dip a leaf in a drink and throw it over the left shoulder before drinking "Patrick's bowler". In modern days, this tradition is gradually fading away, but the invention of "tea" bags with clover leaves supports the export of shamrock around the world.

The first to pave the way for the shamrock to glory were the Celtic Druids, who believed that the number three had mystical powers. There is no reliable information about why they were sure of this, perhaps the number three personified the past, present and future, or underworld, earth and heaven.

Whatever the meaning that the Celts attached to the number, everything is quite clearly expressed in artistic symbolism. Three-faced faces, trixels, trixels often appear on ancient images. The organization of Celtic society was based on a magic number - three social class, three colors, three main deities. And it is not surprising that in such a "three-digit" atmosphere they began to revere the plant with its three leaves, the creation of nature itself.

Saint Patrick, intending to convert the Celts to Christianity, was well aware of their reverence for the number three and, according to legend, used a clover leaf to illustrate the Christian dogma of the Trinity, and explained its essence - about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

True, the described story of a fifth-century saint who initiated the Celts in Christian doctrine using a shamrock, has no historical evidence and not supported by handwritten documents. Historians testify that the first written references to "shamrocks" appeared around the beginning of the 18th century, 1,200 years after the death of St. Patrick. The story was recorded in 1726 in a book on the wild plants of Ireland written by a Protestant cleric (Caleb Threlkeld Synopsis Stirpium Hibernicarum. The first Essay of the kind in the Kingdom of Ireland, Dublin, 1727). He drew attention to the fact that the Irish wear bunches of white clover leaves on their hats on March 17, St. Patrick's Day, and spoke about the established tradition, the shamrock, as a symbol of the Holy Trinity.

But by that time the Irish had indeed adopted the shamrock as a symbol, it appeared on medieval tombstones and old coins, and a 1681 written account describes the shamrock as an emblem on the lapels of clothes on St. Patrick's Day.

Ella Mikhailenko

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06.03.2015

Saint Patrick, shamrock and Ireland are inextricably united in national tradition, like the three-headed leaf of green clover itself. Saint Patrick, the patron saint of the Irish, their spiritual mentor, in the 5th century contributed a lot to the Christianization of the island's population. Everyone is well aware of the legend of how the high priest explained to the pagan Celts, mostly peasants, the meaning of the sacrament of the Holy Trinity. The theological question was quite difficult to understand, then the preacher used a shamrock as a visual aid.

A leaflet with three rounded petals is one whole, and at the same time consists of three parts as well as the Unity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The circle in the center means time, and the intersecting veins-lines - eternity, and everything is inseparably connected in God. Thus, the priest managed to adapt pagan ideas to the new religious teaching. Indeed, even before Patrick's arrival in Ireland, small clover leaves were used as amulets by the pagan priests of the Celts - the Druids. They believed that the symbol of the infinite is contained in the trefoil. life cycle- life, death and rebirth.

Therefore, so often the Irish plant clover on the graves. The Irish believed in Christ and made the shamrock their national symbol. It is considered a lucky omen among many peoples to find a leaf with four petals, and the Irish believe that such a rare specimen serves as a reliable magical talisman that protects against negative energy. By folk tradition each of the four leaves has its own meaning - the first means hope, the second - faith, the third - love, the fourth - good luck. Others interpret the meaning of each petal differently.

The leaf at the bottom left attracts fame, at the top left it helps to gain wealth, the top right promises good luck in love and fidelity of a partner, the bottom right guarantees health and happiness. A later theory about the adoption of the shamrock as a symbol sees this as a hidden political sense- remind the British that although the island is under their control, the provinces of Ireland and the people inhabiting them are united in their own strong state. In the minds of the people, this plant has always had a sacred meaning - power, glory and honor.

This is a small plant in cultivated and religious traditions Ireland has great importance. On St. Patrick's Day, which is celebrated on March 17, the image of the shamrock (in English "shamrock") adorns the streets, shops, schools, homes, clothes and hats. Clover is one of the symbols of spring, its emerald decoration. Therefore, on the day of the holiday in honor of the patron saint of the country green color becomes dominant in the outfits of the Irish and the decoration of their homes.

Since ancient times, the shamrock motif in tattoos has been very popular among the peoples, leading their origin from the ancient Celts. During an Irish wedding, the bride includes a shamrock in her bouquet and the groom wears a clover boutonniere in his buttonhole. Despite the fact that clover grows everywhere in Ireland, this herbaceous plant is cultivated both for decorating lawns in front of the house and as a houseplant.

Treasures and relics of the British Crown Skuratovskaya Mariana Vadimovna

Shamrock - Ireland

Shamrock - Ireland

Now we three Stuarts, he said, are as inseparable as the sacred shamrock. They say that whoever carries this sacred grass with him, evil spells are powerless over that, so we, as long as we are faithful to each other, are not afraid of the deceit of enemies.

Walter Scott. perth beauty

Unlike the proud Tudor rose and thistle, and the more modest leek, the shamrock is not so much Ireland's official emblem as its unofficial symbol. The official one is the Irish harp. On the coat of arms of the United Kingdom, you can see both a harp and a shamrock.

It’s easier to say where you can’t find the image of a green “three-plate” white clover leaf ... And on St. Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of Ireland, he’s just everywhere.

Since ancient times, the shamrock has been revered as a sacred plant, and then, already in the Christian era, it became a symbol of the Holy Trinity - they say that it was with its help that St. Patrick explained to people its essence. “Just as three leaves can grow from one stem, so God can be one in three persons.” And with the help of a shamrock cross, he managed to exterminate all the snakes in Ireland. True ... this, apparently, is not true. IN historical documents concerning St. Patrick, nothing is said about the shamrock.

The first mention of the relationship between the saint and the shamrock, revered in the country, dates back to 1726 - in a book about field plants in Ireland by Dr. Caleb Trackeld. There is a mention of the tradition of wearing a shamrock on a saint's day and in a poem published in 1689, so, apparently, this custom is not so old, and it began around late XVII century (before that they wore "crosses" of green ribbons, St. Patrick's crosses).

In addition, there were disputes about what a “real” shamrock is, what kind of plant it is - clover, and if clover, then which one. Or maybe it's some kind of sour?

No wonder the Irish tried to defend their beloved shamrock and the customs associated with it! Here is what one of the authors of the Dublin Penny Journal wrote: “Other countries can, like us, be proud of their shamrock. But nowhere in the whole world, whether on the mainland or on an island, is there enough of this juicy grass to fatten sheep properly. Both in winter and in summer, our limestone hills are covered with a green carpet, which becomes even greener from the mists floating from the Atlantic. The shamrock is everywhere. Throw a pebble on the top of a mountain or in the middle of a swamp, and a shamrock will immediately grow. When St. Patrick expelled all poisonous creatures (except people) from his mountain, a shamrock grew out of his footprints. And if the readers of your magazine climb to the top of that most beautiful of Ireland's mountains, they will see that the shamrock still grows there, turning its honey-bearing flowers to the wind from the west. I confess I have no patience with impudent Englishmen who want to make us believe that this dear plant, connected with our religious passions and passion for fun, is not St. Patrick's favorite plant, and who want to palm off on us as a symbol of our faith and our nationality this little, sour, sickly sour! It's all that stubborn prim saxophone, Mr Beechenre. Although Keogh, Trecald and other Irish botanists claim that the shamrock is trifolium repens[white clover]. And Treckeld writes: “People wear the shamrock every year on March 17th (this is St. Patrick's Day) on their hats. Now it is generally accepted that with the help of the shamrock he explained to them the mystery of the Holy Trinity. True, when they “drown the shamrock”, they often go over with alcohol, which is not good to do on a holy holiday! The English also refer to the testimony of Spencer, another Saxon, who in his "Description of Affairs in Ireland" [the poet Edmund Spenser published a pamphlet on the situation in Ireland in 1596] writes that if the Irish manage to find a clearing with clover or watercress, then this is a real feast for them. He also quotes one English satirist, a certain Witt, who writes with mockery of those "who dress in capes and, like the Irish, eat clover."

But it's not so easy to take over us, Mr. Sachs! We Irish are not inclined to part with our favorite plant at your request! Yes, in Hard times the Irish might try to satisfy their hunger with clover, as we did two years ago when we ate seaweed - because hunger would break even a stone wall. But don't the Welsh decorate their hats with leeks on St. David's Day? And sometimes they eat their spicy leek, as Shakespeare wrote, either as an insult or as a condiment [one of the heroes of the play "Henry V" does not tolerate leeks, and another, a Welsh patriot, defends the honor of his symbol with a club in his hands]. So it’s not shameful for an Irishman, if he already felt this strange state called hunger, to chew clover! For that matter, when I go to spend time in good company, I would rather have my breath smell of honey grass than smell of garlic from me! But a Welshman does not live on a leek alone, any more than a poor Irishman lives on a clover. Because, of course, neither one nor the other is nutritious. But to give credit to Mr. Bicheno, he has another argument in favor of the favorite plant in our country being sorrel, and this argument is much more to the taste of the Irish. He says that a bunch of oxalis is a much better substitute for lemon than clover. There really is something in this - if anything is suitable, then it is sour. But let the Saxon do what he can. Even in his own territory, even in London, it will be very difficult for him to convince our tribesmen living in St. Giles [a poor area where immigrants from Ireland lived] that oxalis acetosella, this small, sour, frail sour is a fitting emblem for Ireland. No. For me, please, clover. Green shamrock!"

In this short essay, the essence of the relationship between Ireland and the shamrock. He is his. "Irish".

This small, tenacious plant, which was said to ward off evil and could help with snake bites or warn of an impending storm, has become a hero. folk songs. Brides put it in their bouquet. It was worn on hats, and later on clothes, not only by the Irish, but also by those who wanted to show them their affection - even King George IV wore a hat with a shamrock during his visit to Dublin (and, of course, the Irish could not resist and composed another satirical song about this).

But in his story there are much more serious and sad moments. In 1798, the song "Wearing Green" appeared, which lamented the ban on "wearing green", in particular, wearing a shamrock on a hat. In 1798, a rebellion broke out in Ireland against English rule ... It was brutally suppressed a few months later, and two years later Ireland became part of the United Kingdom. For wearing the sign of the rebels could be hanged. The shamrock has become not just a symbol, but a nationalist symbol.

It is not surprising that the wearing of the shamrock was forbidden to the Irish units of the British army, and Queen Victoria lifted this ban only when the Irish regiments proved themselves during the second Boer War (1899-1902). True, many Irish considered it a mockery - to wear the sign of Ireland on the English military uniform.

But be that as it may, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was not only the Irish who willingly wore shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day. The number of those who celebrated this day with them grew every year ... And it is still growing.

Yes, the green shamrock has become the symbol of the Green Island. As sung in the song “Wearing Green,” “when the laws can forbid the grass to grow, and in the summer the leaves do not dare to show their color, then I will change the color that I wear on my hat. But until then, God help me, I'll wear green."