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pilgrimage

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A Brief History of Ireland’s Croagh Patrick

The pilgrimage site of Croagh Patrick lies on a mountain some 2500-feet high in County Mayo, which is on the northwest coast of Ireland. The site serves as the modern pilgrimage destination for those who wish to take the penitential journey to and vigil at the summit at the end of each July. The terrain surrounding Croagh Patrick is made of a variety of landscapes, including bogs, meadow, ridges, and lakes. South of the area, a vast area of bog has created conditions that are not favorable to habitation, and so today the area remains sparsely populated, just as it was during prehistoric times.

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The path leading to the summit of Croagh Patrick.

Archaeological evidence from Croagh Patrick indicates the possibility that the site was sacred beginning in the Bronze Age, or possibly even before then. During this time it may have been a pilgrimage site for those not living near the site. Several prehistoric structures have been found near Croagh Patrick, including a wedge tomb, four cairns, a tumulus, rock art covered by hundreds of motifs, ring-barrows, a pond-barrow, a stone circle, and a plethora of standing stone suggesting possible burial placements. The site is said to have been a site for the Celtic harvest festival of Lughnasa which was celebrated until it was Christianized in the Low Middle Ages.

Written reference to Croagh Patrick dates to 700 A.D. when Tirechan recalled the story of St. Patrick’s stay at the site, given around 441 A.D. St. Patrick is said to have remained there for forty days and forty nights, though such an account may be rooted more in medieval legend than historical fact. According to the Life of St. Patrick from the 10th-century, St. Patrick is said to have remained on top of the mountain in prayer and fasting, following in the footsteps of both Moses and Christ. Under other accounts, stories about St. Patrick indicate that the purpose of his visit to Croagh Patrick was to challenge a pagan power figure named Crom Dubh. This account suggests that the site held high significance as a sacred religious site prior to the arrival of the wave of Christianity.

Multiple sources point to the historical pilgrimage date as being March 17th, although some indicate the end of July as the traditional date. The first record of a pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick is from 1113 A.D., and during the Middle Ages pilgrims likely followed the eastern Tochar Phadraig route, beginning 22 miles away at Ballintubber Abbey. This route may date to pre-Christian times, at least according to regional lore. The pilgrim route likely shifted after the establishment of Murrisk Abbey in the mid-15th century, from which pilgrims now begin their journey in modern times. Under suppression of Catholics during the time of the Penal Laws, Croagh Patrick prospered as a pilgrimage site and the site continues to be a popular site for pilgrims in modern times. An oratory was constructed on the top of the mountain in 1905.

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Hiking up Croagh Patrick on Pilgrim Sunday.
Croagh Patrick appears to have been important for its historical meaning within Irish culture, regardless of the religious powers that influenced the area. Christians who came to Ireland did not neglect the site because of its pagan origins, nor did they destroy it. Instead, they transformed its meaning. The fact that the site was adopted by both pagan and Christian cultures suggests that something about the site itself echoes a fundamental characteristic of pilgrimage. Most likely, this characteristic relates to the high, remote nature of the mountain which is still accessible by the public. While the nature of the prehistoric pilgrimage is not entirely clear, the penitentiary nature of the Christian pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick corresponds to the difficulty in making the ascension to the top.

The importance of Croagh Patrick seems to stress the portion of travel to the summit of the mountain rather than any particular activity undertaken once the pilgrim arrives there. This is perhaps due to the lack of any particular relic associated with the summit. Along with this, there does not appear to be any major artificial features that have historically attracted pilgrims to this area. Instead, the attraction seems to be in the mountain as sacred space following the tradition of St. Patrick and the cultures that preceded him.

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How much water did people through history actually drink?

splashing-275950_640We hear today that people need to drink lots of water daily (anywhere up to 100 oz.) for proper hydration – despite the fact that most people live rather sedentary lives in which perspiring or strenuous exercise are only a small part of a daily routine.

With that in mind, I have a question or two: how much did people from history actually drink?  Also, were they sufficiently hydrated?

A few observations first:

  • Civilizations, cities, and towns typically emerged near constant supplies of potable water (e.g. rivers)
  • Certain civilizations (e.g. Romans) were able to supplement water supplies with outside water quantities that rivaled the amount of water used per person today
  • At certain points in history, water potability either decreased or was perceived to be decreased so that preferred beverages came from other sources (e.g. beer)
Lucas van Leyden, Resting Pilgrims, c. early 1500s. These pilgrims needed food energy during their travels, but what about water?
Lucas van Leyden, Resting Pilgrims, c. early 1500s. These pilgrims needed food energy during their travels, but what about water?

At least some societies were able to enjoy an abundance of water even when not close to an original water source.  The great example I can think of is that of Nimes, France, where (according to my notes) each individual had access to 100 gallons of water per day(!).  To put this in perspective, the average daily use by modern Americans is 176 gallons per day. But even if some civilizations could readily drink water, it seems that it must have been rather difficult for people living in more rural areas – or traveling through them – to maintain proper hydration.  This must have been especially true in areas where natural water supplies were tainted.  If we consider an example of travelers during the Middle Ages going on pilgrimage, should we presume that dehydration – or even death thereof – was a common problem?  With increased perspiration from travel, increased climate during the medieval warm period, and scarcity of water sources, how did they ever manage to survive?  Of course, this would not have been a problem confined to the Middle Ages, but would have been present in any age and place where clean water was not in adequate supply.

While I do not recall hearing about any specific historical deaths resulting explicitly from dehydration*, I do not think it unreasonable to think that this would have been the direct cause of a significant percentage of deaths.  After all, when disease strikes, fatalities result not so much because of the disease itself but because of the inability to replenish and retain fluids.  But setting aside cases of infirmity, was hydration recognized as being an important part of all-around health?  This is an open question.

* I recall, however, the case of over-hydration (allegedly) killing one individual – astronomer Tycho Brahe in 1601

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