The news that's going round?
The Shamrock's Erin's badge by law
Where e'er her sons are found.
'Tis ordered by the Queen,
We've won our right in open fight,
The wearing of the green.
The Wearing of the Green
Rudyard Kipling, 1900
Folks who, like me, desire to grow and wear the real shamrock of St. Patrick to celebrate the Saint and things Irish each March, probably need look no further than their lawn or nearest pasture.
Why is this? Because, as I have learned through a first rate book bought in the Irish National Botanic Gardens (Glasnevin, Dublin), there is no one plant unique to all of Ireland which can be called "shamrock". All my years of searching for true shamrock seed to grow have been for zilch and now I find out that the plants I fancy are almost under my nose.
Shamrock: Botany and History of an Irish Myth (Boethius Press: Kilkenny, Ireland & Aberystwyth, Wales, 1991) written by E. Charles Nelson PhD, taxonomist in the National Botanic Gardens, sets out to demonstrate that the shamrock's story is an exceptional piece of mythology reinforced by literature, music, art and even the decrees of historical public figures such as Queen Victoria (1819-1901).
The myth of the shamrock begins, as you would expect, with Patrick, that ancient Briton who would later in his life become bishop to Ireland. Because of Patrick's writings, we know more about him than about other ancient Britons of the Roman period. Nelson points out that though Patrick's own Epistle and Confession are the only authentic sources of his life, nowhere in these letters or anything written about Patrick in the time immediately after his death is there mention of trefoils or shamrocks of any botanical kind.
Nelson's book continues a chronological exploration of the shamrock's history from ancient scribes, dictionary writers, mapmakers, through Kings, Queens, patriots and rebels, to artists, artisans and poets. The book is packed with enchanting black and white drawings that illustrate how the shamrock idea was and is still used as a motif in all sorts of designs and decorations. My favorite images are those of a Victorian dust-jacket for a book entitled A Daughter of Erin by Violet G. Finny, and a day dress of green poplin with separate bodice and skirt, embroidered with cream (on the skirt) and green (on the bodice) shamrocks.
 |
 |
 |
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Georgene A. Bramlage's Landscape Design topic, please visit the Discussions page.