Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions

Serpent FaitJi. i5c)
Although tradition declares that all the serpent tribe
have ceased to exist in
Ireland, "yet," as Mrs. Anna Wilkes
writes, "it is curious to observe how the remains of the
serpent/7;7;/ lingered in the minds of the cloistered monks,
who. have given us such unparalleled specimens of ornamental
initial letters as are preserved in the Books of Kells,
Ballymote, &c." A singular charm did the reptile possess
over the imagination of the older inhabitants. Keating
assures his readers that " the Milesians, from the time
they
first conquered Ireland, down to the reign of Ollamh I-'odhla,
made use of no other arms of distinction in their banners
than a serpent twisted round a rod, after the example of
their Gadelian ancestors."
And, still, we recognize the impression that Ireland never
had any snakes. Solinus was informed that the island had
neither snakes nor bees, and that dust from that country
would drive them off from any other land. But the same
authority avers that no snakes could be found in the
Kentish Isle of Thanet, nor in Crete. Moryson, in 1617,
went further, in declaring, " Ireland had neither singing
nightingall, nor chattering//^, nor undermining inoulcy
Bishop Donat of Tuscany, an Irishman by birth, said—
" No poison there infects, nor scaly snake
Creeps thro' the grass, nor frog annoys the Like."
As to frogs, they were known there after the Irish visit of
William III., being called DuicJi Night iui:;alcs. l^ven Bcdc
sanctioned the legend about the virtues of wood from tlic
forests of Ireland resisting poison ;
and some afhrm tliat,
for that reason, the roof of Westminster Hall
Irish oak.
was made of
Sir James Ware said, two centuries ago, that no
snake would live in Ireland, even when brought there.
Camden wrote, " Nullus hie anguis, nee venematum quicquam."
Though adders might creep about, no one dreamed
they were venomous.