Since the very earliest of religious times, snakes have always held a role representative of evil, going right back to the slithering serpent in the Garden of Eden. But nowhere is the snake more prominent in legend and religion, than in Ireland. St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was not native to the island, although he was a Celt. Born circa 379A.D. in either Scotland or Britain (accounts vary), the son of an alderman was taken prisoner by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland, at the age of 16. Six hard years later, after he had dedicated himself to God, Patrick escaped, determined to return and convert the Irish to Christianity. To that end, he traveled to France, where he studied in a number of places. He begged to be returned as a missionary, but the Bishop was reluctant to send so uneducated a person. But then the missionary Bishop to Ireland died in 431, and Patrick's way back, was cleared. There are many tales told about St. Patrick's teachings, and symbolic explanations of Christianity and the Bible. One of the best known, is that he used the three-leafed shamrock to demonstrate the Holy Trinity. Of course, the most famous St. Patrick story is how he drove all the snakes out of Ireland using his wooden staff, with the exception of one particularly cantankerous old serpent. St. Patrick made a box and invited the snake to take up residence in it. The snake complained that it was too small, and an argument ensued. To prove his point, the snake got into the box, the lid was slammed shut, and St. Patrick threw it into the sea. But once again, this was a case of religious symbolism, more than likely representing the fact that he drove the pagans from Ireland, than any serpents. While it's true that there are no snakes in Ireland, that has likely been the case since the island separated from the main land mass of Europe in prehistoric times.