St. Patrick drives out the snakes from Ireland

Maybe the most famous story of St. Patrick is that the reason that you can walk over hill and under dale throughout Ireland without fear of getting bitten, poisoned, and/or swallowed is that St. Patrick had your back over a thousand years ago and drove all the snakes into the sea.

The actual legend is somewhat more complicated than that and also establishes one of the main patterns in the legendary life of St. Patrick.

"The most famous story of St. Patrick suggests that you can walk over hill and under dale throughout Ireland without fear of being bitten, poisoned, or swallowed because St. Patrick had your back over a thousand years ago and drove all the snakes into the sea. However, the actual legend is somewhat more complex and highlights one of the main patterns in St. Patrick's legendary life."

During Lent, St. Patrick chose to undertake a 40-day fast atop a mountain in County Mayo, now known as Croagh Patrick.

From the moment he arrived, he was harassed by crows—so many that they blotted out the sky and filled the area with a maddening noise, challenging his sanity the entire time. These crows were, in fact, demons, but St. Patrick persevered in his prayers, ringing a bell as he did so.

After enduring this intense struggle, an angel from Heaven appeared and conveyed the Lord's decision: because of Patrick's faithfulness, his prayer would be answered, and the Irish would remain Christians until Judgment Day. When St. Patrick later descended the mountain, he encountered thousands of snakes threatening him, and he chased them all into the sea, where they drowned.

When St. Patrick later comes down the mountain, he sees thousands of snakes threatening him, and he chases them all into the sea, where they are all drowned.