Slainte: Feasting With Angels, Irish Recipes for Michaelmas

Feasting with Angels

Pop quiz: what’s the most popular Irish boy’s name? Odds are, the first one that came to mind was Patrick. Wrong. While Saint Patrick is Ireland’s patron, his name comes in at #18.

Go ahead, try again. Did you say Sean? If so, you picked #2, and you get extra credit because Sean is also spelled Shane, Shawn, Shuan, Eoin, Ion, and Ian, all of which rank in the top twenty and honor the gospel writer John. Another Irish version of this venerable Hebrew name, which means “one whom God has favored,” is Jack, which places at #3.  

Since you still haven’t picked the winner, I’ll save you some brain strain. The numero uno Irish boy’s name is Conor, a variant of Conaire Mor who, according to Irish legend and historical tradition, was Ireland’s most famous High King. His reign was long (ranging from thirty to seventy years depending on which account is consulted) and peaceful, quite a feat in a time when provincial kings contested constantly for supremacy. Conor’s birth, rise to power, and death are told in the Old Irish saga Togail Bruidne Dá Derga (The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel). A Middle Irish collection of poems and prose, compiled in the 11th century by an anonymous scholar and entitled Leabhar Gabhála na hÉireann (The Book of Invasions), dates his reign contemporary with the Roman emperor Augustus (27 BC-14 AD).

For sheer longevity and Gaelic authenticity, Conor takes the prize as the other top ten Irish boys’ names (James, Adam, Aaron, Michael, David, and Daniel) have their roots in Christian tradition, which did not influence Ireland until its introduction by Saint Patrick in the 6th century AD. All but one of these popular names refer to wise and honorable men, but despite their wisdom they were merely human.

The singular exception is Michael the Archangel. Without too much stretching of the imagination, one could call him the Superman of Hebrew, Christian and Islamic tradition. When Lucifer challenged his divine Maker and led a rebellion among the legion of angels, it was Michael whom God called on to save not only the day, but all of creation as well. When Moses needed counsel and Isaac needed someone to save him from being sacrificed by his father, Michael came to their rescue. The Old Testament’s Book of Enoch states that Michael and his fellow archangels always accompanied Yaweh whenever he left his celestial throne. Think of them as a divine Secret Service detail and Michael as God’s finest field general.

In art, Michael is depicted as a majestic winged warrior, clad in full battle armor or chain mail with helmet, shield, and an unsheathed drawn sword. Sometimes he is shown standing above a dragon (symbolic of evil) that he has stabbed with a lance. At other times, he is pictured holding a pair of scales with which he weighs the souls of the dead before escorting them to their heavenly reward or banishing them to Hell.

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Nster.com