Four-Leaf Clover

A sign of good fortune

“Legend has it that St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland. Sometime back in the fifth century he stood on a hill, the story goes, and used a staff to herd the slithering creatures into the sea, banishing them for eternity.”

Loreto Queenswood is a Catholic school in Queenswood, Pretoria. It is also a convent and was founded by sister Mary Ward in the 17th century. It was at this school where I first discovered my musical interest. I was at Loreto from pre-school till the end of standard three – also known as grade five. One of my teachers, Mrs O’Carroll if I remember correctly, said that it was “good luck to find a four-leaf clover.” So naturally, me and my entire class of fifteen children walked slowly back from the school’s church, scouring the ground for four-leaf clovers. There was a lot of excited screaming, “I found one!”… “No, it’s mine! I saw it first! I’m gonna tell Mrs O’Carroll if you don’t give it back!”…”That’s not even a real clover!” Unfortunately, it turns out no one was that lucky. The kids who thought they had spotted a four-leafed clover were highly disappointed when they realised that the fourth leaf was what turned out to be a deformed, leaf-like creature among the authentic leaves. Others split one of their leaves’ indents to “create” their fourth leaf, thereby, creating their good fortune. Children!  I wonder what the 21-leaf clover – that set a record for the most leaves on a clover in 2008 – would bring?

The reason four-leaf clovers are considered a sign of good luck is because they are a rare variation of the popular three-leaf clover. Add to this fact that in legend, it is believed that Eve, the supposedly-seductive woman, “carried a four-leaf clover from the Garden of Eden.” The three-leaf clover, also known as the Shamrock, is a plant that belongs to the genus of the pea family, Fabaceae, that St Patrick used to explain the Holy Trinity. It is now the emblem of Ireland. Because of it’s close relation to St Patrick and it’s colour, St Patrick’s Day is now celebrated as a green day. Green ribbons and shamrocks were/are worn by the Irish to celebrate this day. For the rest of us that do not have time to search for three-leaf clovers, let alone four-leaf clovers, we will stick to our green t-shirts and green hats.

St Patrick was never canonised (Canonise: officially declare a person to be a saint) by a Pope because during his era, this official act took place “on the diocesan or regional level.” Local churches declared the holy people as saints. Read the Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus, that St Patrick wrote, to get an idea of his faith. Other than the two letters that St Patrick wrote himself – the Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus and the Declaration – very little evidence is available about St Patrick.

Substantiation or not, AD 460 March 17 is the day that is believed to be the day that St Patrick died. Let the revelry begin! Happy St Patrick’s Day. I will carry on with my search for a four-leaf clover…

Sources:

1. Why Ireland Has No Snakes

2. St. Patrick’s Letter to Coroticus

3. Ask a Franciscan: Saints Come From All Nations

4. 21-Leaf Clover Sets Record

5. Facts About Four-Leaf Clovers