Being part-Irish on my mom's side, and having a birthday the 14th of this month - I love St. Patrick's Day! It's my favorite. So, in honor of this fabulous holiday, I thought I'd share some Irish-ness this month, for your edification and my need to have something to post - 2 birds with 1 stone, that!
The Blarney Stone
I'll have y'all know that I totally kissed this sucker when we were on our honeymoon, but Hubby was so shocked at seeing his wife of less than a week lying on her back, bending upside down, hanging from a castle with a 60-ish old man holding her legs and the only thing keeping her from certain death, that he didn't take a picture. Did NOT take a picture! Can ya believe it?! Not that it still bugs me ... ahem.
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence (blarney - read my blog for examples, haha!). The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy (Lord of Muskerry) -- its walls are 18 feet thick (necessary to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops). Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle. The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. It's tough to reach the stone -- it's between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to stretch to their back and bend backward (and downward), holding iron bars for support.
(info at The Holiday Spot)
