Douglas Creek " Celtic Breastplate "

         B1

Drop : 35 mm

Wide : 20 mm

Weight : 22.10 g

The “Celtic breastplate” most commonly refers to St. Patrick’s Breastplate, an Old Irish protective prayer (lorica) dating to around the 7th–8th century, preserved in manuscripts like the Liber Hymnorum and the Book of Armagh. It is not a physical armor piece but a spiritual invocation for protection, famously associated with legends of Patrick evading ambush through divine concealment.

What “Celtic Breastplate” Means

• The term breastplate (Latin lorica) refers to a prayer of protection, not metal armor. Christianity
• St. Patrick’s Breastplate is also known as Faeth Fiada, The Deer’s Cry, or Lorica Sancti Patricii. Wikipedia
• It draws on the biblical metaphor of the “breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6). grokipedia.com

Origins and Manuscripts

• Likely composed in the 7th–8th century, though traditionally attributed to St. Patrick (5th century). grokipedia.com
• Survives in early manuscripts such as the Book of Armagh (9th century) and the Liber Hymnorum (11th century). grokipedia.com+1

Themes and Structure

• Begins with the repeated incipit “I bind unto myself today” (atomruig indiu). Wikipedia
• Invokes:
  • The Trinity
  • Christ’s life, death, resurrection
  • Angels, saints, and spiritual virtues
  • Elements of creation under God’s dominion