ST. FIACC poetically describes St. Patrick's flight to his-own native
country in the fifth stanza of his hymn:
"Then far away beyond the seas,
In happy flight o'er many a land,
O'er many a mountain on he flees
To fair Lethania's Southern strand,
Nor rested long upon the road
Until he gained Germain's abode."
It is evident from this that St. Patrick fled direct to Lethania after
his escape from captivity in Ireland, having received the angel's
promise that he should return to his native land. O'Conor testifies
that the Irish called not only Armorica, Lethania, but all Western Gaul
as far as the Diocese of Auxerre. ("Lethaniam appellabant Hiberni non
modo Armoricam sed et occidentalem Galliam usque ad diocesim
Antisiodorensem") ("Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores Veteres Tom," L, p.
91, note).