Brigid or Brigit ( , ; meaning 'exalted one'), also Bríg, is a goddess of pre-Christian Ireland. She appears in Irish mythology as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the daughter of the Dagda and wife of Bres, with whom she had a son named Ruadán.

She is associated with wisdom, poetry, healing, protection, smithing and domesticated animals. Cormac's Glossary, written in the 9th century by Christian monks, says that Brigid was "the goddess whom poets adored" and that she had two sisters: Brigid the healer and Brigid the smith. This suggests she may have been a triple deity. She is also thought to have some relation to the British Celtic goddess Brigantia.

Saint Brigid shares many of the goddess's attributes and her feast day, 1 February, was originally a festival called Imbolc. It has thus been argued that the saint is a Christianization of the goddess, or that the lore of the goddess was transferred to her, and that Imbolc was originally associated with the goddess. Xavier Delamarre, citing E. Campanile, suggests that Brigid could be a continuation of the Indo-European dawn goddess.</blockquote> It explains that from these, all the Irish have a goddess called Brigit; suggesting that it "may have been more of a title than a personal name".

The Lebor Gabála Érenn, first compiled in the 11th century, also calls Brigit a poetess and daughter of the Dagda. It says she has two oxen, Fea and Femen, from whom are named Mag Fea (a plain on the River Barrow) and Mag Femin (a plain on the River Suir). It also says she possesses the "king of boars", Torc Triath (from whom the plain of Treithirne is named), and the "king of wethers", Cirb (from whom the plain of Cirb is named). The animals were said to cry out whenever plundering was committed in Ireland. This suggests Brigid was a guardian goddess of domesticated animals.

The "Judgments of Bríg" (Bretha Bríg) are 8th–9th century glosses added to the Senchas Már, a collection of early Irish law tracts. They are adjustments to customary laws to allow for the special needs of women. The texts ascribe these to the mythical Bríg Brethach ("Bríg of the Judgments"), who is said to be the wife of the legendary judge and poet Sencha. In the Ulster sagas of Irish mythology, Bríg Brethach is one of a trio, along with Sencha's mother Bríg Briugu ("Bríg the hostel-keeper") and his daughter Bríg Ambue ("Bríg the propertiless"). The story says she began the custom of keening, a combination of wailing and singing, while mourning the death of Ruadán.

Brigid and Saint Brigid

Historians suggest that the goddess Brigid was syncretized with the Christian saint of the same name. According to medievalist Pamela Berger, Christian monks "took the ancient figure of the mother goddess and grafted her name and functions onto her Christian counterpart," Brigid of Kildare. The saint's hagiographies "are mainly anecdotes and miracle stories, some of which are deeply rooted in Irish pagan folklore". Dáithí Ó hÓgáin wrote that the melding of pagan goddess and Christian saint can be seen in some of the saint's miracles, where she multiplies food, bestows cattle and sheep, controls the weather, and is linked with fire or thermal springs. Kim McCone points out that Sanas Cormaic says the three Brigids were patronesses of poetry/prophecy, healing/medicine, and smithing. Meanwhile, Saint Brigid is linked with the poet Dubthach maccu Lugair, the physician Áed mac Bricc, and the master smith Conleth. In Britain, the Brigantes are associated with the goddess Brigantia, whose name is cognate with Brigid. The Roman goddess Vesta and the Greek goddess Hestia had perpetual fires tended by priestesses. According to Gerald, it was ringed by a hedge that no man was allowed to cross,

The saint is associated with many holy wells and clootie wells in Ireland and Britain, where small strips of cloth or ribbons are left as part of a healing ritual. Celtic healing goddesses, such as Sirona and Coventina, were often associated with sacred springs.

This theory is contested, however, with scholars including Elva Johnston arguing that the significance of the pagan goddess has been exaggerated at the saint's expense. Johnston wrote "the argument for the priority of the goddess over the saint depends on three interrelated points: firstly, that [Saint] Brigit is not real, secondly that her lives betray that they are an attempt to euhemerise a pagan deity, and finally an underlying assumption that a goddess cult is more empowering for the women of ancient and, by analogy, contemporary Ireland".

Saint Brigid's Day is 1 February. It was originally Imbolc, the first day of spring in Irish tradition. Because Saint Brigid has been linked to the goddess Brigid, the festival of Imbolc is commonly associated with the goddess.

A tholus on Venus was named after Brigit by the International Astronomical Union in 1985. As the planetary nomenclature rules prohibit the use of national figures and religious figures from contemporary religions, this is a reference to the goddess rather than the saint.

Neo-paganism

Brigid is an important figure for some modern pagans, who emphasize her triple aspect. She is sometimes worshipped in conjunction with Lugh or Cernunnos.

See also

  • Saint Bridget
  • Brigid's cross
  • List of Irish-language given names
  • Saraswati
  • Maman Brigitte
  • Perchta
  • Athena

References

Bibliography

Further reading

  • McCarthy, Justin R. (May 25, 2020). "Saint Brigid, the Celts & the Early Irish Church" .
  • Brighid Goddess and Saint
  • Mary Jones's entry on Brigid
  • Sloinntireachd Bhride (Genealogy of Bride) from the Carmina Gadelica