Patti M. Walsh

Part 1 of 2

The Celtic feast of Imbolc, February 2, honors Brigid, the complex goddess of spring, fertility, and life. Because Imbolc is the first day of spring in Irish tradition and a time for weather prognostication, it is no coincidence that it shares a celebration with the lowly groundhog.

Originating in pre-Christian Ireland, Brigid (also spelled Brigit or Bríg) appears in Irish mythology as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The daughter of the Dagda and presumably Danu, she was born at sunrise with light shining from her head.

She went on to marry High King Bres and gave birth to Ruadán. According to some legends, Brigid originated the practice of keening—a combination of wailing and singing—while mourning the death of her son.

Her name, often pronounced Breed, is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root for “to rise” and the proto-Celtic word Briganti, meaning high or exalted one. It is also the root word for bright and bride.

Triple Goddess

Often portrayed as a fiery-haired goddess wearing a cloak of sunbeam, Brigid usually appears as a maiden or a mother, which reflect her status as a triple goddess.

This is a term devised by mythographer Robert Graves in his book, The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth, in which he theorizes that several figures in antiquity comprise the archetype of the Triple Goddess. A triple goddess exists simultaneously as maiden, the mother, and the crone.

The individual aspects of a triple goddess align with the phases of the Moon—waxing crescent, full moon, and waning crescent. These aspects mirror a woman’s life in terms of physical reproduction—before, during, and after childbearing.

One well-known example is the Hindu Tridevi of Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Kali.

Unlike her and most other triple goddesses, however, all of Brigid’s aspects were named Brigid. Her status as a triple goddess conveniently allowed her to have multiple husbands, parents, and children without causing contradictions in the Celtic mythos.

Earth, Air, Fire, Water

It might be said that Brigid is the archetype of multiple personalities.

As the goddess of smithing, Brigid often is portrayed with an anvil and forge. In ancient times, the smith was revered as sacred and magical because of the skill, knowledge, and strength involved in mastering fire and molding metal (i.e., the Earth).

Another common depiction is with a chalice, which represents herbal concoctions and medicines. She was the goddess of healing, midwifery, physicians, divination, prophecy, and fertility—of people, livestock, and crops.

In an example of her multi-personalities, expectant mothers would call upon Brigit to protect their unborn children. The ancient ritual involved having the walk over ashes and embers, symbols of purification.

Also associated with wisdom and poetry, Brigid is considered the literary muse for Ireland’s internationally renowned writers—the air that they breathed, so to speak.

Brigid was also known as the Goddess of the Wells, due to her connection to wells and waterways.

In modern Britain, Brigid is the warrior-maiden Brigantia, the goddess of war, wisdom, and crafts whom the Romans equated with Minerva.

As the tribal protector of the Brigantes, a powerful tribe in the north of England, Brigantia was associated with fertility, prosperity, the arts, and healing who also embodied justice and authority.

As a warrior maiden, she also is the personification of Britain as imprinted on the coinage of the realm.

St. Brigid

Brigid, the bright and exalted one, shares many similarities with the Catholic St. Brigid of Kildare, the female patron saint of Ireland. Most scholars agree that the Catholic Church appropriated the goddess.

Unlike Saint Patrick, the other patron saint of Ireland, Brigid left no historical record. Most information about her life and work is attributed to a monk who lived 200 years after she died. The present church and monastery in Kildare may have been built on an oak grove, which itself was a temple to the goddess.

She is often associated with what is known as Brigid’s Cross. Intricately woven from rushes or straw, it is a four-armed equilateral cross (although there are three-armed variations) that consists of a central square surrounded by four arms at right angles. It is hung in homes and worn by believers to ward off evil.

Its Christian folklore involves the deathbed conversion of an Irish pagan chieftain. While relating the story about the Crucifixion of Jesus, Brigid collected pieces of straw from the ground and wove them into a cross. When she presented it to the chieftain, he requested a Christian baptism.

But the symbol has ancient Celtic roots that pre-date such a story. In celebrating the festival of Imbolc—a time of purification, renewal, and the birth of spring—people would honor Brigid with songs, dances, and offerings. They would weave rushes and straws into crosses to bless the earth with fertility and ward off evil.

Like the goddess Brigid, the saint is considered a patroness of healers, poets, blacksmiths, and livestock. Her feast day is, of course, February 2.

Next month—Imbolc

One of the major fire festivals in the Celtic Wheel of the Year, Imbolc marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Celebrated on February 2, it is a time to give thanks for the growing daylight. Next month, we’ll look at the role Brigid plays in Imbolc’s history, customs, and rituals.