Modern Brigit Paintings

The art of M. Hunter-Hoffman is distinctive and often disturbing. Her series of 6 Bridget paintings can be found at:

http://www.mhunterhoffman.ca/Collection5.htm

Hunter-Hoffman was born in Belfast, Ireland, moved in time to England, and from there to Canada.

Brigit Art on the Web--an Old Favourite

Brigid's Cloak, by Barrie Maguire

As the story is told, St. Brigid went to the King of Leinster to tell him she needed land upon which to build a convent.

"You do, do you?" replied the king. "How much do you need?"

"We need only the land my cloak will cover - no more", answered Brigid.

"Well if that's all!" said the amused king, "You shall have it. That can be settled easily."

On hearing that, Brigid removed her cloak and laid it on the ground. Then to the absolute amazement and astonishment of everyone watching, the cloak began to grow. It grew and grew. It stretched all round at once, stretching itself out and rapidly gaining speed. Startled the king jumped back. The cloak was like a living thing.

Finally it stopped. Brigid looked around her. In every direction her cloak stretched. It covered acre upon acre of rich, green, pastureland. With twinkling eyes she said, "Thanks be to God."

"And thanks be to me," said the king. "Make good use of it."

Brigit Art on the Web #1

"'Bridget' - Nature Goddess" Alan Reed (Visit Gallery) I think living in S.W. Scotland influenced me to paint this work. Around where I live, in a coastal village in the Machars region, there is much evidence of neolithic habitation, with fortified villages, stone circles, burial mounds and standing stones. This is a very spiritual land. Indeed, the whole area is steeped in ancient history from the Romans through to the Vikings and the early Christians.

website:

The Art of Alan Reed

Brigit Art on the Web #2

"Brigit, Goddess of Inspiration"

Kris Waldherr
(Visit Gallery)
Medium: Pencil
Posted: 2004-06-27
"This drawing was originally published in my book, "Embracing the Goddess Within."

artist's website:
Art and Words

Brigit Art on the Web #3

Media: Watercolor
Dimensions: 9x12
Date of Work: 2005

Brid, the great mother goddess of Ireland, represents fertility, childbirth, power, creativity and inspiration. Also known as Brighid, Brigit and Bride, she is credited as a protectress and guardian of children; also a Goddess of fire, the sun, music and medicine.

Louise M. Scott is an award winning writer and artist. Her poetry has been published in collective work books and has won many awards in the fantasy and wiccan communities. Her paintings and prints are currently in public and private collections worldwide. Born in Glasgow Scotland she now works from her studio in Canada where she lives with her husband and children. A solitary witch for most of her life,

Louise takes her inspiration from witchcraft and her Celtic background. Her paintings and stories come from legends and folklore of magick and myth.

I have always believed in magic. Ever since I was a little girl. My day dreams are always filled with faeries and other magical creatures. I have been creating stories and images filled with magic and adventure ever since I can remember. I am happy to share these visions with you, welcome to a world filled with enchanting witches, playful faeries and other mystic creatures.

Welcome to the realm of magick and myth.

Artist: Louise M Scott Ontario, CANADA

Orthodox Christian Brigid Page

a page of Brigid information and links in the Festal Celebrations Gallery. “Let Us, the Faithful, Celebrate a Spiritual Feast”

Festal Celebrations’ Gallery Redeeming the time, sanctifying the day… images and ideas incorporating the Life of the Church into the home and life of the family.

Troparion - Tone 1

O holy Brigid, you became sublime through your humility,

and flew on the wings of your longing for God.

When you arrived in the eternal City and appeared before your Divine Spouse, wearing the crown of virginity, you kept your promise

to remember those who have recourse to you.

You shower grace upon the world, and multiply miracles.

Intercede with Christ our God that He may save our souls.

Kontakion - Tone 4

The holy virgin Brigid full of divine wisdom,

went with joy along the way of evangelical childhood,

and with the grace of God attained in this way the summit of virtue.

She now bestows blessings upon those who come to her with faith.

O holy Virgin, intercede with Christ our God

that He may have mercy on our souls.

CD: Medieval Office for St. Brigit: Plainsong Chant

Flame of Ireland: Medieval Irish Plainchant, An Office for St. Brigit, by Canty.

Canty is the female half of Scotland's Capella Nova, a "professional vocal ensemble specialising in early (medieval and renaissance) and contemporary music". Canty was founded in 1998 by Rebecca Tavener to celebrate the 900th anniversary of Hildegard of Bingen.


from the Capella Nova website:
Our programme mostly consists of material for the Office of Matins for the Feast of St Brigit. Matins was the longest and most 'entertaining' of the Offices including a series of nine lections and responsories focussing on the life and attributes of the saint. The full Office would probably be more than two hours in length, so we present a formal, but truncated, version which includes the original lections, but cuts nine of the ten Psalms which would have been sung. The one remaining Psalm is the Venite which forms a delightful structure with its antiphon (Invitatory), alternately whole or in part, appearing between each verse...

The date of the manuscript might have tempted us to perform this material using late-Medieval techniques such as applied measures and improvised harmonies. We have steadfastly resisted doing this, wishing to present the Office in a much more archaic manner, befitting the great antiquity of the sources of the Brigit legends...

...Manuscript 80, from the library of Trinity College Dublin, is the main source relied upon for this recording. It is a fifteenth-century noted breviary, i.e., one which includes notation for the chant melodies. Although we do not know the details of its provenance, it was compiled probably in the fifteenth century and is believed to have been used in the parish of Kilmoone, Co- Meath, from at least 1470 until 1604...

...The wire-strung clairseach was the essential art Instrument of Medieval Ireland. This ancient harp was characterised by a sound box carved from a single block of timber, a substantial arm reinforced with thick metal bands, a stout forepiltar, and brass wire strings. Played with the fingernails, the strings gave a satisfying sustain, which ancient writers described as sounding like bells. Such harps were played in Ireland at least as early as the 10th century, and they appear to have been used in liturgical settings to provide an intoning pitch for the singing of plainsong, to give instrumental preludes or interludes, and to accompany the performance of devotional poetry. As an accompanist, my role is to support both the tonal centre and the emotion of the music. During the Responsories I provide a gentle line of counter-melody which moves in the same direction as the plainsong, but which also offers a subtle. independent commentary on the text. The Lections give an ideal opportunity to accompany a singer as a Medieval storyteller, to present the miracles of the saint's life in a dramatic way, with moments which range from furious decorative filigree to sections of serene, introspective solemnity...

In the notes about Brigit's legends, they state:

We have one favourite miracle that does not appear in this Office, nor in any of the most ancient sources. It was included in O'Hanlon's 'Lives of the Irish Saints' (1800), however, and we would like to think that it belongs to an earlier tradition. When St Brigit was on a visit to Limerick, she called at a chief's house only to find him away from home. Seeing harps hanging on the walls, she asked the young men of the house to play for her. They explained that there were no harpists present, but attempted to play when Brigit's nuns jokingly suggested that the saint would bless their hands. At that point, they suddenly became able to play like trained musicians. Afterwards they became professional harpists, and their descendants played for the kings of Ireland.

'Almighty and everlasting God, who choosest the weak things of this world that thou mayest overthrow the strong, give us in this feast of St Brigit strength of mind and body, that we may with all our heart run to thee. and serve thee in body always.' (Prayer at the end of the Office for the Feast of St Brigit)

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BREAKING NEWS:

Due to the take over of Sanctuary/ASV Gaudeamus by Universal we are unable at the moment to obtain stocks of the following titles. (see right) This is a temporary situation, so watch this space for updates.

The Complete Carver Volumes 1, 2 & 3 Columba Most Holy of Saints The Miracles of St Kentigern Laudes Deo Sacred Music for Mary Queen of Scots The Thistle and the Rose Flame of Ireland Felix Femina

Brighid.org.uk -- A Brigit Site to Treasure

Brighid Goddess and Saint is a fine site compiled by Paul Williment. On it you will find information on customs, Brigit sites in Ireland, The Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales, and England, books and CDs, links to related sites, and information on both Her goddess and saint aspects.

It's wonderful stuff, expertly and beautifully constructed, with lots of photographs to fill out the picture of modern Brigit devotion.

Thank you, Paul!

"The banner above depicts Brighid against Eilean Bhride in the Hebrides. The scroll honours all those who have preserved Her story throughout the ages. The red hot iron spiral represents the goddess and suggests a crosier as a reminder that St. Bridget was consecrated as a religious using the form of the ordination of a bishop."

Paul Williment

The Preserving Shrine of Erynn Laurie

Anyone interested in Celtic Reconstructionism and many followers of Brigit will enjoy and learn from the thoughtful teachings of Erynn Rowan Laurie, Poet, Fili, and Priestess.

Erynn's latest book, Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom, is an excellent resource. Philip Carr-Gomm, Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids, has this to say about the book: "At last. Magic, poetry and scholarship meet in perfect harmony. I will recommend this book to all students of The Order..."

Though of course her focus in the book is much broader than that of Brigit's Sparkling Flame, among the pieces of information she offers about Brigit is her association with birch, for instance the offering of birch branches to her at Imbolc.

See her website (The Preserving Shrine) for information on her books, ogam readings, etc., links to CR sites and Erynn's LiveJournal. Stop there, also, for access to these articles:

• The Cauldron of Poesy
• Ethics and Modern Celtic Paganism
• Samhain Feast - A Rite for the Dead - New

from her website:

The early Irish Brehon law texts ask "What is the preserving shrine? " This question has two answers:

"The preserving shrine is nature and what is preserved in it."
"The preserving shrine is memory and what is preserved in it."

This is the heart of Filidecht: the practice of sacred, ritual poetcraft in early Irish and Scottish tradition. Nature and memory are one in the Fili. The Filidecht of Inis Glas, the personal path Erynn co-founded and practices, is a way of devotional, poetic nature mysticism based in an attempt to reconstruct aspects of early Celtic spiritual practices.

In early Irish practice, poetry and the word were intrinsic components of magic and the worship of deity. The Filidh additionally taught, practiced divination and ritual, did healing work, sought visions, and pursued many other arts for the people and tribes they served.

Daughters of Daghda, a Brigidine Celtic Reconstructionist Site

excerpted from the site:

Céad Mile Faílte! One hundred thousand welcomes to my site in honor of the Goddess Brighid! I am a Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan of Irish heritage, which dates back to 1706 in the New World, and that of Eastern Band Mississippi Choctaw. Here I have tried to provide interesting and informative links to sites about Brighid. There are also pages about my devotions and spirituality to Her as a CRP and pictures of my seasonal altars dedicated to Her for offerings and meditation. Of course, my kitties have their own cozy corner as they deserve a special space for themselves. My intense political life demands its own voice on the site as it is also an integral part of my love for and having been claimed by Herself.

... I began wanting an Order of Flamekeepers where the women to whom I passed Her Flame were on the same CR path as myself. We have begun this project in our CR community under the inspiration of Kathryn Price NicDhana who is sworn to Brighid and a Flametender for many years. If you are a woman who is practicing the CR spirituality or very much interested in doing so and have special devotion to Brighid, please follow this link to our LiveJournal community of Brighidwomen. The Order is in its early formation and will be a collective effort in its foundation stages:
http://community.livejournal.com/brighidwomen/profile

Beannachdan!

S. Breen

Eurotales: Traditional Stories and Festivals Illustrated by Kids

Eurotales produces pages for children that tell traditional European stories and other pages that describe festivals. The festivals included range from the Finnish carnival of Vappu, Greek Christmas, English Weddings, and St. Brigit's Feast Day.

The lively art, done by children, and photos of kids celebrating the Day, or of various components of the particular festival, make the site well worth visiting.

(For a lovely Irish story, try "The King Who Hated To Have His Hair Cut".)