Knowing the Brigit of Lebor Gabála Érenn

 

Wow. You know you are VERY close to something when you can’t figure out if you wrote it or if it is from an old manuscript. I finally figured it out. I wrote it. Of course, it was drawn from an old manuscript, but still, you’d think I’d know which was which…

Daughter of the Dagda 

she it was who had

two sacred cattle

Fea and Femen

and Cirb

king of rams

 

after each

great plains were named

 

with them was Triath

king of swine

 

among them

three demon voices

after transgression

 

whistling

weeping

lamentation

 

this was Brigit

daughter of The Good God

with her

all might in creatures

with her

wild cries in the night

 

—Mael Brigde

 

Drawn from *Lebor Gabála Érenn, Vol. 4*:

“Brigit the poetess, daughter of the Dagda, with her were Fe and Men, the two kings of oxen, from whom is Femen [called]. And with her was Triath, king of her boars, from whom is Treithirne [called]. And with her were heard, the three demonic sounds after transgressions in Ireland, whistling and weeping and lamentation .

“And also with her was Cirb king of the rams, from whom is Mag Cirb [called]. With them were Cerman and Cermat and the Mac Oc.” (translation Daimler, 2015).

—Morgan Daimler, Pagan Portals - Brigid, pg. 27.

Or MacAlister’s translation:

“She it is who had (two sacred cattle named) Fea [Fe] and Femen [Men] the two oxen of Dil, from whom are named Mag Fea and Mag Femen. With them was Triath, king of the swine (boars), from whom is Tretherne. Among them were heard three demon voices in Ireland after plunder, to wit, whistling, outcry (weeping) and groaning (lamentation),” and “she had Cirb, king of the wethers, from whom is Mag Cirb named.”

—Macalister, *Lebor Gabála Érenn, Vol. 4*

I am delving into all of this again in order to plan my workshop on Brigit and the voice for Vancouver Pagan Awareness Day.

Poem “Daughter of the Dagda” is from A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars by Mael Brigde.

Image of handsome wild boar with muddy snout. Photo by Kevin Jackson on Unsplash.