The Goddess Brigid - Professor Ronald Hutton Zoom Lecture

 

So, there is a lecture coming up online by Professor Ronald Hutton, which looks in part at why the saint and the goddess seem so dissimilar. It is hosted by The Viktor Wynd Museum & The Last Tuesday Society, and will happen on the 23rd of February, so lots of lead time.

From the website:

This talk is designed to look at the evidence for both goddess and saint, and the possible relationships between them.

About this event:

a recording of this lecture will be available to ticket holders for two weeks after the event

Brigid (or Bridget, or Bride) is the most popular Irish goddess in the modern world. This is partly because of her bountiful and gentle nature, as a patroness of handicrafts (especially smithwork), poetry and healing, and partly because she is also revered as a major Christian saint, the patroness of Ireland, with a rich heritage of stories attached to her. She thus acts a a connecting point between the religions. The general supposition is that the goddess had an equal importance in pre-Christian times, and evolved into the saint. If that is so, however, why are the pagan and Christian figures so different, and why are there so few actual references to the goddess in medieval texts? This talk is designed to look at the evidence for both goddess and saint, and the possible relationships between them.

Speaker:

Professor Ronald Hutton is a Professor of History at the University of Bristol. He is a leading authority on history of the British Isles in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, on ancient and medieval paganism and magic, and on the global context of witchcraft beliefs.

Date and time:

Wed, February 23, 2022

7:30 PM - 9:00 PM GMT (11:30 AM – 1:00 PM PST)

Tickets:

£5.82 – £11.04

Tickets may be purchased here.

Image: Uncredited, from the website.

Many Voices - Book Launch & Celebration of Brigit

 

What a beautiful event that was. I am very happy that I took a leaf from Geraldine Moorkens Byrne's book and turned my launch into a community celebration. I briefly introduced the launch, then read four short poems before sitting back to watch and listen as friends from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy, and the United States read and sang from their hearts to and about Brigit. It was very moving. A joyful and precious time.

The launch was held on Zoom (with ticketing help from the wonderful Ticket Tailor) and livestreamed to Facebook Live. I am happy to say that we can watch it (or rewatch it!) any time on Facebook at Brigit's Portal (my Page) or on YouTube.

Image: Mael Brigde, a white woman in a red dress, wearing black earphones, smiles as she speaks to her computer.

Celebrate Brigit with Mael Brigde & Friends

 

This is my last call to those who may want to spend some time with myself and friends celebrating Brigit (and of course launching my book, A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars).

Inspired by Geraldine Byrne's book launch*, I wanted to make mine a community celebration centered on Brigit and on our poetic connections to her, not just about me or my (beloved!) book.

You are welcome to join us on 28 August from 1:00-2:30 PM Pacific Time (starts 9:00 PM Irish Time) for poetry, prayer, & song. To receive a Zoom link on the day, you will need to register (see link below), or you can watch on Facebook Live on my Page, Brigit's Portal.

REGISTER to attend via Zoom.

BRIGIT'S PORTAL to watch on Facebook (live or later).

I am very much looking forward to seeing how our joint celebration unfolds.

Brigit's blessings. 💖

Note: The Body Politic by Geraldine Moorkens Byrne.

The Case of the Forgotten Book Launch

My humble apologies to anyone who follows this blog but not my other social media. In the flurry of things a-doing toward my book launch, I posted everywhere else an invitation to all to join me there, but not on Brigit's Sparkling Flame! So, ten days late but none the worse for wear, here it is:

I am very happy to invite you (yes, all of you!) to my formal launch of A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars, from Moon Books.

Let's celebrate Brigit together. I will be joined by several friends who will sing or read their writings to her. We are part of Brigit's vast community, and I am overjoyed to share this devotion with you.

Mael Brigde & Guests: Prayer, Poetry, & Song:

**28 August 2021**

**1 - 2:30 PM Pacific Time//9 PM Irish Standard Time**

On Zoom and Facebook Live (links below)

 If you want to attend via Zoom, you will need to register so that I can send you out a secure link to the meeting. If you would rather watch it live on Facebook, it will appear on my Page, Brigit's Portal. The recording will remain there afterward, so you can watch whenever you like.

Registration

Brigit's Portal

 

Online Brigit Festivals in Ireland

No one, I trust, would call COVID-19 a blessing. It has been a curse, and the brunt of it borne by those who could least afford to bear it. Like any event, however, it has brought small blessings in its wake. One of these has been the blossoming of live online connections, social, spiritual, artistic, health-related – it has been astonishing. For those with access to computers and the internet, doors have opened which could not have before. I only hope that some of these remain open when we "return to normal." Particularly for those who have not been well enough to attend outside events, or those who live in rural communities far from urban offerings, the opening up of online access has been life enhancing, to say the least.

                  

This year, for the first time, those of us normally unable to get to Ireland can go to Lá Fhéile Bhríde in Kildare, or to the Brigid of Faughart Festival in the Faughart and Dundalk area – or to portions of both, if we have the energy and the time, and in some cases, a bit of coin, as well. 

 

The Brigid of Faughart Festival has joined with An Táin Arts Centre in Dundalk to host ‘Cruinniú Lá Fhéile Bhríde – Gathering Under Brigid’s Mantle.’ It will take place from 8 P.M. on 1 February 2021.

Lá Fhéile Bhríde is as usual put on by Solas Bhríde and Afri (Action from Ireland). It will take place in individual sessions from 12 A.M. 31 January to 6 February 2021.

The entire ‘Cruinniú Lá Fhéile Bhríde’ is €10. Kildare's Lá Fhéile Bhríde events are each separate. Some are free, some cost €11.53.

P.S.: Don't forget we also have the first annual St Brigid's Day Festival of Vancouver, Canada from Jan 31 - Feb 7, 2021. Online as well, of course.

Image: The weavers of Brigit's crosses are from the Solas Bhríde website.

News article: "Louth's Brigid of Faughart Festival is going online" by Michelle O'Keeffe, 25 Jan 2021.

Open for Registration: St Brigid's Day Festival Vancouver

 

I wrote about our first annual Saint Bridgets day festival a while back, but at the time it wasn’t possible to register for this free conference. It is now!

So the basics:

St Brigid's Day Festival Vancouver Jan 31 - Feb 7, 2021

There are various sessions on different days, fall listed on the image below. Each session is free but there is a limit to the number of people who can sign up. All are online.

See you there?

St Brigid's Day / Lá Fheíle Bríde Festival Vancouver 

This volunteer-led event is proudly sponsored by the Vancouver Consulate General of Ireland