Brigit at Glastonbury, According to the Rev. Lionel Smithett Lewis, M. A.

 A dear friend of mine, once the owner of a secondhand bookstore where many a joyful hour was spent, is getting rid of her library as she prepares to move into assisted living. She gave me first crack, and I found this little gem of the Glastonbury Saint Brigit mythos.

The full title is Glastonbury “The Mother of Saints” – Her Saints A.D. 37–1539. It was published at Christmas, 1925, of which 1000 copies were printed. This is from the second edition, Christmas, 1927, of which 2000 copies were printed. The author, Rev. Lionel Smithett Lewis, M. A., was the vicar of Glastonbury.

Below you will find photographic images of the cover and pages pertinent to Saint Brigit, here called Saint Bride. Now, do remember to take every detail of this with a large cellar of salt. Click on the images to see a larger size.

Brigid - Music and Meditation with Singing the Land

 

Oh, I am looking forward to this.

Singing the Land is Elaine Máire Brigid Ní Chiardha, who lives a stone's throw from the Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland. From her event site:

THURSDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 2022 FROM 7:30 PM Irish Time, 11:30-13:00 PST

Online event

An online celebration of Brigid this Imbolc with music and meditation, February 3rd at 7.30pm Irish time. This will be a healing transmission from Brigid through original songs, chants and guided meditation. I am a long time devotee of Brigid - she has been my central guide and spiritual companion from my first moment of spiritual experience over 20 years ago. As a singer and songwriter I write many songs inspired by and dedicated to her. Recently while holding meditation circles, a beautiful Brigid’s Fire meditation came through. I will combine these offerings with some simple Brigid songs and chants that we can all sing together, and perhaps share some stories, to create an evening of inspiration, healing and homecoming. I would love you to join me.

Brigid is revered in Ireland and beyond as a powerful and loving embodiment of the Divine Feminine. For me she is primarily a Mother – Muire na nGael, Mary of the Irish. In ancient Celtic tradition she is a triple Goddess, uniting the 3 phases of the Goddess – Maiden, Mother and Crone. Because she continued through the Christian era as Saint Brigid, her worship continues strongly today. She has many aspects and qualities – the perpetual flame, the holy well, healing and care, poetic inspiration, the power of manifestation – and more. And she is of course the bringer of spring, the time of Imbolc – im bolg, in the belly – bringing fertility and new life.

Exchange €15, €10 concession. We will gather online via zoom. I invite you to create your own comfy sacred space at home to receive maximum enjoyment and nourishment from the event. To register, send me an email and your payment via paypal to singingtheland@gmx.com and I will send you the zoom link. Please choose 'friends and family' payment option on paypal, or include an extra €1 to cover the payment fee. Bookings close at 3pm the day of the event. I will record the call and you will receive the video link as part of the ticket price. 

I am excited to share that I am working on some studio recordings of Brigid songs, an EP or album dedicated to Brigid and the Divine Feminine. I’m not sure if any of the recordings will be ready for release this Brigid’s Day, but I am inspired still to share these songs and their stories and medicine to celebrate her day and Imbolc this year.

For those of you who don’t know me, I am a sacred musician and singer based in Co. Meath, Ireland. I played for some years on the South of England folk scene, after completing a music degree there. I’ve been playing original sacred music and chant in Meath and nearby for 6 years now, for local concerts, festivals and sacred gatherings. I am also a certified Shamanic Energy Therapist and Naked Voice facilitator and hold meditation and chanting circles.

You can listen to some simple recordings of my music here:
https://soundcloud.com/singingtheland/brigid-of-the-flame
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJVIy--Hf90

THURSDAY, 3 FEBRUARY  2022

What I’m listening to coming up to Imbolc

 

The Story Archaeologists put out a wonderful podcast about Brigit a number of years ago. I’ve listened to it several times and I am listening to it again. Here is the link, Mythical Women 05: The Search for Brigid.

In a later series, the Story Archaeologists looked at our fair goddess again, in Revisiting Mythical Women 05: The Search for Brigid.

Image . Brigid’s Well at Fochard Bríde

What I'm reading coming up to Imbolc...

 

There are so many sources for immersing ourselves in Brigit as we come up to her festival, but what is my first choice?

Pagan Portals - Brigid by Morgan Daimler. It is the best source for getting a clear understanding of the goddess. (There are other great sources for the saint.)

 

My second choice is the sadly out of print Rites of Brigid, Goddess and Saint by Seán Ó Duinn OSB.

 

And how did I not know there was an Irish language version of that book, Gnas Na Feile Bride? Perhaps still less available than the English.

 

Nevertheless, I will be dipping in to this one, as well, as the month goes on.

 

New: Imbolc Ritual and Practice by Orlagh Costello

 

Imbolc (Imbolg) Ritual & Practice The Fire Festivals Ritual Series by Orlagh Costello at the Irish Pagan School

From the Irish Pagan School page for this class and ritual: 

"Class Series providing practical rituals for all seasons, as we work through the Fire Festivals Cycle in the Irish Tradition:

"Have you ever wanted to do a ritual to authentically celebrate the Irish Fire Festivals (Samhain, Imbolg, Bealtaine, or Lúnasa)... but weren't sure what to do or where to start? 

"Each session in this series will cover the basic associations and practices for each festival to give you a good grounding with regard to the ancient Imbolc (Imbolg) traditions in Ireland. Then you'll move into the main event - a ritual attuned to those associations, including guided meditation and original Irish language prayers.

"This ritual can be personalised afterwards for your own use, but will give you a solid framework right now, which you can develop further as your personal practice grows."

Click here to learn more and to sign up.

Image: Candle and sheaf of oats from IPS site.

Join Mael Brigde for Daily Brigit Devotions, Nineteen Days & One

 I have been wanting to make contact with the Brigit community in January, but have been uncertain what offering I could make. An online gathering? A long contemplation, as I did last year? Nothing felt exactly right, particularly as I have been hard hit by the death of my brother in October, and have very little bandwidth for anything energetic.

 

Finally I realised that what I most wanted was to spend some quiet time with Brigit and her devotees over the days leading up to her festival – regular, repeated, simple, and brief – as an offering and as a way of preparing for Imbolc.

 

Therefore…

 

I would like to share my daily devotions with you for the nineteen-plus-one days leading up to and culminating in Lá Fhéile Bhríde, Saint Brigit’s Day, and Imbolc.

 

Beginning on Thursday, 13 January 2022, I will be streaming via Facebook Live each day at 11:45 A.M. Pacific Standard Time // 7:45 P.M. Irish Standard Time // 6:45 A.M. Australia Time (this last is on the following date).^[1] Just come to my profile page: 

www.facebook.com/mael.brigde/ at that time. I'll be there as close to that time as tech allows.

Plans for Féile Bríde 2022 – January 31st to February 6th – at Solas Bhríde

 

Féile Bríde 2022 – January 31st to February 6th

Our collaboration with Kildare Town Library, Kildare Heritage Centre, Fáilte Kildare and others promises a full and enriching programme of events for Féile Bríde 2022. We are planning to host a candlelight pilgrimage to St. Brigid’s Well on 31st January.  Plans are also afoot for a Guided Walk on the Curragh Plains, and the delivery of in-person and online workshops on the Traditions and Customs associated with Brigid, Annual Celtic Lecture, Musical and Cultural events and much more.

Keep an eye on our website as details for each event unfold.

Image: from Solas Bhríde newsletter, 24 December 2021.

Winter Solstice Greetings

 

 

Blessings of the darkness and the light

on this solstice day and night!

Image of an older white woman, holding a book and smiling. There are drawings of holly around the image and the words: Brigit's blessings on you and yours; Blessings of the darkness and the light; and: Warmest greetings from Mael Brigde, author of A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars.

Help Keep Brigid's Way Celtic Pilgrimage Alive

 

Well, I completely missed this one. From their Facebook Page: 

 "The Brigid's Way volunteer firekeepers need your help. We have a few projects underway to make the route more accessible at all times. Can you help keep Brigid's Way Celtic Pilgrimage alive by adding a donation to the pot? Could you be a 'Weaver of the Way'?"

What is Brigid's Way, you ask?

"The Brigid's Way Pilgrimage follows the ancient path of Brigid, Goddess and Celtic Christian saint from Faughart, Louth via the Hill of Slane, the Hill of Tara, Donadea Forest Park and along the Grand Canal to her monastic city in Kildare. 

"This 9 day walking pilgrimage winds its way through many sacred places and magical landscapes from Brigid's Well and Shrine in Faughart, County Louth to Brigid's monastic city in County Kildare. For details of the next full 9 day Pilgrimage go to www.brigidsway.ie 

"We have some great ideas up our sleeves about how to make the Brigid’s Way pilgrimage accessible to everyone to complete anytime of the year.

"To get these ideas off the ground we need your help so we a kindly asking you to donate a few bob for Brigid."

You may find more info at their linktree

And here is their PayPal account link.

All images: from Brigid's Way.

 

 

Looking Back 2013 – Solas Bhride enters House of Records

 Solas Bhride is celebrating its entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. On 21 September 2013 they invited locals, tourists, and pilgrims into Saint Brigid's Church in Kildare for a mass weaving of Saint Brigid's crosses. The result: 357 crosses! The reason?

"... St Brigid’s Cross is a universally recognized symbol and the weaving of a St Brigid’s cross is an ancient Irish custom. Its origin may have begun as a pre-Christian symbol, was then assimilated into Christianity and has resonance with other cross types in many cultures around the world. It was thought that setting a World Record would further enhance the continuity of this custom of weaving the St Brigid’s Cross."

For the full article, click here.

Image: from Solas Bhride.

Taking It In — A Brigit of Ireland Devotional

 

I was just reading about the upcoming anthology Brigid's Light: Tending the 

Ancestral Flame of the Beloved Celtic Goddess, edited by Cairelle Crow and 

Laura Louella, on Amazon when I noticed that below it my own book was 

flagged and that it had 12 reviews. I was curious to see what people had said 

so I went over and read them. 

 

As you know I have worked on this book for many years and for most of that 

time I was sceptical that it would ever be in anyone’s hands but my own. That 

was OK. I really wanted to write those poems and to write those essays. I 

wanted to get a little bit closer to Brigit, to spend time with her, to feel what I 

feel about her and clarify what I think about her and check my assumptions 

and just do that work. That would have been enough.

 

 But I also really wanted to share that experience with other people, the

experience of deeply contemplating her, of growing closer, of learning more. 

So I was deeply happy when Moon Books decided to publish A Brigit of Ireland 

Devotional - Sun Among Stars. And even so, I didn’t know if it would ever 

mean as much to anyone else as it did to me.

 

 So I am extremely grateful to read these reviews and hear that these people are 

deeply affected, that it is useful in their practice in the ways that I had hoped it 

would be. I want to share a couple of reviews, one short, one medium, and one 

a little longer, with you today. To be honest, it isn’t easy for me to take this in. 

Someone can say something wonderful about my book and in the moment I feel 

it, but then after a while I’m back to wondering again. Can it stand on its own two 

feet? Will it continue to have meaning now that the huge effort is done? (And now 

and then, "Is it good poetry?") I am very glad these are written down and I can 

read them again and go, ah, yes. This is real.

 

Chris L.

5.0 out of 5 stars A poetic journey with Brigid

Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2021

This book is by turns sweet, poignant, and raw. It is invaluable in my 

own work with Brigid, and I’ve already used it to deepen my spiritual 

practice. The poems/prayers/devotions resonate with my life, and I 

look forward to using it for days and years to come.

and 

GerCelt

5.0 out of 5 stars A collection of beautiful Devotional writing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2021

Verified Purchase

Brigit (Bridget) both as a Goddess and subsequently a saint, is 

one of the most important figures in Irish spirituality. The author 

Mael Bridge has taught Brigit centric devotion and now with this 

book, provides a lovely collection of devotional poems, 

commentary and resources for further study as well as groups 

dedicated to Brigit.

As a poet, it is the poetry itself that interests me. These are 

serious, well written pieces, referencing and echoing the old 

Irish literature and poet8c forms on which they're based. There 

are some unique and fresh perspectives and ingenious use of 

imagery. Each provides a thoughtful starting point for individual 

contemplation but as a lover of poetry, they can be read as 

interesting and evocative poems in their own right.

I have the ebook version but will get the paperback too; I think 

most people purchasing for use as a devotional tool will enjoy 

a paper version, to read and take note of.

 

and

Patricia Cotter-Busbee

.0 out of 5 stars

 A Stunning Collection

Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2021

I set aside a weekend to carefully read this lovely book of poetry 

and I immediately realized it would take a lifetime to unravel all 

the beauty, mysteries, layered stories, insights and gems within 

this stunning work of art. It is medicine for the soul. This writing 

is an invitation by the author to experience the expansive 

landscape that she has walked. This collection of poetry reminded 

me of Brigit’s cloak and how far-reaching it is. This work beautifully 

highlights the author’s deep personal connection to Brigit and the 

fact that she is gifted in the art of poetry and the art of devotion. 

The poems are brilliantly crafted, and are a wellspring of knowledge, 

insight, devotion and inspiration. Each poem flows beautifully into 

the next, offering the reader the opportunity to expand their 

understanding of Brigit. The moment I started reading I could almost 

see the mists parting as I was transported to another time and place. 

I loved the entire collection, but two very different poems stood out 

to me. The first was “The Pig Addresses Brigit.” I knew that Brigit had 

a strong connection to animals but having the pig address Brigit was 

a powerful shift in perspective that caused me to consider the animals 

she is connected to. I imagined Brigit with her deep listening abilities 

standing quietly before the pig as he petitioned Her about how he 

wanted to end his days in peace. I was surprised by the compassion 

that flooded my heart when I read this poem and how it reminded me 

of how much it would benefit us if we paid closer attention to our 

environment and who and what inhabits it. I am grateful for this poetic 

reminder. Another poem that resonated on a deep level was “Brigit 

and the Madman.” What spoke to me was how she sought him out, 

brought him ale and butter and begged to hear the wisdom of his 

unsettled mind. I thought about the exchange between them and how 

Brigit calmed him, so that he could speak his truths and wisdom that 

resided deep within under the layers of madness. This brought tears. 

How many of us feel unheard? What would our world look like, if we 

listened more—especially to those that do not have a voice, including 

our beloved animals? I also enjoyed reading about Brigit and her sisters. 

Her sisters have fascinated me ever since I learned about Brigit. Who 

are they? I gobbled up every mention of them. It compelled me to want 

to do some research in this area. I loved seeing them mentioned and 

represented throughout this collection. I found the energy within these 

poems to be transformative. They possess the ability to assist with 

shifting consciousness. There are very different forms of wisdom 

embedded in the poetry. My experience with reading this book was 

that pathways were created, offering me the opportunity to continue 

my studies. This collection of beautiful poetry is one I will revisit often. 

These poems support a direct engagement with the Divine and they 

each have a powerful energy that can be felt when you connect with 

this beautiful work that honors Brigit in her various aspects.

 

Many thanks to everyone who has supported the writing and publishing of this book my book and to those for whom it has a real purpose. May Brigit bless you all. 

Some links to order here.

A Different Kind of Catholic Church: Saint Brigid of Kildare Catholic Faith Community of Calgary

There is a Catholic Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada that looks very inviting to me. Led by two Roman Catholic Womanpriests, Saint Brigid of Kildare Catholic Faith Community of Calgary looks to the past and present as well as to the possibilities for the Church and society in the future. Ecumenical in nature, inclusive of all genders, it sounds like a wonderful place to explore Christian spirituality guided by the inspiration of Saint Brigit.

"Our community members are warm, welcoming people with a passion for the healing and renewal of the church and society."

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.

Brigit and the Buddha, Sharing an Altar

 A month or two ago, I felt the need to combine my two main altars, my Brigit altar and my Buddha altar.

It feels right this way, for now at least Brigit has my heart and the Buddha has my mind. When I sit with Brigit now I am reminded to welcome everything. Considering that "Everything" has recently included the death of my beloved younger brother, welcoming it is both a challenge and a gift. Sitting here, I read my poetry to Brigit and I remind myself of the Buddha's teachings and how they have helped me to shape a practice that is based on growth through self reflection and compassion.

I can mourn here, in stillness and the security of Brigit's protection and my own clarity and strength. I can yield to my sorrow and in yielding to it free it and come tear by tear word by word moment by moment closer and closer to peace.

I practice yoga in this tiny room, too. I have to be careful not to kick the altar when we do a leg raise in downward facing dog. The practice of asanas and of pranayama breathing help me to feel my body more completely than I do in my normal, vaguely unaware state. This practice brings me to a place where I can sit at the altar and connect, meditate, contemplate, or pour out my feelings in a far more grounded state.

When I moved here from my bachelor apartment of thirty years, I decided not to use the little bedroom for my bed, but to create a sanctuary for yoga, meditation, and prayer. This has made the room a magical place. If I am out there in the living room where my bed is or in the nook where the table is (with computer, eg work space, on it), or generally wandering around with a feeling of stress, if I walk into this room where all that loving work is done, I feel peace. Maybe just for a second and maybe only a particle of it, but it’s here. All those moments, they are here, waiting to greet me when I have the need. The love I have for Brigit, the gratitude I have for her and for the Buddha, the moments of strength in my body or release of pain or tension, the times when I’ve been able to open my mind to a different way of thinking or my heart to a different way of being. They’re all here.

I am infinitely lucky to have this room, to have the teachings of these two culturally disparate wisdom paths, to have the support of communities, to have a disability pension and a place in a wonderfully conceived subsidised housing development. I am lucky to have had my brother for the 50 some years that I did. I am lucky in so many ways and I am so grateful.

When I visited Kildare in 1997, I took my various life strands to her well and talked with her about them. I wondered if I should give up some of the things that I loved and devoted time to so I could focus more generously on some of the others. What I realised there, through her guidance, I am sure, was that even though they were seemingly unrelated they all supported each other in me and that I didn’t need to give any of them up. That in drawing on all of them I understood each of them a little better. Similarly, I used to worry about being a Pagan and a Buddhist at the same time. I wondered if I was being insincere or inauthentic or somehow letting down the team. But they served such different purposes in my life, although they blend together beautifully. My Buddhism is stronger and broader because of Brigit, and my service to and connection with Brigit is stronger and broader because of the Buddha. I guess that’s why combining my two altars feels so right for me. There is no contradiction here. And I am so so lucky to have found them both.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me on these interweaving paths. Blessings on us all.

Image: Photo of my quiet place.

A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars by Mael Brigde

 

This post gives an overview of my book, with quotes from readers (including Orlagh Costello and Morgan Daimler, who contributed a foreword and afterword), and links to buy it.

At Last! Saint Brigit's Got Her Own Official Holiday in Ireland

 

A time to celebrate, indeed. It has been decided to give Saint Brigit her own official (bank) holiday in Ireland. She joins Saint Patrick and Saint Stephen in being so honoured.

"Ireland's new Bank Holiday set to fall on St Brigid's Day" by Dave Hanratty

Briefly, the bank holiday will begin this coming February, and will be celebrated on the Monday closest to 1 February.

Image: Photo by Dmitry Shamis on Unsplash

Book Review: Becoming Brigid by Lisa Shafer

 

Becoming Brigid by Lisa Shafer (2013)

 

Confession: covers matter to me. They are the first thing about a book that catches my attention, either by their wonderfulness, their horribleness, or their unnoticeableness. They tell me the genre, often, what sort of publisher is handling them (don’t assume I gravitate to the ones from big publishers, because I don’t), and, if I’m lucky, something of the subject of the book. They are my first opportunity to assess whether I might be interested enough to stay a moment and find out a little more.

 

Given all that, I approached this book, which I found by chance online, cautiously. The cover appeared homemade, which usually means the book is self-published. I know that many self-published books are awesome, but a whole lot of them are not. So, I approach, but with slightly lowered expectations.

 

To my delight, the blurb told me that this was a novel not just about a girl and a fellow, but also a missing goddess named Brigid. Yes!! There are not enough novels about Brigit, from where I sit, and I am always looking for ones I will love. With Becoming Brigid I was looking at one that moved out of the more serious territory of the others I have read* and into a fond sub-genre, paranormal fantasy. I ordered it, and soon it arrived.

 

My first impressions were good. The writing was professional and engaging, the genre familiar and comfortable (North American Y.A. urban fantasy), and I quickly got a sense of the main character and her cheeky, adventurous spirit. Her father is a ghost hunter who never finds anything, but she, it seems, sees ghosts. And one, at least, sees her.

 

And we’re off.

 

The long and the short of it is, I really like this book. The plot is appealing and carried me along, with enough surprises that I was pleased but not so many I was exhausted. The main and secondary characters are convincing and interesting (I really like Pepper’s sidekick, though I wish her female friends had featured more in the book). The dialogue, and in fact the writing overall, is excellent. The story’s main setting (Utah) remains tangible in my memory, though I have hazier recollection of other settings. And the author’s humour shines through on a number of occasions, giving me some good, unexpected laughs, which I appreciate in a book that is not attempting to be funny on every page. I was absolutely in my reading element to have added to all of that the intrigue of my real life favourite goddess playing a major part here.

 

Did I have criticisms flickering in my brain at any points as I read along? Of course. I always do – even when I am the person who did the writing.

 

There were a couple of moments where a person of size was referred to in a humourously pejorative way, which really bothers me. (I felt somewhat better when I discovered that the author herself is heavy. Not that it makes it great, but it is likely internalised oppression rather than skinny-person prejudice. I can live with that.)

 

I did feel uncomfortable with the sexual vibe between a teenager and a grown man, even though it is never acted on beyond a brief kiss. Why could he not have been a teenager, too? On the other hand, handled as it is, it’s saying to girls, “You can say no even to a guy you really like; there is no hurry or even any need to act on those feelings,” without shaming the protagonist’s sexual sensations and desires. That is pretty cool, if you ask me, and a whole lot different than the messages in the books I read as a teen.

 

In fact, there is a whole lot of girl power happening in this story, a lot of rejection of controlling males, and the protagonist finding her way through her fears and self-perceptions: but not in a heavy handed, info dump kind of way. Really well done.

 

For those among us who are attached to certain stories about the goddess Brigit, I will say that the backstory here is not from the Irish tales and traditions. It is based instead on a much more recent tale of Brigit and Lugh in Scotland, along with what my limited understanding believes is a Wiccan or similar Neo-Pagan perspective. Brigit’s triple goddess nature is said by one character to be linked to the maiden-mother-crone modality, which in origin, in fact, it is not. This is again a modern framework superimposed on an ancient goddess.

 

But you know what? That’s okay. If we aren’t coming to this novel to learn mythology or history, but to enjoy fictional magic, a character’s growing self-awareness, and plain good writing, then there is no need to worry about those things. And you know how much time I do spend worrying about them, in my free time.

 

Now, I may have to seek out Lisa Shafer’s other books, starting with the first, Confessions of an Average Half-Vampire.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

* You can read my reviews of them on my blog, Brigit’s Sparkling Flame: http://brigitssparklingflame.blogspot.com/p/brigit-book-reviews.html