Iron Age Celts Home Education

Brigit, it will come as no surprise to you, arises at least in part from Celtic culture, and some understanding of that culture is useful to those who are attracted to learning more about her. I stumbled across a site which has an interactive educational module on Celtic life, in particular Welsh, designed for youngsters. (Do we still use that word?) Not terribly young myself, I nevertheless enjoyed exploring the site.

Thanks to the BBC for this!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/celts/

The Brighid Oracle

"From a young age Ceri Norman's love of mythology and history has inspired her. After gaining a degree studying History and English, Ceri worked in libraries and museums sharing this love with the people she met. Seeing the pleasure that books and history gave, Ceri started writing fiction that people of all ages could enjoy and relate to. As a deeply spiritual person she prefers her writing to have a spiritual and mystical flavour."

Ceri is the author of Celtic Maidens, "a powerful and supernatural tale of love, lives and obsession set against the dramatic scenery of the Welsh Mountains". She writes for various magazines and contributed to Holly Swann's booklet, "Brighid and Me", mentioned elsewhere in this blog.

The Brighid Oracle, by Ceri Norman

From Ceri's site:

The Brighid Oracle by Ceri Norman will be released later this year by the Tarot Media Company.

The Brighid Oracle is a 33 card deck, with companion book, bringing the divine energy and wisdom of Brighid into daily life. Brighid is known to and loved by many people from a variety of backgrounds and paths as Celtic Goddess, Christian Saint, or Faerie Queen. The cards explore the mythical landscapes, sacred creatures, ancient rites, and rich treasures of creativity which Brighid provides. Many of Her myths and magical symbols are represented in the cards, such as Brighid's cross, swans, fire and Kildare.

I've been working with Brighid for many years and I am her Priestess, Flame Keeper and much more. I've not only written this Oracle for Brighid, I also had a go at illustrating it. Brighid is the light that guides my way in life, she is my guiding star . Brighid's inspiration is a constant source of strength and wisdom, and through this Oracle I share the experience of working with Brighid with others, to inspire them on their own path.

Whether you have a little bit of Irish in your genes, are fascinated by all things Celtic, or are looking to connect with a Goddess who will guide and inspire you, this Oracle has something that appeals to everyone.

The press release for The Brighid Oracle.

I will add more details to this page, such as the release date, as soon as I have more information.

St Bridget of Skenfrith, Wales

St. Bridget's Church in the village of Skenfrith in the Welsh Marches turned 800 years old in 2007.

According to Filbee, whose Flickr photos of this church are worth a look, St. Bridget's is a "13th century church with squat tower and huge buttress. The interior has a Jacobean pew, 15th century embroidery, and the tomb of the last governor of the Three Castles (Grosmont, Skenfrith, and White).

"St Bridget’s Church was founded in 1207 by Hugh de Burgh who was also responsible for building Skenfrith castle. The tower is unusual. It belongs to the period when the Welsh border was subject to sudden raids and the villagers might need to seek refuge at any time. The tower has five feet thick walls and is capped with a 'Dovecote' which in times of scarcity or danger could have housed pigeons as well as bells. The clock was installed in 1926."

He provides a link to Mark Collins' Roughwood site, with its page on St Bridget's. There are some excellent pictures here. The interior shot above comes from his page.

The UKAttraction site has this to add:

"The church, dedicated to the Irish Abbess Bridget, was built in the 13th Century in Early English and Perpendicular styles. It has a wooden dovecote-topped tower with an open wood lantern containing 6 bells. There is medieval glass in the East window, fragments of wall paintings and an ancient tomb chest with Elizabethan figures depicting the wife and eight children of John Morgan dated 1557. A rare pre-Reformation cope (a cape-like garment worn by Bishops) is preserved in a glass-fronted case."

This handy page provides links to attractions in the area of the church, places to stay, and so on.

"The Giveaway" (from The Love Letters of Phyllis McGinley)

"The Giveaway"

Saint Bridget was

A problem child.

Although a lass

Demure and mild,

And one who strove

To please her dad,

Saint Bridget drove

The family mad.

For here's the fault in Bridget lay:

She would give everything away.

To any soul

Whose luck was out

She'd give her bowl

Of stirabout;

She'd give her shawl,

Divide her purse

With one or all.

And what was worse,

When she ran out of things to give

She'd borrow from a relative.

Her father's gold,

Her grandsire's dinner,

She'd hand to cold

and hungry sinner;

Give wine, give meat,

No matter whose;

Take from her feet

The very shoes,

And when her shoes had gone to others,

Fetch forth her sister's and her mother's.

She could not quit.

She had to share;

Gave bit by bit

The silverware,

The barnyard geese,

The parlor rug,

Her little

niece's christening mug,

Even her bed to those in want,

And then the mattress of her aunt.

An easy touch

For poor and lowly,

She gave so much

And grew so holy

That when she died

Of years and fame,

The countryside

Put on her name,

And still the Isles of Erin fidget

With generous girls named Bride or Bridget.

Well, one must love her.

Nonetheless,

In thinking of her

Givingness,

There's no denial

She must have been

A sort of trial

Unto her kin.

The moral, too, seems rather quaint.

Who had the patience of a saint,

From evidence presented here?

Saint Bridget? Or her near and dear?

(from The Love Letters of Phyllis McGinley, New York, Viking Press, 1957) Thank you to Oremus.

Proclaim an Holy Year for Nuns!

I received a comment on the last posting from St Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association asking that we help promote a Holy Year for Nuns. Sounds like a great idea to me. Here is the posting the link took me to (posted on St Brigit's Day):

Tuesday 1 February 2011
Proclaim an Holy Year for Nuns!

Following the Holy Year for Priests, it is surely time to pray for consecrated women. Therefore, dear reader, we urge you to ask Ecclesiastical Authorities to dedicate a special year to give thanks to God for Nuns and to pray for Nuns and for more Nuns. What better way to do honour to St. Brigid?

Please proclaim an Holy Year for Nuns!

Ora pro populo, interveni pro clero, intercede pro devoto femineo sexu!

Who are the St Conleth's group?

Friday 6 June 2008
Introduction
St. Conleth’s Catholic Heritage Association aims at safeguarding the rich liturgical heritage of the Catholic Church and promoting its use in the sacramental life of the Church in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. In effect, this means that we seek the full implementation of Summorum Pontificum throughout the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, wherever there is a genuine pastoral need.

This blog will keep you informed of the activities of St. Conleth’s Catholic Heritage Association, and of progress made in implementing Summorum Pontificum, particularly throughout the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.

Poetry: 'Brighid's Runes'

I have just received a copy of 'Brighid's Runes', edited by Rachel Mica McCann.

"'Brighid's Runes' is a collection of around 40 poems by over twenty women from various parts of Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland. The poems celebrate the sacred in every day life and our relationship with the earth. They are funny, poignant, eloquent and passionate! Some of the poets are well published, others are new to print. The money raised from the sale of the book will go towards supporting Women's and Earth healing projects, especially the Green Belt Movement in Kenya established by nobel prize winner Wangari Maatthai which has empowered women through planting trees and community development."

'Brighid's Runes' can be purchased from Rachel, e-mail rmicamc AT yahoo.co.uk for costs.

Brigit Book Reviews (2): List of Books to be Reviewed

To be honest, I'm a little uncertain about some of my categories--particular works might be as happy in one as in another--so use them as general guides only, to keep the picture a little clearer on the table, not as Ultimate Pronouncements in every case.

Books to be Reviewed

Picture books:

Brigid’s Cloak, Reg Keating (1997)

Brigid’s Cloak: An Ancient Irish Story, Bryce Milligan (2002)

The Life of Saint Brigid, Abbess of Kildare, Jane Meyer (2009)

(We need some goddess-oriented Brigidine picture books.)

Novels :

Brigit of Kildare, Ann Egan (2001) (novel/poetry)

Brigid of Kildare, Cindy Thomson (2006) (novel)

Brigid of Kildare, Heather Terrell (2010) (novel)

(I hope novelists start finding more unusual names for their

Brigit books; it’s getting a bit hard to tell them apart.)

Mention only:

Confessions of a Pagan Nun, Kate Horsley (2001) (novel)

Sister Fidelma series, Peter Tremayne/Peter Beresford Ellis (1994--) (novels)

Poetry/Plays:

St Brigit of the Mantle, Norah Kelly (1924) (play)

The Story Brought by Brigit by Lady Gregory (1924) (play)

Brigit of Kildare, Ann Egan (2001) (novel/poetry)

Brighid’s Runes, ed. Rachel Mica McCann (2008) (poetry)

Nonfiction: Popular (Saint):

“Brigit, the Mary of the Gael”, from A Book of Saints and Wonders by Lady Gregory (1907)

Saint Brigid of Ireland, Alice Curtayne (1954)

Saint Bride, Iain MacDonald (1992)

Power of Raven, Wisdom of Serpent, Noragh Jones (1994)

Rekindling the Flame: a Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Brigid of Kildare, Rita Minehan CSB (1999)

The Life of Saint Brigid, Anna Egan Smucker (2009)

Nonfiction: Popular (Neopagan):

Candlemas: Feast of Flames, Amber K and Azrael Arynn TK (2001)

“The Well of Her Memory” in Red-Haired Girl from the Bog, Patricia Monaghan (2003)

‘‘Imbolc—Brigit”, Alexei Kondratiev, in Devoted to You, Judy Harrow (2003)

Brighid’s Healing: Ireland’s Celtic Medicine Traditions, Gina McGarry (2005)

Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom, Erynn Rowan Laurie (2007)

Brigid: Goddess, Druidess and Saint, Brian Wright (2009)

Brighid and Me: Experiences with the Goddess, Hollee Swann, ed. (2010)

Nonfiction: Academic/Popular Academic:

By popular academic I mean books written in a scholarly

style for a general audience. These I can only observe as a

reader, not criticize as an expert.

The Serpent and the Goddess, Mary Condren (1989)

“Fire and the Arts” (etc) in Pagan Past and Christian Present in Early Irish Literature, Kim McCone (1990)

The Festival of Brigit, Séamas Ó Catháin (1995)

"Imbolc: A New Interpretation", by Phillip A. Bernhardt-House (pp 57-76) in Cosmos 18 (2002)

The Rites of Brigit, Goddess and Saint, Séan Ó Duinn (2005)

Landscape with Two Saints: How Genovefa of Paris and Brigit of Kildare Built Christianity in Barbarian Europe, Lisa M. Bitel (2009)

“Queering the Flame: Brigit, Flamekeeping, and Gender in Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan Communities”, by Erynn Rowan Laurie in The Well of Five Streams: Essays on Celtic Paganism (Immanion Press, projected release 2015) 17 pp.

Brigit Book Reviews (1): Introduction

This post marks the introduction of a series of posts in which I will review books (and one or two major book chapters) about Brigit. The books will be grouped by category (eg picture books, novels) and over time I will add to them as more books come my way. To find all postings, please search by the term "Brigit Book Reviews" (though with any luck I will post them in a clump, so you can just scroll to the next one.)

Brigidine Books for Children and Adults

Twenty-five years ago or so I had difficulty finding much at all to do with Brigit. There was Alice Curtayne’s Saint Brigid of Ireland (1954), and rummaging in scholarly journals and books I found a few brief references; a smattering more appeared in feminist and Neopagan writings. Most presented the same few elements—her perpetual fire, her healing well, her triplicity, her sainthood—with an occasional new detail to whet my appetite.

I wanted more, and I was not alone. Due in large part to books like Barbara Walker’s The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, interest increased in this western European alternative to the patriarchal Christian God, and so did the publications. We learned about folk traditions and discovered prayers to Saint Bride in the Carmina Gadelica. Chapters and whole books devoted to her began to appear, from scholarly texts to children’s picture books. With the introduction of the internet, sites of devotion to her as goddess and saint have mushroomed. There is a plethora now of writings (not to mention meditation and music CDs, sculptures, crafts, and images galore), and a wee bit of confusion if you look too closely at them.

Despite the antiquity and persistence of Brigit’s cult, and many years of study of the ancient Celts, there are major gaps in our knowledge of the nature and traditions of Brigit and her people. This leads naturally to guess-work and differing interpretations, depending on the sources used and the background and orientation of the authors. This is inevitable and good, when supported by evidence and footnoted in such a way that the interested reader can retrace arguments and come to her own conclusions. In this way, our understanding deepens and evolves. But it can lead, when there is a desire to offer an easily understandable picture, or where information is looked at without a good understanding of its context, to oversimplifications and misunderstandings, and a mushing together of the known and the invented. Borrowings, conscious or unintended, from unrelated doctrines—the Four Directions of Wicca, for example, which don’t exist in Celtic myth and religion—may be used to fill in the gaps: new traditions are grafted onto the old.

It can be argued that this is evolution, itself. The cult of Brigit is changed, now as in the past, by any new culture it comes in contact with. But for those of us who want to piece together an understanding based on what comes down to us from antiquity, it causes problems.

For some, historical accuracy is not as important as the lessons gleaned, the inspiration received, and the ease with which Brigit can be included in an existing practice or pantheon. This is a valid perspective. And surely, if we only wanted verifiable historical detail, Brigit would be a bad bet. Her “lives” were all written long after she died (if she lived at all) and her appearance as a goddess in the old texts comes even later. What we know about her comes almost entirely from a mixture of late period folklore, customs, place names, and Christian vitae. Still, an examination of those materials can give us a clearer picture of who she was to her people at various points in history. For many, this is the most comfortable starting point for a modern interpretation. Piecing together the many pieces of the puzzle is for them a rewarding intellectual and spiritual endeavour.

Having a satisfying bibliography and thorough footnotes doesn’t automatically prevent muddy thinking and misinformation, nor is it a case of academics being right and lay writers wrong. A healthy dose of skepticism is always advisable, and if you come across a particularly enticing piece of information, presented as fact, that you’ve never encountered before, you may want to follow it up and see where it comes from. There is a good chance that someone has made a guess and someone else has read that speculation as Truth.

For this reason you will find that I most prize authors who give their evidence, cite its origins, and then offer hypotheses based on that evidence. I am happier with gaps in the picture and a lack of certainty about ultimate truths than I am with murky provenance. On the other hand, I do appreciate reading a Brigidine’s vision of his benefactor and his interpretation of that vision, upwellings of inspired poetry, and creations of new ritual and charms. These are valid and valuable additions to her cultus. I treasure modern manifestations of her cult, “UPG” (Unconfirmed Personal Gnosis: inspiration about one’s personal deity), and spontaneous, joyful renderings, in addition to old traditions, academic observations, and considered conclusions. But I do like to know which is which.

When we can’t retrace a writer’s steps and weigh their conclusions, assertions once born as guesses or poetic imagery work their way into the literature as accepted fact. They may not be errors or even UPG—they may be legitimate pieces of historical information, but with no way of tracing them to their source they are untrustworthy and frustrating items to deal with. An example is the name Ingheau Anndagha or Daughters of the Flame.

I found this term in Merlin Stone’s Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood in 1992 and enthusiastically applied it to the group I had formed to relight Brigit’s perpetual flame. Because the Irish was daunting to non-Irish speakers, I reserved it for the newsletter and called the group Daughters of the Flame. I didn’t afterward find a single reference to the title Ingheau Anndagha in any but Neopagan writings—presumably they, too, got it from Merlin Stone.

So where did it come from? I wrote to Ms Stone in the 1990s and got no reply, so I can’t say. In time I dropped the dubious title from the newsletter, but we are quite content to this day to think of ourselves as daughters of Brigit’s flame, wherever the name may have come from. (The Truth may be out there somewhere; I eventually stopped looking. If you know the origins of Ingheau Anndagha, do tell!)

In my reviews of Brigidine books, I will primarily attempt to distinguish between:

• works based on folk traditions, and/or written or geographical materials of ancient or medieval origin versus those which embark in new directions, infusing Wiccan and other ideas into their presentation of Brigit, versus works based largely on personal relationship with deity;
• works that are well written and well presented versus those which are not;
• works intended to further the study of or devotion to Brigit versus those which pursue other aims primarily;
• works that are more useful for inspiration than for scholarship. (Since I can find inspiration in the driest scholarly presentation, if the ideas are exciting enough, I may not be able to offer the opposite: works that are more useful for scholarship than inspiration.)

 All of this is intended as a sketchy roadmap for people to whom such distinctions are important. I’m grateful for this upsurging of Brigidine materials and devotion, in its many forms, and my intention is never to discourage authors, but to ask for and celebrate clarity in intent and presentation. I won’t be reviewing every book, or the many papers and articles available; if anyone is drawn to writing a scholarly critique of the literature, I would be delighted to read and link to it.

I distinguish in my categories between scholarly and popular books in part by the presence or absence of footnotes, index, and a bibliography based on primary and secondary source materials as opposed to one based on other popular books. This is not an indication of how serious or sincere a writer is. There are few books on the subject that have nothing at all to offer to our appreciation of Brigit and her cultus, and there are many perspectives available; mine is as subjective as any other.

I offer you, then, my sense of the books I have before me, pointing you in the direction of texts I personally find useful and raising a flag of caution here and there, in the hope this may help you in choosing which books you want to explore in more depth. If you have suggestions of other books that should be on the list—perhaps your own?—please let me know. If you are able to point me toward a review copy, so much the better.

Given all that, I invite you to dip into the waters of Brigit writings, and encourage you to add to that body of work if you are so inspired.

  May you find many blessings in your research, and may her flame burn bright within you.

Brigit's Forge: Online Brigit Resource

Brigit's Forge Website is the child of Hilaire Wood of Aberystwyth, Wales. In her words:

Brigit's Forge website is inspired by Brigit and dedicated to her. It represents the actual and virtual place where I work as a poet and healer and where I research and write about Brigit, Celtic mythology and folklore. I believe that healing, inspiration and creativity are linked, and that the ability to forge is important for bringing our creativity into manifestation. I draw my faith in the Otherworld, my inspiration, and the strength to cope with the challenges in my life, from Celtic mythology and religion in general and Brigit in particular. My method is to read and learn, to go to sacred places in Ireland and Wales, to spend time with land, sea and sky and to let all this inform my spiritual practice. This website is where I hope to share some of what I have learned with people who have the same interests.

The blacksmith's forge is the place where iron is forged to make useful and beautiful objects, and at one time it was also the meeting place for the community, a place to share stories and information, music and jesting, a place where the young men would engage in contests and shows of strength. In ancient times it also had a deeper and more magical significance as a place of initiation and creation.

My aim here is to balance more factual information with nourishment for the spirit and the senses, taking advantage of this medium to use colour, images and sound where possible.

On this site Hilaire offers:

Articles
Charms & Prayers
Meditations
Poems
Olive Branch
Links
Contact
blog

These articles begin where most do, with an introduction to Brigit as goddess and saint, but they move into areas not often examined, such as the the role of Brigit in war, Brigit in Wales (Ffraid, who does not share with her Irish and Scottish parallels an Imbolc feast day), and a comparison with the "Hindu Sarasvati, goddess of learning and the creative arts, who bears some striking resemblances to Brigit, as well as some important differences."

Hilaire's careful scholarship, deep commitment, and creative intellect make this website a valuable and precious resource.

St. Brigid's Farm

Traditionally, most pictures of Saint Brigit have one of two things in them, if not both: a cow, and a book. As a goddess, Brigit is patron of Healing, Poetry, and Smithcraft. She comes from a rural society with a cattle-based economy, and she inspires and oversees the work of scholars and artisans. As a saint, Brigit is responsible for the blessing of cattle, and her miracles related to the production of milk, butter and meat are many.

In Maryland, USA, St. Brigid's Farm is dedicated to raising beef cattle humanely on grass* instead of grain, and veal calves are given far gentler lives than is normal in modern times. Here are a few words from their website:

"Our farm is named after St. Brigid, the patron saint of dairymaids and scholars who was renowned for her compassion and often featured with cows at her feet. She perfectly represents the pairing of Judy, the dairymaid and Bob, the scholar...

"The 55 acre farm, located on the scenic eastern shore of Maryland, is planted in permanent pasture, comprised predominantly of perennial rye grass and clover. The seasonally calved herd intensively grazes from April through November...

"Milk from our outstanding Jerseys is marketed through our cooperative, Land O’ Lakes...

"Grass fed Jersey beef and veal is...a delicious and healthy alternative to the options at the supermarket...

"The pairing of a dairymaid and scholar has resulted in a beautiful farm which produces high quality milk, beef, veal and dairy stock. Stop by anytime for a real life visit."

Silo View, St. Brigid's Farm
Kennedyville, Maryland, USA

Looking through the website and reading the links they provide, I was enthusiastic about St. Brigid's Farm. But I am uncomfortably aware of the issues concerning the meat industry and veal in particular. Before writing this post, I wrote to St. Brigid's Farm to ask about how they raise their calves. Below is our correspondence.

Mael Brigde:

"I would like to do a posting about St Brigid's Farm for my Brigit blog, but I'd like to know more about how you raise veal. Although you mention TLC on your site, and link to an interesting article on veal, it isn't clear exactly what SBF's methods are. There are lots of photos of mature cattle grazing but only one of a calf, with its mom; the other calves are shown tethered and separated from each other and their mothers. I know that although Brigidines love the image of the cow, many are vegetarians and most others are very careful about humane treatment. I'd like to be able to tell them straight out what you are up to."

Judy Gifford:

"In answer to your inquiry, we raise calves in three different ways and consider all of them humane.

"Our veal calves are reared on nurse cows from birth until 3 to 4 months. Currently we have 6 bull calves on four cows. This is the end of our season for veal. We will start new calves in the spring when we have grass for the nurse cows. June, at 10 years old is our oldest nurse cow. The other nurse cows are Isadora, Rouge and Viola. They range in age from three to six years of age and all are wonderful mothers and adopt new calves readily.

"Heifer calves are raised individually in the calf hutches you referred to from birth until they are about three months old and then they are moved to the calf barn. We have learned during our 12 years of calf raising that this is the best way to raise 40 calves born in a 15 week window. We can monitor feed intake and identify a sick calf immediately. Years ago, we raised our heifers on a mob feeder but had trouble with aggressive calves getting too much milk and slower calves not getting enough milk. Also, it is warmer and drier in the calf hutches especially during inclement weather when rain or snow can drench the open sided calf barn. When they are in the hutches, they can jump around and nibble on grass. Individual hutches also minimize the spread of disease when the calves are most vulnerable.

"The bull calves that we raise for steers are grouped and raised communally. We are a small farm and have to allocate our resources (time, labor and space) according to their best use.

"We are grateful for the wonderful life and farm that we have and work hard to take good care of our animals and the land. Before we were farmers, we visited Vancouver and loved it. You too live in a wonderful place. If you ever travel to the east coast, you can by all means just walk right in!!"

Have a look at the St. Brigid's Farm website. You'll find lots of information there, a great deal of which is gleaned from the many (and often beautiful) photographs. For those who wish to preserve a rural lifestyle while improving on modern farming techniques, there is much to encourage you here.

*See "How Cows (Grass-Fed Only) Could Save the Planet" for more info on the issue.

Imbolc Podcast

The New Order of Druids has a lovely podcast telling the story of Imbolc and Brigit, with some very nice pronunciations of words many non-Celtic speaking folk struggle in vain with.

I am not sure who drew this lovely picture of Brigit. If you know, please tell!

http://neworderofdruids.mypodcast.com/2010/01/Imbolc_2009-179479.html

Brighid and Me: Experiences with the Goddess

I`ve just received my contributor's copy in the mail--Hollee Swann's new 48 pp pamphlet,

BRIGHID AND ME: Experiences With the Goddess.

It is a series of articles by devotees of Brighid, and I am thoroughly enjoying reading the offerings. What a brave and lovely group of beings!

Hollee had wanted to do a book on Brigit but, on researching the subject, decided she'd be simply rehashing available materials. Instead when she reluctantly let go of the project, she was inspired to collect the stories of some of Brigit's followers and offer them to the world.

In honour of Brigit's attributes as a healer, and Hollee's mother, who is in a care home with late stage Alzheimer's, donations from the sale of the book will go to the Alzheimer's Society.

£4.50 per copy. £4.10 for 3 or more copies in one order
Postage at cost. Overseas postal rates on request.
Email: helen(AT)goddessdance.co.uk for ordering and payment details. (Replace (AT) with @ )

Do You Recognize This Brigidine Church?

I found this photo on the internet, on a Russian site--I am quite unable to read Russian. Do you by chance know where this building is, and what it's called? Ta!

(Here's the link.)

Hrana Janto Brigit Illumination

There is so much amazing Brigidine art upwelling into the world these days! Another fine example: this illumination by Hrana Janto.

„Untersuchungen zu den ältesten Vitae sanctae Brigidae“

There is online a German language thesis, written by Karina Hochegger, which compares the earliest life of Brigit (Cogitosus, 650 CE) with the Vita Prima Sanctae Brigidae (750 CE). These texts have different aims and means for achieving their goals, as described in Lisa Bitel's excellent book, Landscape with Two Saints. For those German speakers amongst us, I link you to „Untersuchungen zu den ältesten Vitae sanctae Brigidae“. Below find her abstract.

ANHANG

ABSTRACT

This thesis shall provide a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the two oldest Lives of saint Brigid of Kildare, the “Life by Cogitosus” and the so-called “Vita Prima”. It will also illustrate the most important findings concerning the intentions of the presumed authors in writing these Lives. Dating of the Life by Cogitosus to the third quarter of the 7th century appears to be appropriate based on the reference that Muirchú makes to Cogitosus and his work. Cogitosus was likely an intellectual member within Kildare’s monastic society and he would have been able to write. His political aim in creating a Life of saint Brigid and establishing her as one of the main saints was to strengthen both the influence and power of the monastic centre and its parochia. The Life contains accounts of miracles describing the beauty and greatness of the church of Kildare, the sepulture of Brigid and her bishop Conleth, and the wonders that supposedly took place after Brigid’s death. This would inspire believers from across Ireland to make pilgrimages to Kildare. The reason for establishing the Life may have been the competition between the two main churches of Ireland during the 7th century, Kildare and Armagh. Both of them wanted to spread their power and their parochia. There is no proof of a direct relationship between Cogitosus and the Uí Dúnlainge, the ruling dynasty of Leinster at that time. But it is clear that the expansion of the sphere of control of Kildare was on behalf of the governance of Leinster. There are compositional and structural aspects which support McCone’s theory that the Vita Prima came after the Life by Cogitosus, in the middle of the 8^th century. This is because passages from the Life by Cogitosus can be found at the end of Vita Prima and because of the friendly relationship between Patrick and Brigid, the two main saints of Armagh and Kildare. Despite the efforts of Vita prima’s author to create a thorough account of Brigid’s travels, there can be found inconsistencies throughout this Life. The author also neglected Kildare, and emphasized Brigid as a nomad saint; he intended to establish a national saint in Brigid by compiling miraculous stories in order to illustrate her nationwide political-ecclesiastic influence.

Karina Hochegger
angestrebter akademischer Grad
Magistra der Philosophie (Mag. phil.)
Vienna, 2009

Maud Gonne and the Daughters of Ireland

From 1916: The 1916 Rising, Personalities and Perspectives, an online exhibition by the National Library of Ireland:

Maud Gonne’s most notable contribution was to the establishment in April 1900 of Inghinidhe na hÉireann (Daughters of Ireland). The organisation was solely for women and adopted Saint Brigid as patron. Its agenda was political, social and feminist: it opposed the Irish Parliamentary Party and Home Rule, opting instead for full independence, but supported the Irish-Ireland movement, the concepts of self reliance preached by Sinn Féin, free meals in schools and women’s suffrage. It organised programmes of distinctively Irish cultural activities and promoted national self awareness. From 1908 onwards it published Bean na hÉireann (‘Irishwoman’), a nationalist womens’ journal. In 1914 Inghinidhe na hÉireann was absorbed into Cumann na mBan, the women’s auxiliary of the Irish Volunteers, although some trades union members then opted to join the Irish Citizen Army. In its time, Inghinidhe na hÉireann helped to politicise a generation of Irish women, many of whom afterwards participated in the 1916 Rising.

Jill Smith: Brighde of the Isles

Check out the English webzine Goddess Alive: a new magazine of Goddess celebration.  Now into its 17th issue and its 8th year, if you peek back to issue 2 you will find fine paintings and an article about Brigit in the Hebrides, all by Jill Smith. Art from the series Brighde of the Isles was used on the cover of the Friends of Brides Mound CD, Songs of Bride.

“Brighde is an ancient creative force/goddess who later merged with St. Bridget of Kildare in Ireland to become something of both of them, yet more; and in the Hebrides she has her own distinct character.”

(For photos, ferry schedules, weather forecasts, jobs, events, and more for the Hebrides, click here to get to  Western Isles of Scotland.)

Cill Dara Historical Society

The  Cill Dara Historical Society site has a number of goodly bits on offer. An article on Brigit, a history of the area, a collection of old postcards, including the market square, the round tower, and the interior of the church. I do wish these were clickable to see larger images but alas, no.

Also included are a table of annals (plus bibliography), from 484 when Brigit founded the monastery to 1539 when the “Carmelite friary in Kildare (was) suppressed on 3 Apr. The friary was surrendered by the prior. It consisted of a church, belfry, dormitory hall and two chambers. Kildare also owned a messuage, a garden and a close containing one acre, as well as a cottage and six acres of arable land in the vicinity.”

The site is hosted by Kildare.ie--the County Kildare Community Network--with everything from community events, forum, and business directory to  an A-Z of County Kildare Websites. Check it out before you visit!

Book of Kells...Cartoon???

The Secret of Kells

Here is a note of enthusiastic recommendation from one of the Daughters of the Flame:

Dear Ladies,
I watched this film last night and it blew me away. It was astonishing. I was drawn into this gorgeous world. The animation if nothing else is stunning. But the clever way there was always something celtic on each frame, be it a swirl or design was brilliant. The story was lovely too. And the faerie was very sweet. My husband isn't sure what to make of this film. Not sure what to say, other than he loved the art (he's an artist so duh!) but he's out on the rest of it. I'd give it full marks.

The trailer is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTPAvY4y0pY

The official website is here: http://www.thesecretofkells.com/

I'm sure you can get it from any store, Amazon would have it for sure. We got it from our local dvd rental.

I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

Blessings,
Vanna

And here is the trailer itself:

Downloadable Medieval Texts & A Research Guide to Irish Literature

Two sites of interest for those eager for medieval Irish texts (etc!).

(1) In Parentheses:

In Parentheses is devoted to distributing texts, translations, and commentaries from a wide variety of areas and disciplines in an elegantly presented form.

These include:

Papers in Medieval Studies
Arthurian Series
Chinese Drama Series
Medieval Canadian Series
Medieval Castilian Series...
....Greek Series
Medieval Irish Series
Medieval Italian Series
Medieval Latin Series
Linguistics Series
Japanese Series
Malayan Series....
....Vaguely Decadent Series

Medieval IrishSeries
The Colloquy with the Ancients, tr. Standish Hayes O'Grady (480K PDF)
The Vision of Adamnán (Fis Adamnáin), tr. C.S. Boswell (80K PDF)
The Irish Æneid (Imtheachta Æniasa), tr. George Calder (244K PDF)
The Voyage of Bran (Immram Brain), tr. Kuno Meyer (59K PDF)
The Feast of Bricriu (Fled Bricrend), tr. George Henderson (152K PDF)
The Destruction of Dá Derga's Hostel, tr. Whitley Stokes (156K PDF)
The Pursuit of the Gilla Decair and his Horse, tr. Standish Hayes O'Grady (92K PDF)
The Tain, tr. L. Winifred Faraday (312K PDF)
The Vision of MacConglinne (Aislinge Meic Conglinne), tr. Kuno Meyer (120K PDF)
The Wandering of Ulixes Son of Laertes (Merugud Uilix Maicc Leirtis), tr. Kuno Meyer (52K PDF)
The Death of the Sons of Usnach, tr. Eleanor Hull (98K PDF)

Of Related Interest:
Giraldus Cambrensis, The Conquest of Ireland, tr. Thomas Forester, rev. Thomas Wright (476K PDF)
Giraldus Cambrensis, The Topography of Ireland, tr. Thomas Forester, rev. Thomas Wright (400K PDF)
Modern Irish Flash Cards 4500 words (928K PDF)

(2) The Kelly Library at U of T maintains a Research Guide to Irish Literature.

Included: Location of each work in the Kelly Library.

Last updated in November 2009. PDF version

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