Brighid

The name "Bridgit", or "Breo-Saighit translates as The Flame of Ireland, or Breo-agit as Fiery Arrow. She was know as a Goddess of the Forge. (and that borne of fire and flame). The legend of Bridgit says that when she was born, there was a tower of flame reaching from the top of her head to the heavens. Her birth , which took place at sunrise, is said to to have given the family house the appearance of being on fire.

For many centuries there were 19 sacred virgins (Druidess')whose duty it was to tend the sacred and eternal fire of the "Goddess"at Kildare. No man was allowed to look upon them Originally these were priestesses of the Goddess, and later the duty was taken up by Nuns.

Until the 18th century the following song was said to be sung by the tenders of the eternal flame:

"Bride, excellent woman, sudden flame, may the fiery, bright sun take us to the lasting kingdom"

These women were the virgin daughters of the Fire and were called Inghean au dagha; but as fire-keepers, were Breochwidh. The Brudins, a place of magical cauldron and perpetual fires, disappeared when Christianity took hold. "Being in the Brudins", now means "in the fairies". The sanctuary was hidden from view by a tall hedge, and no man was allowed entrance to the shrine. The water of her well and the fire were known to have healing and purification properties.

Brigid's shrine at Kildare was active into the 18th century. It was closed down by the monarchy. Originally cared for by nineteen druid virgins, when the Pagan Brighid was Sainted, the care of her shrine fell to the Catholic Nuns. The fire was extinguished once in the thirteenth century by orders of the Pope, but was later relit until Henry VIII of England set about supressing the monastaries, and the flame was once again extinguished.

The flame we are tending was symbolically rekindled on Imbolc 1993 by the Daughters of the Flame in Canada, and, by divine coincidence, also by Sister Mary of Solas Bhride in Kildare on the same day. There is a link on the first page of this website for the Ord Brighideach Website, there you can learn more about the rekindling of the flame, or join Ord Brighideach, there is also a link for The Daughters of the Flame, and mail lists devoted to Brighid.

According to the Irish text "The Book of the Dunn Cow", Brighid's sacred number was nineteen, representing the nineteen stages of the Celtic Great Year, the time it took from one new moon to the next to coincide with the Winter Solstice. It is believed that on the twentieth day of each cycle Brighid herself tends the flame.

Each Cell of Ord Brighideach holds 19 shifts of flamekeepers.

Brighid is known as the daughter of Dagda, a diety of the Pagan Gaelic world. She is known as the goddess of healers, poets, smiths, childbirth and inspiration; Goddessof the fire and hearth and a patron of warfare or Briga. Her soldiers were called Brigands. Her name means "Exalted One." She is also known by the names Brigantia, Brid, Bride, Briginda, Brigdu, and Brigit. It is thought among some scholars that "Brighid" may have been a title rather than a singular name, (as it is thought now that "Magdeline" was also a title of a High Temple Priestess of the Goddess, in another part of the world.)

In the middle ages, Brighid is in many stories. In one she is the wife of Bres, the half-Fomorian ruler of the children of Danu. Their son, Ruadan, wounded the smith god Giobhniu at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh but he himself was slain in the battle. Brigid then went to the battlefield to mourn her son. This was said to be the first caoine (keening), or lament heard in Ireland. In another story, Brighid was the wife of Tuirean, and had three sons; Brian, Iuchar, and Ircharba. In the tale "The Sons of Tuirean", these three killed the god Cian, father of Lugh Lamhfhada when he was in the form of a pig.

She was later transformed by the church of St. Brigid into Saint Brighid (about 453 C.E.) Saint Brighid is known as the patroness of farm work and cattle, and protector of the household from fire and calamity. To this day one of her most common names in Gaelic is Muime Chriosd, "Foster Mother of Christ". St. Brighid is said to be the daughter of Dubthach, a Druid who brought her from Ireland to be raised on the Isle of Iona, sometimes called the "Druid's Isle."

The ancient Gaelic tales and the mix of later Christian influence has transmuted many of the legends of Brighid that have come down to us today. She is known in Christian mythology as "Brighid nam Bhatta" , St. Briget or St. Bride of the Mantle- from having been the one to wrap the newborn infant of Mary in her Mantle, or cloak in Mary's hour of weakness following the birth. (Which is an odd time frame given her birth over 400 years after the birth, another reason some scholars believe that the term "Brighid" is thought to be another term for the Goddess.)

In Pagan lore she is the Goddess that preceeds the spread of Christianity. She is the Goddess of Poetry amongst other things.