Despite being the female patron saint of Ireland and one of the most remarkable women in Irish history, St. Brigid has always been an elusive figure. Some scholars have argued that she never existed as a real person but was merely the Christian personification of the cult of a pagan goddess of the same name. This book reviews all the evidence-history, legend and folklore-and concludes that while she has many of the attributes of the goddess Brigit, she was certainly a real person. The book also reviews her cult and veneration in Ireland and overseas, from her lifetime down to the present day, as attested by place-names, holy wells, and folklore, and also by the large numbers of churches (Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland), schools, and GAA clubs dedicated to her. [Subject: Irish Studies, Irish Saints, Folklore, Myth & Legend, Christianity, History]
*Includes pictures *Includes excerpts of medieval accounts *Includes a bibliography for further reading "It is a virtue and a prize to listen patiently to and put up with insults for the sake of God." - Saint Brigid of Kildare The drumbeat of horses' hooves and clatter of chariot wheels echo through the rolling green hills of what will be known much later as the Emerald Isle. The driver is a lone woman whose long hair and homespun cloak whip through the wind behind her. Headstrong, confident, and intelligent, she blazes a trail that will change her nation forevermore, yet not in her own name or for her own sake, but for that of the God who sent her. This is a woman who will love the poor, feed the hungry, house the homeless, teach the ignorant, and defy the odds doing it all. This is Brigid of Kildare. Saint Brigid of Kildare survives as a model of the religious life, a woman who cared for the earth and its people, who strove for justice, equality, and peace. She is also a model of the disciple's life, one who took Christ's Great Commission to heart, traversing her nation to welcome other men and women into the fold and encourage the spread of Christianity wherever she went, through the gospel message of love for one's neighbor and God's saving grace. Because her legends trace back to pre-Christian times, Brigid is one of the most powerful religious figures in all of Irish history, as her story intertwines many layers of separate traditions, both pagan and Christian. That said, even as her story remains mixed with folk tales and pagan customs, along with St. Patrick, Brigid is credited with the evangelization of the entire Irish nation, turning the pagan island into a bastion of Catholic Christianity. She is often seen as a bridge between pagan and Christian Irish traditions, bringing commonality to a world divided by religious beliefs. She also represents a bridge between social classes, as she was the daughter of a king and a leading religious authority, but administered to the poorest of people and the lowliest of creatures. She welcomed kings and paupers, saints and pagans, and men and women into her fold, seeing the light of Christ in all of God's creations. Saint Brigid of Kildare: The Life, Legends, and Legacy of One of Ireland's Patron Saints chronicles Brigid's story, and how she became one of the most famous saints in history. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about Brigid of Kildare like never before.
Relates a legend about the Irish slave girl who became Saint Brigid, beginning with a celestial song, a mysterious gift, and a prophecy on the night of her birth.
Like Jesus in the story of the loaves and fishes, Brigid wants to feed the hungry, but she is often hungry herself. When a beggar woman asks for the only food Brigid has—a dish of butter—she knows she can feed the one before her and opens her heart in generosity and love. This story of the first miracle of St. Brigid of Ireland will captivate children ages 6 to 9 to learn about the life of this generous saint.
In the green hills of Ireland long ago, when the Christian faith was yet young in the land, lived a girl whose simple faith and boundless kindness would change her homeland forever. Born a slave in the house of a chieftain, Brigid grew to be Abbess over thousands of monastics in monasteries covering every facet of the Emerald Isle. Her love and care for all the people earned her a place as one of the two most beloved saints of Irish history, and one of the great female saints of all Christendom.
This book is a wide-ranging exposition on all things Brigid, the most popular figure in Celtic mythology and religion. It includes: A brief history of the Celts and their religion.Everything that is known about Brigid from her manifestations as a Celtic pagan goddess, as a Celtic Christian saint, and as a Caribbean Voodoo deity.A practical approach for witches and neo-pagans that enables them to tap into the healing power of the pagan goddess. Each chapter ends with guided meditations and exercises. A book of magical practice. Included are Brigid-focused spells, blessings, recipes, and rituals for love, harmony, protection, and much more. Chapters include Brigid’s often-obscure mythology; Brigid the Healer; Brigid the Bard; Brigid the Fire Goddess; Brigid and Animals; and Brigid in the Now. This is a book for witches and pagans and for those interested in the divine feminine.
Mythical Ireland embodies the search for a soul among Ireland's ancient ruins, and is an attempt to retrieve something of deeper import from 5,000-year-old megalithic monuments and their associated myths. The book represents a fascinating and engaging journey through time, landscape and the human spirit. Dealing with archaeology, interpretive mythography, cosmology and cosmogony, the book attempts to grapple with a core meaning, something beyond the functional interpretations of academia. In this revised and expanded edition, Anthony Murphy delves further into the many enthralling aspects of this journey. Just how much knowledge did locals have of the secrets of Newgrange before it was excavated? Who is the Cailleach, the ancient hag goddess whose image is ubiquitous in the ancient landscape? What happened to make Ireland's Stonehenge disappear from the landscape? Who were the first kings of Tara? What were the indigenous Irish myths about the Milky Way? Did someone try to steal the Tara Brooch? Why are there myths in Ireland about flooded towns and cities? Lavishly illustrated with exquisite photographs of the Irish landscape and ancient monuments, Mythical Ireland represents a personal and yet universal journey, a quest to reimagine the shrines as empowering and transformative sacred places. Murphy invokes the druids and poets of the Boyne and thus the sídhe of the ancient texts are reawakened for a modern and turbulent world.
In ancient Ireland, an island ruled by kings and druids, the nuns of Saint Brigid are fighting to keep their monastery alive. When the bones of Brigid go missing from their church, the theft threatens to destroy all they have worked for. No one knows the danger they face better than Sister Deirdre, a young nun torn between two worlds.Trained as a bard and raised by a druid grandmother, she must draw upon all of her skills, both as a bard and as a nun, to find the bones before the convent begins to lose faith.
