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Bride Resources |
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Bride.
We now
take a look at our Lady 'Brighid bhoidheach', Bride the beautiful. Brighid, or Bride, is
the tutelary goddess of the Gaelic peoples of the Western Isles, where she is still well
loved and worshipped under the guise of the Christian Saint Bride. Indeed, the Hebridean
Isles themselves take their very name from this ancient deity.
On her festival day, am Fheille Bride, on the first of February, she gives to us the
promise of Spring, the promise of new life returning to the Earth. Hence she is often
known as 'Brighid of the Green Mantle'. This goddess of hearth and flame so beloved
of the Gaels is known by many different names, for her Mysteries are many.
She is the 'Lady of the Shores', for the shore is one of those magical in-between places
that so fascinated the Celts. These in-between places such as shorelines, fords, doorways
and so on, were neither one state nor the other. The shore is neither dry land, nor is it
the sea, yet it is the meeting place of both. If we consider that the land represents our
solid, material world, while the sea represents the Great Cosmic womb of all life, the
intuitive side of our nature, we can see that the shore is a meeting place between one
world and another.
Brighid is also known as the 'Two-Faced One'. In the legends she is described as
having one side of her face black and ugly, and the other white and beautiful. The Mystery
of Bride is to be found in the annual transformation of the cailleach, the hag of winter,
into the fair maiden of Spring.
Brighid is the goddess of all arts and crafts, and as such she is the feminine principle
of the Ildanach, the counterpart of Lugh Lamhfada. She represents the potential of all
women for she is the eternal flame that burns in the heart and hearth of every woman of
the Gael, 'moon-crowned Brighid of the undying flame'. This principle of the undying flame
continued even after the coming of Christianity into Ireland. At the fifth century
sanctuary of St. Bride of Kildare, the sacred fire within was attended by her devoted
maidens and was never allowed to go out.
The name of this goddess originates from the Gaelic words Breo-Saighit, which means Fiery
Arrow. The arrows of Brighid have many attributes. As goddess of bards, smiths and
physicians she is the flame of poetical inspiration and of healing, and the fire of the
divine forge.
Finally, as the Good Shepherdess who watches over her flock, Brighid presides over the
cradle of the new born infant. It is a common practise for the women of the Isles to hang
rowan crosses over their cradles whilst reciting a charm or prayer to Brighid to invoke
her protection. Yes, Brighid is still loved and revered by the Gaelic peoples of
Scotland and Ireland. Long may it continue.
There have been visitors to this page since
January 1, 2005
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Author:
Originally by Taliesin einion Vawr, Revised by Celtic Church of Dynion Mwyn, Inc. Copyright © 1977, 1992, 2003 by Celtic Church of Dynion Mwyn, Inc. All rights reserved. Revised: 29 Mar 2010 15:06:25 -0500 |
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