Brigid Part 1: Keeper of the Sacred Flame

Who is Brigid? Pagan Goddess? Christian Saint? Woman of the earth, patron of the hearth, the bard, the forge? A healer? A warrior? The answer is Yes. She is all.

Brigid is a Celtic goddess with an unbroken line of devotion that spans thousands of years. She is deeply associated with Imbolc and the element of Fire. To this day her perpetual flame is tended in the ancient site of Kildare, and her many aspects give us a window into the power and magic of the Celtic woman.

You may have heard of her as St. Brigit of Kildare, but her worship preceded the Christian church and she serves as a potent example of the melding of worlds in situations of conquest. Her many aspects are worth exploring, so read on to find out more about this enigmatic goddess.

Keeper of the Sacred flame

Brigid goes by many names, and one of her first is Breo-Saighit (fiery arrow). She was born at sunrise as her mother stepped through the door. At birth, a fiery flame extended from the top of her head to the heavens, and her home gave the appearance of being on fire.

Brigid is the keeper of the sacred flame, and her followers have kept a devotional flame in her honor for thousands of years. Brigid’s sacred flame is located in Kildare, Ireland. Originally, 19 virgin priestesses kept a perpetual flame burning at this sacred Celtic site. These women were known as Breochwidh. Sometime around the 13th century, the sanctuary and the flame was transferred to the care of Christian nuns dedicated to St. Brigid. In the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation, the flame was quenched at Kildare by the oppressive church of England.

The flame remained quiet for centuries, burning in the hearts of Brigid’s devotees, and I suspect groups of women secretly kept the flame alive in their homes. In 1807, Bishop Daniel Delaney restored the official Sisterhood of Brigid, in Tullow County, Carlow. He planted an oak tree from Kildare, symbolizing the continuance of the lineage of Brigid. In 1993, the flame was publicly re-lit by the Brigidine Sistergood in the Kildare Market Square and kept in their homes. On Imbolc in 2006, a perpetual flame once again returned to Kildare, and is protected there and tended by the Sisterhood in their spiritual center known as Solas Bhride. In 2007 the sisters brought several oak saplings from Tully back to Kildare, planting an oak grove at the center in honor of Brigid. This planting of the oaks is deeply symbolic, as the devastation of the Romans & Christians was crystallized in the total razing of the sacred oaks of the Celtic people and the loss of the trees throughout the British Isles.

Today many groups throughout the world honor Brigid by taking turns keeping her sacred flame lit in their homes. I have just joined a group located here in Northern California as a flamekeeper. I left the Christian church several years ago, and through Brigid have sought to walk the pagan path and find my way through the mire of my Celtic & Germanic heritage, seeking traditions that feel earth-honoring and sacred for women. To become a flamekeeper makes all the sense in the world, and I consider it a great delight and honor.

The fact that the cult of Brigid has continued through continuous upheaval and was carried on by both pagan and Christian alike displays the power of the sacred flame and the beauty of Brigid’s generous heart. The flame of Brigid cannot be quenched, even under great duress and oppression. She will always rise again.

Goddess of The Hearth

Walls against the rain
Roof against the rain
Hearth to hold the fire
And Brigid encompassing them all.

Everything begins in the home. With no shelter, no nourishment, no place to rest — humanity ceases to be. In Celtic culture, the hearth was central to not only the home, but the whole way of life.

Homes were circular, with a hearth in the middle. In the same way, altars and sacred sites were arranged from the center outward, with the cauldron in the middle. Many Celtic holidays involved extinguishing the hearth, and then having it re-lit from a central communal fire that was passed throughout the village — sometimes the entire region. Brigid as a hearth goddess represents the heart of society - nourishment, warmth, and companionship.

sacred hospitality

The tradition of hospitality runs deep in Celtic culture, as the Celts were a people both rooted and wandering. Receiving travelers hearthside would have been seen as a sacred duty, as without the warmth of a welcoming home travelers had nowhere to go and might be harmed.

A homemaker was bound to offer food and drink before asking anything about the traveler’s business. Guests were immediately welcomed and given the best seat next to the hearth. In exchange, once the wandered had been sated, they would often regale the family with stories. Stories of St. Brigit detail how she received guests “as if they were Christ”, giving them the highest honor when in her home.

In a society that often feels disconnected, the answer is as simple as receiving one another in our homes, offering a meal, a drink, a treat. I carry this tradition strongly in my blood, and I love nothing more than welcoming people into my home and declaring, “This is me, apologies for the mess, would you like a cup of tea?” Whether they accept me and my gifts is their affair, but at least I know I held to my ancestral tenets of sacred hospitality.

If you have a fireplace or a woodstove, these are obvious places the gather ‘round with company. If you don’t, think of a central table around which people gather. This can be a coffee table, a dining table, or a kitchen counter. Place a candle surrounded by some special items that feel welcoming to you, and light this candle every morning to bring Brigid into the center of your home life.

the blessed home

Tending the hearth fire was typically done by the woman of the home, and she would offer prayers to Brigid as she did this work. In our modern age, many of us no longer have a living fire in our homes, but this tradition can be continued by inviting Brigid to bless our stoves and heaters as we cook our food.

Brigid is unique in that she imbues magic into the mundane. I come from a culture that denigrates housework as “less than”, solely for the reason that it is typically done by women and therefore is less important than work outside the home. Through my work with Brigid, suddenly the necessary chores become sacred in their necessity — and the powerful realization that these basic acts of nourishment and home-keeping are the foundations upon which all of society exists.

Blessing the home by cleaning with herbal vinegar is a lovely way to invite Brigid in. Doorways and thresholds are particularly special to Brigid, and a simple ritual is to boil a sweet-smelling herb in water for a few minutes or dilute an herbal vinegar into water and use this to wipe down all the windows, doors, and surfaces of the home. Traditionally performed at Imbolc, this serves the purpose of refreshing the stagnant winter energy and calling in the Spring, the return of which Brigid oversees.

You can also create a ritual of burning special herbs in the home. The traditional practice of burning herbs to bless, protect, and heal is called saining and is often done with rosemary, evergreens, thyme, lavender, garden sage, yarrow, and mugwort. However, any herbs that you have on hand will do!

Goddess of Crafts

Brigid is the original creator, representing the fire that sparks life and illuminates the dark with action, form, and movement. Brigid is called upon by craft people who carry on the art of creating. Crafts can be differentiated from art in the sense that crafts are intended to be used in the everyday. Jewelery-making, quilting, metalwork, knitting, and concocting herbal medicine all fall under the protection of Brigid.

the sacred weaver

Brigid is particularly associated with spinning and weaving. As a goddess of the home & crafts, these two aspects are perfectly melded in the art of textiles. Textiles formed a large part of women’s work in the ancient world, Brigid was honored by them as they did their day’s work. The warmth and comfort found from the wool of a sheep is profound in the damp, mucky cold winters of the North.

Brigid’s feast day, Imbolc, means “in her belly” and refers to the sheep who would be lambing and thus providing necessary nutrition for the people as the winter stores were running low. Stories of St. Brigid are full of her generously feeding people. The sacred relationship between the animals that feed us and ourselves is one that desperately needs to be restored, and anyone doing this work can be assisted by Brigid. The wool of the sheep symbolizes Brigid’s care for humanity.

Brigid is there with the crafter who blends artistry with necessity, gifting us things of beauty to wear on our bodies and display in our homes. There is a tradition of taking a special piece of cloth and putting it out on Imbolc night to be blessed by Brigid and returned to the home in the morning. Some believe this cloth has healing powers and offers protection to the wearer of the cloth. Any cloth can be used for this ritual, but all the better if it is wool!

Weaving a Brigid’s Cross out of reeds and securing the ends with wool is a traditional craft to make in her honor. Check out this tutorial on Youtube to make your own.

Brigid The Bard

Poetry for the Celts was not a romantic pastime. It was central to the passing on of knowledge and the key to performing magic. Those gifted in memorization and song were held in high regard, and great pains were taken to train the Bards. The Druids wrote nothing down, but passed on the entirety of their knowledge through oral prose.

Brigid was a scholar, and when we learn our forgotten ancestral knowledge and pass this on, we embody her. Brigid is a word-smith, when we express our deepest truths through poetry and song, we embody her. Words can harm or heal. How many of us have visited a doctor’s office with our woes, only to leave feeling sick at heart because of their unkind words? How many times has a kind and potent word from a friend lifted our spirits, whirling our cells into action and bringing great healing? When Brigid speaks, it is well to listen. Healing and Magic is afoot.

Cultivating wisdom is the work of Brigid, and taking oaths a sacred act. In Celtic culture, spoken oaths held great power, and to break one was sure to bring consequences. The bright fire of Brigid helps us speak our truths, making our language impeccable. Any work around speaking directly, beautifully, and truthfully can be guided by Brigid. This is not limited to the spoken arts and teachers, but the fine arts as well. Art & poetry can speak the unspoken, help us sort our own inner lives, and provide acute commentary on the nature of our world and our societies. Inviting Brigid into our creative work can help us be brave enough to say our true story, and produce art that is powerful and necessary — our true life’s work.

Brigid The Warrior

There’s no doubt about it, the Celts were a warrior people. The islands of Brigantia have endured several conquests over time, and many old Celtic stories center around territory disputes and the cult of the warrior-hero, signaling to us that war, death, and battle were a big part of life for these ancestors.

Celtic Women had a role in war, and were honored as seers, priestesses, and were often present at the battlesite. They would bless the armed warriors and emitt terrifying screams to unnerve the enemy. During battle, the women would encircle the field, wailing and screaming to give their men courage, as the sound of a warriors’ wife, mother, or sister helped him face down death and fight with his utmost bravery. Women warriors were present in Celtic culture, and could train and fight alongside the men if they wished to do so.

Brigid is often pictured with a sword, red hair blazing; a giantess walking the earth. She defends the animals, women, children, the innocent imprisoned, and all those being taken advantage of. Brigid is a potent force of true righteousness, not an over-inflated sense of self-importance. She always holds the well-being of her people in her heart. St. Brigit was born to a mother in slavery, and as she grew defended her mother and eventually had a hand in winning her freedom.

Swords are never to be yielded lightly — only in the face of imminent threat. To yield a sword is to declare yourself on the side of justice, and that you will stop at nothing to defend yourself or those you love.

The shield of Brigid is another potent mark. For most of us in the modern-day it is merely a symbol, but for the ancient Celts, their shields were literally the barrier between life and death. Fantastic Brigidine metal shields would be made for ceremonies, and the common wooden shields used in war were often carved with the symbols of Brigid and other war goddesses for protection.

Today, we can cover ourselves in a mantle of protection from Brigid’s shield with this incantation:
I am under the shielding
Of good Brigid each day
I am under the shielding
Of good Brigid each night.
On sea and on land
On the track and on the hill,
Alone or in company.

In Conclusion

Brigid contains all aspects of the human experience. Entire books are written about her, and even those barely scratch the surface of her lore & magic. In addition to her role as flamekeeper, bard, craftswoman and bard, she has extensive lore as a goddess of healing, childbirth, sacred waters, foster parenting, divination, and the forge. This article will continue in Part 2 and will cover more aspects of bright Brigid, so be sure to Subscribe to my Newsletter if you haven’t already to receive the next installment on this amazing goddess in your inbox.

until then, I wish you a merry Imbolc and leave you with this blessing:

Come over the hills, O Brigid bright and fair,
Come over the hills to your daughter (or son or child)
Kindle the flame that illuminates your name
And I’ll keep that flame bright forever.
For strong grows the oaks in Brigid’s ancient grove,
And fair glide her swans on the river
Clear runs the water within her blessed wells,
And bright burns her fires forever.

Sources

Susan Hughes