She who brings for water
she who feeds the fire
binds their lives togehter
Better than both together
What is water in fire
or fire with water but us?
Each living cell a drop of water
burning inside, as do we all,
toward more than elemental grace
Goddess who banks the fire
goddess drawing from the well
goddess of holy fertility
Farmers, poets, women birthing
all people of craft living fire, living water
owe homage to she who brings them together
Through acts of creation we each have the power
to help bring foth water, to help heed the fire
to mingle the magic and keep them entire
-A poem for Brighid by Roy Jones


Breo Saighead, Brid, Brigit, Brighid, Brigindo, Brigandu, Brigan. Brigantia, Brigantis, Bride. Brighid bhoidheach, Brighid-Sluagh (or Sloigh, Brighid of the Green Mantle , Brighid-Sluagh (or Sloigh) Brighid-nan-sitheachseang


So many names for one goddess in three persons. Her two other sisters, when torn apart, are the patrons of craftmansshp and the art of healing.

She is the guardian of the Perpetual Fire and so often regarded as the foster mother of Christ.

In any form or by any name, she is Brigid and she keeps vigil.


She was born into the line of Danu and her father is the Dagda, and her mother is Morrighan.
Upon her birth at sunrise, it is said, a great tower of flame arose from her forehead and it illuminated the house, as if it was on fire.

She is the Brigit of Kildare(Cell of the Oak), the patron of the Eternal Flame.

Her brother is Oenghus, the god of love.

She was married to Bres, a member of the Fomorian line, and the King of Tara and with him she had three sons: Ruadan, Iuchar and Uar.
She was also the wife of Tuireann and with him she had three sons: Brian, Iuchar, Ircharba, who killed the god Cianm father of Lugh Lamhfada when he was in the form of a pig.

Her sons died.. And it was when Ruadan fell in the battle of Magh Tuireadh that she peformed the first caoine or keeing, the wailing lament


Her only daughter was Sebile, whom she had with Semias, the master of wisdom from Murias.

And as the wheel of the year turns we pass the winter solstice and as the world begins to awaken anew, we celebrate Inbolc. It is her feast day.

She is in possesion of the magical apple orchard, to which bees come from all four quarters to take its richness back to ordinary world.

Legends say she inspired Taliesin, the Merlin of Avalon and aided him in his visions of the future and that she inspired the Lady of the Lake to forge King Arthur's Excalibur.

Whatever this may be, she is the Mother Goddess, together with Morrigan and Cerridwen and is associated along Boann and Cerridwen with inspiration and wisdom.

And whenever you see
-triskele
- counterclockwise swastika or armed cross, woven of reeds and strawm
it is her symbol, the symbol of the Sun Goddess.

You may also recognize her in hearth, flames and candles, which symbolize the fire She presides over.

Cowes, ewes and geese are symbols of the coming of the Spring. Snake and cockerel mean regenration.

She can sometimes be seen with spear arrow and shield which are her atributes as the patroness of war.

If you meet her with bag and bell, then you have met Brigid the Healer.

If you see cauldron then it is the symbol of water Brigid presides over.

Her attire is often white, for the Maiden, or gold and red, for the Sun Goddess.






A fantastic article on Brigit, toghether with old poetry, can be found here: http://inanna.virtualave.net/brighid.html