#bríg

[blackcrowing]

So as far as I'm aware in the Celtic umbrella of deities we don't have any deities SPECIFICALLY related to weaving/textiles or pottery. Which in the grand pattern of Indo-European branches (or even humanity as a whole) seems.... very odd...

What are the community's thoughts on these acts falling under the purview of Brigit or her other language counter parts? Are there other deities that would make more sense for these activities? What are our thoughts?

[caraecethrae]

Beannachtaí na Féile Brídhe oraibh!

Cros Brídhe made of Beithe agus Luis

quick little rúnogham that popped up into my head as I fell asleep

[richardlala]

Imbolc / Lammas Day and Goddess Bríg

“Brigid, the Celtic goddess of fire (the forge and the hearth), poetry, healing, childbirth, and unity, is celebrated in many European countries. She is known by many names, including that of Saint Brigid, who is, perhaps, the most powerful religious figure in Irish history.”

[sartorially]

When I come up in the club— I'm talking mad shit! Come up in the club, I'm 'bout to get my ass kicked!

Here's #3 from @mushroom-soup-cat's Magic Prompts list. I have listened to PUNKBITCH about a billion times, ever since I was a wee queer... Nothing more fitting for Bríggums.

[dairedara]

Bríg keeps sending me the most amazing signs ❤️

[sag-dab-sar]

I wrote a post trying to figure out why on earth some Pagans & Witches refer to Imbolc (an Irish spring agricultural holiday associated with St Brigid, a potential Christianization of the Goddess Brigid/Bríg) as Candlemas, the completely Christian holiday celebrating The Purification of Mary & Presentation of Jesus at The Temple— which originated in the eastern part of the Roman Empire (which the only "pagan" aspect was it competing with Roman Lupercalia for celebrants).

Many pagan & witch spaces online have a constant disdain for Christianity thus I could not wrap my head around them using such an important point of Jesus' & Mary's life as one of their festivals/'sabbats'.... then, after writing a bunch of stuff, I stumbled onto the answer on Wikipedia's Wheel of The Year page, which has citations for its claims:

Margaret Murray (very early 20th century scholar) in her now discredited witch-cult hypothesis said that the Scottish "witch" Issobell Smyth in 1661 confessed to attending meetings for witches on the cross quarter days included Candlemas. Robert Graves (oh how I loathe you ehem I mean: poet folklorist), mentioned that Candlemas was part of the 8 ancient British agricultural festivals. And Doreen Valiente ("The Mother of Wicca") included Candlemas in her list of Greater Sabbat Fire Festivals, while also listing "Gaelic counterparts," in this case Imbolc.

Sigh.

Early (read: 19th-20th century) paganism and witchcraft, or scholarly work about it, really was just: put every claim regardless of accuracy from any culture in this jar, shake it up real good, see what pops out from the mix, then pretend its historically attested to and traditional despite any and all evidence.

Also whatever Wikipedia writer wrote this, I appreciate your sassiness ... even if it was unintentional:

Due to early Wicca's influence on modern paganism and the syncretic adoption of Anglo-Saxon and Celtic motifs, the most commonly used English festival names for the Wheel of the Year tend to be the Celtic ones introduced by Gardner and the mostly Germanic-derived names introduced by Kelly, regardless whether the celebrations are based on those cultures.

EDIT: To be clear, not all neo/pagans, witches, wiccans, occultists, people-who-use-wheel-of-year are anti-Christian! I'm not trying to say that. But as a worshipper of Mary now, I notice it more and more. Nor am I saying all those people follow Murray/Grave/Valiente blindly but published works and trusted blogs often seem to. This is simply an observation, I've taken notice of, its not the entire communities.

[mythologyolympics]

Mythology Olympics tournament round 1

Propaganda!

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Iris is a daughter of the gods Thaumas and Electra, the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods, a servant to the Olympians and especially Queen Hera. Iris appears in several stories carrying messages from and to the gods or running errands but has no unique mythology of her own. Similarly, very little to none of a historical cult and worship of Iris is attested in surviving records, with only a few traces surviving from the island of Delos. In ancient art, Iris is depicted as a winged young woman carrying a caduceus, the symbol of the messengers, and a pitcher of water for the gods.

Brigid or Brigit (Irish: [ˈbʲɾʲiːdʲ]; meaning 'exalted one'), also Bríg, is a goddess of pre-Christian Ireland. She appears in Irish mythology as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the daughter of the Dagda and wife of Bres, with whom she had a son named Ruadán. Her sacred tree appears to have been the birch, given some older Imbolc-related traditions. She is associated with wisdom, poetry, healing, protection, smithing and domesticated animals. Cormac's Glossary, written in the 9th century by Christian monks, says that Brigid was "the goddess whom poets adored" and that she had two sisters: Brigid the healer and Brigid the smith. This suggests she may have been a triple deity.

[irelandseyeonmythology]

I love how the Celtic Mythology TV Tropes page went from "Relatively accurate (after I worked hard to revise it)" to "Filled with disinformation thanks to a couple of overly active users + cracks about the pronunciation system (that aren't even accurate)"

...they were saying that "Bres" should be pronounced "Bresh."

...There is a reason why "Bres" is spelled "Breas" in modern Irish -- that is a BROAD "es", not a palatal, the palatal "s" sound "sh" does NOT apply.

It's. It's "Brigit." The name. "Brigit." She is usually called. "Brigit." In pretty much all medieval sources. Or "Bríg." Neither of which. Is...

He. He isn't confused with Eber Donn. He IS Eber Donn. Where are you getting this stuff? Where is he the son of the Dagda? Were you actually high when you wrote this?

Is the Dagda. Kind. Is he really? Or is that a headcanon to fit a specific image. Of the Dagda? (Who, in at least one story, requires multiple TWs for what he allows one of his sons to do?)

We have literally as much evidence for Tethra and Manannán being boyfriends as we have for them being on opposite ends of the war, aka none. Assuming that they're on opposite ends of the war assumes that Manannán gives a single flying fuck about the war in the first place.

Nodens is put alongside the Tuatha Dé.

Is Danu. Any of these things. Is she? (This is after I had to remove a reference to Peter Beresford Ellis' bogus "creation myth.") The previous entry discussed her ambiguity as a figure/the very real possiblity that she was never WORSHIPPED as a deity.

Not shown: The entry on Cernunnos, which said he was worshipped in IRELAND.

The entry for Branwen, that claims that she's a Welsh love goddess (?) (There is not much love in her story.) (I would not even say there is much lust.)

"Because he is a cunt."

(Is he unique? Is he really? Because there are a LOT of hot Fomoire when you think about it.) (Also...where is Elatha's sense of humor? It is non-existent.)

Really. Is that why Conchobar does it? Is that really why he does it?

Unless it is not out of character (otherwise there are a LOT of Out Of Character Conchobars) so much as a different writer (likely from Connacht) having a different take on a complex character with a complex legacy. (Who is established in the Táin as being pretty useless, tbh.) (Like, where are these "in character" Conchobars that you speak of?)

...that. Is not. How you pronounce "Fionn" with that spelling. (It's "fee-on.")

Is that what happened? I just, I just don't remember. My memory of Cath Maige Tuired is so weak that the bit where the TDD elected Bres for his beauty slipped my mind. Could anyone pull up that bit for me? Along with the bit where he helped the Fomoire invade Ireland while he was king? I just, I don't know, I'm new to this, and the language is so arcane, so obscure, I just don't remember it.

[venicepearl]

The Coming of Bride (1917) by John Duncan

Brigid (Irish: [ˈbʲɾʲɪjɪdʲ, ˈbʲɾʲiːdʲ]; meaning 'exalted one' from Old Irish), Brigit or Bríg is a goddess of pre-Christian Ireland. She appears in Irish mythology as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the daughter of the Dagda and wife of Bres, with whom she had a son named Ruadán.

She is associated with wisdom, poetry, healing, protection, blacksmithing and domesticated animals. Cormac's Glossary, written in the 9th century by Christian monks, says that Brigid was "the goddess whom poets adored" and that she had two sisters: Brigid the healer and Brigid the smith. This suggests she may have been a triple deity. She is also thought to have some relation to the British Celtic goddess Brigantia.

Saint Brigid shares many of the goddess's attributes and her feast day, 1 February, was originally a pagan festival (Imbolc) marking the beginning of spring. It has thus been argued that the saint is a Christianization of the goddess; a form of syncretism.

[margridarnauds]

@too-fond-to-be-fearful @moonlarking

Okay, so Fomoire Drama Time --

Generally, with criticism of CMT, we say that you have about three generations represented in the text -- there's the older members of the Tuatha Dé (the Dagda, Ogma, Nuadu), a middle generation (Míach, Airmed, Bres, Óengus), and a younger, up and coming generation (Lug). Lug is born during Bres' reign, but Bres is still a generation behind people like the Dagda. (And yeah, you'll notice how screwed and tragic Bres' generation is, sharing it with Míach.) (In headcanon territory, I also like to think that Bres is of an age with Étaín, even if she doesn't show up here.)

We have less on the Fomoire, so this is not me speaking as an Academic, it's me pointing out different strands and what I make of them on an informal level. You have older members of the Fomoire -- Balor, Indech, Elatha, and Tethra seem to be the hard hitters, since they're the ones who are invading Ireland during Bres' reign. Indech and Elatha are both described as kings of the Fomoire, and Balor is old enough to have a daughter of marriageable age when the TDD invade Ireland. Therefore, as two young adults at about the same time, Ethniu is likely of an age, roughly, with Bres, the two cousins are both part of that middle generation. (And then her son makes Bres' life a living Hell.)

But then we see this...sort of shadow generation that you catch glimpses of in the actual battle. Balor's twelve sons, who don't do all that much. The sons of Tethra, who are more useful of Tochmarc Emire.

Bres' son, Ruadán, who is described as being a man but, by all the laws of mathematics, he couldn't have been more than 30 when he died, and I'd honestly wager for early twenties as far as age. And the text specifies that, when he dies, he dies "in the presence of his father." We focus a lot on Bríg in this scene, understandably given it's a very poignant scene and really shows the cost of this conflict on the mothers, but no one ever points out that *he died in BRES' PRESENCE.* When I really want to hurt myself, I like to think about what "in his presence" meant. Did he collapse at Bres' feet? Did Bres hold him when he died? Did he collapse a little bit further away, so Bres only just missed being able to hold his son one last time? Was he too shocked to do anything? Bres isn't given any other children by the text, even though we see him with other children in other texts. There's one Dindshenchas text, the Dindshenchas of Bréfne, which gives Bres a daughter, Indusa/Innus, who dies via a deed of "manly might", in a tract that mentions Balor's army. Did she die fighting for...or against the Fomoire? Or did she die in a separate conflict? Either way, it wasn't natural. In that same tract, Bres is called "búain" -- "lasting, enduring; constant, firm, persevering." In the Dindshenchas of Cairn huí Néit, Bres is described as having died "without prosperous issue." I'm not saying that the implication in all three texts is that Bres outlived any and all children that he had, but I think that's a reading you could make. And this is AFTER his father demonstrated, very clearly, that he was kind of embarrassed by him and really pulling away from him, adding another layer of disfunction to the mix.

And then you have whatever the Hell's going on with Indech's line. Specifically, his daughter. She isn't given a name. She's always "Indech's daughter", she's described as being strikingly beautiful, and she has sex with the Dagda. She leaves the Fomoire for the Tuatha Dé. She's not really discussed all that often, but I have a lot of thoughts about her. (No, really, ask me about my thoughts on her and specifically how I'm interested in adapting her.) She and Ethniu are both Fomorian women who go to the Tuatha Dé, one as part of an arranged marriage, the other because the sex was great. I sometimes wonder how she fared after everything, as a foreigner whose father was one of the invaders. Did she form an alliance with the other Fomoire who were there? Did she mourn her father's death? Did she not care? Regardless, she's remarkably proactive, strong-willed, and sharp in the one scene we get of her.

His son Ochtriallach only gets a couple of lines but HE'S weird as well, more to come on that. He doesn't die, but he does pop up a little bit -- he fights and kills two of the Tuatha Dé's poets and is the one who orders the Tuatha Dé's healing wells to be stopped after Ruadán's death. Which. I can understand why some retellings make it so that it's Bres who gives that order, because it's WEIRD. It isn't said to be explicitly in response to Ruadán's death, but it's put so closely next to it that it's hard not to draw a connection. (Yes...I headcanon the two of them as lovers. OBVIOUSLY not present in the original text, I'm not claiming it is, but we know I'm always trying to make CMT gayer. I also headcanon the Daughter of Indech and Indusa as being girlfriends, because apparently Indech's line has a Thing for Bres'.)

And then we have Duirgen. Who does not appear in CMT, but in a later Dindshenchas tract, where we learn that she found out her mother was having sex with a slave instead of her father, told her father, and in vengeance, her mother told Indech, who was a kinsman of hers, to take revenge on Duirgen. He propositioned Duirgen, who fought back, and he finally killed her. I think about her more than I probably should given that she's a character who appears so briefly. That Indech actually tried to have sex with this girl whose mother is at least a kinswoman of his, who, by all implications, seems to be much younger than him. That she was just...tossed aside like that. The way her story links up with that unnamed daughter's, as both of them are kinswomen of Indech who defy him.

The point is that we don't get much on the younger generation of the Fomoire, I wouldn't argue the point TOO strongly, but I think it's very possible to make a reading that says that the Fomoire were portrayed, both in this text and in some of the later texts, as falling apart at the seams, and I think about them very much in the mode of Greek tragedy (that's not INCLUDING Balor's story, since that's another example of Fomorian Family Drama). The Tuatha Dé are going to eventually (and in the early modern recension, they ARE), but at least they have a Lug. At least they have an Óengus. Or an Airmed. Relationships between parents and children among the TDD are strained, but they EXIST, whereas with the Fomoire...it feels like this generation (and the slightly older generation) is being eaten alive. They don't have a Lug, they don't have a future. They are going to be utterly destroyed, either in exile (voluntary or not), dead from the war, or the victims of their own family members.

[blackcrowing]

Hello! I'm having trouble coming up with devotional acts for the goddess Brigid. Can you offer any suggestions?

Thank you!

Hmmm. Well I've never worked with Brigid myself, and therefore may not be the BEST person to ask, she's always struck me as a very kindly deity. I imagine something as simple as tending to a plant or volunteering your time would be things she would appreciate as devotional acts. But if you're craft at all (not good at them necessarily, but have some kind of craft you enjoy doing) you could also try working on said craft with then intention of 'sitting' with her.

I know MANY people link her to fire (though this could have been more specifically to do with Saint Brigid) so tending a small fire or lighting a special candle for her could also being a good activity.

[the-hermit-at-midnight]

Exploring the Enchanting Realm of Brigid: Celtic Goddess of Fire and Wisdom

In the pantheon of Celtic deities, one goddess stands out with her multifaceted nature and captivating presence—Brigid. Often hailed as the Triple Goddess, Brigid embodies the realms of fire, poetry, and healing, weaving a rich tapestry of significance in Celtic mythology.

The Triple Goddess:

Brigid's trinity nature manifests in various aspects:

1. **Goddess of Fire:** Brigid is closely associated with the element of fire, symbolizing its transformative and purifying qualities. Fires were lit in her honor during festivals, and she was invoked for protection against destructive blazes.

2. **Goddess of Poetry and Inspiration:** Brigid is a muse to poets and bards, inspiring creativity and eloquence. Her influence extends to the written and spoken word, and she is revered as the patroness of the arts, encouraging the pursuit of knowledge and expression.

3. **Goddess of Healing and Fertility:** Brigid's healing touch extends to both the physical and spiritual realms. As a guardian of wells and springs, her association with water links her to the rejuvenating aspects of healing. Additionally, she is connected to fertility and abundance, fostering growth and prosperity.

Celebrating Imbolc:

One of the most prominent festivals dedicated to Brigid is Imbolc, celebrated around the beginning of February. Imbolc marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, symbolizing the impending arrival of spring. During this festival, devotees honor Brigid by lighting fires, crafting Brigid's crosses, and engaging in rituals that invoke her blessings for the coming season.

Symbols of Brigid:

Several symbols are associated with Brigid, each representing different facets of her character. The Brigid's Cross, traditionally woven from rushes or straw, is a symbol of protection and is often hung above doorways. The flame, representing her association with fire, is a potent emblem of transformation and inspiration. Additionally, the well symbolizes her healing and life-giving attributes.

Brigid in Modern Context:

Beyond ancient mythology, Brigid's influence endures in modern times. Many people still celebrate Imbolc and incorporate Brigid's symbols into their spiritual practices. The revival of interest in Celtic spirituality has brought Brigid to the forefront, as seekers explore her timeless wisdom and connect with the enduring spirit of this enchanting goddess.

Brigid, the Triple Goddess of fire, poetry, and healing, continues to captivate hearts with her enduring presence. Whether through ancient rituals or contemporary spiritual practices, Brigid's essence resonates, reminding us of the timeless qualities that inspire creativity, healing, and transformation.

Prayer To Brigid

Weave a web and tell a story, oh Brig, so that those who weave as well may understand.

Blessed Brig. grant your peace and patience across the land

Every hill, every valley, every river and stream shall sing your praise.

Lady Bríg. I call to you.

Come into my home and sit upon my hearth.

Bless my home and family with the protection you have to offer.

A bed is always here for you.

Lady Brig, if you would have it.

I call to you as I weave my web, paint my picture, and write my story.

May your blessings be ever present in my life.

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

           Brigid, the Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Healing, and Smithcraft.            She is a freelancer.

FC NAME/GROUP: Lee Sunmi GOD NAME: Brigid PANTHEON:  Celtic OCCUPATION: Freelancer HEIGHT:  166 cm WEIGHT: 43kg DEFINING FEATURES: wild long hair is bright as the sun, freckles painted across her bridge of her nose 

PERSONALITY: A bright young woman filled to the brim of compassion and love for others yet constantly worrying about the decisions then find herself various distractions.  Always full of energy trying to put on smiles on others faces even when she feels sad she always manage to force a smile just to make sure the others don’t worry about her. Forever a busy bee, she must pack her planner to the brim not wanting to waste any time, enjoying life to full from writing sonnets while drinking her favorite tea to dancing the night away with good friends. heed this fair warning, she does have bit of temper and she will kick your ass if she push her too much, Saint Brigid will bring her fury.

HISTORY: The God Dagda gave birth to a child named Brigit, when Brigid was born she had flames shooting out from her head, and through them, she was united with the cosmos. As a baby, Brigid drank the milk of a sacred cow that came from the spirit world. Thus making her the half sister of Cermait, Aengus, Midir and Bodb Derg.

Worshippers sometimes call Brigid the “Triple Goddess” for her fires of the hearth, inspiration, and the forge. She is a powerful being and through her fires, she is the patroness of healing arts, fertility, poetry, music, prophecy, agriculture, and smith-craft. Brigid adored her worshippers, she always found herself walking among them giving them all she had and helping them. Due to her compassionate nature, the story about Saint Brigit was born being only one of the pagan gods to be converted into christian story. It was sad that people were turned away from the celtic gods & goddesses yet her story managed to endure the test of time.

There was a time when she was married to Bres, he was the king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, He was an unpopular king, and favored his Fomorian kin ( Their traditional rivals are the Fomorians who seem to represent the harmful or destructive powers of nature ). Their marriage was to build relations between the Tuatha Dé Danann & Fomorian, she was blinded by the love for him as Bres is beautiful to behold, yet harsh and inhospitable and their child Ruadan who was later was slain while fighting for the Fomorians while trying to assassinate Goibniu. Bríg invents keening, a combination of weeping and singing, while mourning for her son. She truly hates war of any kind it always brings her so much pain and sorrow due to being a mother once before then losing a son.

The goddess vowed never to raise another child again and let them be raised by their human parents instead as she would rather not mourn over another one of her children’s death once again. Like every other deity they would let demi-gods blossom by themselves or human father praying that they are kind to them. It quickly came to Brigid’s attention that she should live her life the way she wanted it, she leaned into what she enjoys becoming carefree as buried down about mistakes in the past and doing things for herself for once.

Now the goddess with bright orange wild hair tends to wander around Mount Phoenix doing whatever she feels like, as a freelancer she ends up doing odd jobs at her own leisure. There are various skills she can offer to lend a helping hand, from fixing broken objects to some self defense classes. Brigid does like to volunteer at the Asclepius General offering kind supportive words to the patients there. Maybe in Mount Phoenix she can finally be at peace, not worry about politics or war.

POWERS: doesn’t really have super amazing abilities like other goddesses yet she is very skilled metal worker which is great being diy person. She is natural talent in medicine to patch up any injures which the workers may have while building since it is dangerous job. brigid is natural poet who loves the arts & very creative soul she tends have the ability to talk her way out of anything, mostly anything. finally, she is well-verse in martial arts she knows how to take someone down without batting eyelid never underestimate her or you could end up regretting it.

STRENGTHS: 

( + ) physical strong

( + ) diy master

( + ) silver-tongued

WEAKNESSES:

( - ) guilty conscience, holds a lot of guilt & tough on herself

( - ) only sees the good in people, not the bad.

( - ) unable heal others by touch yet by knowledge about herbs & medicine

[sartorially]

@the-weirder's OC Bríg and my own, Shay, exhibiting genders.

[orarenelcenaculo]

Santos de la Liturgia de hoy 23 de julio 2023 en el Cenáculo: Santa Bríg...

[astraskie]

One day, she heard someone call her name and felt an undeniable pull towards the woods, a place she never went out of fear.

She walked and walked in a daze, eventually meeting an angelic looking man in a clearing of stones. “I have been waiting for you, Bríg. You have always known you are the reincarnation of the Bríg Cailleach, it is now time for you to know your power fully.”

Time went dark, and when she regained her consciousness, she could feel the magic grow inside her, magic most powerful. The man was gone, though, but she could hear his voice in her head directing her to an old hidden shack in the woods, where she opened the door and saw an immense castle that was hidden from the outside world. Now she makes her positions, tinctures, and spells to protect her forest and her worshippers within it.

(Again, quick prompts! Didn’t have the time or space to flesh out a good story, just the basics)