Brigid: Goddess or Saint? | Treasure Ireland

It's become common to say that St Brigid was an imagined figure, an unhistorical "saint" modelled on an earlier pagan goddess. We visited St Brigid's Well in Faughart, Co. Louth to delve into the evidence for the historical Brigid.
#brigid #brigit #faughart #goddess #saint #pagan #christian #catholic #louth #drogheda #irelandsancienteast #loveireland #discoverireland #treasureireland #history
More information on the St Maurice relic label: csla.history.ox...
More information on the Echternach calendar: csla.history.ox...
Artwork by: FRIZ (thisisfriz.com)
Shot and edited by: Patrick Grant (linktr.ee/patrickgrant)
Presented by: Conor McDonough OP
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[@nigelsheppard625]

Brigid is found throughout Britain as well as Ireland. As a Saint she's remembered in Wales in St Brides, Llansantffraid etc.

[@irishdominicans]

Yes indeed, thanks for this!

[@goodboi4939]

I’m an American with ancestry all over, I discovered St. Brigid by chance and I’m fascinated with her legend. At the end of the day I say she’s the Goddess who submitted to Christ through the life of a Saint. 🙏

[@Sam-mn4ed]

And Haitian voodoo.

[@nmcgiv546]

Pray for us Saint Brigit, she is our patroness Saint of Ireland. St Patrick, St Columba and Saint Brigit pray for us and Ireland. Ireland is a better place for our Saints. ✝️🙏

[@Jack-yz4ws]

My personal belief from the evidence that I've seen is that the goddess and Saint are separate figures but the goddess was actually conflated with the saint and not the other way around. Firstly, as the video states we have loads of records of even primary written sources of her life from around the time she was alive. Secondly, Brigid the name translates to "high one" the translation meaning firey arrow is wrong. The name was popular name in Ireland even far back in history. In fact it was likely an honourable name. If we conflated every character in Irish history or mythology we'd lose so much like the amount of different historical, semi-historical, and mythological kings called allil or the different people called Patrick. What we learn about the goddess Brigid from mythology is that she was a godess of the arts and associated with the filid (the druids/poets of ancient Ireland) who after her husband I believe iirc was killed invented the ancient Irish art form of funeral keening and has 2 other sisters associated with healing and smithing both called Brigid. Now from this we have to consider a lot of things such as what is actually pre-christian, what is Christian themes, what is wider literary themes, and are there any themes drawn from mainland Europe. Because Irish myth isn't simply just pagan stories it is a mixture of history, folktales, pagan belief, stories set in Ireland but not actually written by people here, and Christian parables. Medieval Ireland wasn't as many like to believe isolated from the rest of Europe. Instead Ireland was a beacon of light post-rome and helped to record history, stories, and Christianity while the continent was going through a rough time. Irish monks travelled the island and continent setting up monasteries and creating many manuscripts. In fact up until the 1800s I believe Irish schools had the longest tradition of teaching Latin and Greek in western Europe. Moreover, these monks had an interesting dilemma on their hands. They wanted to stay true to their new Christian religion but wanted to record the history of the culture and land but couldn't record certain things for fear of heresy. Moreover, there was the issue of variation. Prechritiann Ireland was not a central state and thus did not have its own central religion or pantheon of god's instead the island was made up of many smaller tribes and minor kingdoms who had their own spirits, beliefs, and idols. Even though groups closer together had similar beliefs and it's likely that the cheifs performed tribute at other groups temples the further away you go, the more difference there are so imagine the differences in beliefs that there would be between a group in South cork and a group in north Antrim. So these monks also had to take into account regional variations too and sort of make a unified version. So from this and from these few accounts of the goddess how can we now in the 21st century have a clear idea of exactly who this goddess was and her attributes? Because Christians at the time like many devout today took their religion very seriously. And any attempt of trying to bring a pagan figure into Christianity would probably get someone excommunicated for heresy. And also, why would this have only occurred in Ireland? Instead of other parts of Europe? And why would the church having realised this not turn and say oh no sorry no more Brigid, and why do they also not a lot it now for other Saint figures like Santa muerte in Mexico? In fact it's like the association with smithing isn't true because there already exists in Irish mythology a smith god called goibniu who is a male deity and smithing was considered a male craft. The reason we only conflate the two together today is thanks to early mediaeval historians in the Victorian age who couldn't read medieval gaeilge properly and who looked at Irish mythology through the lenses of romanticism, Irish nationalism, orientalism, and the renewed interest in classicism and Hellenic beliefs. Then modern pagan religions put in influence too with their ideas of a triple goddess etc. My opinion is that actually the symbolism and associations of the goddess came from the saint. This is because the "cult" and belief in Saint Brigid is linked to Marian beliefs and "cults" in fact Saint Brigid is even referred to as the Mary of the Gael. So Irish Christians saw her and heard of her acts and miracles like that of other female saints and that of the virgin Mary which is why saying Brigid is/was prayed to for everything because she is linked to the Virgin Mary and other important female Christian figures. In fact, her and the goddesses association with fire had to be a Roman Catholic idea because firstly ancient Irish religion didn't have a god of this or a god of that or a goddess of this other thing. And many historians consider the ancient peoples beliefs to have been simy linked to their ancestors and to the land and fertility With a dual belief system in a male and female figure. With the male figure being an ancestral paternal figure to whom the originated from for example if you look at tribal names many bear names of ancient gods like the god lugh and the lugante. And a female fertility goddess to whom the kings symbolically married and this gained his authority and right to rule and connection to the land and his spiritual powers. Because in ancient Ireland the people were entirely agrarian and the king was seen as an embodiment of the land so a healthy king meant a healthy land but an imperfect or sick king meant sick land and could be dethroned. We see this when the god nuada loses his arm and thus can no longer be king of the tuatha de dannan. And moreover, the most feared curse in ancient Ireland was the glam dichenn which caused the affected to break out in painful boils, and if a king was affected then he couldn't rule. But anyway, I digress, we learn from Gerald of Wales who visited her monastery when he wrote his topography of Ireland in the 12tj century I believe that nuns kept an eternal flame at her monastery; now, Gerald is a bit of a sketchy source because he was anti-irish and wrote a lot of mad things and supported the norman conquest of Ireland and is considered and origin point of the snake myth; it's difficult to know if this is actually true or not but I believe nuns to tend to one now in Kildare. Many people this to be a carry on from an ancient Irish belief but this doesn't appear anywhere in ancient Irish culture. Instead we have examples of this in Roman cultural such as in the vestal virgins who were devoted to the goddess vesta. So we have evidence for a Hellenic origin of this practice. And when Greece and Rome became Christian it's likely this practice continues along with other cultural practices that could easily be carried into Christianity and that were not at odds with it. In my opinion the real goddess was a high figure associated with the druid/poet caste in ancient society and acted like a muse figure. Her worship died out during Christianities rise in Ireland then a lady called Brigid appeared at least 3 centuries after Ireland had already converted did a lot of good works and miracles and died. After her death stories of her miracles, and spirituality grew and spread similar to that of Our Lady and other female saints. Then Victorians and other early historians began to rediscover Irish mythology and were influenced by their popular interests at the time and with their limited knowledge began making theories and trying to fill in the blanks leading to the link between the two. Then neo-pagans carried on from this and said yup 100% true and added to it with their own beliefs. This is what I think anyway ❤️

[@irishdominicans]

Thank you so much for sharing this rich comment - much appreciated, and lots for everyone to think about!

[@Jack-yz4ws]

Another thing i forgot to mention that I just realised yesterday on Saint Brigid's day no less haha was that the actual Real life saint Brigid predates accounts of the goddess brigid by about 400 years. This is because the 3 medieval texts we learn about her in are in cormacs glossary, lebor gabala erenn, and the cath maige tuired. The oldest of these, cormacs glossary, dates too the 10th century; with the LGE dating to the 11th centur: and the CMT being from a 16th century manuscript which is a copy of one from the 9th or 12th centuries. Given the large gap between these two it's quite difficult to suggest a link. Moreover, these accounts were written centuries after Ireland had become Christianised and moreover it gave plenty of time for the folklore and reverence to grow and develop following her death in the 6th century. Now, obviously an argument can be made for the possibility of oral traditions but there would be no concrete evidence for this based on no physical records, evolution in oral traditions over the centuries, regional variations, and of course loss and editing to the story for effect. This in my opinion makes it more clear that not only are the two not the same person but also the saint is likely to have inspired the lore around the goddess and not the other way around.

[@icarusrising355]

That's pure conjecture tbh. This is bad mental gymnastics. Like the people who try to justify the hilarious hysteria around Fatima where ex eventu prophecies are regarded as authentic LOL

[@Pixiesfairiedust]

@@icarusrising355 🤓🤓🤓🤓

[@bbullwits258]

Saint Brigid, please pray for to the Lord, Our God for me so that I may receive a much-needed miracle tomorrow. Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

[@TomTermini]

Awesome video, nice job!

[@keleniengaluafe2600]

I love everything about the Irish people!thanks!!!

[@irishdominicans]

Thank you!

[@MerryLeafField]

Yet Imbolc and St. Brigid's Day are on the same day...

[@conormcdonough1954]

But Imbolc has no known association with Brigid the goddess? All we know from the earliest sources is that large crowds gathered in Kildare on 1 Feb and that it was remembered as the date of death of St Brigid.

[@anonymous-pi3oz]

Source?

[@ICXC_Humbly]

I am a former neo-pagan witch. I used to think Brigid was historically celebrated during Imbolic but check it out.... according to the oldest sources.... cormacs glossary, and if you want the others I can look up the Irish spelling later.... accounts of goddess Brigid were recorded 400 years AFTER the first recordings of Saint Brigid. It is possible goddess Brigid existed because the monks recorded info about her BUT she having all these associations with the 'same things Saint Brigid had associations with.... it's not likely that the Saint was fashioned after the goddess but the revival of neo-paganism fashioned a goddess after the Saint......

[@Limerick789]

Great content thanks though perhaps consider toning down the background music in volume if not in tune. It's more distracting than helpful in focussing attention.

[@irishdominicans]

Many thanks for your feedback!

[@mammyoriordan]

Very informative, thanks so much. I didn't know we had lepers in Ireland.

[@irishdominicans]

We sure did, and leper hospitals! There'll be more videos on our channel on this in the future!

[@HelenGillen1]

@@irishdominicans at the southern transept of Timoleague Abbey there is a "Lepers window" where a gap is hewn through the stone window sill. It is said that those who suffered with leprosy would stand at this window to hear mass, and the Eucharist would be passed out to them.

[@musashidanmcgrath]

Leopardstown in Dublin(baile na Lobhar) was a medieval Lepers colony. Also, St. Stephen's Green in Dublin is named for the Leper hospital that was founded there in the medieval period.

[@seandebhealatun5400]

There is a leper window in the main church on the Rock of Cashel, Co Tipperary. The tourguides there point it out during their spiel. I think it might have been called 'the leper's squint.' It facilitated those suffering from leprosy a limited view of mass, while protecting the health from contagion.

[@entubaotraducciones272]

Wow. Brilliant. Thanks for sharing

[@sussanenajimaddinflod8267]

Thank-you ❤

[@harry9392]

The well in Carrickfergus castle is St Bride's (St Brigit)

[@noeldoyle4501]

Thanks for your video, I'm interested in finding out the history of Brigid, saint, and the goddess connection.

[@pilgrimspen]

Watching from the Philippines!

[@OssoryOverSeas]

Praise God that not everyone has fallen for the modern academic myth that St. Brigid was evolved from some unknown pagan goddess. She was historically real, glory to God.

[@lorrainemulholland9450]

Thanks for this. Lovely interesting and informative video. You would love my new book out Jan 2023, Saint Brigid & Other Amazing Irish Women! Publisher: Columba Books.

[@phylippapembrey9293]

Where is it available.

[@lorrainemulholland9450]

@@phylippapembrey9293 Depends where you are Phylippa! Out already in ROI. Out in some shops in UK...some still waiting for delivery. Out 7 April in USA I think!

[@kellykwongali]

Sounds like The Theotokos.. I think they are one in the same, the pre-Christian goddess and the Christian Saint Brigid. I know of a number of people that had a birth announcement dream about a girl of now forty. Some had dreams that she was a lwa, some dreamt she a Saint, one man dreamt she The Mother Mary, while others dreamt Joan of Arc, while others dreamt prophet, while another dreamt that she was "coming down from the stars with a gift of prophecy to help Mankind." It brought strangers of all beliefs and languages together into a small, poor and dangerous neighborhood. Unfortunately, shortly after, she was kidnapped in infancy, mother killed and no news on father. Thieves in the neighborhood then killed her other caregivers over a traditional birthday cake that is colorful but not so tasty. The girl then got replaced by a girl named keesha, then again switched with another child named keesha. When her kidnap was uncovered in Los Angeles, CA in 1989, the law enforcement of missing childrens then again replaced her with another doppelganger kid, ironically also named keesha, and kept the kidnap covered up. The girl was a musical genius and wrote songs starting the age of three, flooring adult kidnappers. She wrote scores and music, even completed military training at the age of six upon receiving an IQ score of 173. Bc she had been switched with a wicked child named keesha, the then President of the United States suspected the kidnapped child and challenged her in the military field. She succeeded and earned her place and paychecks. Miracles of healing were verified when some lady cut off the kidnapped baby girl's face with scissors, severing half of her left ear and both of her lips being cut off. With zero medical attention, she healed. They had also mutilated her reproductive organs as a one year old child, also to heal. She then again got switched and kidnapped a few more times until the age of two, almost three. Throughout her life, she survived many mutilations, murders and had a few Church verified miracles under her belt, but was largely earning these merits under her kidnapped name. Also, many men who had gotten wind of the dreams that many dreamt desired to keep her hidden under her kidnapped name and replace her with their own daughters and such. She also may have two biological twins. Today she is forty, still living hostaged in a bad city, where corruption and fake law enforcement officers and bribe taking county workers run everything. In 2012, when it was discovered yet again that she was a missing person, an imposter was "rescued" in her place, even stealing credit for the miracles. (Millions of dollars was also stolen, but that was a regular occurrence throughout her life, though much was also gifted away.) The missing person detective that discovered her true birth name then got shot, though im unsure which man had gotten shot, and the bad detective that covered up countless kidnaps moved to homicide, making sure to continue to switch the identities of the imposters and the real blessed child. Today, she lives under constant assault in a dying city, being held hostaged by a dying neighborhood. It is said that her birth name is Galiel, though many imposters still use the girl's birth name. To this day, there has been no resolution to the multiple kidnaps and hostage situations of countless people including law enforcement and county workers. Lookalike imposters have taken over almost everything. It is believed thay her twin keesha fooled a Church in Ireland into believing that an imposter could be she. This kidnapped and still hostaged woman had even gotten crucified twice in 2012, which is yet to have been addressed or resolved by the local govt. One of the times, a wicked jealous melanie luttrell cut gaping holes out of both of her arms, an incident thay clergy was called to verify a miracle over while her body was in a mortuary. The biological father of the imposter freely allowed the Church to verify miracles with the intention of replacing the true one with his imposter daughter. The crucifixion and healing and resurrection was also documented and verified, yet is either classified or being covered up some other way. Today, the girl of now forty, still lives getting assaulted, raped and demon ethosed people cutting and mutilating body parts. Because the healings were covered up, many call her a liar or heretic or blasphemous, but the girl.knows that without the Blessing of God, that none would be possible and that she would be dead. The first miracle of healing was around 1984, when the baby girl bled at the hands of her first kidnapper. The second was when her face healed with no medical intervention from total mutilation, also her reproductive organs. The most recent that i know of was in 2013 following a second crucifixion, when the city of Los Angeles fell under an invisible and silent domestic terrorism attack. Bc she was replaced by imposters, many men have been and are being lead astray. I believe a church in Ireland may be mistaking a kidnapper's thieving, lying, covetous and wickedly jealous lookalike for said girl. To this day, the woman is not allowed to claim her birth name and lives under constant assault and kidnap. Her first son is missing and the county courts continue to take bribes to cover up her kidnap and to blatantly lie about her missing son. "New day, new game." But in her heart, she still believes that there must be a reason Father God granted her the blessings to do, live and breathe the supernatural. She has healed cops and criminals alike. Of all the birth announcement dreams, some dreamt she was a "shin," the korean word for deity. Some dreamt she was a Saint. One dreamt she was The Mother Mary while others dreamt she was Joan of Arc. One man dreamt she would do something big for America, though it's most likely along the lines of helping identifying demons or something. Another dreamt that he would lose his child out of his life early and that they would greatly suffer.. One neighbor dreamt that she was a Bodhisattva. This attracted both the people who had dreamt the dreams, but also vicious jealousy and covet. Somehow, certain legs of the a govt agency got involved and started to attempt to mimic the supernatural through technology, resulting in a stained nation. However, the woman still has utmost faith in her Country, even if they ignore her city's crisis. There must be a reason Father God has not allowed her to die and go back home yet. Oh, and some lady then pretended to be "Father God" and used hypnosis on her in 2012, claiming to be greater by having power over her mind and also to continue framing her for countless other demon girls' crimes. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "i have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against tyranny over the mind of Man." From aliens to demons to deadly sins, the city is a dying place. Los Angeles continues to cover up her and others' kidnaps with just enough corruption in the local govt to continue the fuckery. Kidnappers remain free while innocent men keep dying. Babies go missing regularly and the status of her first son is still unreported and unrecognized. He is a child of fourteen months, born on the Feast Day of Brigid herself. Saints in history are real, why wouldnt current day saints be real? And i dont buy the whole "everyone is a saint" thing, no they are not. Too many snakes and demons and deadly sins have taken over this land. I hope that all who are mistaking imposters for the missing girl realize the err of their ways and rectify this mess in Los Angeles. Local PD does not even respond to things like cutting up of reproductive organs, tongue, torture, rape and simple home invasion and tresspassing. (Though at least a handful of cops are missing..) To those that believe in Saints, saints need peoples prayers, too.

[@theresasullivan3452]

Wonderful video. Mary Christmas!

[@irishdominicans]

Many happy returns!

[@ApatiEktetheimenos]

An "unhistorical saint" or "goddess" does not matter as much as the fact Superstition rules the minds of many, not Biblical Doctrine.