Brigid of Ireland

Imbolc: Brigid's Feast, February 1st

Imbolc, celebrated on February 1st, as the Feast of Saint Brigid is known, is one of the four major "Fire" Festivals on the old Irish Calendar and pre-dates Christianity itself. For before Saint Brigid was a saint with a 'perpetual flame,' she was a fire goddess and is an iconic figure in the Celtic imagination, representing the Celtic aspect of divine femininity. The feast of Saint Brigid also falls on February 1st.

About Brigid
Traditions Associated with Brigid
Everyday Concerns
Brigid's Cross
Brigid's Shrine
Brigid & Christianity
Brigid: Mary of the Gael
Brigid's Prayer

Bridget, Visiting her Well in Liscannor by Kate Mele

Who is Brigid?

If you're heard a lot about Bridgit (Brigid) and she sounds like Wonderwoman herself, there's good reason! A lot of confusion stems from the fact that the root of the word Bridgit comes from the word 'Brig' which means 'Exalted One' or 'High One.' It's a title more so than a name and it wasn't exclusive to Ireland - like the 'Bridgit' the first knights of chivalry chose as their patroness and named their 'brides' after!

When I think of Brigid (Bridgit), I think of three figures: the goddess, who is an amalgamation of several goddess figures from all over the Celtic world (i.e. Celtic countries and Northern Britain); the Saint, who has been greatly mythologized; and the Brigid of folklore, a loving figure, who became woven into the lives of everyday people. It is mostly this Brigid I will be covering here.

Spelling of Her Name

You may find her name spelled Bridget, Bridgit and several variants thereof. While I find myself reverting to Bridget, for the purposes of this article, I will stay with Brigid.