Brigid: Goddess, Druidess and Saint

by Brian Wright

Brigid is a mysterious figure, both goddess and saint, who is still revered worldwide today in her different aspects. Combining early Celtic history, archaeology and customs associated with both the goddess and the saint, this book provides a fascinating insight into the development of this unique mythical and historical figure. Using the available evidence, the author suggests a date for the conception of the deity Brigid, suggesting why and by whom she was created. He also explains how the goddess "became" a saint and how this is historically linked with the unification of Ireland under a High King. The book goes on to look at how the goddess and the saint are still venerated in today's world, such as the burning of the perpetual flame in Ireland, relit by President McAleese in 2006.

Genres: Spirituality, History, Religion

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

FINALLY!!!

Deep Breath. I'm going to try not to channel my ranty sarky slightly sweary self too much.

It's not a badly written book, however it suffers badly from a few things,

ALTAR FFS not Alter. To Alter is to change, you don't set up a little alter (p236) you set up an Altar.

CITATION PLEASE, pretty please, with sugar on top? This book made me want to stamp it all over with this (and now I understand the people on Wikipedia who do this to articles), "it is thought" and "there are some theories" should have citations. Seriously, the author is supposed to be a fecking lecturer, this is shoddy work.

Use of the word Celtic and traditional made me quite ranty. Celtic covers a lot of ground and they are not all the same. There was no Greater Celtic Supernation.

The bibliography missed out on the Folklore commission information in the "further reading" section, so here: http://www.ucd.ie/irishfolklore/en/ add this to your store. He mentions it in the text, but no mention of how to get to it.

He doesn't get the séimhiú or h in the Irish language and how it works. It's not the Bhaírds, it's Baírds, and anyway you can use Bard, it's a legit translation. "An Claiḋeaṁ Soluis" is written in modern Irish as An Claidheamh Soluis, not Claideam, this is basic stuff that Irish folk (and to a large extent a quick internet check) will tell you!

I couldn't really put my finger on it, but this book rubbed me up the wrong way, it didn't ring right, or true, and it just made me want to have a long chat with the author, probably also with Sean O Duinn (whose book Rites of Brigid I would actually recommend over this one and that he doesn't include in his "further reading" section.

The thesis that Brigid is an import from fleeing British Druids is interesting and sounds like one that could do with a bit of research, but it needs proper reserch with CITATIONS!!!

Scores a Must Try Harder from me, and made me quite ranty while reading it. I read it in small bursts and nearly gave up several times, but resisted. When I finished it there would have been a happy dance if I hadn't been in work.

I failed not to channel snark and annoyance, oops.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not going to lie, I skimmed more than I read of this one. Most of the book is focused on the saint, largely after she converted, and I was hoping for more insight into the goddess. The idea that the goddess was "invented" in the first century is a bit of a weird one to me, tbh.
There are a ton of grammar mistakes in here, and a shocking lack (as in none at all) of footnotes or in-text citations. The bibliography is there, but he doesn't always tell you where information or quotation comes from, so the bibliography isn't actually all that helpful.

Not to say it's a bad book. It's very well researched, and there's lots of very interesting stuff in here, it's just not what I was really looking for.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some advice: Grit your teeth and muddle through anyway when you discover there are no footnotes or citations, and ignore his completely out of left field conclusions that Brighid was "conceived" by Druids in the first century. Otherwise you have an excellent collection of archaeology on Brighid as a goddess and traditions and stories about St. Brigid and related saints across the Celtic countries.

Oh, and do your best not to roll your eyes at the numerous typos.

[Indigo Crow · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had hoped this book would give equal or nearly equal time to Brigid the goddess, the druid, and the saint, but it doesn't. Most of the book is about the saint with hardly anything associated with the goddess or druids at all.

Often the same information is repeated many times in different areas of the book. I almost wonder if that wasn't an attempt to increase the page count.

The author writes well (though this book does have some places in which the information was only speculation or just plain wrong), but if you're interested in reading about any other aspect of Brigid aside from the saint, just skip this and don't waste your time or money, because it's just about the Christian saint.

[Carlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book as part of a daily devotion to the Goddess Brighid, and as part of celebrating Imbolc. I found this book to be a very good resource for information and well worth the read if you have interest in the Goddess and/or saint Brighid. I will warn you however that reading this book can be downright painful, it is written in a very dry, scholarly technical, style, reminiscence of college textbooks. This is probably due to the fact that it is written by an archaeologist, folklore historian and lecturer. This book may not be what the reader expects, it is not a book of prayers or rituals dedicated to the Goddess or Saint Brighid, it is not a New Age, or Wicca book on the subject, it is not written by a dedicant of her, it is instead a very serious, scholarly exploration of Brighid. The first chapter focuses on Brigantia and her possible connection to Brighid and how Brighid, was “conceived,'. The second chapter focuses on druidism and how Brighid went from Goddess to saint and explores the possible hows and whys. The rest of the book focuses on her temples, their locations, their layout, what may have been done there, her other names, her attributes, her relics, her feast day, her connections with nature, her folk traditions, how she was seen and celebrated in other countries, etc. The book has a lot of information crammed into it, most subjects are covered in great depth, while a few other left you wanting for more. I think this book ended abruptly and without a real conclusion and I feel the subject of how Brighid is seen and celebrated in modern society should have been covered more in depth.

This book contains as many photos and drawings, historical quotes, prayers, references etc. but surprisingly what it does not contain is any footnotes, works cited, or biblogr1aphy, instead it includes a five page “Further Reading” sections that would be impossible to navigate or really use if one wanted to find or verify his sources!

I do recommend this book to anyone interested on Brighid it is a great resources, just read it slowly and in digestible bites. Take notes, visualize open your minds to the insight this book offers, you may find that your learn something new and useful that you can add to your spiritual practice.

This book is available in paperback, Kindle and Nook.