To Irish Catholics today, Brigit was a Saint, and Bishop of Kildare. Born sometime around 452 AD, she was the daughter of a pagan chieftain and one of his slave-women who happened to be a convert to Christianity. Many fantastic tales grew up around St. Brigit. One such tale is supposed to have taken place when the saint was a wee babe. Brigit's mother went out to tend the sheep and left the baby alone. The house caught fire, but by the time neighbors came with buckets of water to douse it, only steam remained and little damage had been done by the fire. Heaven itself had intervened, performing a miracle of preservation for the baby who would one day become God's instrument.
St. Brigit is called "Mary of the Gaels" and is second only to Mary the mother of Jesus in the line of female saints. She is Ireland's second patron saint, Saint Patrick of course, taking first place. Numerous tales and miracles are attributed to her. She was known for her healing abilities, and generous giving to the poor. In fact, another story tells of a time when she went into her father's kitchen and began giving all the food away to the poor. Later, she gave his own sword to a leprous beggar. Outraged, her father took her to the king to sell her as a slave. Upon hearing of her goodness, however, the king decided such a good creature should never be a slave, and sent her to the church. Not long after, she was ordained as a bishop and started a monastery at Kildare.
St. Brigit did her duty to convert the lost for Christ. As one such pagan was dying, she grabbed up some rushes from the floor of his house and fashioned a quick, lopsided cross. He accepted Christ before dying, and from that time on, the off-center cross became associated with the Saint. St. Brigit's feast day is observed on February 1st, the same as the pagan Imbolc, or the celebration of the coming of spring. It is here the likenesses with the Goddess Brigid come into play.
Brigid (actually pronounced "Breed") was among the pantheon of Celtic gods long before St. Patrick or any other Christian missionary set foot on Irish soil. The name Brigid has several meanings, from fiery arrow, or flame keeper, to exalted one. Yet another idea is that the word Brigid is the ancient Celtic word for goddess. This might explain why Brigid's two sisters were also named Brigid. Each Brigid was goddess of a separate area, one being the goddess of poetry, one the goddess of healing, and the last, the goddess of smiths. Still another telling says she is one, but in three forms. Brigid as the maiden goddess (poetry), as the mother goddess, (healing), and the crone, (smiths). At Imbolc, in the ancient and apparently revived or remaining pagan customs, the changing of Brigid from crone to maiden is celebrated. This is symbolic of winter turning into spring, the casting off of the old and dead for the new and young.
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