St Brigid is our 2nd most important saint in Ireland after St Patrick, the mother saint of Ireland. Amongst other things, she was said to have founded an important abbey in Kildare. There are very many stories about her, but very little historical evidence. So much so that it is thought she was originally a Celtic goddess and over time, the tales were Christianised to the saint she is today.
St Brigid’s feast day, 1st February, celebrates the beginning of spring, Imbolc/Imbolg. The first Monday in February is now an Irish public holiday.
Her cross, woven usually from rushes, is a common sight and are traditionally made on her feast day. Still today at least in Kildare and around, children make the crosses at school and bring them home to hang for a year. These are three- or four-armed crosses woven from rushes. These are said to be for protection against fire, lightning, illness and evil spirits.
We have a three-armed cross in the meadery, if you ever call in.
She is the patron saint of poets as well as a long list of other things including midwives, newborns, Irish nuns, fugitives, blacksmiths, dairymaids, boatmen, chicken farmers, cattle, scholars, sailors, as well as being associated with the honeybees. She is said to have brought honeybees to Ireland from her orchards in the Other World. This is why we have her portrait on the back of our roller shutter door in the meadery.
Aside from her duties running her Abbey, Brigid was also well-known as a brewer and a mead-maker, amongst many other things. Mighty woman!
My favourite tale goes, that she was taking a bath and a messenger arrived to announce that the King was on his way for a visit. And she had run out of beer. So she use her own honey-scented bathwater to make a batch of mead! Some interesting flavours in there, I’m sure!
If you want to celebrate her legacy, you can try the cocktail we made in her honour – Brigits’ Beehive.