Brigid and the Three Fold Goddess

[Adrasteia]

I have been doing some research about several Irish deities for the past two weeks or so and have come across a question I can't seem to answer. This is a problem I frequently stumble upon, seeing as there is very little left of ancient Irish mythology, but I was really hoping that some one could help clear this up for me.

I have read in several different places that Brigid is considered to be a Three-Fold Goddess and that her aspects are Inspiration, Hearth, and Forge. However, I was under the impression that three fold goddess' were comprised of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Was I mistaken in this belief, or have I just missed something in regards to Brigid? Do the three aspects of Brigid (Inspiration, Hearth, and Forge) make up the three-fold itself? Is the Maiden, Mother, and Crone just another example of a three-fold goddess?

Any help in clearing this up would be deeply appreciated.

--Adrasteia

[banondraig]

I have been doing some research about several Irish deities for the past two weeks or so and have come across a question I can't seem to answer. This is a problem I frequently stumble upon, seeing as there is very little left of ancient Irish mythology, but I was really hoping that some one could help clear this up for me.

I have read in several different places that Brigid is considered to be a Three-Fold Goddess and that her aspects are Inspiration, Hearth, and Forge. However, I was under the impression that three fold goddess' were comprised of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Was I mistaken in this belief, or have I just missed something in regards to Brigid? Do the three aspects of Brigid (Inspiration, Hearth, and Forge) make up the three-fold itself? Is the Maiden, Mother, and Crone just another example of a three-fold goddess?

Any help in clearing this up would be deeply appreciated.

--Adrasteia

Some, but by no means all, three-fold Goddesses fit the Maiden, Mother, Crone model. Brigid is one of those Who do not.

[odubhain]

I have been doing some research about several Irish deities for the past two weeks or so and have come across a question I can't seem to answer. This is a problem I frequently stumble upon, seeing as there is very little left of ancient Irish mythology, but I was really hoping that some one could help clear this up for me.

I have read in several different places that Brigid is considered to be a Three-Fold Goddess and that her aspects are Inspiration, Hearth, and Forge. However, I was under the impression that three fold goddess' were comprised of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Was I mistaken in this belief, or have I just missed something in regards to Brigid? Do the three aspects of Brigid (Inspiration, Hearth, and Forge) make up the three-fold itself? Is the Maiden, Mother, and Crone just another example of a three-fold goddess?

Any help in clearing this up would be deeply appreciated.

--Adrasteia


Maiden, Mother and Crone is usually a Wiccan distinction placed on goddesses (though it is certainly characteristic of the stages of life for many women).

Irish mythology and tradition uses triple aspects of deities to demonstrate their diversity. These aspects center around roles played by male and female deities in the traditions and the cosmology. Physical devices used to characterize the sources of this "triplicity" are being sisters, brothers or having three fathers. The Brighids and the Morrigú are examples of sisters having triple aspects. The Three Gods of Danu are an example of brothers in a triple aspect. Lughaid of the Triple Red is a hero with three fathers while Trefuilngid Tre-Eochair is a deity known for his triple branch. Triple-ness is an aspect of Celtic culture that is characteristic to it.

Look no further than Triads for the basis of triple-ness in Celtic deities or traditional belief. It's another example of where Wiccan practice and belief is drawn from Celtic culture or at least draws from the same cultural base.


Searles O'Dubhain

[odubhain]

Some, but by no means all, three-fold Goddesses fit the Maiden, Mother, Crone model. Brigid is one of those Who do not.

There are tales about Brighid where she is presented as a mother, a maiden or a crone however (though not all at once or in triplicity as the Wiccans present her).

She is the daughter of the Dagda (maiden).

She is the mother of Ruadan (mother).

Sometimes she is seen as an aspect of the Cailleach or counter-poised to her in a winter-spring/ crone-maiden/ half beautiful-half hideous facial aspect and contrast found in some Gaelic myths (crone or hag).

As a goddess of sovereignty, she rightly can have two aspects in some tales (beautiful maiden and hiddeous hag). The tales of marriages and choices made by kings and heroes involve making choices between the seemingly hiddeous outward aspects and the hidden inner beauty of prosperity and truth. The marriage of the king through a true choice of the goddess of sovereignty is the basis of Celtic law and practice. From this twofold aspect and contrast comes the birth of everything for the people. That is a kind of maiden-hag-mother triple aspect contained within the essence of the sovereignty goddess (though it is removed from what is usually taught by Wiccans in my experience).

Searles O'Dubhain

[Nitefalle]

The Maiden/Mother/Crone trinity is a relatively recent distinction, which I believe can be attributed to Robert Graves (someone please correct me if I am wrong). You will find in history that most goddesses that had "triple" aspects were either three sisters or it was one goddess with three faces, such as Brighid.

[Adrasteia]

Thank you all so much for clearing this up for me. There is so much overlapping in Celtic myth, it's nearly impossible to get straight answers. ^_^

Anyway, I suppose this brings up another question. I know that the Morrigan's three aspects are Badb, Nemain, and Macha: but I can't seem to find what they mean / represent. "www . Pantheon . org" told me that Badb ad Macha both meant "crow" and that Nemain meant "frenzy", but that doesn't really help me too much.

Any answers are welcome. Thanks again for you help!


--Adrasteia

[odubhain]

Peter Berresford Ellis actually gives five names for battle goddesses:

Dea (Hateful)

Badb (Fury)

Nemain (Venomous)

Macha (Personification of Battle)

The Mórrígan (The Great Queen)

From EDIL (http://www.dil.ie/index.asp) one can see that the three goddeses represent different aspects of the Morrígu:


badb

Badb baidhbh bodb Badbchadh
Keywords: war-goddess; scald-crow; deadly; fatal; dangerous; ill-fated; deadly; warlike; venomous
Letter: B
COLUMN: 5
Line: 035
badb
ā, f. Note also as. badb, LL 6939. np. baidhbh, IGT Decl. ex. 814. Earlier bodb. Name of a war-goddess; scald-crow (in which form the goddess appeared). See RC i 32 ff. →, Études Celt. viii 407 f . and Heldensage p. 63 . Repres- ented as stirring up conflict, foretelling slaughter and rejoicing over the slain; in translation literature equated with the Furies. Machae .i. b.¤ nō asī an tres morrīgan, O'Mulc. 813. Nemain Danand B.¤ is Macha/Morrígu . . ./ bantuathecha Tuathe De Danand, LL 16541. cu cuala ní in boidb dinib collaib, LU 4937. ind Neamain (.i. in B.), TBC 2444. atcithea in b.¤ catha gach n-aidhchi (= Erinnys), CCath. 902. an b.¤ . . . .i. Tisipone, TTebe 4313 . cru fechto .i. b.¤, Corm. Y 308. Cf. O'Dav. 375. teathra .i. badhb, no feanóg, O'Cl. badhbh, fíach garbh, préachan ingneach, Eg. Gl. 59. ? cro tria rinne bodhbh mos linge, FM i 302.x . co ṅgés b.¤ dia burd dia blai (of a shield), LL 18398. atractatar badba bána . . . osa cennaib, 32510 . tanac-sa im baidb buaidertha co tech m'athar (because bringing tidings of slaughter ?), TTebe 1899 . loch na baidbe (also referred to as a `péist'), BNnÉ 135. 15 .
Attrib. gs. in sense deadly, fatal, dangerous, ill-fated: badhba .i. túath, Ériu xiii 75 § 196. badhb .i. túath thire, O'Cl. crothsait cress ṁbodbae `ein Kriegsgedränge ', Ält. Ir. Dicht. ii 20.24 . in t-indellchró bodba fer talman, LU 6410. na bairendlecca bodba (of stones used as missiles), TBC 4662. briathra baidhbhe . . . ┐ tuath-bhan-glór (i.e. words of ill- omen), MR 294.21 . ní mar bu baidhbi (i.e. dying kine), BR 46.9 .
Of persons: a bhadhbh Chruachan (a chief), DDána 84.3 . a bhaidhbh! `thou witch! ' (Aoife), Atlantis iv 120.28 . Cf. ar ógbhaidhbh eich `young raven-like steed ', Magauran 1252 .

Compds. Forming nn. pr. Badbchadh, MacCarthy 184 n. Bodbgal mc. Fergale, Ann. Inisf. A.D. 752 . In other compds. usually with meaning deadly, warlike, venomous: lucht onad buidi badbfiach, Rawl. 77 a 22 . in badblaech Berngal, LL 2365. dochuatar huile i mbadbraind battle (?), SR 5400. badbrí Cuicidh hErend huili, Auraic. 5167. Bruchst. i 7 § 7. badbruat[h]ar calma, Aen. 2855. oc toibeim for Láegairi don badbscel ro innis (false) tale of slaughter , LU 8939 (H, FB 70 ).
With adj. in bennfhata badbluath cetlong in betha .i. Argo, TTebe 1941 .

With adj. derived from noun: mna buaidirthi badbchaeint- echa . . . na nGrec, TTebe 4777 . See also s.v. badbda.


2 Dea

Deaae Deae Dee Deaa Dea De Dedad
Letter: D1
COLUMN: 167
Line: 055
2 Dea, Deae
gs. in the following names: Inber nDeae i Crích Cualann i Laignib, the estuary of Aba Deae immediately below Arklow. Aba Deae river, flows through Glenn nDeae. Glenn nDeae earlier name of Glenn Dá Locho. Loch Deae.
FORMS: Deaae: Cell Dara do orgain do gentib ó Inbir Deaae AU A.D. 835 →. Deae: co Inber Deae, Trip. i 32. 11 ( Eg. 93 ). Dee: in portum apud nós clarum qui uocatur Hostium Dee dilata est, Arm. 2 b 2 . Inber nDee i Crích Cualand, Hy Maine 147 b . Deaa: do gallaib Inbhir Deaa FM A.D. 835 . Dea (the usual form): Trip. 30. 17 ; oc Inbiur Dea i Crích Laigen, ib. 34. 18 . co hInber nDea i Crích Laigen, ii 448. 5 . LB 26 a 14 f.b. Aband Dea ┐ Inber ṅDea LL 159 a 5 f.b. Aba Dea, Hy Maine 147 b 2 . De: Inber nDe, Lism. 4 a . Hogan 458 a .-Confused with Deda, gen. Dedad: Inber Dedad i Crích Cualann BB 370 b 30 . Inbhear Deaghaidh, Keat.
By the Irish themselves wrongly associated with Dea, npr. m.: Dea mac Degad a quo Inber nDeda i Crích Cualann, RDinds. § 40. 1 . Garman Glas mac Dedad cuius frater erat Dea a quo Aband Dea ┐ Inber ṅDea i Crích Cualann LL 159 a 5 f.b. Dea mac Dedhadh a quo Inber nDea a Crích Chualand, Stowe D. 2. 2 , 27 a . Dea was the name of the river; cf. Ban-dea, name of the Shannon, Arm. 11 b 1 ; Dub-Dea `Nigra Dea ' (River Dee in Scotland), Thes. ii 279. 6 . It seems identical with Ptolemy's Dēvā, the river Dee in Scotland. Ptolemy's Δηούας ποταμο ἐκβολαί may render an Ir. Inber nDee, Inber nAbann Dee. Gen. Dēvās compared with Arm. Dee shows that in the 2nd century the Irish substitution of -ās by -iās in fem. ā-stems had not yet taken place.-Cf. RC ii 2 . Holder 1273 .


nemain

Nemain Emain anemain ineamhain némainn
Keywords: war-goddess; battle-fury; warlike; frenzy; strife; murder; malice
Letter: N
COLUMN: 32
Line: 034
nemain
f.

(a) as npr. f. name of an ancient war-goddess, the wife of Néit and somet. identified with the Badb. Neit mac Indúi 's a dí mnaí Badb ┐ Némaind, LL 11 b 18 = nemain, Leb. Gab. i 184.18 →. Neid .i. dia catha . . . Nemon uxor illius, Corm. Y 965. Be Neid .i. . . . Nemon, 181 . Némhan .i. badhb chatha no feannóg O'Cl. nemain is Nét, Met. Dinds. iv 96.4 (: dremuin). dosfóbair thrá ind nemain (.i. in Badb), LU 4683 = ind Emain, TBC² 211 YBL. cordas-mesc ind Némain forsin tslóg, LU 6286 ( TBC² 1784 ) = coro mesc ind Neamain (.i. in Badb), TBC 2444 (ineamain, St., anemain, H.2.18 , Eg. 93 ). ind Neamain, TBC 5004 (anemain, St., ineamhain, H.) = ind Emain, TBC² 3091.
(b) battle-fury, warlike frenzy, strife: tuc dóib nemain ┐ neim | in draic dremain `murder', Met. Dinds. iv 14.21 . Érne nóisech cen nemain `malice', iii 464.53 . nos-geb omun ┐ nemain ┐ dasacht, BB 436 b 1 . nemhain ┐ dobhar ┐ dásacht, Buile S. § 11 . némhain .i. dásacht nó mire, O'Cl. Cf. nemain dega .i. aibli tened, O'Mulc. 839. ? némain i fothud, RC xxvi 24 § 87 (part of the art or functions of a `fili': `a pearl in setting (? ),' Stokes as if = némainn: so also glossators).

néit

néit Néit
Keywords: combat; battle; fighting; war-god; warrior
Letter: N
COLUMN: 26
Line: 012
←néit
[m.]

(a) combat, battle, fighting: culu tria néit `(like) a chariot through battle ', ACC 2 ( RC xx 148 ) = tría neit (.i. cath), LU 430. iar do néit (.i. iar do guin), LU 435 (ACC Comm.). néit ba hainm don kath, Corm. p. 13 s.v. cul. Be net (.i. badb) .i. be ben ┐ net cath . . . inde dicitur: bé nét fort, Corm. Y 168. néid ainm catha, Met. Gl. Ff. 21 (neit v.l. ). néid .i. cath; néid .i. guin, O'Cl. (? gs.) as attrib.: la mac fir néit (.i. guin) fadb corcra with the son of a fighting man are crimson spoils (?), LU 455. ciasu file, file neit? `a contentious poet ', RC xxvi 14.14 . anroth ro ort namhaid neit (.i. cath), LL 393 b 2 = BB 134 b 1 , cf. Ält. Ir. Dicht. ii 22 , where Meyer emends: nāmat nēit the host of enemies , but the reading of the MSS. may mean battle- foe . goth néit (some kind of spear), TBC² 1915. ar cach roth nét (of a war-engine mounted on wheels), TBC 5604 St. (néd, neid v.l. ). teora rotha net, 5660 . ? foll ner neít, IT iii 49 § 88 (see net).
(b) as npr. m. name of an ancient Irish war-god (perh. the orig. meaning): Neid .i. dia catha la geinti Goideal, Corm. Y 965 Neith, Corm. p. 31. Net [Ned v.l. ] .i. dia catha, O'Dav. 1289. Bé Neit .i. Neit nomen uiri. Be Nét mulier eius, O'Mulc. 132 , cf. Corm. Y 181 (Neid) and see Nemain. Neit mac Induí 's a dí mnaí Badb ┐ Némaind, LL 11 b 18 = Neid mac Iondaoi, Leb. Gab. i 184.17 . in Bé Néit, MR 242.1 . Néit was the name of Balor's grandfather: Balar mac Doid meic Neít, LL 137 a 26 →. Balar ua Néit, RC xii 58.9 ; 100.2 . hua Neitt, 74 § 50. B. mac D. meic Neid, 96 § 128.
Hence transf. a warrior? Aed net nat imcaibh oghru a soldier who shuns not battles (?), FM i 408.3 (poem).


1 macha

macha machaid machada machaide machad
Keywords: enclosure; milking; cows; milking-yard; field
Letter: M
COLUMN: 11
Line: 072
1 macha (machad)
m. Declension doubtful: gs. macha, machaid; pl. machada, machaide. Treated as neut., LL 160 b 39 : machad ṁBrigte (ns.).

→An enclosure for milking cows, a milking-yard (or field?), often used in connexion with lias. ro ṡáidset fir hErend less ┐ machad dia n-almaib, TBC 1594 (= liasa ┐ machaid, H. 2.17 ). dober-sa cach bó . . . ca lias ┐ ca machad, 4757 . ic tiachtain ar ammus a liss ┐ a léis ┐ a machaid, 1539 . machad, Auraic. 5727 (possibly name of some agricultural implement). o macha co macha, 23 Q 6 p. 4 a ( O'C. 1601 ). pl. con- nacatar . . . na liasa ┐ na machada, Lism. L. 1908. do denam thíghí ┐ lias ┐ machad, 1899 . aite na mmachad (of cattle- yards in a camp), CCath. 2998. machuide geimridh . . . machaide samraidh, H. 5.15 p. 2 a ( O'Don. 1557 - 8 ). selb macha (i.e. proof that an animal claimed as stolen has been reared in one's own homestead): issiat so na tri selba .i. seilb m.¤, Eg. 88 , fo. 4 d ( O'C. 2166 ) = selb machaigh, H. 3.18 p. 160 ( O'C. 291 ).



2 Macha

Maichi
Keywords: war-goddess; royston; crow
Letter: M
COLUMN: 12
Line: 004
2 macha
npr.f. one of the three war-goddesses of the Tuatha D.D., daughter of Ernmas and sister of Badb and Morrígu (sometimes identified with the former). tri ingena . . . oc Ernmais .i. Badb ┐ M.¤ ┐ Mórrigu, LL 10 a 42 . Maucha ingen Ernmóiss, RC xii 100 § 133. →Badhbh Mácha ┐ Móirríoghan a dtrí baindée (sc. of the Tuatha D.D.), Keat. i p. 218 . gs. fri morbuaid Maichi (Mache LU), TBC² 1027. mian macha, 3472 = TBC 5799. ? Cræbruad Concob[air] . . . asa tegedh macha imach, IT iii 47 § 79 , cf. 20 § 57.
Also interpreted as a royston crow: machæ .i. badb no asi an tres morrigan, unde mesrad Machæ .i. cendæ doine iarna n-airlech, O'Mulc. 813 = maiche .i. bodb . . . unde mesrad maiche, H. 3. 18 p. 82 b ( O'C. 150 ). macha .i. badhb no fean- nóg, O'Cl. mach (macha)

3 macha

Machai Macha Mache
Keywords: field; plain; royal; seat
Letter: M
COLUMN: 12
Line: 019
3 macha
in n.l., strictly a g.s. (of a noun meaning field or plain?), but also used absolutely.

(a) = Ard macha (so called from macha wife of Neimed, Dinds. 94 , Keat. i p. 176 →). Latinized Machia, L. Ardm. 15 b 1 ( Trip. 330.22 , Thes. ii 269.22 ). céin bess M.¤ fo thoraibh as long as Armagh shall be under princes , Trip. 154.8 , cf. 480.20 (see K. Meyer, RC xxxiii 95 ). ads. ro bennach P. . . . in Machai, 236.13 , cf. 174.21 , 226.5 . don Machai, 228.4 . do Mache, Hy. ii 45 , 49 . fail and á fiacail Patraic assin macha búadaig báin, LL 370 b 25 = as Ard macha máil, Arch. Hib. iv 205 § 9. gs. rí macha, Keat. ii 1860 (poem).
(b) = Emain macha, the royal seat of king Conchobar m. Nessa; the name is ascribed in one legend to M. wife of Cruin- niuc (Crunnchu, Cruinn), see Windisch, Berichte der K. Sächs. Gesellsch. der W. 1884 p. 366 (from Harl. 5280), YBL 211 b 40 , ZCP xii 252 ; in another to m.¤ Mongruad daughter of the High-king Aed Ruad, see LL 20 a 46 fg. ( MacCarthy 182 n.6), Keat. ii p. 152 ; both legends are told of Ard macha in Dinds. 94 ( RC xvi 45 ). rí macha (i.e. Conchobar), CRR 22. rí milis macha, MacCarthy 166 § 5. Prob. also in Líath macha, the name of Cuchulainn's steed, TBC 4715. g. Léith Mache, 514 .

Most of these goddesses are said to be married with two of them being married to Neít, the war god. Macha was reportted to have had three husbands, with Nuada being one of them. The Mórrígan pairs or mates with many deities but is never said to be the wife of any.

To me these goddesses and their names represent aspects of battle and/or sovereignty. The name Dea seems to be more a mark of being a deity or goddess and is tied to river names (themselves aspects of soverignty though they can also be associated with the "Washer at the Ford" seen prior to battles).

Aspects of deity appearing in different places, things and personifications, is an example of the Celtic belief that people/deities are spirits inhabiting bodies. In battle, these spirits can be inside a person or an army. In ritual and magic, much the same thing can occur. One aspect marrying or being a sister/brother of another is a confluence of spirits serving to make a greater stream of sovereignty and authority over the ways of battle, prosperity, harmony and knowledge. That is why I believe the Ogham diagram known as Fege Finn marks the qualities of the parts of the world as represented by Ireland and Fintan.

Much can be learned from a study of the letters, names and languages of a people as well as the ways in which their myths portray the aspects of deity and spirit.

Searles O'Dubhain

[skilly-nilly]

There are tales about Brighid where she is presented as a mother, a maiden or a crone however (though not all at once or in triplicity as the Wiccans present her).

She is the daughter of the Dagda (maiden).

She is the mother of Ruadan (mother).

Sometimes she is seen as an aspect of the Cailleach or counter-poised to her in a winter-spring/ crone-maiden/ half beautiful-half hideous facial aspect and contrast found in some Gaelic myths (crone or hag).

As a goddess of sovereignty, she rightly can have two aspects in some tales (beautiful maiden and hiddeous hag). The tales of marriages and choices made by kings and heroes involve making choices between the seemingly hiddeous outward aspects and the hidden inner beauty of prosperity and truth.

Searles O'Dubhain

I see those examples of Bridget's MMC-ness as being parts of Her history rather than aspects of Her Being. That is, She (any of the Bridgets) can appear as looking any age She chooses to but Her history includes being a child, a mother, and old---the history of almost any Goddess (or woman) includes these stages.

As well. I don't see Bridget as a "goddess of sovereignty" but as a 'Goddess/Goddesses of Many Skills' unconnected to a specific location or kingdom. What tales name Her as the Sovereign Goddess, the recognition of Whom by the aspirant and Her acceptance of him signifies kingship?


Thank you all so much for clearing this up for me. There is so much overlapping in Celtic myth, it's nearly impossible to get straight answers. ^_^

Anyway, I suppose this brings up another question. I know that the Morrigan's three aspects are Badb, Nemain, and Macha: but I can't seem to find what they mean / represent. "www . Pantheon . org" told me that Badb ad Macha both meant "crow" and that Nemain meant "frenzy", but that doesn't really help me too much.

Any answers are welcome. Thanks again for you help!
--Adrasteia

Irish myth is very complex, coming as it does from numerous sources almost all of which are not pre-Xian and many of which are antithetical to their subject and so are all distorted to a degree. My personal take is that to work with the body of myth one has to be able to accept both A and Not-A as valid.

It's tricky, and there are no absolute answers.

Various opinions exist as to the Beings Who are the 3 Goddesses of The Morrigan. Personally, I believe that there is a kind of Clan Morrigan, any 3 of Whom might appear in a given setting. Additionally, there is An Mór Ríoghain (The Great Queen), Who is the Clan Head.
There is also folklore that Badb is a group/triad as well.

It's tricky, and there are no absolute answers.

[odubhain]

As well. I don't see Bridget as a "goddess of sovereignty" but as a 'Goddess/Goddesses of Many Skills' unconnected to a specific location or kingdom. What tales name Her as the Sovereign Goddess, the recognition of Whom by the aspirant and Her acceptance of him signifies kingship?

She is cognate with Danu per Peter Berresford Ellis. She is the mother of the Sons of Tuirenn in one version of the tale. She is the Queen of the Tuatha Dé as Bres' wife in Cath Maige Tuired. She is the premiere goddess of Leinster and equated to a "solar horse" by Michael Dames in _Mythic Ireland_. The entire island of Britain is also named for her. This makes her a pan-Celtic sovereignty goddess. She is the daughter of the Dagda in some tales while his wife in others. as a goddess of prosperity she can be nothing other than the goddess of sovereignty as sovereignty and prosperity are cognate for Irish Celts.

Searles O'Dubhain

[Seren_]

The entire island of Britain is also named for her. This makes her a pan-Celtic sovereignty goddess.

That's a pseudo-etymology based on the logic of "Brigantia and Britain look/sound kinda the same!" See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain_(name) - 'Britain' likely comes from the same root word as the Welsh Prydain.

Brigantia was the tutelary deity for the Brigantes tribe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigantes) of what's roughly now northern England. At best we can say that Brigantia and Brigid share the same root word that forms the Brig element of her name. We don't know enough about Brigantia to say whether she shares a common origin with Brigid as a deity because we only really have the name and nothing else. It's conceivable that she was taken to Ireland by British immigrants, or vice versa, and then evolved separately but we can only speculate. I don't think it's enough to confidently assert her pan-Celticness (and does she have a counterpart in Gaul? I can't think of one off the top of my head....).

While I agree that Brigid displays some elements of a 'sovereignty goddess' in Irish myth, the myths we have of her shows she evolved far beyond that role compared to other goddesses who remained very much localised.

[skilly-nilly]

She is cognate with Danu per Peter Berresford Ellis. She is the mother of the Sons of Tuirenn in one version of the tale. She is the Queen of the Tuatha Dé as Bres' wife in Cath Maige Tuired. She is the premiere goddess of Leinster and equated to a "solar horse" by Michael Dames in _Mythic Ireland_. The entire island of Britain is also named for her. This makes her a pan-Celtic sovereignty goddess. She is the daughter of the Dagda in some tales while his wife in others. as a goddess of prosperity she can be nothing other than the goddess of sovereignty as sovereignty and prosperity are cognate for Irish Celts.

Searles O'Dubhain

So what you're saying here is that you can't cite any of "The tales of marriages and choices made by kings and heroes [that] involve making choices between the seemingly hiddeous outward aspects and the hidden inner beauty of prosperity and truth" that identify Brigid as the Goddess in the myth?

I think that the Bridget of the Forge is the Goddess of Essential Craft, and the Midwife Bridget is the supporter of all women in childbirth extending to Protectoress of the Family, and the Bridget of Imbas is the Inspiration of the Poets--- these are all universal and could be considered 'Pan-Celtic'. But recognizing and being recognized by the King-Delegate is a very specific role and I see The Bridgets as generalists, and involved with all of the people, not just the rulers.

[odubhain]

That's a pseudo-etymology based on the logic of "Brigantia and Britain look/sound kinda the same!" See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain_(name) - 'Britain' likely comes from the same root word as the Welsh Prydain.

She was certainly the sovereignty goddess for the tribe named after her. Which I see you mention below.


Brigantia was the tutelary deity for the Brigantes tribe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigantes) of what's roughly now northern England. At best we can say that Brigantia and Brigid share the same root word that forms the Brig element of her name. We don't know enough about Brigantia to say whether she shares a common origin with Brigid as a deity because we only really have the name and nothing else. It's conceivable that she was taken to Ireland by British immigrants, or vice versa, and then evolved separately but we can only speculate. I don't think it's enough to confidently assert her pan-Celticness (and does she have a counterpart in Gaul? I can't think of one off the top of my head....).

She certainly does. Here's a link to an article by Francine Nicholson about her:

http://www.geocities.com/celticwell/ejournal/imbolc/brighid.htm

It pretty much covers the same ground I've already covered.


While I agree that Brigid displays some elements of a 'sovereignty goddess' in Irish myth, the myths we have of her shows she evolved far beyond that role compared to other goddesses who remained very much localised.

There can be no higher goddess than sovereignty. There can certainly be many facets to Celtic deities and Brighid is an outstanding example of the highest and the best. No one has said otherwise. She is a wonderful deity. She is the wisdom goddess and very important to Druids.

Searles O'Dubhain

[skilly-nilly]

We don't know enough about Brigantia to say whether she shares a common origin with Brigid as a deity because we only really have the name and nothing else.



She certainly does. Here's a link to an article by Francine Nicholson about her:

http://www.geocities.com/celticwell/ejournal/imbolc/brighid.htm

It pretty much covers the same ground I've already covered.

Searles O'Dubhain

In the article pointed to, Francine Nicholson says:
"It is tempting to assume that goddesses that fill the same functional role in a society are cognates of Bríg, but this assumption is unwarranted."

[Meadhbh]

Thats a good point. There are a few universal celtic gods but they are not the rule. So even if you come across a goddess looks like she full fills the same things that Brighid does. She may be the local or tribal goddess of the same things as Brighid but that does not mean she is Brighid.

[odubhain]

In the article pointed to, Francine Nicholson says:
"It is tempting to assume that goddesses that fill the same functional role in a society are cognates of Bríg, but this assumption is unwarranted."

The goddesses and the gods of the Celts pretty much have functional roles in a vast number of different tribal identities. When they fill these roles with similar attributes and names, the connection is even stronger.

Miranda Green says:


The pan-tribal divinities, such as the Sun-god and the Mother-goddesses, were venerated for their respective qualities such as promoters of heat, light and fertility.

Peter Berresford Ellis says:


Brigantia. "The High One" tutelary goddess of the Brigantes of Britain and cognate with the goddess Brigid, regarded as one of the principal Celtic goddesses ... might be the source of Caesar's "Minerva," and she may well have been the model for Brittania.

Brigid... A triune goddess who appears as a goddess of healing, a goddess of smiths, and, more popularly, a goddess of fertility and poetry.

Raymond Karl says:


THE NAMES OF THE CELTIC GODS

Well, I already mentioned that we have over threehundred names for
Celtic gods. Lugos, Toutatis, Taranis, Cernunnos, Esus, Sequana,
Brigantia, Epona, Matrona, Noreia, Eriu, Govannon, Belenos, Mabon and
so on. It has been, for a long time, considered that the Celtic
pantheon was regionally split up, that Noreia was a tribal godess for
the Norici, Sequana a tribal godess for the Sequani, Eriu a tribal
godess for the Erenn. This also seems to be true, but only to a
certain extent. As far as we can say by now, the Celtic gods had a
lot of variants, the most we can find here are local but it is also
possible that some were functional. This is nothing surprising in
fact, if we look at other IE pantheons we find that most gods in most
pantheons have numerous, local and functional, bynames and names. The
Greek god Zeus had multiple names, as is true for all the other greek
gods. Iuppiter is also known to us as Dispater, and under numerous
other names. The Hindu gods all have multiple names. The same is true
for the Germanic gods. And if we look at the gallo-roman inscription
in which most of the Celtic god names have been brought down to us we
find, not really surprising, that Mars is mentioned with over 50
Celtic godnames, as Mars Toutatis, Mars Ambiorix and others, while
Apollo is going along with Grannos, Belenos and others, while Taranis
and others are atrributed to Iuppiter.

Given this, it is most likely that the names of the Celtic gods that
came down on us, are, for the most part, the local and/or functional
bynames of gods whose "real" names probably were kept secret or which
blend in with the bynames. Only two gods can be identified almost
everywhere, being the god Lugos (Irish Lugh, Welsh Llew), whose name
we find from Spain to Germany and probably even further east, and the
mother godess (matrona), of which we know her functional name, i.e.
mother, (old Gaulish matrona, Welsh Modron), and to which a number of
the female names we have can be atrributed (Sequana, Noreia,
Brigantia and probably as well Eriu and Boand, and additionally we
have some "mothergodesses of places" like the Matronae Lugdunensis or
the Matronae Treverorum).

Alexei Kondratiev says:


The "intertribal" divinities are too numerous to discuss fully in this article but we can list the main ones. One can see them going in and out of "fashion" during the Iron Age, with some gaining in prominence while others fade away (exactly like what we see happening in Hinduism after the Vedic period). I'll use the names of the 'interpretatio Romana', not because I think the Romans had the right idea, but because they're consistent! ...

The Celtic "Minerva". Because in Celtic thought goddesses are primarily seen as sources of energy (equivalent to the Hindu concept of 'shakti'), the distinctions between them tend to blur and to be less clear-cut than in the case of the gods, as many writers on the subject have remarked. But the one that represents all forms of energy and provides them not only to the growth functions in the Land but to all forms of human activity and creativity is usually well characterised. Her name usually contains the element 'brig' ("high, exalted, rising, energetic") although it can take other forms as well. Her animals are the cow and the oystercatcher (and by extension all things in nature that are black, white, and red). Her flower is the dandelion. Her experience with marriage and childbearing is usually unhappy (as with most Indo-European "culture goddesses"), so she is often portrayed as a "virgin".


I can go on and on about the role of the Mother goddesses and the Wisdom goddesses as being pan-Celtic while quoting authorities on the matter. The attributes in common are important when considering deities as well as their names to identify them from tribe to tribe and location to location..

For Brighid, the most important of these attributes are wisdom, fire, fertility, virgin, "high, exalted, etc."

I don't expect every authority to have exactly the same take as I have about Brighid but in general most of them have a great amount of commonality and agreement on her role through out Celtic society as a Mother goddess or Wisdom goddess.

I also know that many people will have personal preferences in choosing to see these shared attributes between deities. That's not unusual in the least. Personal opinions are myriad.

Searles O'Dubhain