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“Dawn at Bridget’s Well” by Patricia Monaghan

“Dawn at Bridget’s Well” by Patricia Monaghan

 

In hope, in pain, in song we passed the night.

We have kept watch – kept faith – each in our way.

Our long dark vigil ends in spring’s mild light.

 

We ended winter with this ancient rite.

Strangers until we joined our hands to pray.

In hope, in pain, in song we passed the night.

 

Beside the guttering candles, a single white

Snowdrop nods to greet St. Bridget’s Day.

A long dark vigil ends in spring’s mild light.

 

So much is wrong, across the world: we fight

Each other, blight the land, betray

Our hopes. In plaintive song we passed the night.

 

Yet we believe and pray, acolytes

In service to a change too long delayed.

Our long dark vigil ends in spring’s mild light.

 

And we rise, renewed. Such ritual ignites

The fire in our souls. It’s a new day.

In hope, in pain, in song we passed the night.

The long dark vigil ends in spring’s mild light.

 

 

 

First published in Brigit: Sun of Womanhood, ed. Patricia Monaghan and Michael McDermott (2013). Permission by Michael McDermott.

“Well Offering” by Mael Brigde

Well Offering

 

deep

deep and black the shaft of your great well

sinks through yielding earth to touch

the sidhe

 

bronze

bronze and fine the offerings to

goddess Brig

forged and split and given to your world

 

below

below the shifting winds

and rain-wet fog

below the bawling calf

and peeling yew

 

far below

a goddess hears and listens

we cast our bounty

deep into your well

 

 

 Image: "St. Brigid's Well, Armagh." Vintage Irish postcard.

This poem is mentioned in a post on my general interest Brigit blog, Brigit's Sparkling Flame here: Reading to Brigit.

“Millstone” by Mael Brigde

 

Millstone

 

it is alleged

—can it be true? —

that your millstone

would not grind

a druid’s grain

 

this I can’t accept

this stone

guided by your grace

hurtling unsmashed

clear down the mountain

 

why would such a lavish gift

from such a giving saint

grow stingy at the druid’s faith?

 

you were kindly raised

by one of the elder cloth

kin and friends were pagan

you yourself bore

a goddess name

 

no

 

I think these are the words

of those who said

The Jews killed Jesus

when Jesus was himself

a loyal Jew

 

grind the druid’s corn

fair millstone

be what you were hewn to be

 

don’t take the blame

for cruel cowards’ acts

Image: "A millstone to heavy to lift?" by Ashley Dace.  CC BY-SA 2.0

“Bride the Aid-Woman” from Carmina Gadelica

Prayer for aid in giving birth, to Bride as midwife:

                                                pg. 176 

BRIDE BAN-CHOBHAIR [71]       

THAINIG thugam cobhair,

Moire gheal is Bride;

Mar a rug Anna Moire,

Mar a rug Moire Criosda,

Mar a rug Eile Eoin Baistidh

Gun mhar-bhith dha dhi,

Cuidich thusa mise ’m asaid,

     Cuidich mi a Bhride!

Mar a gheineadh Criosd am Moire

Comhliont air gach laimh,

Cobhair thusa mise, mhoime,

An gein a thoir bho ’n chnaimh;

’S mar a chomhn thu Oigh an t-solais,

Gun or, gun odh, gun ni,

Comhn orm-sa, ’s mor m’ othrais,

     Comhn orm a Bhride!

pg. 177

BRIDE THE AID-WOMAN 

THERE came to me assistance,

Mary fair and Bride;

As Anna bore Mary,

As Mary bore Christ,

As Eile bore John the Baptist

Without flaw in him,

Aid thou me in mine unbearing,

     Aid me, O Bride!

As Christ was conceived of Mary

Full perfect on every hand,

Assist thou me, foster-mother,

The conception to bring from the bone;

And as thou didst aid the Virgin of joy,

Without gold, without corn, without kine,

Aid thou me, great is my sickness,

     Aid me, O Bride!

Carmina Gadelica, Volume 1, by Alexander Carmichael, [1900], at sacred-texts.com

Image:  'B&W nude pregnant woman,' by Laura Benvenuti. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

“Eolas An Deididh - Toothache Charm” from Carmina Gadelica

The following text is from the Carmina Gadelica:

Eolas An Deididh [126] Toothache Charm

The teeth of ancient human skeletons found in stone coffins and other enclosures, and without enclosures, are usually good and complete. This is in marked contrast to the teeth of modern human remains, which are generally much impaired if not wholly absent. But there must have been toothache and even artificial teeth in ancient times, as indicated by the mummies in Egypt and the toothache charms and toothache wells in the Highlands. One toothache charm and one toothache well must suffice to illustrate this. The toothache well is in the island of North Uist. It is situated 195 feet above the sea, at the foot of a hill 757 feet high, and nearly three miles in the moorland from the nearest townland. The place is called 'Cluidh-airidh,' shieling fold, while the well is variously known as 'Tobar Chuidh-airidh,' well of the shieling fold, 'Tobar an deididh,' well of the toothache, 'Tobar na cnoidh,' well of the worm, and 'Tobar cnuimh fhiacail,' well of the tooth worm, from a belief that toothache is caused by a worm in the tooth.

The general name of the well is 'Tobar Chuidh-airidh,' well of the shieling fold, to distinguish it from other healing wells throughout the Isles. The pilgrim suffering from toothache must not speak, nor eat, nor drink, after beginning the pilgrimage, till after three draughts of the well of Cuidh-airidh are drunk in name of God, and in name of Christ, and in name of Spirit.

Some persons profess to derive no relief, some profess to derive partial relief, and some profess to derive complete relief from toothache after drinking the water of the well of Cuidh-airidh.

TOOTHACHE CHARM

The incantation put by lovely Bride  

Before the thumb of the Mother of God,

On lint, on wort, on hemp.

For worm, for venom, for teeth.

The worm that tortured me.

In the teeth of my head,

Hell hard by my teeth,

The teeth of hell distressing me.

************************

The teeth of hell close to me;

As long as I myself shall last

May my teeth last in my head.

Variants—

On lint, on comb, on agony.

On sea, on ocean, on coast.

On water, on lakes, on marshes

[Incantation or prayer.]

Carmina Gadelica – Hymns and Incantations Vol. II, ed. Alexander Carmichael (1900), pg. 10-11.

Image: "A broken upper front tooth showing the pink of the pulp," by James Heilman, MD This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

The Descent of Brighid (redacted by Erynn R. Laurie)

The Descent of Brighid

(redacted by Erynn R. Laurie)

Every day and every night

That I say the descent of Brighid,

Daughter of Daghda

Mother of the Three Gods,

Anamchara,

Guide in darkness,

Ever-flaming star,

I shall not be killed, I shall not be harried,

I shall not be put in cell, I shall not be wounded,

Neither shall She leave me in forgetfulness.

No fire, no sun, no moon shall burn me,

No lake, no water, nor sea shall drown me,

No arrow of fairy nor dart of spirit shall wound me,

And I under the mantle of Holy Brighid.

Brighid to enfold me

Brighid to surround me

Brighid to comfort me

Brighid is my light and everlasting life,

Body to body, form to form, breath to breath,

Throughout all time and eternity.

While doing this Erynn flicks water to the cardinal directions, the sky and the earth, and draws the ringed cross on her breast.

Original: from Carmina Gadelica, Alexander Carmichael.

Image: Brooks's Comet of 902 (i.). (Drawn by W. R. Brooks.) Public Domain.