Sunday, February 03, 2008

St. Brigid of Kildare

Feb 1 is the feast day of St. Brigid of Kildare, a famous Irish saint. While history is usually written by the victors, history also does show that Christianity met Pagan culture in Ireland, way back when ... and the cultures seem to have become integrated in a manner strikingly less violent than, say, Christianity plus the Aztecs or the Hawaiians. Brigid was at the center of this fusion of two cultures.

Even today, Celtic Christianity has a distinct flavor. Some Celtic influence can be felt in the Episcopal Church in the US. We are an Anglican church, and our first bishop was ordained by Scottish bishops. The nine St. George's crosses in the top left of the flag represent those nine Scottish bishops.

One of the legends around Brigid is that she was transported back in time to be a midwife at the time of Jesus' birth.

I might catch some flak for linking this site, but Goddess Gift has a page on Brigid.

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