27/01/2026
As Imbolc approaches many will honour the Celtic Fire Goddess Brigid. Also known by various names such as Breed, Bride, Brigit, Brighid, Brig, her name means ‘exalted one’.
Brigid is a Goddess of the Tuatha de Danann, daughter of The Dagda (Chief of the Tuatha de Danann) & The Morrigan, although some stories say Danu, a powerful river Goddess was her mother.
Brigid is a triple Goddess, the Goddess of of the hearth, knowledge & inspiration, poetry, healing, smith craft, wells, passion & fire. Protector of animals, Goddess of motherhood, fertility & childbirth.
She appears as a Maiden or Mother with fiery red hair & a green cloak & dress. Holding fire & often surrounded in a glow, as it is said she was born with a crown of fiery bright light. She was fed with milk from a sacred white cow which are associated with the sídhe and the otherworld. The white cow represents the liminal space between the worlds & are sometimes seen as the form of the Sídhe when in this world. Her cloak possesses healing powers which were called upon during times of need, & she can increase its size to heal the whole of Ireland when needed. If you leave a cloth outside your door on Imbolc it may be blessed by Brigid to be used in healing of headaches & sore throats.
Brigid was often called upon to protect newborns & mothers during childbirth.
She is a Goddess of poets & writers, sparking inspiration & creativity in many with her eternal flame. Also known as the Goddess of serenity and water, she governed wells of creativity & healing.
In some stories Brigid is not one, but three sisters all named Brigid & each sister represents an aspect of her personality - smithcraft, poetry & healing, in others she is one Goddess. Regardless of whether you believe she is one individual Goddess or three sisters; Brigid was so influential that during the conversion of Pagans to Christianity they found it so difficult to erase her they made her into a Saint. She has survived through time & many have begun to see her in her Goddess form once again.
There are different tales of marriage surrounding Goddess Brigid. The most common is where she marries King Bres, who was half formorion, in order to create an alliance between the tribes. They had a son, Ruadan, Ruadan fought against the Tuatha de Danaan in the second battle of Moytura. Ruadan fought his uncle the smith God Giobhniu of the Tuatha de Danaan & was slain during the battle. This is where keening was believed to have originated. A lament for the dead where one wails by the graveside. Brigid wailed so loudly & filled everyone with such sorrow they laid down their weapons. Keening became a tradition in Ireland thereafter. Keening is also associated with Banshees who wail for the dead.
As Brigid went to the battlefield & wailed for the death of Ruadan. This cemented her role as Goddess of life & rebirth, protector of cemeteries & bridge between the worlds. Many of her holy sites have cemeteries on them.
In another tale she is married to Tuireann & had three sons, Brian, Luchar and Ircharba. The three sons killed Cian as he tried to escape in pig form. Cian was the father of the God Lugh, Lugh demanded recompense from the brothers for the loss of his father. He set them almost impossible tasks & during the last one they were fatally wounded. Tuireann then died from grief shortly after.
Many call on Brigid for protection of their home & loved ones. People visit wells & rivers named in her honour to seek her healing.
Brigids origins & mythology vary, as do many God/Goddess stories. However smith, poetry & healing are a constant fixture in every tale. Brigid is a Goddess to work with when you find yourself lacking inspiration. She can be found in any creative project, her fire can bring knowledge, encouragement & wisdom. She can provide protection & reassurance, healing & comfort.
If any, which aspect of Brigid are you drawn to most? Poet, healer or smithcraft?
Personally I think of her often when I’m doing anything creative.
