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This magnificent hand-forged steel Brigid's Cross is made by traditional blacksmith Tom King 'An Gobha' at his forge in Bohermeen, in the heart of the Boyne Valley, Co. The practice of crafting Brigid's crosses declined in the 20th century, however, in part due to house renovations that made hanging them difficult. The Celtic festival of Imbolc was renamed St Brigid’s Day and the making and displaying of Brigid’s Crosses merged with the ‘new’ Christian celebration on February 1st. If you want to make a cross that will last, you will need to use stems that have already been dried and soak them for a short while beforehand.
Families may also send woven crosses to their friends and relatives who live abroad, or they will carry a cross with them when they leave Ireland. I am guessing that there are a lot of people eagerly awaiting spring this year, so as we have reached the half-way point between winter solstice and the spring equinox, I thought that I would share this little tutorial with you.
He grew increasingly enraged, considering her a lowly servant, and tried to sell her to the King of Leinster. It is an ancient Celtic symbol, deeply rooted in pagan mythology and associated with the goddess Brigid. The most respected and revered of all was in County Kildare – leading to her name, Brigid of Kildare. After much campaigning in Ireland, in 2023, the 1st of February will become a public holiday in honour of our Brigid. She lives on even in language— Brid agus Muire dhuit is still a common greeting, meaning “May Brigid and Mary be with you.
The weaving of crosses was not restricted to Brigid's feast day: friends would often gift crosses to incur blessings and strengthen their bond, [28] while newlywed couples would often receive "womb crosses" to hang above their door, as Brigid was also a patron of fertility. After an evening feast, the head of household would supervise the rest of the family as they wove crosses from the collected material. A collection of Brigid's crosses collected by the Irish Folklore Commission is on display at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life. Brigid’s crosses before putting them up in their homes, signifying its religious importance in Ireland’s culture.He jokingly agreed to give her as much as her cloak could cover, but her cloak somehow expanded to cover several acres of land!
Whatever the chosen material, it was sprinkled with holy water beforehand and a prayer to welcome the saint into the home was often recited. Since that day, and for the centuries that followed, it has been customary on the eve of her Feast Day (1st February) for the Irish people to fashion a St.Brigid’s Cross, made from woven rushes, is thought to keep evil, fire and hunger from the homes in which it is displayed. Saint Brigid’s Cross is an iconic symbol associated with Saint Brigid’s Day that has endured over the centuries. It is not traditional, but it holds the cross together well even after it shrinks a little when the rushes dry out. As Saint Brigid sat by his bedside, the chieftain’s curiosity was piqued by the woven rushes strewn across the floor. Holding the centre tightly, turn the three reeds 90 degrees anti-clockwise so that the open ends of the third reed are pointing upwards.
Brigid, being highly revered by the Celtic people, underwent a transformation from the goddess Brigid to St.Brigid is said to have sat by his bed, consoling and calming him and it is here that she picked up the rushes from the floor and began weaving them into the distinctive cross pattern. The monastery would become extremely successful, partly because it catered to both nuns and monks as well as laypeople. As a patron saint, she looks over many: babies, children born out of wedlock, midwives, poets and scholars, travelers and seafarers, fugitives, blacksmiths, healers, Irish nuns, and farmers.
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