Brighid returns from the Otherworld.

Tomorrow is Lá Fhéile Bríde, Brighid’s Day and tonight after sunset she will emerge to walk the land.

There are many folk traditions associated with Brighid’s Eve in Ireland which welcome her return, one such is the Brát Bhrid, a piece of cloth, put outside the home on 31st January, at sunset. 

The Brát Bhrid was placed on a nearby bush, often a whitethorn, 

on a window sill or tied to the handle of the front door.

It was believed that Brighid would touch the brát and bestow it with healing which remained in the cloth, becoming more potent over time. 

Hands on the door of Saint Brigid's Parish Church, Kildare.

The brát is left over night and at sunrise the dew damp cloth was brought indoors and kept. 

It was laid on people to heal various ailments, to cure infertility in women and ease childbirth. Wearing the Brát Bhrid also saved young children from abduction by the Good People. 

The cloth was often of a specific colour; on the islands off Donegal, 

in Mayo and on Inishmurray, Sligo it was red, in Tipperary, black & in other areas white. 

The Brát usually consisted of a ribbon, a piece of linen or a garment.

According to author Fr Seán Ó Duinn Brighid is the only saint to return annually and her appearance on the eve of the fire festival, Imbolc, is one indication that her roots go back to the ancient goddess who is associated with healing, poetry and smith craft.

It is not only Brighid who returns tonight. 

The Good People will also emerge from the hills as the gates to the Otherworld open. 

A remnant of this belief was recorded in Donegal when a sheaf of corn and an oat cake were left outside on Brighid’s Eve to thank them for the harvest and to ensure good luck. 

On the old date for Imbolc, 4th February this year, sunlight enters several Neolithic mounds 

including the Mound of the Hostages at Tara above.

Celebrations at Imbolc, the first day of Spring and Lá Fhéile Bríde, traditionally take place around the home and unlike the other annual fire festivals there are no references to bonfires being lit on hill tops. 

Perhaps it was too cold to venture forth? 

Or perhaps the sacred fire was the goddess Brighid herself who dwelt in the Otherworld and would return annually to walk the land bestowing protection, fertility and health on people and animals.

In Christian iconography Brigid is often depicted with fire.

 Here she stands with her soulmate, the young woman St. Darlughdacha.

Not too far from my home is Cruachán Bríg Eile, Croghan Hill in Co. Offaly.

Known as the most isolated hill in Ireland, Croghan stands like an island in the surrounding bog and according to John Feehan it can be seen from 12 counties. 

The breast like Croghan Hill with its’ Neolithic passage grave on the summit 

provides a panoramic view.

Excavations in the area have revealed the presence of iron ore, stone hearths, 

ritual lake deposits & the bog body of  Old Croghan Man.

The Hill itself is an extinct volcano and folklore explains that its’ fire can be reached by entering the burial mound.

Locally it is believed that St. Brighid was born near Croghan and that Brigit Begoibne, Brigid the Smith, has her workshop beneath the hill. It is here, using skill, strength and fire that she works metal to create her beautiful cauldrons.

The Holy Well on Croghan is now dedicated to St. Patrick but the fiery goddess Brighid 

is still remembered with offerings of a Brigid’s Eye, red tinsel and yellow flowers.

As the sun sets this evening Brighid will emerge, flame bright, from the mound on Croghan Hill 

to travel the dark landscape blessing her people.

This is the traditional Manx 'Invocation to Bridget' by Emma Christian.

Translation:

"Bridget, Bridget, come to my house, 

come to my house tonight.

Open the door to Bridget, 

and let Bridget come in.

Bridget, Bridget, come to my house, 

come to my house tonight."

To read more about Brighid I thoroughly recommend 

‘Brigid - Meeting the Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Forge and Healing Well’ by Morgan Daimler 

which can be found HERE.

A new painting: The Fairy Mound.

As the sun sank beneath the land, Samhain began...

a door to the Otherworld opened...

from the mound the Good People emerged to travel across the island. 

The Fairy Mound © Jane Brideson

Offerings of cheese and milk were left outside.

The fire was banked. 

Bairín brac and a drop of the hard stuff were placed on the table before I made my way to bed.

Bairín brac

Sleep stole upon me as I heard the door latch lift and the chair before the fire creak.

The Old Ones had come home. 

Portrait of a Wise Woman.

Bean Fasa, Wise Woman © Jane Brideson 2015.

Inspired by the Wise Women of Ireland & the stories of Biddy Early

Model: Mary Kelly

In the past, within rural communities, women guided people through life's changes.
At child birth women would turn to the Handy Woman, Bean Ghúline, the country midwife,
who had visited the Otherworld to refine her skills.
At death it was the Keening Woman, Bean Chaointe, who provided an essential service at funerary rituals.
For life's troubles in between the Bean Fasa, the Wise Woman, was consulted.

The portrait includes Biddy's cottage, hearth & famous blue bottle.

One function of the Wise Woman was that of Bean Leighis, woman healer, who diagnosed the maladies of people
and animals. Her knowledge encompassed cures for bodily ailments as well as mental disorders
and afflictions which had their cause in the Otherworld.

Detail of herbs: 1 Beirbhéine Vervain, 2 Caorthainn corraigh Valerian, 3 Samhadh bó Sorrel, 

4 Athair Thalún Yarrow 5 Beathnua Baineann St. John's Wort. 

Also Airgead Luachra, Meadowsweet & Iúr sléibhe Sage.

Click HERE to read more about the uses of these herbs.

Often an older, single woman, she was a source of wisdom, particularly regarding the Good People from whom she gained her knowledge.
It was the local Wise Woman who was called upon when mysterious injuries or illnesses appeared, when the butter wouldn't come or a changeling was thought to lie in the crib.
Accounts tell of these woman being in regular contact with the fairies, gathering herbs at dawn
and dusk, often attended by a spirit and having the ability to foresee the future. 

Detail - hare & fairy mound.

Accounts tell of several Wise Women transforming into a hares.

One Bean Fasa, in Co. Kerry, was described as frequently falling into a trance at funeral wakes, returning to the assembled company with knowledge gained from the Otherworld.

Detail - Hag Stone.

It was believed that some could see the Good People 

when looking through a natural holed stone. 

The folklore surrounding these figures describes them as almost supernatural elders and
stories of their exploits span many generations. Some were real women, such as Biddy Early,
whilst others appear to be mythical. 

Detail - Biddy Early's cottage under a full moon. 

Water from the well, once near the roadside, flows beneath.

Folklore concerning Wise Women, such as Máire Ní Mhurchu of Bheara, often portray them as personifications of  THE CAILLEACH.

Indeed, the Wise Woman, who often opposed the church and man-made law, was a powerful female, an authority figure viewed in oral tradition as an embodiment of our ancient goddesses.

The Wise Women of Ireland are remembered and honoured by those who visit the places associated with these real and mythical women.

Offerings at Biddy early's cottage © Jane Brideson.

The Hag of Bheara at various times of the year with offerings © Jane Brideson.

I will be producing Art Cards & Prints of  'The Wise Woman'.
To pre-order & for more info please contact me HERE
or on my Facebook Page THE EVER-LIVING ONES


Information about the following Wise Women - Máire Ní Chearbhaill of Carbury,
Máire Ní Mhurchú of Bheara, P Ní L of Tuosist, Eibhlín Ní Ghuinnníola of Dingle,
Máire Liam of Kilworth & Biddy Early of Clare, can be found in
Gearóid Ó Crualaoich's 'The Book of the Cailleach'.

A visit to Biddy Early's - The Wise Woman of Clare

Last week I  travelled to County Clare to visit the remains of Biddy Early's cottage.
I was about to begin a new painting and as part of my research I looked for the photographs that I'd taken there nine years previously. I hunted high and low but they had gone.
Not only that but my friend, who had been with me back then, had also misplaced hers, so I left home
for a second pilgrimage to Feakle.

This time, alone, I found the over grown pathway which leads to the remains of Biddy's cottage. 

Biddy Early was a renowned herbalist and healer, using her cures to help both people and animals, skills which seem to have been handed down by her mother.
She was reputed to be in touch with the Good People and some in Clare viewed her as a descendant
of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
Many of those who sought her help travelled great distances and none were turned away from her door. For this service she took no money but would accept poitín, whiskey or food in return.

Her cottage, near Feakle, hidden in a tangle of trees and surrounded 
by greenery now stands forlorn.  

Biddy was born in 1798, the year of the Rebellion and baptised Bridget Connor, but she was always 

known by her mother's maiden name, Early.

Her parents died within six months of each other, forcing Biddy to leave home aged 16 and take to the 

roads. She went on to marry four times, surviving each of her husbands and her only child, Tom, 

who died of typhus aged eight. 

Her life was extremely hard and Biddy lived through famine, evictions, disease and forced emigrations. 

Looking through the doorway into the cottage with a chair left by a previous visitor.
On entering there is stillness, silence and an atmosphere which cannot be described.

Biddy's most mysterious power was reputed to lie in her famous Blue Bottle.
Where this bottle originated is unclear, some say her mother returned from the dead to give it to
her daughter, whilst others firmly believe that it was a gift from the Otherworld.
By looking into it she was said to predict futures and divine the source of illness so accurately that people from all over the country sought her help.

It was well known that Biddy was close to the Good People throughout her life and on occasion intervened to save those marked by the Sídhe who were due to be 'taken'. It was understood that she paid a price for this ability and was beaten by supernatural fists.

Her fame as a wise woman, who helped those in poverty and need, was considered by the church
to be dangerous and disruptive. Although she was well respected within her community the parish priest denounced Biddy from the altar and admonished people for visiting her.

Offerings, including a blue bottle, are left in remembrance of Biddy on the window sill inside. 
My own, a small white quartz pebble left 9 years ago, still lies there amongst the coins, 
jewellery, stones and shells.

In 1865 Biddy Early was accused of practicing witchcraft. 

During her trial in Ennis many people who had benefitted from Biddy's skills supported her and 

by the end most of her accusers had withdrawn their testimonies. 

She was acquitted of the charge due to lack of evidence. 

Three years later, aged 70, Biddy married for the last time. Her husband, Thomas, who was 40, 

passed away after a year and widowed once more, she spent her remaining days alone. 

Despite her fame and skill Biddy continued to spend her life in poverty.

In April 1873 Biddy Early died peacefully in her two roomed cottage, aged 75.

A priest was present at her death and she is buried in the local cemetery although her grave is unmarked.  At her funeral Father Dore of  Feakle is reported to have said,
“We thought we had a demon amongst us in poor Biddy Early, but we had a saint and we did
not know it.”

On her death the famous Blue Bottle was thrown into the nearby lake, now a bog.
Although it has been searched for since, the bottle was never found and it is understood that the
Good People took it back.

Biddy's renovated cottage as seen in the RTÉ film.

In the late 1960's a local man, Dr. Bill Loughnane, reconstructed and furnished Biddy's cottage,
as can be seen in this short RTÉ film - link below. According to stories the doctor had nothing but misfortune following this venture and the building was left to fall.

CLICK HERE to visit RTÉ  and watch archive footage inside Biddy's cottage.

Such is the enduring nature of Biddy Early's legacy that 142 years later, people here are still wary
of her powers and she is named by some as a wise woman, by others a witch.

The gable end of the cottage & nook next to the fireplace where a visitor had recently rested.

Standing there alone I felt a curious atmosphere in the remains of her cottage.
After taking the photos you see above, I turned to take a shot of the hearth when my camera stopped working. I felt my presence had been tolerated for long enough so I left.

The folklorist Eddie Lenihan talked with many people whose families had personal contact with Biddy. You can listen to Eddie and local residents reflect on the Wise Woman in this video:

Eddie's book 'The Search for Biddy Early' can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/Search-Biddy-Early-Edmund-Lenihan/dp/0853428204

'Biddy Early - The Wise Woman of Clare' by Meda Ryan is here:
http://www.mercierpress.ie/irish-books/biddy_early/

Otherworld shenanigans- Digging for Gold.

The field of the Fairy Path - © Jane Brideson 2015

It was on an evening such as this back in the 1970's, when there was a good stretch in the day and work on the land was done, that Jim and his friends decided to dig for gold.

Everyone knew the story about the treasure that was buried in the Lough Field and how the place was home to the Good People, which was why no one had dared to go looking for it before.

The lads believed the story about hidden riches, for hadn't gold been found in Offaly just down the road?
The thought of wealth won out against their fear of the fairies' displeasure and they decided to
go ahead with the search.

The Lough Field is large so firstly they needed to find the right spot.
Advice was sought from Jack D, a well known dowser, who had found water sources for most of
the domestic wells in the locality. Jack was interested in archaeology so gladly took his hazel rod to
the field. He walked its' length and breadth and finally the rod twitched and the old dowser was convinced he'd found the right spot.

The Diviner - Pic © 'Ireland: the living landscape' by Tom Kelly, Peter Somerville-Large & Seamus Heaney.
The book can be found HERE

At first the lads used spades but it was heavy going and they realised it would take days.
Things looked bleak until someone suggested borrowing a digger.
The machine was brought and despite the boggy conditions the earth was scooped up into the bucket then deposited in a mound.

Pic © skyscraper city.com

The mound got higher and the hole got deeper.
They reached a depth of thirty feet when the sides of the hole began to collapse.
Looking down into darkness the lads realised they had reached the bottom of Lough Duff.

The sun began to sink in the western sky and there was a chill in the air.

Sunset from the Lough Field 2014 © Jane Brideson.

They remembered the tales of the Good People and just as they were about to give up and go home there was a loud sucking sound and the digger brought up one final massive lump of earth.

As the bucket was lowered it became clear that this was more than wet turf.

Something large and heavy lay before them. 

"This is it" thought the lads, the gold was found and they would soon be rich!
Everyone took a hand cleaning away the mud until finally the treasure was revealed. 

Something had indeed been buried in the lough many years ago but it wasn't gold. 

"And begob" Jim said to me "if it wasn't a canoe!"
Before them lay an ancient dug out canoe.
It was long, dark and looked like a hollowed out log, shaped to travel through shallow water.

From Jim's description the Lough Duff canoe was similar to the picture above 

& may have been crafted in the Bronze Age circa 2,200 BCE. Pic © prehistoricwaterford.com

In the twilight the questions began: Was it worth anything? Whose boat was it? 
How old was it? Did it sink with a man on board, if so where was the body? 

A number of dug-out canoes have been uncovered in Ireland. 

They appear to have been used for travel on small rivers, lakes & used for fishing.

The canoe above was discovered when Lough Derryvaragh was drained & where, 

according to legend, some of the Tuatha De Danann settled.  

Even more worrying was the fact that it may not have belonged to a mortal at all. 

Everyone knew that there had been an island in the lough belonging to the Good People so perhaps 
it was a fairy boat from the Otherworld. 
Had they disturbed Them?  What would happen to the lads now?

This was serious and as all thoughts of wealth vanished they discussed their options. 
Finally it was decided to fetch the priest who was over from America visiting his relations nearby. 

"If anyone knew what was to be done, it was him" Jim explained.

The priest arrived and after berating them for their foolishness in messing with the Lough Field, 
he wisely told them to put the canoe back where it had lain for all those years.
If they didn't follow his advice and bury the boat, he told them, no good would come of their actions 
and they would have no luck.
And so it was done. 

The canoe was returned to the earth, the turf replaced and soon reeds covered the spot again.

Lough Field 2015 © Jane Brideson.

That was forty years ago. 
Jack, the dowser, along with Jim and the other lads are no longer with us, so there is no one left who remembers the spot where the canoe rests.
As I walk the Lough Field to cut the reeds each Brigid's Eve I remember them all on that evening 
and how the place still holds its secret, not gold but treasure of a different kind.



The 'Otherworld Shenanigans' posts are based upon the tales and reminiscences of my elderly neighbour, Jim, who lived his life in the same house he was born in. 

Jim died several years ago and is remembered as a real character by those who knew him.

Midsummer fires across the land.

As the Midsummer sun bathes the land, Áine's heat brings a mantle of green to the countryside. Walking along the dusty lane the scent of honeysuckle, wild rose and sweet pea wafts from the hedgerows.

© Jane Brideson
Meadowsweet, which folklore explains was given its' scent by the goddess Áine, will soon add to this heady perfume.

A haze lies across the distant mountains and the field margins glow with ox-eye daisies and celandine.

© Jane Brideson

A languor seems to permeate the countryside and the song of the river is almost silent.

In contrast to the brightness of the day, the fairy mounds nearby are shadowed in the deepest green
as the Good People await Midsummer. 

© Jane Brideson

Then, in the twilight, from each province of Ireland it is believed, they will stream towards Áine's
home on Knockainey, Cnoc Áine, each carrying a lighted torch, a wisp or cliar, to honour the goddess.

PIC ©themodernantiquarian.com

Visit the homeplace of Áine at Voices from the Dawn

The goddess Áine herself has been seen leading the procession upon her hill and whilst the Otherworldly ones carry their torches human residents traditionally lit bonfires on St. John's Eve.

All across Ireland communal fires would be lit by local people with the high point of summer celebrated by music, song and jumping the bonfire.
Women leapt the flames to procure a good marriage and those who were pregnant, did so to ensure an easy delivery. As couples jumped together the outcome of their relationship could be foretold from the flickering of the flames.
The ashes from these bonfires were later scattered on the crops to ensure a bountiful harvest.

Small family fires were lit to protect the household and in many areas it was customary to bring back
an ember or charred wood from the communal fire and put it on the hearth.
Ashes were also kept for luck, as a cure for various ailments or to bring a peaceful death to the elderly.

Fire on the hearth © Jane Brideson

As the light fades into twilight here our small fire will be lit in the garden to honour Áine,
whose brightness and radiance ripens the crops and blesses the harvest.

Midsummer fire at home © Jane Brideson.

'Midsummer -Áine agus Grian' by Gaol Naofa  

New painting: Tea with the Bean an Tí.

Let me introduce you to the Bean an Tí, the woman of the house, who continues the old tradition of hospitality for which Ireland is renowned.
This custom stems from ancient times when along the major roads of Ireland there stood houses of hospitality set at the junctions which were open to all travellers.

The Ban an Tí  always has the kettle on to provide visitors and family with a good, strong cup of tea often accompanied by home baking.
The willow pattern tea set she uses was common in many homes and is still sold today.
My grandmother owned a set, as I do, and sometimes when digging in the garden I find broken pieces of crockery of the same design faded over the years and discarded  by previous occupants.

My kitchen shelf

In the past it was considered a sign of hospitality and respect to offer a visitor a cut of  new bread
still warm from baking.
Soda bread recipes were passed down through generations of women and are often a closely guarded secret but in common with all homemade soda the dough is shaped into a round and using a knife,
is marked with an equal-armed cross before baking.

This cross allows the bread to rise evenly without splitting but is also believed to let the fairies out
and protect the bread from mischievous spirits so that the loaf doesn’t burn.

Cooking on the hearth © europeancuisines.com

Soda bread would originally have been baked on griddles or in a black iron pot over a turf fire on
the hearth.The first written recipe in Ireland dates from 1836 and soda bread was made throughout the country because it was the least expensive bread to put on the table.

 Making the Brigid's cross Pic © Séan Gilmartin.
You can view us making the crosses HERE

Up until the last century, on the eve of  Brigid's day, the Bean an Tí made a Brigid's cross then passed
it around her body three times.
She would walk outside to circle the house three times then the cross would be welcomed into the front door by the family and hung over the kitchen door as protection from fire, fever and famine.

In Kerry it was customary for the Bean an Tí to put a pin into the brídeog, a home made representation of Brigid, when it was brought in to the house & leave it there as offering.

In many areas the original role of the Bean an Tí has almost disappeared with many women choosing or needing to work outside the home.
However, within the Gaeltacht, Irish-speaking areas, the Bean an Tí has risen in importance as woman take in students who wish to learn Irish in a family setting.
They not only provide lodging, meals and education but are an important source of income in these mostly rural areas and can be seen as protectors of the Irish language and culture.

The tradition of hospitality, so vital to our ancestors, is still important today when Ireland extends a welcome to thousands of visitors each year and it continues in homes where the Bean an Tí puts the kettle on to boil for a pot of tea.

You can watch Jack from Killorglin, Kerry make a traditional loaf & talk about soda bread:

If you would like to try your hand at making soda bread you will find a basic recipe here:

Soda bread recipe