Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 06.djvu/353

 Brigit of Dundalk, a district which was formerly part of Ulster. Her father, Dubhthach, was of the race of Eochaidh Finnfuathairt, grandson of Tuathal Teachtmhar, monarch of Erinn. Her mother Brotsech, or Broiccseach, who belonged to the Dal. Conchobar of South Bregia, was the bondmaid and concubine of Dubhthach. Dr. Lanigan will not hear of this, but the whole early history of Brigit, as told in the Irish life, rests on this fact. It may be observed that in this (as in other cases) there is a notable difference between the story told by Colgan and Lanigan from the Latin lives and the story given in the Irish life. In the former Brigit is a highly educated young lady of noble birth, whose acts are in accordance with the ecclesiastical and social usages of the seventeenth or eighteenth century. In the latter we breathe the atmosphere of an early age, where all is simple and homely, and peculiar customs in church and state meet us, nor did it appear to the writer that the accident of Brigit's birth should lessen our respect for her character and labours. It was an age when slavery existed in Ireland, and the relations between Dubhthach and his bondmaid excited the jealousy of his wife, in consequence of which he had eventually to sell her, retaining, however, a right to her offspring. Bought by a wizard, she was taken by him to Fochart, and there in due time Brigit was born A.D. 453. Here a legend is related, which is of some interest. The mother having gone out one day and left the child covered up in the house, 'the neighbours saw the house wherein was the girl all ablaze, so that the flame reached from earth to heaven ; but when they went to rescue the girl the fire appeared not.' This is one of those references to fire which occur so frequently in connection with St. Brigit as to lead to the conclusion that we have here 'incidents which originally belonged to the myth or ritual of some goddess of fire'. A similar conclusion has been drawn by Schröder from the legend of the demon smiths in the 'Navigation of St. Brendan,' which 'rests, he thinks, on the ground of a Celtic myth of Fire-giants.' It is suggestive that a goddess of the Irish pantheon who presided over smiths was named Brigit, which is interpreted in Cormac's 'Glossary' breo-shaigit, 'the fiery arrow.' Giraldus Cambrensis tells us that at Kildare St. Brigit had a perpetual ashless fire watched by twenty nuns, of whom herself was one, blown by fans or bellows only, and surrounded by a hedge, within which no male could enter.

As the child Brigit grew up, 'everything her hand was set to used to increase and reverence God ; she bettered the sheep ; she tended the blind ; she fed the poor.' But when she came to years of reflection she wished to go home, and the wizard having communicated with her father, he came for her and took her home. There her first care was for her foster mother, but she was not idle; she tended the swine, herded the sheep, and cooked the dinner, and it is characteristic that when 'a miserable greedy hound came into the house' she gave him a considerable part of the repast. And now the thought of her mother in bondage troubled her ; she asked her father's leave to go to her, but 'he gave it not,' so she went without it. 'Glad was her mother when she arrived,' for she was toil-worn and sickly. So Brigit took the dairy in hand, and all prospered, and in the end the wizard and his wife became Christians. Her success in the conversion of the people, then chiefly heathen, is referred to in Broccan's hymn, where she is said to be 'a marvellous ladder for pagans to visit the kingdom of Mary's Son.' On becoming a Christian the wizard generously said to her : 'The butter and the kine that thou hast milked I offer to thee ; thou shalt not abide in bondage to me, serve thou the Lord.' 'Take thou the kine,' she replied, 'and give me my mother's freedom.' But he gave her both, and so she dealt out the kine to the poor and needy, and returned with her mother to Dubhthach's house.

Some time after, Dubhthach and his consort determined to sell her, as 'he liked not his cattle and wealth to be dealt out to the poor, and that is what Brigit used to do.' Taking her in his chariot to the king of Leinster, he offered to sell her to him. 'Why sellest thou thine own daughter ?' said the king. 'She stayeth not,' replied Dubhthach, 'from selling my wealth and giving it to the poor.' The king said, 'Let the maiden come into the fortress.' When she was before him he said, 'Perhaps if I bought you you might do the same with my property.' 'The Son of the Virgin knoweth,' she replied, 'if I had thy might, with all Leinster, and with all thy wealth, I would give them to the Lord of the Elements.' The king then said 'her father was not fit to bargain for her, for her merit was higher before God than before men.' And thus the maiden obtained her freedom.

Dubhthach then tried to get her married, but she refused all offers, and at last he had to consent to her 'dedicating herself to the Lord.' On the occasion of her taking the veil 'the form of ordaining a bishop was read over her by Bishop Mel.' What this means it is not easy to say ; but it is probably intended to convey that he invested her with a rank