Irish Folk Beliefs -Saint Brigid Crosses and Charms

Irish Folk Beliefs - Saint Brigid Crosses and Charms R. A O’Reilly PhD. Pagan Ireland, 2024, 3, 17-20. Evidence from antiquaries, folklore and a few archaeological texts reveal that a variety of charms were once widely used throughout Ireland to safeguard against supernatural beings and misfortune up until the early 20 th century (O’Reilly 2010). This author has previously discussed evidence of Irish folk magic practices concerning the use of witch (hag) stones and concealed horse skulls in Pagan Ireland (2022) Winter and (2023) Autumn editions. In this article the writer outlines evidence of Saint Brigid crosses, also referred to as Candlemas crosses, which functioned not only as a religious symbol but also as a talisman to protection against misfortune (Andrews 1913). However, it is first necessary to outline a brief background regarding the popularity of this saint along with the custom of making such crosses, which likely dates to pre-Christian practices, before we consider what impact they had among the Irish folk population. Saint Brigid Traditions: The 1st of February marks the feast day of Saint Brigid and also the start of spring. The day was celebrated with a festive meal and various customs aimed at honouring the saint and gaining her protection. According to O’ Riordan (1951, 90) the feast day marks the end of harsh weather as it was considered “Brigid takes away the winter”. Going forward people would expect to see better weather conditions, the birth of animals and good crop and dairy production. It was therefore important to safeguard against ill luck and misfortune and ensure blessings for the family home, crops and animals at this time (O'Sullivan 1973). According to Evans (1957) the saint’s popularity did not come about simply because she was Irish but because her feast day is associated with the start of the pastoral year. As such Saint Brigid is traditionally regarded as the patroness of cattle and dairy production and is often depicted in medieval Christian art with a cow, a pair of milk pails or a sheaf of corn (Buchanan 1962). O Suilleabhain wrote in the journal of the Royal Society of Antiquities of Ireland 1945 that “Every manifestation of the cult of the saint (or of the deity she replaced) is closely bound up in some way with food production and this must be the chief line of approach to the study of this spring festival” (Mason 1945, 164). The journal includes responses of a questionnaire sent out by the Irish Folklore Commission in 1942 regarding the feast of Saint Brigid. One reply from William Carroll of Athea reported that his grandfather hung a bag containing bacon slices with the Saint Brigid cross which was place above the door during the vigil on Saint Brigid’s Eve “in order to ensure a plentiful year” (Mason 1945, 162). Food offerings were also recorded from Counties Mayo, Galway, Sligo, Monaghan, Donegal, Clare, Tipperary, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford where it was customary to leave a cake on the doorstep outside the home on Saint Brigid’s Eve (31st of January) as a tribute to obtain the Saint’s blessing and ensure good crop growth. Furthermore, Mason (1954) explains that in some rural districts a hen was killed on the eve of Saint Brigid and the blood was sprinkled in the four corners of the room before the cross was erected and in counties Cork, Kerry and Limerick head family members would trace a cross on their forearms using charred sticks. It was once commonly believed that Saint Brigid travelled throughout Ireland on the eve of her feast day and bestowed blessings on the buildings where crosses were hung as a tribute to her. It is therefore not surprising that one of the most popular practises for celebrating the saint was by collecting rushes and fashioning them into various forms of crosses on Saint Brigid’s eve (Danagher 1972, Monardo 2016). Evans (1957) explains that rushes were to be pulled out of the earth and fashioned from left to right. Crosses where also sometimes fashioned from straw, wool, charred sticks, goose quills, tin and wire to create a contrasting colourful effect. They were considered to act as a charm which would protect the house and livestock from fire, illness, disasters and supernatural beings (Buchanan 1962, Mason 1954). Holy water would be sprinkled upon them and prayers said to evoke a blessing upon the charm and to whoever was in possession of it (Lucas 1952, Ballard 1979). A priest would bless them during mass and they were often gifted to friends and neighbours to increase the blessing by acts of bestowal. By the 2nd of February the crosses were positioned above the doorway inside the home, over a bed, hearth or beneath the thatched roof and remained in their locations until the following year when new ones were fashioned to take their place (Patterson 1955). The crosses which were no longer in use would be buried in the fields to convey the Saint’s blessing to crops or burnt as, according to an account regarding the disposal of blessed objects “anything blessed must be burnt” (Buchanan 1962, 34), Pre Christian Symbol: It has long been theorised that the representation of Saint Brigid derived from pre Christian pagan societies and that the historical figure replaced an earlier deity called Bride, also known as Brigid. In Irish Mythology Bride is the daughter of Dagda, chief of the Tuatha dé Danann, and her feast day, Imbolc, was celebrated on the 1st of February (Monardo 2016). The goddess is associated with the triple form and, like Saint Brigid, is linked to fertility, spring and the protection of animals. It is considered that these virtues were transferred to Saint Brigid during the conversion to Christianity (Lucas 1952, Patterson 1955). The earliest reference to Saint Brigid crosses dates to the 17th century. However, the designs are suggested to be based upon ancient swastika and lozenge symbols, which pre dates Christianity, and are connected to the sun, fertility and crop symbols (Buchanan 1962, Evens 1957). The Lozenge is a well-known charm symbol in Africa, Mexico and North America and the swastika symbol has been discovered on pottery from around the globe and has been linked to lunar and fertility symbols on Greek urns dating to 3000 BC (Lowenstein 1941, Goodrick-Clarke 2000). According to Mason (1954) these symbols may have been introduced into Ireland as early as the 3rd Century BC as a result of Greek influence which account for swastika and geometric designs found on early Irish Christian monuments such as stone pillars at Cliffoney County Sligo and at Cloon West County Kerry (Wright 1894). Ross (1982) explains that the Catholic Church incorporated pagan symbols in order to convert worshippers of the goddess Bride and Mason (1945) proposes that the three-armed cross (Fig.1) was originally a pagan sun symbol which merged with Catholic practises during the national conversion to Christianity. As such the Irish population continued to fashion charms into crosses to protect farmhouses and cattle from evil spirits (Evans 1957). Saint Brigid Crosses: Saint Brigid crosses are divided into different types known as Latin styled crosses, lozenge (diamond) crosses, swastika four-armed or legged crosses and swastika threearmed or legged crosses (Ballard 1979). The Latin style crosses consist of plait like designs which would have required some skill due to the variations that produced a lace like effect (documented in Patterson 1945, pages 16-17). Lozenge style crosses were made throughout Ireland and were common in Counties Donegal and Armagh (Danagher 1972). The Ulster folk and Transport Museum (UFTM) have a collection of various lozenge crosses which were made of rushes, straw and wire. Some are elaborate in design such as the ‘Chalice’ cross (Fig.2 and 3). It is made up of several woven straw diamond crosses which were arranged on a cross shaped foundation and woven together using wire which would have been used as display pieces inside the house rather than outside (Ballard 1979) Fig 1. Left, three-armed cross, Right four legged cross with lozenge (diamond), UFTM collection (Author’ images). Fig 2. Left, four-armed interlace cross County Derry. Right, lozenge cross ‘Chalice’ County Tyrone. UFTM Collection (Author’ images). Fig 3. Left, Lozenge cross, made from oat straws Loughmacrory, County Tyrone. Right, Lozenge cross woven from straw and wool UFTM Collection (Author’ image). The simplest and most popular to fashion was the four-armed swastika cross which uses four rushes that are doubled over each other to form an over lapping cross (Danagher 1972). The more elaborate design of this version were once popular in Counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal and were fashioned by interlacing a number of rushes, reeds or strands of straw into a crisscross pattern followed by tying off the four projecting ends (Patterson 1945). A sub type of the swastika form is the threearmed cross which was made alongside the four-armed cross in Counties Antrim, Armagh, Down and Donegal and was reported to have hung in byres while the fourarmed cross was reserved for the house (Danagher 1972). Mason (1945) suggestions that the reason for this is due to the three-armed cross being connected to pagan origins which resulted in a compromise of using the four-armed cross in the house for human protection and the three-armed cross in the byre to protect cattle from witchcraft. Mason (1945) concluded this based upon his own experience when trying to obtain a three-armed cross in County Donegal. The folklorist noticed the cross in a dwelling house and enquired as to why it was not in the byre and asked the owner if they could make one for him. The owner declined and instead made a four-armed cross. This reluctant attitude led Mason to conclude that the custom of making the three-armed crosses demonstrated virtue to the symbol which was not of Christian origin. While this theory may be partly true it is however worth noting that Patterson (1945) includes a letter from folklorist Evans in 1939 who reported finding several three and four-armed crosses being used together in County Antrim. Furthermore, the results from the 1942 Irish Folklore Commission questionnaire did not suggest that the threearmed cross was more important than any others (Mason 1945). The survey revealed that the positioning of the three-armed cross was an exception rather than the rule and that they were often used in byres whereas four-armed crosses where hung in stables and dwelling houses in Counties Donegal, Antrim and Armagh and in outhouses in Counties Louth, Meath, Cavan, Longford, Leitrim, Down, Monaghan, Sligo and Kilkenny. Summary: The aforementioned folklore accounts demonstrate that the feast of Saint Brigid had its origins in pre Christian society and was celebrated throughout Ireland with various traditions. It was a time of feasting, making merry and welcoming the return of spring and with it new life and growth. Saint Brigid’s Eve was likely a communal event with efforts made to fashion crosses / talismans to pay tribute to the saint and thus earn her blessings and protection upon the buildings, and their inhabitants, which displayed her symbol. The fact that the crosses were made annually and that some were fashioned in various forms with considerable effort demonstrates that the tradition of honouring the saint was taken in all earnest. While the custom of celebrating Saint Brigid’s eve has mostly died out some rural communities and catholic homes still welcome the coming of Saint Brigid, all be it on a smaller scale. For instance, this writer has observed in Keady, Co. Armagh that a cloth is left outside the home on Saint Brigid’s eve for the saint to bless. It can then be used as a cure for headaches and score throats throughout the year. Fashioning crosses also remains in some communities and they are still gifted to friends and family and observed above doorways and hearths in catholic and pagan homes. It is hoped that the folklore accounts concerning Saint Brigid crosses discussed in this article helps to highlight this charms existence, how they were once used and the pre Christian beliefs surrounding them which has survived into present times.