St. in the East ; before ever the first bell of Christ 



Bridget was heard by startled Druids coming across 



Shores the hills and forGSt lands ° f Gau1, the GadS 

 worshipped a Brighde or Bride, goddess of 



women, of fire, of poetry. When, to-day, a 



Gaelic islcsman alludes to Bridget of the 



Songs, or when a woman of South Uist prays 



to Good St. Bride to bless the empty cradle 



that is soon to be filled, or when a shennachie 



or teller of tales speaks of an oath taken by 



Bridget of the Flame, they refer, though 



probably unconsciously, to a far older Brighid 



than do they who speak with loving familiarity 



of Muime Chriosd, Christ's Foster Mother, or 



Brigkid-nam-Bratta, St. Bride of the Mantle. 



They refer to one who in the dim, far-off days 



of the forgotten pagan world of our ancestors 



was a noble and great goddess. They refer to 



one to whom the women of the Gael went 



with offerings and prayers, as went the women 



of ancient Hellas to the temples of Aphrodite, 



as went the Syrian women to the altars of 



Astarte, as went the women of Egypt to the 



milk-fed shrines of Isis. They refer to one 



whom the Druids held in honour as a torch 



bearer of the eternal light, a Daughter of the 



Morning, who held sunrise in one hand as a 



little yellow flame, and in the other held the 



red flower of fire without which men would 



78 



