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

 Bridget wa s heard by startled Druids coming across 



Shores the hills and forest lands of Gau1 ' the Gaels 

 worshipped a Brigade or Bride, goddess of 



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

 Gaelic islesman 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 

 Brighid-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 



