Saint David, the Patron Saint of Wales, holds the distinction among other Celtic Saints of being born in the area of which he is the Patron Saint. St. David believed in a simple life and followed his beliefs. For instance, he drank only water, did not eat meat, and shunned personal possessions. He expected his followers to do the same.
Perhaps, the most famous miracle attributed to St. David was causing the ground to rise beneath him when those at the back of the crowd complained he could not be seen. St. David was responsible for establishing churches and settlements throughout Wales. St. David’s Cathedral stands on the site of the monastery he established.
St. David’s symbol is the leek and St. David’s day is celebrated on March 1 the day of his death at 100 around 590 A.D. It is said that his last words to his followers were “Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.” This has been shortened to the popular expression “Do the little things in life.”
St. Brigid is greatly revered in Ireland. Such reverence is not surprising given the stories associated with her life.
The stories associated with her early life illustrate the point pretty well. The story of her birth has several variations (of poor Christian parents, of noble birth, of an illicit relationship). In the illicit relationship version, she is banished by her father’s wife. The father insists on her return. Thus, the mother tries to make Brigid’s life miserable. However, the young Brigid takes it all in stride and whenever she could, she gave whatever she had to the poor. This infuriated her parents so they sent her to live with her mother who was in bondage to a Druid. He also tried to make Brigid’s life miserable and made her work long hours in the dairy. Brigid responded by giving dairy products to the poor. The Druid tried to stop this but noticed he actually had more to sell than he had had before Brigid started giving things to the poor. Giving alms to the poor was Brigid’s way of giving to the Almighty. She did this throughout her life. Because Brigid was doing well her parents brought her back home and tried to find her a suitor. She refused. The parents told her that she was so attractive that a man would take her forcibly if didn’t marry. To avoid either option she mutilated her face and kept giving her parents things to the poor so they finally agreed to let her become a nun. The story goes on but you get the idea. Brigid had a clear notion of what her mission was very early in life. It was to serve God by assisting the poor, sick, and injured.
She eventually established a monastery getting land for it from the King. The King was not keen on giving her land so she asked him to just give her as much land as her cloak would cover. He readily agreed. When she laid down her cloak, it spread over an enormous area. There are many miracles performed by Brigid but this one persists. People to this day pray for the protection of Brigid’s cloak.
There are at least two versions of the creation of St. Brigid’s Cross (depicted in the accompanying illustration). One version is that she wove it to pass the time while attending to her father on his deathbed. He wanted to know what it was. She explained it represented the cross on which Christ was crucified. Although a pagan, he was so moved he accepted Christianity before he passed away (in another version it is a local Chieftain rather than her father).
As you might expect, Brigid’s cross is held in high regard. For example, it is thought that displaying the cross in one’s home will protect the inhabitants.
There is also some thought that St. Brigid and the three Brigid’s of pagan origin are related. Given the overlap of the roles of the three Brigids and the roles St. Brigid fills, one can see the possibility of these Brigids being interrelated.
St. Brendan, typically called Brendan the Navigator, is one of the most famous of the Irish Saints. His fame comes largely from a journey he made across the Atlantic some 900 years before Columbus (fairly well established by folk lore and some ancient scholarly manuscripts). He was committed to spreading the word of God and undertook this voyage to do just that. Indications are that he landed somewhere in America (referred to as the “Isle of the Blessed” in the legends) and spent seven years there. After returning to Ireland, he established a monastery near the river Shannon. St. Brendan died in the year 577 at the age of 94. As might be expected, he is the patron saint of sailors/travelers.
The Fir (Ailm) has been important to humans for eons. To the Celts it stood for resilience, honesty and truth. It may have acquired these associations because it can withstand extreme conditions all the while standing tall and true.
The Ogham symbol for Ailm (Fir) is a bar with a slash through it and corresponds to “A” in the English alphabet (see accompanying image).
The birch tree represents beginning, renewal, and youth. This is probably due to the fact that Birch trees are the first to establish themselves in new areas…areas in which other trees cannot grow. Folklore holds that Celts would not cut down birch trees even if they were sorely needed for firewood or shelter.
Ogham script (an early form of writing developed by the Druids….Celtic priests) was intimately tied to trees. The Ogham symbol linked with the Birch tree (Beith) appears below, the English equivalent is “B”.
As might be expected, the Apple tree (Ceirt) is/was held in high regard by the Celts. Its delicate, fragrant spring blossoms lifts/lifted spirits and was a sign of beauty/love. The fruit is/was thought to help transport one into the spiritual realm. This is/was particularly true when cider was allowed to ferment and the “hard” cider consumed.
The Ogham symbol for Ceirt appears below. It translates as “Q” in English.
The oak tree is/was greatly revered by the Celts for its nobility, strength, and stability.
The Ogham symbol associated with the oak tree appears in the accompanying graphic. The Ogham name for oak was Dair. Thus, this symbol represents “D” in Ogham script.
The Alder tree (Fern in Ogham and F in the Ogham alphabet) is often found near water. Its roots stabilize stream banks, give shelter to various aquatic creatures, and its decomposing leaves add considerable nutrient value to the water. Not surprisingly then the Alder was associated with nurturing/giving. It was also a sign of strength and passion.
The Ogham symbol for F (standing for Fern or as indicated above Alder) appears in the accompanying graphic.
Edad (Aspen) stands for transition and vision. Its ever-changing leaf pattern tends to capture your attention/imagination. Celts believed Aspens could help you move into a higher plane of consciousness…a means to get in touch with the cosmos if you will.
The Ogham symbol for Edad (Aspen) appears in the accompanying graphic. It translates as an “E” in the English language.
Ivy (Gort to the Celts) is a hardy vine. It withstands harsh conditions and will often regrow when cut back severely. It was a sign of friendship to the Celts. Its interwoven pattern likened to the many twists/turns of friendship, the need to rely on one another, to trust one another, and to appreciate differences. The five pointed leaves were seen by some as representative of the 4 seasons with the fifth being the harmony between the seasons.
The Ogham symbol for “G” (Gort or Ivy in English) appears below. In addition to representing “G” in writing, it carries with it the notion of friendship and harmony.
