^{Like Artemis and Diana, Brigit watches over childbirth. She is
considered the midwife to the Blessed Virgin and thus the foster mother
of Christ. Her feast of purification, Imbolc, is the first of February.
This festival celebrated the lactation of the ewes, symbolic of new life
and the coming of spring. Milk was poured as an offering on the ground.
The dandelion was Brigit's flower; it has a milky juice that was
believed to provide nourishment to young lambs.
Special cakes were baked on her day, and dolls in her image were carried
by girls in procession through the town. At each household they would
stop while the householder made a present to Bride and paid homage to
her, the gift could be a pebble, shell, or flower. The mother of each
household baked a special cake for her. Finally the girls ended up at
one house where they locked all the doors and windows, setting the doll
in the window where she might be seen. Then the dancing began which
continued until dawn, when they formed a circle to sing the hymn
"Beaueous Bride, Choice Foster-Mother of Christ." While the young people
were dancing the older women were busy fashioning a cradle, the Bed of
Bride. They also made a doll out of corn sheaf and decorated it with
shells, stones, flowers, and ribbons. When the doll was ready one woman
went to the door and called, "Bride's Bed is ready." Another replied,
"Let Bride come in; Bride is welcome." Then the icon was placed in the
bed along with peeled wand of birch, broom, or bramble white willow
(wood being considered sacred). At this point the ashes on the hearth
were leveled, for the next morning they hoped to find evidence
(footprints) that Bride had visited them, an omen of great prosperity
(McNeill 1959: 22-28).
Paying homage to Bride, the presentation of gifts, making dolls, baking
of special cakes, welcoming of the Saint in each house, and expectation
of her visit as a blessing must have roots deeper than the last
centuries of paganism; much of it carries on Neolithic traditions.}

The Language of the Goddess