Celtic jewelry and the story of St. Brigid's cross

There is one great thing about anything that relates to Ireland and that is the fact everything, be it the tradition of St. Patrick's day or the Cliffs of Mohan, literally everything has a story. And the same rule applies to Irish Celtic jewelry. Each delicately crafted piece has a legend behind it.

And you cannot get more Irish than the story of St. Brigid and her cross. It's a beautiful representation of how the Pagan and the Christian mythology is weaved together and makes for the rich tapestry of Irish history.

The story of St. Brigid's Cross cannot be told without telling the story of St. Brigit first. She is considered as one of the patron saints of Ireland (much like St. Patrick) and her feast day is on February 1st.

Brigid was born out of wedlock between Dubhthack, who was a pagan chieftain of Leinster, and Brocessa, one of his slaves. Because the child was a girl, the mother was sold to Connaught and the little girl was given to a Druid to be educated. She was raised a pagan and the exact time of her conversion to Christianity is still uncertain but once she converted to Christianity, Brigid is believed to have formed a convent in Clara, Co. Offaly.

But it was the abbey in Kildare that she became famous for after all she is considered to be the guiding force behind the first female Christian community in Ireland. When she came to Kildare she extinguished the ritual fire of the Druids and lit a new fire dedicated to Christ which remained burning long after she was gone. Not to mention that the abbey in Kildare became one of the strongholds of learning in Europe. St. Brigid was revered by men and women alike for her gentle spirit, common sense and charitable work. She was laid to rest in 525 AD at Kil Dara.

In 835 AD her remains were moved to a tomb in Downpatrick that is also believed to hold the remains of other 2 of Ireland's most cherished saints St. Patrick and St. Columcille.

St. Brigid's Cross is also known in Gaelic as Cros Brde and it is believed to have been inspired by the pagan sun wheel. And although the interpretations of this story are plentiful, the legend goes that a pagan chieftain of a neighboring village was on his death bed and delirious. St. Brigit was sent to talk to him about Christ.

Since the man was completely incoherent, St. Brigit started to console him and she picked up the rushes that were strewn across the floor and started to weave them into a cross.

The chieftain was shaken from his delirium and asked her what she was doing. She told him the story of Christ and the cross. The sick chieftain listened to her with interest and before he died he converted to Christianity and was baptized.

Since then, on February 1st on the day of St. Brigid's liturgical celebration and what is also considered to be the first day of spring in Ireland the crosses made of rushes are weaved.

And while you might be hard stretched to find St. Brigid's cross on display in urban parts of Ireland, in the rural areas they are still on display especially since the belief is that they protect the house from evil and fire. One place in urban Ireland where you can be certain you will find an example of St. Brigid's cross is the Irish Celtic jewelers, who use its design as an inspiration for pendants.

Even though St. Brigid might be long gone, she is still one of Ireland's most celebrated patron saints much in the same rank as St. Patrick.

The woman of gentle spirit, who befriended people and animals alike, who dedicated her life to Christ, is still remembered today not only in Ireland but also in continental Europe where her teachings have spread over time.

About the author: L Maher is a content writer who writes and researches about gorgeous and extraordinary Celtic jewelry, as well as Irish culture and history. Get more information regarding Celtic jewelry.