Saint Brigid of Kildare : life, legend and cult / Noel Kissane.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kissane, Noel, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Brigid, of Ireland, Saint, approximately 453-approximately 524.

Brigid.

Christian women saints--Biography.

Christian women saints.

Abbesses, Christian--Ireland--Biography.

Abbesses, Christian.

Ireland.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

357 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Other Title:

St Brigid of Kildare

Place of Publication:

Dublin, Ireland : Open Air, an imprint of Four Courts Press, [2017]

Summary:

Despite being the female patron saint of Ireland and one of the most remarkable women in Irish history, St Brigid has always been an elusive figure. Some scholars have argued that she never existed as a real person but was merely the Christian personification of the cult of a pagan goddess of the same name. This book reviews all the evidence - history, legend and folklore - and concludes that while she has many of the attributes of the goddess Brigid, she was certainly a real person. The book also reviews her cult and veneration in Ireland and overseas, from her lifetime down to the present day, as attested by placenames, holy wells and folklore, and also by the large numbers of churches (Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland), schools and GAA clubs dedicated to her. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction 17

2 Saint Brigid's Ireland 22

3 Historiography 40

4 The 'Lives' of Saint Brigid 69

5 Biography/Legend 81

6 The Cult of Saint Brigid in Ireland 111

7 The Cult of Saint Brigid Overseas 187

8 The Brigidines 222

9 Hymns and Poems 228

10 Folklore 249.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 325-339) and index.

ISBN:

9781846826320

1846826322

OCLC:

968758401

Publisher Number:

99974698111