Category: Goddesses

Happy Brigantia!  Happy Imbolc!  Here is one poem for the Goddess Brigantia from my book Divine Words, Divine Praise: Poetry for the Divine Powers.

 

Brigantia–Her name may mean “Exalted” or “Queenly”.  She is the tutelary deity of the Brigantes and is a Romano-British deity who has similarities to Athena/Minerva and Brighid.  Her only titles were left in Roman inscriptions on altars.  Her titles are Goddess, Heavenly, Nymph-Goddess, and Imperial Guardian.  Her symbols were the crown, spear, helmet and shield; a globe, wings of victory and the head of a Gorgon on her brooch.  She is a goddess of nature especially water and trees; a protective war deity; a goddess of artisans and their crafts, a lady of sovereignty, a goddess of knowledge, a healing goddess and a heavenly Queen.  She may have been a goddess associated with oracles.  Like Brighid, she is the goddess of the hearth and home.

Offerings to Her include milk, honey, wine, beer, mead and fruit.

Celtic/Roman and English Epithets

Caelestis (Heavenly)

Dea (Goddess)

Nymph-Goddess (Goddess of nature associated with waters, trees; healing and oracles)

Tutela Augusta (Imperial Protector/Guardian)

Victoria (Victory)

Sources

MacGrath, Sheena.  Brigantia: Goddess of the North. Lulu, 2015.

The Lady Brigantia

by JewelofAset

Lady of Wales

Ffraid is Her Name

Lady of the Distaff

and the Spindle;

Weaving is Her trade.

In Ireland, Brighid is Her name

Lady of Hearths and Wells,

Lady of the Hearth-fire, Temples

and Sacred Writing;

These are Her spells.

Brigantia is the Lady of Great Britain

Queen of Heaven,

Lady of the Distaff

Lady of Victory and the Royal Guardian

These are My names.

And this is Who I am.

Hearth and Home

Distaff and Spindle;

These are the implements

when I am Goddess of the Home and Domestic Duties;

This is Who I am.

Warrior Queen, Bearing Arms

when I wear the helmet

and hold the spear and shield.

Lady who dons the Gorgon Head

as a brooch,

when I am Lady of War.

And this is Who I am.

This is Who I am.

For all those who ask for Me.

This is who I am.

I am like Athena, yes.

And Minerva too.

She has a cognate in My name

which is shared with Brighid of Ireland and Wales.

Brig is Exalted.

Brig is Lady.

Brig is Queenly.

And this is Who I am as

the Queen of My People.

The Brigantes.

The People of Great Britain, Wales and Ireland.

And any people who call upon Me today.

This is Who I am.

Lady of the Distaff and Spindle

Lady of the Hearth and Home

Queen of Heaven

Lady of Victory in War

Lady of Victory in Life

Lady of Sovereignty and Sovereign Lady

Lady of Artisans and Crafts

Lady of Knowledge and Power.

And I am Lady of Poetry and Bards.

And I was called Nymph and Goddess

by the Romans.

and Heavenly Queen.

And I am the Sovereign Lady

of all natural forces;

including sacred springs and rivers

and healing wells.

Over trees that are sacred to Me.

I am a Goddess of oracles, yes,

but more of divination than of Divine command.

Sovereign Lady

This is Who I am

For all Who call upon Me.

And I will come to all those who call,

for I answer the prayers of all of My people.