Category: Publications

Brigantia of Nothern England.

Happy Brigantia!  Happy Imbolc!

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
• 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)

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

The Lady Brigantia

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.

Sources

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