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ArticlesSt. Bridget’s cross hung over door, Which did the house from fire secure, As Gillo thought, O powerful charm! To keep a house from taking harm: And tho’ the dogs and servants slept, By Bridget’s care the house was kept. James Farewell, Irish Hudibras (1689), a satire of Irish life from Henry Glassie, Passing the Time in Ballymenone: Culture and History of an Ulster Community (Philadelphia, 1982) Straw and CornAs the grape vine is associated with wine and the blood of Christ, wheat sheaves when placed on a cross represent the body of Christ. ![]() Corn (general term for wheat) dollies were made at the end of harvest in the European tradition long before Christianity. These were bent or woven into braids, baskets, and figures. With the conversion to Christianity, new straw forms were designed, such as this version of a Devonshire cross made by Nan Rooksby Rohan of Berkeley, CA. Traditional design has the corn heads or ears spray from the top and side terminals. The art of plaiting and folding of straw goes back to early times, usually associated with the end of the pastoral year. M. Lambeth, A Golden Dolly: The Art, Mystery and History of Corn Dollies (London, 1969) p. 97-100, writes about a number of traditions. In some counties in England, at the end of harvest the last stand of corn was trampled or slashed down to keep the bad spirits of the corn at bay. Other rituals around the end of the harvest include making a traditional dolly of either the last or best of the final harvest called the knack (sounds like "neck,"). In this tradition, the knack represents the corn spirit that will reawaken in spring. The dolly is hung in the farmhouse. As often happens, pre-Christian and Christian traditions came to exist side by side. Making straw crosses and straw figures are part of the harvest tradition in many farming communities. In 2003, the Historical Museum in Jacksonville, Oregon, had a large display of straw forms and crosses. Below is one of the smaller forms. ![]() |
St. Brigid Part 2 Return to Part 1> St. Brigid’s CrossTraditions surrounding St. Brigid have had difficulty fitting within the modern world. One issue is determining where the historical St. Brigid begins and where the goddess of the Celtic people, Brigit, who had similar attributes, stops.(8) According to many views, the Celtic goddess was converted in order to Christianize the Celtic spring festival Imbolic, "in the belly" (lambs are born around this time). While reports that during Vatican II, along with St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, St. Brigid was decanonized are untrue, traditional celebrations surrounding her feast day have decreased over modern times.(9) St. Brigid’s cross was removed as a symbol of the main Irish television network in 1988.(10) On the other hand, a renewed interest in Celtic Christianity has promoted St. Brigid and the care for other people that she represents. In 1983, five young men in Derry began the St. Brigid’s Peace Cross Campaign. They made St. Brigid’s crosses and sold them within their neighborhood. The proceeds were donated to Action from Ireland. Since then others have continued this campaign for justice and peace in the world. Additionally, the sacred flame that was maintained in her convent until the 12th century was symbolically relit in 1993 by the St. Brigidine Sisters in Kildare, who are active in community services. The tradition of making the cross on St. Brigid’s Eve, January 31, continues in rural areas surrounding her site. The cross is woven left to right, after the movement of the sun, which may be one origin for the cross. Made with freshly pulled rushes, these crosses are initially green. Various family and community procedures surround St. Brigid’s Day, which involve both the weaving and the distribution of the cross. A few of the different customs from the 20th century include:
St. Brigid’s crosses can last for years. In thatched houses, the previous year’s crosses were placed in the thatch on the inside. Crosses were hung above the window as well. (14) When the straw has nearly disintegrated, the proper disposal is to either burn or bury the cross. Burying the cross in the field is said to assure good crops. (15) St. Brigid ’s celebrations are very limited in America, especially in comparison to the parades and costumes around Halloween based on another Celtic festival, Samhain, an end of the harvest event, and St. Patrick’s Day. Still, one occasionally finds the cross in interesting places. A St. Brigid’s cross hung on the outside wall above the entrance to offices at the Mission San Juan Baptista a few years ago. A gold, silver, or pewter version of the cross is a popular brooch, especially as a way of combining Christian and Celtic spirituality. Other St. Brigid’s Crosses
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